The only thing that both teachers and reading specialists hate is when our time is wasted! Probably because we don’t have time to waste! When we finally prioritize our professional development and make the time to read a popular book in our field of literacy, we want it to not be painful and be of value. We want to not have to sit with a dictionary (or Google) and look up unknown words over and over again. We want to be able to incorporate what we read and learn about into our instruction with ease.
In this post, you will be introduced to books that are WORTH the time to read. This list is short and sweet because our time is valuable.
Shifting the Balance 3-5 Book“>Shifting the Balance (3-5) by Katie Cunningham, Jan Burkins and Kari Yates (affiliate link)-This is the second book written for students in grades 3-5 and focuses on methods where you can incorporate the Science of Reading instruction into areas such as vocabulary and comprehension.
A Fresh Look at Phonics by Wiley Blevins (affiliate link)-Phonics instruction is not as easy to teach as some teachers think it is! Good quality phonics instruction requires specific methods and framework in order to be beneficial. This book provides practical methods and effective instructional strategies and is a quick read.
Reading Above the Fray by Julia B. Lindsey (affiliate link)-This book provides numerous research based routines to teach children effective strategies to decode unknown words. I loved how she included common questions literacy educators have with the answers. Plus you can’t beat the price!
The Book Whisperer:Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller (affiliate link)-have bought and given this book to many of my fellow Reading Specialists! Donalyn Miller is a teacher who is still in the classroom and believes that she “has yet to meet a child that she cannot turn into a reader”. Her secret? Make kids fall in the love with books! Her book is chuck full of strategies to help motivate kids to become life-long readers. Another book at a great price too!
I hope you take the time to dig into at least one of these books. I promise, you won’t regret it!
