Teaching Word Recognition: Effective Strategies for Students with Learning Difficulties (What Works for Special-Needs Learners) [Paperback]

Rollanda E. O'Connor PhD (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1593853645 | ISBN-13: 978-1593853648 | Publication Date: November 17, 2006 | Edition: 1

Most struggling readers, including those with reading disabilities, have difficulties recognizing printed words. This unique, lucidly written book synthesizes the research on how children learn to read words skillfully and translates it into step-by-step strategies for the classroom. The author demonstrates how to plan and implement a coordinated series of lessons that address letter-sound pairings, decoding and blending, multisyllabic words, sight words, and fluency. The proven techniques presented are applicable across the primary grades; in addition, specific guidance is offered for working with older children who are having difficulties. A highly accessible guide, the book features reproducible forms and checklists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As a practicing school psychologist and state reading trainer who works extensively on preventing reading problems at the district and state level, I find this book to be an excellent synthesis of best practices for teaching word recognition to all children. O'Connor provides a sequenced framework for developing individualized lessons for both younger and older struggling readers. A quick-reference table provides a summary and roadmap of all the teaching methods and activities described. This book is an invaluable day-to-day resource for special and general educators. It is also a great preservice or inservice text for teachers, school psychologists, and reading consultants."--Jim Weaver, MA, SPsyS, Michigan Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative

 

"This unique volume provides a thorough and comprehensive discussion of reading instruction at the word level, including practical ideas that reading specialists and special educators can immediately apply when working with students. O'Connor's in-depth knowledge of theory and research related to reading difficulties--and her ability to translate that knowledge into explicit, step-by-step strategies for the practitioner--make this a special and important book. It will be a useful text for any course within a reading or special education program that addresses instruction for struggling readers, and an important resource for practicing reading specialists and special educators."--Rita M. Bean, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

 

"Reading Words is an extremely valuable, well-written, and well-organized resource for general and special education teachers, tutors, and others who want to help their students with learning disabilities become fluent readers. The book effectively bridges the gap between research and practice, clearly explaining how reading instruction should progress and what to do when things do not go as planned. It provides hope for helping all students, regardless of their age or disability status. I used this book repeatedly during my student teaching experience in a special education classroom, and loved the results!"--Anna Waters, MA, elementary school teacher-in-training and reading tutor, University of California, Riverside

About the Author

Rollanda E. O’Connor, PhD, is a reading specialist and Professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Riverside. Previously, she taught reading in special and general education classrooms for many years. Dr. O’Connor’s research has centered on issues of reading acquisition and reading improvement. She has conducted numerous reading intervention studies in general and special education settings, examined procedures to predict the students most likely to develop reading disabilities, and followed the reading progress of students who have received early intervention.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (November 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593853645
• ISBN-13: 978-1593853648
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly book with many practical applications for educators, December 13, 2008

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BookMan - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Teaching Word Recognition: Effective Strategies for Students with Learning Difficulties (What Works for Special-Needs Learners) (Paperback)

Teaching Word Recognition is an extraordinary work of scholarship on reading instruction geared for children with learning disabilities. It contains a wealth of practical information and ideas for enhancing instruction based upon the current body of research as it pertains to quality pedagogical practices. While the book is researched based, it provides a very accessible view for all educators (even those who do not work exclusively with special needs children) and includes countless strategies for approaching the complex process effective teaching.

Both new educators, as well as those who have been in the field for many years, will find that "Teaching Word Recognition" provides tools that may not been used enough (if at all), that should be addressed in the classroom. This book is recommended, without reservation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, research-based resource, June 15, 2009

By 

Dew Drop (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teaching Word Recognition: Effective Strategies for Students with Learning Difficulties (What Works for Special-Needs Learners) (Paperback)

As a reading tutor for children and teens with reading disabilities, I found this book to be a valuable resource. O'Connor's writing is straight-forward and easy to read. The chapters are laid out in a way that parallels the logical, successive teaching of skills. Most importantly, O'Connor extensively cites the research that she is using to draw her conclusions. There are several techniques that I will be adding to be teaching. I found the section on the partial alphabetic stage of reading development in older students fascinating.