Painless Reading Comprehension (Barron's Painless Series) [Paperback]

Darolyn E. Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0764127667 | ISBN-13: 978-0764127663

Reading comprehension is a skill that all students must develop for academic success, especially as they advance to college and beyond. This book for junior and senior high school students asks them meaningful questions about their reading preferences and difficulties. For example—

• What kind of reader am I? Avid or reluctant?
• What can I do if I don't understand what I'm reading?
• How do I keep the information in my head?

All students can profit from this book, but reluctant readers will find it especially helpful. Guided by the author, who is an experienced teacher, they learn how to read with ease, and to comprehend what they are reading. Most important, they discover how to transform a once-arduous task into a pleasurable experience.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

[back cover]


Really. This isn’t going to hurt at all . . .



If you think reading comprehension tests and assignments are tricky and confusing, take heart! They’re really quite easy—and even fun—once you open this book and learn the following things about yourself and your learning habits:

What kind of reader are you?

What can you do to “warm up” your brain before starting to read?

What can you do if you don’t understand what you’re reading?

How can you keep what you read in your head?



All students can profit from this book, but you’ll find it especially helpful if you think of yourself as a reluctant reader. Reading comprehension is a skill you’ll need to develop for academic and personal success, especially as you advance to college and beyond. This book will teach you to read with ease, and to comprehend what you are reading—painlessly. Most important, you’ll discover how to transform a once-painful task into a pleasurable experience.



Darolyn Jones is an Associate Faculty Member in the School of English at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) and an independent literacy consultant.



For Middle School and High School Students

About the Author

Darolyn E. Jones is an Associate Faculty Member in the School of English at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) and an independent literacy consultant. She is a former Language Arts Department Chair and an English teacher at Fishers Junior High School, Fishers, Indiana. She has published many articles in respected education journals and is the recipient of several teaching awards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764127667
• ISBN-13: 978-0764127663
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Professional & Technical > Education > By Level > High School
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Education > High School
  • #14 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Words & Language > Reading Skills

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for students, parents, and teachers!, November 24, 2004

By 

Anthony Sturgeon (Noblesville, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Painless Reading Comprehension (Barron's Painless Series) (Paperback)

Everyone will benefit from the material found in this text. Middle school and high school students OF ALL READING LEVELS will enjoy the the writing style and the format, which introduces them to various ways to improve their reading skills. Teachers will also find this an invaluable tool when looking for ways to improve reading comprehension in the classroom. The Painless series has been very successful, and this book is the best I have seen.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well -- there is a little pain..., August 14, 2010

By 

BRC - See all my reviews

This review is from: Painless Reading Comprehension (Barron's Painless Series) (Paperback)

I am a parent of a reluctant rising 7th grader. I decided that my son and I would read this book together to help him with his reluctance and to help him increase his reading comprehension. However, the 1st sample reading selection was an English/Social Studies selection about a Holocaust survivor. I felt a bit of pain in the 2nd chapter when I had to answer my son's question -- "What is rape ?" after he read the sentence -- "Each and every one returned at midnight screaming with terror and pain because each one had been raped."

I have not given up on the book - because already I think there are some great points for helping with reading comprehension -- but I really wasn't ready for the comprehension to be about really difficult issues. So this is just a warning for other parents to be aware of.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A better supplementary text, July 12, 2005

By 

JJ (California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Painless Reading Comprehension (Barron's Painless Series) (Paperback)

I read this and several other books, including the "guaranteed to pass" books, but I still didn't pass. I ran out of preparation time, I knew I still didn't get it, and painfully I knew I failed. I have been out of school for some twenty-five years, so that's part of the problem right there. In desperation, I hit the bookstore the next day, clueless what to look for. Then it struck me, the basic children's gradeschool books, the thin ones with big letters, might be my ticket. I opened a few books, and Bingo! The material was step-by-step organized. For example: here is an essay, this is what a main idea looks like, here are some more essays, find the main idea and write it in the blank space. This "painless" book in review here does have plenty of tools and practice, including some unique approaches, so it probably makes a better supplementary study than most. For example, to nail your mind down, highlight some words. But it is also probably better suited to a reader who already has the basics down, and who needs a review or wants some extra tips.