Artfully Teaching the Science of Reading

Book excerpt: This inviting book is a bridge between two major strands of reading instruction that are often held in opposition: the science of reading and artful approaches to teaching reading. Although the current climate of literacy instruction positions these approaches as diametrically opposed, the authors Young, Paige, and Rasinski describe how teachers can use the science of reading to engage students in artful, engaging, and authentic instruction. The authors reveal how effective teaching is a dynamic process that requires agency and creativity and show how teachers make artful shifts based on the needs of students in specific contexts. Chapters include a range of examples and explanations of how artful teaching is integrated into reading instruction and how it can increase students’ motivation and positive attitudes toward reading. The concise and practical chapters cover key topics, including phonemic awareness, reading fluency, vocabulary, assessment, home and family reading, and more. This essential road map for all pre-service and in-service reading teachers restores the importance of teacher agency, supports the critical understanding of reading research, and allows teachers to use their knowledge, experience, and creative approaches in the classroom. This is the definitive guide to teaching reading as both an art and a science.