Reading Instruction That Works, Second Edition: The Case for Balanced Teaching (Paperback)

~ PhD Michael Pressley PhD (Author), (Author) "Elementary reading instruction is a topic that has commanded a great deal of attention in recent years..." (more)
Key Phrases: balanced comprehension instruction, emergent literacy interactions, synthetic phonics instruction, New York, Journal of Educational Psychology, Reading Research Quarterly (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is more than a compilation of lectures presented by an astute-thinking reading educator. Duty took me beyond Dr. Pressley's impressive introduction of himself and his interesting vita to realize that this was going to be a fascinating read. Sure, I could put the book down whenever I needed to, but I was always anxious to pick it up and pan for more nuggets of solidly presented research and information....a valuable resource of significant information and viewpoints about the nature of the reading act, the essential aspects of learning to read and of not learning to read, and the processes needed to transform reading education in our elementary schools today....Dr. Pressley does an impressive job of utilizing research results in both interesting and useful ways throughout the book....the book is a straightforward easy read, and Pressley successfully covers all the bases....College professors and doctoral students would do well to consume the book....the lucky person to get the most out of the book would be a reading education grad student who is in need of a one-volume, cramming survey to prepare him/herself for comps."--Teachers College Record

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION:

"Instead of relying solely on published papers, Pressley spent hours in classrooms watching the best of the best....a large part of his work is based upon observing teachers. His surveys of these teachers as well as his observations enabled him to present commonalities of good reading instruction and to show what a balanced elementary language arts classroom looks like....It was refreshing to read a critique by someone who is not pushing his own program for sale commercially."--Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy

"...through much research, many references, and the comprehensiveness of this text, the author quite ably makes his case....this book will aid individuals in understanding that reading instruction can work if there is a balance between whole language and skills components. Recommended for undergraduate and graduate students; faculty; researchers; and professionals."--Choice

"This book profiles some of the country's most effective reading instructors, documenting how they combine aspects of both skill and whole language approaches."--NEA Today

"For school psychologists seeking to improve their understanding of literacy and the reading process and to gain a comprehensible overview of the most updated research, Pressley provides an excellent starting place for developing a sound understanding of some of the more salient features involved in the overall process."--School Psychology Quarterly
-- Review

Review

"This text is very readable and will command a wide audience. Literacy researchers and faculty members will find it an excellent resource. Graduate students, classroom teachers, reading specialists, and administrators will gain valuable information about how to provide engaging, effective literacy instruction, and will also have at their fingertips pertinent research findings and practices to share with parents and community members. The new data, information, and resources added to the second edition greatly enhance the utility of this outstanding book."--Lynn Romeo, EdD, Department of Educational Leadership and Special Education, Monmouth University

"This book is probably the quintessential statement on balanced literacy instruction. It should spark lively debate in graduate classrooms and send students running to the research library. Michael Pressley has provided a highly personalized interpretation of reading research and what it says about reading instruction. One might not always agree with Pressley's strong opinions and provocative interpretations, but his claims are intriguing and well expressed."--Timothy Shanahan, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago

"At last, a professional resource for reading educators that brings together the best and most current research and thinking about reading instruction. Rather than fueling the fire or participating in the whole language versus skills-first debate, Pressley does a brilliant job of focusing on the contribution each perspective has made to the field and attempting to seek common ground. Building on the foundations of the first edition, the second edition incorporates the significant research conducted within the last five years on the importance of teacher-directed instruction in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, and comprehension. This book should serve as the core text for any foundations of reading course."--Elizabeth W. English, PhD, Early Literacy Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools, Annandale, Virginia

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION:

"Instead of relying solely on published papers, Pressley spent hours in classrooms watching the best of the best....a large part of his work is based upon observing teachers. His surveys of these teachers as well as his observations enabled him to present commonalities of good reading instruction and to show what a balanced elementary language arts classroom looks like....It was refreshing to read a critique by someone who is not pushing his own program for sale commercially."--Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy

"...through much research, many references, and the comprehensiveness of this text, the author quite ably makes his case....this book will aid individuals in understanding that reading instruction can work if there is a balance between whole language and skills components. Recommended for undergraduate and graduate students; faculty; researchers; and professionals."--Choice

"This book profiles some of the country's most effective reading instructors, documenting how they combine aspects of both skill and whole language approaches."--NEA Today

"For school psychologists seeking to improve their understanding of literacy and the reading process and to gain a comprehensible overview of the most updated research, Pressley provides an excellent starting place for developing a sound understanding of some of the more salient features involved in the overall process."--School Psychology Quarterly

"The second edition of this book is a stark improvement over the first edition, and honestly, I thought that would be hard to do. The first edition was very informative and well-written, and I found it downright inspiring. The new edition somehow is even more so. This book is very enjoyable to read--Pressley is another talented researcher who also has a gift for conveying complicated issues in a concrete understandable way. This book really made me think about how we motivate students to read."--BalancedReading.com

"This book is more than a compilation of lectures presented by an astute-thinking reading educator. Duty took me beyond Dr. Pressley's impressive introduction of himself and his interesting vita to realize that this was going to be a fascinating read. Sure, I could put the book down whenever I needed to, but I was always anxious to pick it up and pan for more nuggets of solidly presented research and information....a valuable resource of significant information and viewpoints about the nature of the reading act, the essential aspects of learning to read and of not learning to read, and the processes needed to transform reading education in our elementary schools today....Dr. Pressley does an impressive job of utilizing research results in both interesting and useful ways throughout the book....the book is a straightforward easy read, and Pressley successfully covers all the bases....College professors and doctoral students would do well to consume the book....the lucky person to get the most out of the book would be a reading education grad student who is in need of a one-volume, cramming survey to prepare him/herself for comps."--Teachers College Record

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION:

"Instead of relying solely on published papers, Pressley spent hours in classrooms watching the best of the best....a large part of his work is based upon observing teachers. His surveys of these teachers as well as his observations enabled him to present commonalities of good reading instruction and to show what a balanced elementary language arts classroom looks like....It was refreshing to read a critique by someone who is not pushing his own program for sale commercially."--Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy

"...through much research, many references, and the comprehensiveness of this text, the author quite ably makes his case....this book will aid individuals in understanding that reading instruction can work if there is a balance between whole language and skills components. Recommended for undergraduate and graduate students; faculty; researchers; and professionals."--Choice

"This book profiles some of the country's most effective reading instructors, documenting how they combine aspects of both skill and whole language approaches."--NEA Today

"For school psychologists seeking to improve their understanding of literacy and the reading process and to gain a comprehensible overview of the most updated research, Pressley provides an excellent starting place for developing a sound understanding of some of the more salient features involved in the overall process."--School Psychology Quarterly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 378 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 2nd edition (April 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572307331
• ISBN-13: 978-1572307339
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #531,393 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)