First published in 1987. The first thing the reader of this volume needs to know is: What is executive control in reading, exactly? Executive control processes coordinate the functioning of the human cognitive system. This book seeks to examine how mature, skilled readers use information about the difficulty and importance of text, and of their comprehension tasks in allocating their reading time and effort.

Hundreds of thousands of teachers have used this highly practical guide to help K–12 students enlarge their vocabulary and get involved in noticing, understanding, and using new words. Grounded in research, the book explains how to select words for instruction, introduce their meanings, and create engaging learning activities that promote both word knowledge and reading comprehension. The authors are trusted experts who draw on extensive experience in diverse classrooms an...

In this "important, alarming" (New York Times) book, see why so many American students are falling behind in their reading skills while others around the world excel.The way we teach reading is not working, and it cannot continue. We have largely abandoned phonics-based reading instruction, despite research that supports its importance for word recognition. Rather than treating Black English as a valid dialect and recognizing that speaking one dialect can ...

Understanding Reading revolutionized reading research and theory when the first edition appeared in 1971 and continues to be a leader in the field. In the sixth edition of this classic text Smith’s purpose remains the same: to shed light on fundamental aspects of the complex human act of reading – linguistic, physiological, psychological, and social – and of what is involved in learning to read.The text critically examines current theories, instructional practices, and con...

Until about two decades ago, the study of writing systems and their relationship to literacy acquisition was sparse and generally modeled after studies of English language learners. This situation is now changing. As the worldwide demand for literacy continues to grow, researchers from different countries with different language backgrounds have begun examining the connection between their writing systems and literacy acquisition. This text, which derives from a NATO sponsored conference o...

This text makes available in a concise format the chapters comprising the research methodology section of the Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts, Second Edition. An introduction, designed to give K-12 teachers an understanding of the basic categories and functions of research in teaching, is followed by chapters addressing teacher professionalism and the rise of "multiple literacies"; empirical research; longitudinal studies; case studies; ethnography; teac...

This volume explores Chinese reading development, focusing on children in Chinese societies and bilingual Chinese-speaking children in Western societies. The book is structured around four themes: psycholinguistic study of reading, reading disability, bilingual and biliteracy development, and Chinese children’s literature. It discusses issues that are pertinent to improving language and literacy development, and complex cognitive, linguistic, and socio-cultural factors that underlie langua...

The book is dedicated to the blessed memory of Prof. Zvia Breznitz, whose groundbreaking research has made a tremendous impact on the understanding of fluency in reading. The book presents a multidimensional perspective of recent research and reviews on fluency in reading. The first part presents recent brain-imaging findings from studies into the neurobiological basis of reading, as well as cognitive and language studies exploring the underlying factors of fluency in reading and its devel...

The acquisition and maintenance of literacy is of pressing interest and concern to educators and educational policy makers worldwide. What are the common themes, the common questions, and the unique circumstances and initiatives that spring from this interest and concern? To address these questions, Understanding Literacy Development: A Global View brings together leading experts from around the world to explore ways to best provide teaching and learning opportunities, tailored to...

Laura's List presents the First Lady's published list of recommended books, and builds on her public commitment to books and learning. Parents need basic tools to give their children opportunities to grow, and here is an easy-to-understand guide to great reading for kids-from a highly visible source, Laura Bush.Mrs. Bush's own background and dedication to reading gives rise to this collection and can inspire others to take up her passion for reading as a means to expanding...

On Reading Books to Children: Parents and Teachers brings together in one volume current research on adult book reading to children. The authors, drawn from around the world, are key researchers and eminent scholars from the fields of reading and literacy, child language, speech pathology, and psychology, representing multiple perspectives within these disciplines.Chapters on the effects and limitations of book sharing are integrated with chapters discussing promising prog...

Until about two decades ago, the study of writing systems and their relationship to literacy acquisition was sparse and generally modeled after studies of English language learners. This situation is now changing. As the worldwide demand for literacy continues to grow, researchers from different countries with different language backgrounds have begun examining the connection between their writing systems and literacy acquisition. This text, which derives from a NATO sponsored conference o...