Seven Strategies of Highly Effective Readers: Using Cognitive Research to Boost K-8 Achievement

This book, printed in large format, is originally intended as a comprehensive instructional guide for teachers & reading instructors, to teach students (in grades 9 to12) how to extract & comprehend information from simple passages as well as complex or advanced reading materials. I did not peruse this book in its entirety as my primary interest is only to find out, learn more about, & then master the seven reading strategies, since I have a passion for reading. Also, I am always looking out for new ways to enhance my own reading pursuits. In a nut shell, with the execution of the seven strategies, it is designed to help teachers to become strategic teachers & students to become strategic readers. To put in simple terms, a strategic teacher/reader employs a repertoire of effective strategies in his/her respective pursuits. The seven strategies have their deep roots in scientifically based research. In reality, I have read & reviewed only the first three chapters, as follows: Chapter 1: The Power of Strategy Reading Instruction; Chapter 2: Becoming a Strategic Teacher; Chapter 3: Understanding the Seven Strategies; & have a quick scan of the remaining chapters, particularly those pages with instructional templates, instructional activities & reproducible forms. So, essentially, chapter 3 is my prime target, which outlines at great length & in depth, the critical attributes of the seven strategies, as follows: (Chapter 3 is actually a crash course for me!) Strategy #1: Activating prior knowledge; Strategy #2: Inferring - reading the lines, between the lines & beyond the lines; Strategy #3: Monitoring-Clarifying - probing the text, thinking & reflecting; Strategy #4: Questioning the author, peers & teachers through self-questioning & formulating questions; Strategy #5: Searching sources - Selecting responses; Strategy #6: Summarising the reading; Strategy #7: Visualising-Organising - constructing mental images & /or graphics organisers; These are the real gems of this book & I have benefited tremendously as a strategic reader as well as a strategic reading coach. I have in fact adapted many of the cognitive strategies in my coaching of kids/teens/adults in the areas of mastering information as well as effective study skills. For the teacher (or parent who yearns to be a learning facilitator at home), & in the light of my own personal & professional experiences, I dare to say this book is a very pragmatic instructional guide. I seldom see a book so packed with instructional aids. Chapter 5 shows you how to organize for strategic reading instruction in your classroom. The last chapter lays out a school-wide implementation model. The references at the back of the book are a goldmine of information. The author, with an impeccable track record (teacher, librarian, principal, superintendent, author of 35 books for parents & educators, consultant) has certainly contributed a masterpiece to the world of reading!