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Why How We Read Matters for Teachers

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"Disrupting Thinking is one of the best books I've read about the power of books to disrupt complacency and promote change and the role teachers play in that disruption. Skillfully, these authors address the continuum of education K-12, making this book ideal for colleagues to read and share horizontally and vertically across grade levels."
-- Sarah Mulhern Gross, English teacher at High Technology High School, contributor to The NY Times Learning Network

"We're living in a world of social media and fake news have the potential to shape who we are and what we believe. Through the strategies presented in Disrupting Thinking, teachers see clearly how to help students become active participants in constructing meaning, as they respond, question, and challenge, so that in the end they become more responsible citizens in our world."

-- Mindy Hoffar, All Write Consortium Director

"Beers and Probst tackle one of teachers' greatest challenges: student apathy. They show us not only how to "teach struggling readers but how to teach readers to struggle." And then they go the next step and show us how to turn the apathetic reader into a lifetime reader. And for both, we are grateful."
-- Danny Brassel, Ph.D., consultant and author. Author of The Lazy Readers' Book Club

"We need students who can do more than answer questions. Tomorrow's leaders need to be able to ASK questions. This is an excellent book for all teachers whether they teach reading, language arts, or science or history. Whether they teach elementary, middle, high school or college, or at home - EVERYONE who is around children needs to read this book. It is short but powerful. I have spent over 30 years in education, and I have taught every level from pre-school through university, and this book brought me back to the WHY and HOW of teaching. It is short and easy to understand for non-teachers. As an educator it reminded me of the good things we do in teaching, but stated in their research that all of this has bee set aside to focus on numbers and passing tests - the bane of a real educator's life. Children start out loving books and reading, but by middle school that hate reading because educators are just having them study vocabulary, answer questions, and nothing more. Most schools have taken away quiet or silent sustained reading, when research shows that it works and is needed. At the same time, many schools still do round-robin reading when research shows that it does NOT work. What works: students must be given choice in what to read, we must increase the amount they read, they must be encouraged to read aloud to a partner or parent, we must teach questioning strategies and model that process, and we MUST let go of the silent classroom and encourage students to talk about their reading with other students. Many teachers believe a quiet classroom is one that is in control, but our students need to talk to each other about their reading and their work. Letting go is a critical skill for educators in this fluid and rapidly changing world. Reading builds the following: knowledge, improves overall achievement, increases overall motivation, increases vocabulary, improves writing, build background knowledge, improves understanding of text structures, develops empathy, and develops personal identity.

Please get this little book, read it, then apply the ideas to the children in your life or classroom. Please." --Texas Rose

Provided via Amazon Vine

"If you haven't read anything by the dynamic duo Bob Probst and Kylene Beers and you are a teacher, you must! Their collaborative writing is highly readable, self-deprecating, witty, and on point. But don't be sidetracked by the entertaining repartee: their ideas about teaching are powerful, disruptive, and do-able. Don't think the double entendre of the book's title isn't intentional. While they propose and illustrate tangible ways in which we can disrupt the thinking of our students while reading (or prompt students out of what we thought were nonthinking stupors--Beers and Probst are passionately clear that we're wrong on that count), the duo is intentionally disrupting modern groupthink about teaching. If you only read 3 professional books this summer, make them: 1) Disrupting Thinking, 2) Notice and Note, and 3) Reading Nonfiction (in that order). Yes, like Star Wars, the third book in the series is really where it all begins. Disrupting Thinking outlines the philosophical underpinnings of their Notice and Note strategies. Without an understanding and willingness to embrace the philosophy behind Notice and Note, the signposts will be little more than another set of isolated reading strategies. Trust me, I taught the Nonfiction Notice and Note strategies as isolated reading strategies the first time (I know, I know, the book is clear on not doing that, but my role was to teach demonstration lessons rather than a daily core class). Like any isolated strategy, it doesn't work; kids won't and/or can't transfer their learning. I thought my flaw was a lack of text complexity. I taught the strategies but then students never needed to use them because they understood the texts without them. After reading "Disrupting Thinking," I understood that the attitude toward reading has to be in place for the Notice and Note signposts to be useful. In other words, students have to CARE enough about the text to use the strategies to figure it out. Disrupting Thinking only has one real strategy, and it is deceptively simple and powerful to the core. They call it: BHH (Book * Head * Heart). It can be taught at any level as a mindset for reading: What does the book say? What am I thinking as I read? What's in my heart while I read? (my paraphase, not theirs) The revolutionary idea is that we have to approach reading as something that changes us. When we teach our students to anticipate that what they read will change them one page at a time, then everything about how they read and how we teach reading changes, too. Simple, right? But how many teachers are out there teaching reading as anticipating change? Yet how many teachers out there read to be changed themselves? TONS. So our job is to come at reading with our students the way we do and make it matter. Somehow this simple yet powerful idea resonated with me in a way that all the book love authors have not. It's more tangible and more realistic than sharing your love of reading. They've pinpointed WHY we love reading: because it changes us. Now just because you've read my sad little synopsis, don't assume you can pass up this book. To circle back, Beers and Probst are incredible authors; their book comes with video links that I haven't even delved into yet, and you need to hear it from the two of them for yourself. You'll learn much more along the way, such as their take on recent education and reading debates, authors they look to, sample conversations to help imagine using the strategy in class, lovely sample anchor charts, etc. Is this book going to give you 24 lesson plans like Notice and Note? No. Is this book going to make those 24 lesson plans work? Yes. Get it, read it, and give it to a colleague to read, too." --Julie

