Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6): Teaching, Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy [Paperback]

Irene C. Fountas (Author), Gay Su Pinnell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0325003106 | ISBN-13: 978-0325003108 | Publication Date: January 2001 | Edition: 1

Authors Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell have already helped hundreds of thousands of K-3 teachers engage, inform, and inspire early readers and writers. Now, with Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6), Fountas and Pinnell support teachers on the next leg of the literacy journey, addressing the unique challenges of teaching upper elementary students.

The product of many years of work with classroom teachers, Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6) is one of the most comprehensive, authoritative guides available today. It explores all the essential components of a quality literacy program in six separate sections:

• Breakthrough to Literacy: Fountas and Pinnell present the basic structure of the language/literacy program within a breakthrough framework that encompasses the building of community through language, word study, reading, writing, and the visual arts. The framework plays out as three "blocks," which can be interpreted as conceptual units as well as segments of time within the school day. Specific information on how to structure a reading and writing workshop is provided. A practical chapter on organizing and managing the classroom will help you implement the principles in your own classroom.
• Independent Reading: It is essential for students to develop interests and tastes as readers, selecting books for themselves every day. Fountas and Pinnell devote four chapters to independent reading, exploring how to structure teaching, minilessons, conferences, groupshare, and ways to use response journals as part of a reading workshop.
• Guided Reading: The chapters in this section provide detailed information on planning for guided reading, dynamic grouping for effective teaching, and selecting, introducing, and using leveled texts. Fountas and Pinnell describe characteristics of texts related to difficulty and ways to organize texts in your classroom and school.
• Literature Study: This section of the book discusses how to make students' experiences with literature as rich as possible. The authors offer specific suggestions for forming groups, guiding student choices, and establishing and teaching routines for literature discussion. A full chapter explores reader response and ways to help readers dig deep to uncover the meaning of texts.
• Teaching for Comprehension and Word Analysis: This detailed look at the reading process explores both oral and silent reading, processes and behaviors related to comprehension, and ways to help students construct meaning. Included are twelve systems for sustaining the reading process and expanding meaning, plus discussions of the important areas of phonics, spelling, and vocabulary.
• The Reading and Writing Connection: These chapters showcase the instructional contexts - poetry, writer's notebooks, writer's talks, genre, content literacy, and student research - that support students in connected reading and writing. An informative overview of the characteristics of fiction and nonfiction will help you teach students to read and write a variety of genre. What's more, the authors suggest ways to help students learn the "genre" of testing and perform the kinds of reading and writing tasks that tests require. They also detail the continuous thoughtful assessment that guides all aspects of effective teaching.

A special feature appears at the end of each section, in which Fountas and Pinnell provide indispensable suggestions for working with struggling readers and writers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Irene C. Fountas, a professor in the School of Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been a classroom teacher, language arts specialist, and consultant in school districts across the nation and abroad. She works extensively in the literacy education field and directs the Literacy Collaborative in the School of Education at Lesley University. Together with Gay Su Pinnell she has authored numerous books, videos, and websites with Heinemann that are now considered standards in the field of literacy instruction and staff development. Their latest innovations are The Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention and The Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System, a comprehensive assessment system for grades K-8. Fountas and Pinnell have influenced the classroom practices of teachers nationwide through bestselling books such as: The Fountas & Pinnell Prompting Guide 1 (2008) When Readers Struggle (2008) The Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Book List, K-8+ (2009-2011 Edition, Print Version) The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades K-8 (2007) The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades K-2 (2007) The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades 3-8 (2007) Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K-8 (2006) www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com Leveled Books, K-8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005) Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996) Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001) Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K-2 (2000) The Primary Literacy Video Collection Series of DVDs: Guided Reading; Classroom Management; and Word Study (2006) Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998) The Reader's Notebook Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997) In addition, through Heinemann's firsthand line of classroom materials, Fountas and Pinnell have authored Phonics Lessons (Grades K, 1, and 2), Word Study Lessons (Grade 3), Sing a Song of Poetry, and their corresponding word and picture cards. These materials are used in thousands of classrooms throughout the country. Fountas and Pinnell together present workshops nationwide on a variety of literacy-instruction topics through Heinemann Professional Development.

Gay Su Pinnell is a professor in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University. She has extensive experience in classroom teaching and field-based research, and in developing comprehensive approaches to literacy education. She has received the International Reading Association's Albert J. Harris Award for research and the Charles A. Dana Foundation Award for her contributions to the field of education. She is also a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. Together with Irene Fountas she has authored numerous books, videos, and websites with Heinemann that are considered standards in the field of literacy instruction and staff development. Their latest innovations are The Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention and The Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System, a comprehensive assessment system for grades K-8. Fountas and Pinnell have influenced the classroom practices of teachers nationwide through bestselling titles such as: The Fountas & Pinnell Prompting Guide 1 (2008) When Readers Struggle (2008) The Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Book List, K-8+ (2009-2011 Edition, Print Version) The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades K-8 (2007) The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades K-2 (2007) The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades 3-8 (2007) Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K-8 (2006) www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com Leveled Books, K-8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005) Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996) Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001) Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K-2 (2000) The Primary Literacy Video Collection Series of DVDs: Guided Reading; Classroom Management; and Word Study (2006) Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998) The Reader's Notebook Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997) In addition, through Heinemann's firsthand line of classroom materials, Fountas and Pinnell have authored Phonics Lessons (Grades K, 1, and 2), Word Study Lessons (Grade 3), Sing a Song of Poetry, and their corresponding word and picture cards. These materials are used in thousands of classrooms throughout the country. Fountas and Pinnell together present workshops nationwide on a variety of literacy-instruction topics through Heinemann Professional Development.

