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This highly practical book helps K–8 teachers implement effective reading interventions that support meaningful comprehension and engage students with interesting, age-appropriate texts. Andrew P. Johnson presents a range of strategies for addressing difficulties in the core areas of word identification, fluency, and comprehension.
Packed with illustrative figures, the book provides guidance and tools for assessing reading problems, combining and adapting interventions for particular students, planning writing activities to enhance reading, aligning efforts within a response-to-intervention framework, and designing individualised education programs. Informed by current research, Johnson candidly targets "educational malpractice” and helps readers puzzle through the controversies surrounding dyslexia diagnoses and special education decision making.
This book will be helpful for K–8 classroom teachers, special educators, reading/literacy specialists and coaches.
Introduction
I. Background Information
II. Elements of a Meaning-Based Intervention for Reading
III. Diagnosing, Assessing, and Monitoring Progress
IV. Individualized Education Programs
V. Designing Reading Interventions
VI. Issues in Special Education
Epilogue
References
Index
"During my time as a special educator and instructional coach, I longed for a framework that operationalized a meaning-based approach to reading interventions. Johnson lays out the rationale for such an approach and follows it up with a practical process. This book is a 'must read' for every special educator and for any educator who wants a solid resource for designing reading instruction that meets the needs of today's diverse classrooms."
- Staci Gilpin, MSEd, former teacher and instructional coach; doctoral student in Educational Foundations and Research, University of North Dakota
"Johnson provides a refreshing look at interventions for struggling readers and the need to focus on making meaning from text. He reinforces the idea that a majority of our students know how to read, but lack the skills necessary to make meaning. I appreciate this book's frank discussions of intervention fidelity, direct instruction, and the need to recognize the nuances each of our students bring with them. Johnson shares a concrete process for designing meaning-based interventions that I look forward to bringing to our special education licensure program!"
- Amy Murzyn, Amy Murzyn, EdD, School of Education and Social Work, College of St. Scholastica
"This book masterfully synthesizes the latest literacy acquisition research and provides critical pedagogical practices for targeting each student’s learning needs. It is an essential resource for preservice teachers, classroom teachers, reading interventionists, and special education teachers interested in capitalizing on responsive decision making. Johnson presents interventions that are cleverly designed to support accelerative progress, ensuring all students learn to read."
- Mary R. Van Etten, MEd, district literacy specialist/Reading Recovery coordinator, Muskogee Public Schools, Oklahoma
"Johnson's presentation of a meaning-based approach in the design of interventions for all struggling readers is well written and convincingly argued. This instructional plan is appropriate for any child experiencing difficulties acquiring reading proficiencies, including those labeled as dyslexics. Johnson's approach shares little with traditional methods for teaching struggling readers—and I hope it will initiate needed changes in remedial and special education. If only every teacher preparing to become a reading specialist or special educator could read this book before they began their student teaching apprenticeship!"
- Richard L. Allington, PhD, College of Education (Emeritus), The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