Provided via Amazon Vine

"This honestly reminds me of things like why children hate reading and schools killing the love of reading, both the subject and titles of articles and discussions in education. As an English teacher who hates to write, but loves to read, this helps me feel better about the process. I love diving into a new book and sharing it with my students. I honestly got started writing book reviews because my students would see me reading something and immediately ask to read it next. It got to the point where I couldn't remember who was next and what that particular book was about because I had moved on to something new. Writing little book reviews on my classroom webpage and having a wait list made it easier for me to keep track. Knowing that we read for pleasure far more often than we read for any particular literary device or testing strategy is far more important for building lifelong literacy. I love that Beers addresses this and focuses on talking about the relationship of book and reader to engage in comprehension. Trying to figure out motivations and connections to the literature helps me connect and I have always wanted to share that with my students. I love that there are books out there that make me feel validated and can easily be shown to other parents or teachers to stress this importance." --Jennifer Miller

Provided via Amazon Vine

"I only wish that this book would be as popular in schools as Beers previous book was. Unfortunately, the education industry does not put priority on personal meaning in learning, so I think that this is a book that will have to be pushed out by individual teachers and leaders in schools, as well as involved parents. Within the first couple of chapters, Beers sets out why reading even matters- beyond the basic ability to find answers in text. After all, the best readers are usually ones that were read to as children, who saw their own parents or other family members reading for pleasure, and who read for pleasure themselves. And why do they read for pleasure? Because reading has meaning beyond their test scores. Going further, Beers also reminds us that contemporary careers and careers of the future do not want employees that can just repeat back information; they want employees that can make meaning out of what they read, make connections, and create their own ideas from what they have read.

This is an enjoyable read for teachers, school leaders, and parents alike. I especially like it as motivational summer reading for teachers that are getting ready to return to school." --Mom to 2 Boys

Provided via Amazon Vine

Kylene Beers is an award-winning educator and is the author of When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do, Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading, Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice, and Elements of Literature, the literature textbook read by the majority of middle school and high school students across the US. She began her teaching career in 1979 in the Alief School District, outside of Houston. Texas. Since then, she has become an internationally-known and respected authority in literacy education. Beers works tirelessly to help parents, teachers, and national policy makers understand how to best help struggling readers. In 2008-2009, she served as President of the National Council of Teachers of English and in 2011 she received an NCTE Leadership Award. She has served as a consultant to the National Governor's Association Education Committee, was the editor of the national literacy journal Voices from the Middle, taught in the College of Education at the University of Houston, held a reading research position in the Comer School Development Program at Yale University School of Medicine, and has most recently served as the Senior Reading Advisor to the Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Robert Probst, Ed.D., is an author and consultant to schools nationally and internationally. He speaks to administrators and teachers on literacy improvement, particularly issues surrounding struggling readers and meeting standards. Bob is Professor Emeritus of English Education at Georgia State University and has served as a research fellow for Florida International University. He has served as a member on the Conference on English Board of Directors, an NCTE journal columnist, and a member of the NCTE Commission on Reading. In 2004 he was awarded the NCTE Exemplary Leadership Award presented by the Conference on English Leadership.