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann; 1 edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0325003106
• ISBN-13: 978-0325003108
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,014 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guiding Readers and Writers(Grades 3-6) Teaching ..., December 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6): Teaching, Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (Paperback)

Again, Fountas and Pinnell have helped teachers with their incredible insight on educating children. This time their help/advice/knowledge focuses on grades 3-6 but do not let that stop you if you teach another grade level. Their information on the essential components of a quality literacy program is true for any grade level. Fountas and Pinnell offer suggestions for effectively helping readers and writers who are not meeting "standard". These suggestions are specific and establish teaching practices that will help all readers and writers. They also give many mini lesson ideas and great literature connections that make a teacher's job easier. The appendices include forms for language/word study for both reading and writing and for literary assessment. Once again, their book ends with a valuable book list that is leveled. This book is an essential resource for all teachers.

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will foster literacy success in your classroom!, June 28, 2001

By 

Rocco B. Rubino "Rocco R." (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6): Teaching, Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (Paperback)

Authors Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell have given language arts teachers a real gem of a resource.

Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6) contains a wealth of ideas that will inspire students to become more literate. I am a teacher of children with mild to moderate learning disabilities who plans on using this book as a springboard to teach Language Arts to 4th and 6th graders this fall. This summer, this book has proved to be a priceless resource in teaching reading in a summer school program for learners who are able to decode, but have a difficult time making the connection from print to meaning.

I have literally seen my classroom transformed as I have engaged the students in minilessons, conferences, group sharing and response journals all for the purpose of building a community of learners. Taking this book, and utilizing a constructivist approach, my classroom has become a place where each child is valued, encouraged to express him/herself, take risks, and celebrated for their unique perspective on the world.

Like I said, I have been using this resource for teaching summer school to children from regular education classrooms, but I am certain that my students who are on IEPs, for one reason or another, will also be intellectually stimulated by these, and many more methods this book has. I will be curious to see how end of year results compare with the baseline data I take in Aug. and Sept.

I am quite certain that Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6 by Fountas & Pinnell will make a difference.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creating a Reading/Writing Workshop in Your Classroom, May 22, 2003

By 

F. Hamilton "[e-mail]" (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6): Teaching, Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (Paperback)

If you have been wanting to convert your classroom into a reading/writing workshop but haven't known how to start, _Guiding Readers and Writers: Grades 3-6_ is the book for you! Authors Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell have created a comprehensive manual for establishing a reading/writing community -- a place where students can spend two and a half to three hours a day engaged in authentic reading and writing.

Teachers who are already using a workshop approach are likely to find much in _Guiding Readers and Writers_ that will make their job easier. Even teachers of younger and older students will find many practical suggestions to implement.

Fountas and Pinnell see the goal of language arts instruction in the intermediate grades to be the creation of lifelong readers and writers. They structure the language arts class in a three-block framework: a sixty-minute reading workshop, a sixty-minute writing workshop, and a thirty- to sixty-minute language/word study segment (including spelling, vocabulary, decoding, and more).

In addition to providing a treasure trove of information, Fountas and Pinnell have produced a book that is remarkably readable and user-friendly. The two-column format is extremely helpful. In addition, frequent headings, bullet points, and graphics help you to efficiently get the information you need.

With photos and other graphics, Fountas and Pinnell show you how to organize your classroom, your materials, and your time for a reading/writing workshop. The authors provide step-by-step instructions for getting started (in a few instances even offering a sample script). They provide scores of suggestions for minilessons, and they recommend more than 1,000 books for classroom use. In addition, each section includes techniques to use with struggling readers and writers. The book even devotes a section to the "testing genre," helping students develop strategies to maximize their performance on standardized reading tests.

Furthermore, _Guiding Readers and Writers_ includes sixty-five appendices (nearly 150 pages)! Fifty-three of the appendices are reproducible pages that the teacher or the student can use for planning, record-keeping, assessment, analysis, etc. Most of the remaining appendices comprise lists of recommended books. A list of 1,000 books is repeated -- organized once by title and again by level.

_Guiding Readers and Writers_ will help you rekindle the passions that originally prompted you to become an English teacher -- and it will show you how to share those passions with your students. Focusing on the vital elements of communication is likely to produce the best year ever -- for you *and* for your students.