Teachers and administrators consider reading the most important subject in school. They believe that if a child can’t read, the chances of success in any subject are slim. But despite such an emphasis on the importance of literacy in school, there are few resources for educators that explain reading from a cognitive standpoint. Written in an accessible, teacher-friendly format, this book provides a cognitive description of the process of reading, explaining what happens in a child's mind as they are reading. As in his previous bestseller, Why Don’t Students Like School?, Willingham offers a perspective that is rooted in scientific research, but with a practical and engaging, ready-for-application sensibility. The book covers every aspect of reading, starting with two fundamental processes: reading by sight and reading by sound. It also addresses reading comprehension at all levels, from reading for understanding at early levels to inferring deeper meaning from texts at the high school level. Another chapter discusses how motivation works as it relates to reading, and the final chapter focuses on reading on digital devices. This approachable book helps teachers understand the science behind reading, giving them the information they need to better engage students as readers. About the Author: Daniel T. Willingham, PhD, is professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. His bestselling first book, Why Don't Students Like School?, was hailed as "brilliant analysis" by The Wall Street Journal and "a triumph" by The Washington Post, recommended by scores of education-related magazines and blogs, and translated into many languages. His second book, When Can You Trust the Experts? How to Tell Good Science from Bad in Education, was named recommended reading by Nature and Scientific American, and made Choice's list of outstanding academic titles for 2013. His companion to this book, Raising Kids Who Read, garnered recognition from NPR and Learning & the Brain. Willingham writes a regular column called Ask the Cognitive Scientist for the American Federation of Teachers' magazine, American Educator. In 2017, Willingham was named by President Obama to the National Board for Education Sciences. He received a BA from Duke University and a PhD from Harvard University. |