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Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters

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Amazon.com: Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters: 9781338132908: Beers, Kylene, Robert E. Probst: Books

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Academy, C. (2023, June 9). Summer reading Lists for Gifted readers. https://www.connectionsacademy.com/support/resources/article/summer-reading-for-the-gifted-student/

Hollady, L. (2023, November 16). Try these 3 reading activities for special education students. Chalkboard Superhero. https://chalkboardsuperhero.com/2023/04/reading-activities-for-special-education-students/

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Reading Resources for Gifted and Talented

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Reading Resources for Gifted and Talented

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Reading while school is out keeps students at gifted and talented reading levels engaged, and books that challenge all learners to get out of their comfort zones have the potential to rewire their brains and turn them into academic superstars.

Carol Dweck, a leading advocate for growth mindset in education, said in a TED Talk that students who are motivated by "the power of not yet" learn the value of pushing themselves to grasp content that is just out of their reach.

"I don't understand this ... not yet" is a key phrase in the development of a growth mindset, a learning attitude that works for all topics. Growth mindset, Dweck says, inspires perseverance in mastering difficult material, encourages a willingness to learn from setbacks, and reveals untapped potential.

"Just the words 'yet' or 'not yet,' we're finding, give kids greater confidence, give them a path into the future that creates greater persistence," she said. Her research found that "every time [kids] push out of their comfort zone to learn something new and difficult, the neurons in their brain can form new, stronger connections, and over time, they can get smarter."

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Summer Reading Lists for Gifted Readers - Connections Academy®

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Develop and strengthen your student's reading comprehension level over the summer with books from our recommendations for gifted readers.

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Strategies That Work-Comprehension

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Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Engagement, Understanding, and Building Knowledge, Grades K-8

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Amazon.com: Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Engagement, Understanding, and Building Knowledge, Grades K-8: 9781625310637: Harvey, Stephanie, Goudvis, Anne: Books

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Vocab activity @ home (Play a round of Pictionary)

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Vocab activity @ home (Play a round of Pictionary)

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Students will enjoy creating their own visual dictionary by drawing an image for each word in this engaging project. Students establish a connection with the term that they may refer to when necessary when they make their own visual representations.

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Vocab activity at home for kids who need extra help (Word of the week)

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Vocab activity at home for kids who need extra help (Word of the week)

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Write down a few terms that need more work and include them into vocabulary exercises. Choose a new word each week, study it thoroughly each day, and construct sentences with it. By having a few words kids can focus on each week will help kids master those specific words. This will help them feel more confident in reading and help them build their vocab.

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Vocab activity in the classroom (Put your student in the "hot seat") 

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Vocab activity in the classroom (Put your student in the "hot seat") 

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Make two teams out of your class. Select a single student from each team, have them approach the front of the room, and have them sit in a chair with their back to the board, facing the class. This individual is "on the spot." Post a word where everyone can see it, excluding the person seated on the chair. Team members provide each participant a hint on the mystery word one at a time. The team that guesses the word first earns a point, and then the other team takes the field.

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How To Play Hot Seat | Fun Classroom Game

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Phonics (Activity at home for kid who is struggling)

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Phonics (Activity at home for kid who is struggling)

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Keep reading to them – it’s especially important to do this if they’re struggling a bit with their own reading! By picking stories and non-fiction books that appeal to their interests, you’ll be continuing to show them that reading can be fun and worthwhile.

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ABCmouse.com is a great way to help your child with their phonics at home! There are so many great activities and games you can play on there to help your child!

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ABCmouse.com helps kids learn to read through phonics, and teaches lessons in math, social studies, art, music, and much more! For kids ages 2 to 8.

