Teaching Reading in Middle School: A Strategic Approach to Teaching Reading That Improves Comprehension and Thinking

by Laura Robb

In this completely revised and updated edition of a best-selling classic, master teacher Laura Robb reflects on how her teaching has evolved over the ten years since the book’s initial publication. Drawing on current research and her most recent classroom experiences with students all over the country, Robb presents abundant new material, including fresh literacy vignettes that showcase lessons and learning experiences. She demonstrates how she has fine tuned her strategy lessons, focusing on helping students become more aware of why they’re doing what they’re doing. She expands her discussion of motivation, differentiation, assessment, classroom management, and more—including a whole new chapter on conferring. Robb’s passion for helping adolescents become lifelong readers radiates throughout the book, and she offers new insights and innovative ideas for working with students at this critical juncture of their literacy lives. Includes a CD with forms, charts, and more. For use with Grades 5 & Up.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Author, teacher, coach, and speaker, Laura Robb has completed 43 years of teaching in grades 4-8.

She presently coaches teachers in reading/writing workshop at Powhatan School in Virginia and coaches teachers in grades K-8 in Staunton, Virginia, Long Island, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, and West Nyack, New York.

Reviews

[Danny Ku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello everyone, I feel that this book is great for Middle School teachers, soon to be teachers, parents of middle schoolers, and honestly, for anyone looking to improve their reading. Yes, you read the last part correctly! I have learned so much from this book on how to become a better and more efficient reader. Sure, I am not the best reader to begin with, English is my third language. However, I believe that anyone can get a lot of important strategies from this book that can be very useful in our independent reading. I am reading this book for school right now.

If anyone have any questions regarding this book, please shoot me an email!

Thanks

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm only a little terrified about the reading class I'll have this year in addition to my regular library classes, given that I'm not a reading teacher and have zero training in teaching reading. This book codifies a lot of what I kinda-sorta knew about it, and breaks it down into specific strategies. I'll be referring back to this often throughout the year, I think, and try to swim instead of sink.

I have the early edition, from 2000, so I'll have to modify the approaches from the suggested "copy this on transparencies for the overhead projector." Ahahahaha. Document cameras forever.

[Mr. Holt · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Teaching Reading in Middle School (2nd Edition): A Strategic Approach to Teaching Reading That Improves Comprehension and Thinking didn't blow my mind, it did offer some great strategies to properly implement a Reader's Workshop in the classroom. While the author discussed the need for student choice in reading materials, she wrote extensively about structured reading groups in which various groups are all reading the same novel. She also had conflicting quotes within the book as well. Early in the book she quotes a student discussing how choice has made him want to read while towards the end of the book she quotes an assistant super intendent discussing the need for students reading the same book. Despite the contradictions in place, the book included some great strategies and prompts to help students troubleshoot while reading and writing about reading. The accompanying CD contains many useful forms to help start a Reader's Workshop model in the classroom. I would reccomend skimming this book if you have already read The Daily Five: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades and The CAFE Book: Engaging All Students in Daily Literary Assessment and Instruction as those are better references for starting a new approach to reading in the classroom. If you are simply looking for some new ideas to invigorate your current reading model, then this might be a great resource for you.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teach 5th grade and this book is perfect for this grade level. I initially had to read this book for a grad course and was groaning my way through it, simply because I HAD to read it...but eventually I found it to be very useful. It answered a lot of questions I had about how to implement reading workshop. It also provides numerous forms that are helpful to use. This is a definite read for those who are about to go full-force into reading workshop, although if you have NO background knowledge of reading workshop, you may need to have some before reading.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helped me to further understand reading instruction at the middle school level. Robb provides plenty of examples and ideas. I'm excited to use some of her activities at the beginning of this school year to get to know my new students as readers & provide them with strategies they can use while reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is just starting to become familiar with & starting to implement reader's workshop.

[Tammy Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura Robb presents another approach to teaching reading workshop in middle school with plenty of applicable examples. Robb understands middle school students and the strategic reading skills they need.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough and helpful guide to the Reading Workshop--not exactly the TC/ Calkins' way, but still very helpful to incorporate into that model. Full of real-life examples (though too many that we're simple to solve, it seemed) and guide sheets for how to do it in your own classroom.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robb gives very practical ideas of how to run a strong reading program at the middle school level. Good resource.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robb's books are a consistently good source for useful, adaptable instructional strategies.

[Rikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great stuff in here...thank you...my first year with workshop will be so much easier!