I Read It, but I Don't Get It

Book excerpt: I Read It, but I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers is a practical and engaging account of how teachers can help adolescents develop new reading comprehension skills. Cris Tovani is an accomplished teacher and staff developer who writes with verve and humor about the challenges of working with students at all levels of achievement-;from those who have mastered the art of fake reading to college-bound juniors and seniors who struggle with the different demands of content-area textbooks and novels. Enter Tovani's classroom, a place where students are continually learning new strategies for tackling difficult text. You will be taken step-by-step through practical, theory-based reading instruction that can be adapted for use in any subject area. The book features: Anecdotes in each chapter about real kids with real universal problems. You will identify with these adolescents and will see how these problems can be solvedA thoughtful explanation of current theories of comprehension instruction and how they might be adapted for use with adolescentsA What Works section in each of the last seven chapters that offers simple ideas you can immediately employ in your classroom. The suggestions can be used in a variety of content areas and grade levels (6-12)Teaching tips and ideas that benefit struggling readers as well as proficient and advanced readersAppendixes with reproducible materials that you can use in your classroom, including coding sheets, double entry diaries, and comprehension constructorsIn a time when students need increasingly sophisticated reading skills, this book will provide support for teachers who want to incorporate comprehension instruction into their daily lesson plans without sacrificing content knowledge.