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Sound Walk (Phonics Activity in the Classroom

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Sound Walk (Phonics Activity in the Classroom

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Search the room or the school for words that have a certain sound. For instance, you can identify m-a-t or m-a-p if you are practicing the /m/ sound. This is useful for starting sounds, but you can also experiment with the vowels in CVC words. For instance, you might search for /a/ sounds in words like m-a-t or

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Phonemic Awareness Activity at home (Rhyming pairs road)

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Phonemic Awareness Activity at home (Rhyming pairs road)

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Use matching rhyme cards to help toddlers learn phonemic sounds via rhymes. Through this exercise, kids may learn more about the relationships between the sounds in words. Parents can work with their kids at home by helping kids with the cards.

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Phonemic Awareness activity at home (I spy)

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Phonemic Awareness activity at home (I spy)

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Use this easy "I spy" game to practice starting sounds at home, on a stroll, or at the grocery store. Select words with pronounced initial sounds that are easy to understand. You may remark, "I spy something red that starts with the "s" ssss sound (soap)," for instance, if you're in the restroom. This is a great activity for kids who may be struggling a bit in this area.

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Phonemic Awareness Activity in Classroom

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Phonemic Awareness Activity in Classroom

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This is when those little plastic letter magnets that are most likely collecting dust on your fridge will come in helpful!

What You Require:

-An extra box or paper bag

-Wood, plastic, or foam letters

How to Proceed:

Put three letters inside the bag that may be combined to form a word that is simple to pronounce, like "cat" or "pat."

Ask your kid to identify the sounds made by each letter as they take it out one at a time.

Teach your youngster to form a word by rearranging the letters. They score a point if they are successful!

If the child is smaller, you can have them replicate you when you sound out a word by placing the letters together. You may create lengthier words by adding additional letters for readers who are more proficient.

Once your youngster has mastered the fundamentals of the game, you may introduce letter deletion or switching. When you remove the "s" or "l" from "slip," what happens to your child? Although this type of letter shift is difficult, it's also great practice!

Finally, you may also put many of letters in the bag and then pull out a couple and see whether you can construct a valid word, a nonsensical word, or (lacking a vowel) no word at all.

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Fluency activity at home for kids who may be struggling (Reading and Re-reading)

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Fluency activity at home for kids who may be struggling (Reading and Re-reading)

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Reading and rereading are necessary for fluency in large quantities. Children immediately improve their speed and accuracy when they read a chapter out repeatedly. Trying to read aloud in a different voice is a great method to practice expressiveness. Kids who may be struggling with fluency can have help from their parents at home by having them read to you and listening to them.

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Sentence trees are excellent reading exercises that help younger pupils become more fluent readers. They enable children to concentrate on each word, increasing their speed and accuracy as they go.

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Ask your child to discuss what they already know and what they wonder about a book before you start reading it. Make a video of your youngster expressing their ideas so they may watch it later for added entertainment value! Don't forget to share your wonders and knowledge.

Talk about what you learnt with each other after you've read the narrative.

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Make a Story Map

Students, and visual learners in particular, can benefit greatly from the use of graphic organizers to help them make sense of what they have just read. Incorporating arts, crafts, movement, and cooperation into an enjoyable exercise, it can captivate students who would not otherwise be interested in book analysis.

One way to engage your students is to have them sketch out a physical map of the fictional world they recently read about in the book. Naturally, this is most effective when the book or tale include detailed descriptions of its surroundings. Additionally if there is a student who needs more you may ask your students to draw Venn diagrams that compare and contrast the characters—either to each other or to the individual—and bubble maps that show the interactions between the characters. You can also modify this activity and help them sketch out their story map if they are struggling.

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Journal Responses

Students can respond to different reader-response prompts with a unique reader-response diary entry after reading a text. Students could be requested to, among other things, summarize the tale in their own words, name the main characters, ask questions, draw conclusions, and use other crucial comprehension techniques. This will help them work on comprehension at a slow and steady pace with the help of a teacher.

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Fluency Activity ay home (Reading Buddies)

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Fluency Activity ay home (Reading Buddies)

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The opportunity for shy kids to practice reading aloud to a plush animal friend would be greatly appreciated. As they read, remind them to pretend that their fuzzy buddy can hear everything they say.