1st Edition
Artfully Teaching Reading with Project-Based Learning Literacy Lessons for the Elementary Classroom
Why Synergistic and Project-Based Learning? Introduction: Synergistic Instruction 1. A Chain Reaction of Phonemic Fun 2. Phonics to Science 3. Scary Stories and Silent Letters 4. Silent E Would You Rather? 5. Environmental Phonics 6. Phonics Tongue Twisters 7. Phonics Scavenger Hunt 8. Silly Sorting Phonics Poems 9. Compound Words and Realistic Fiction 10. Supercharged Words: A Synergistic Approach to Morphological Awareness 11. Would You Rather with Greek and Latin Roots 12. Meme Mix Up 13. Scary Stories, Vocabulary, and Morphology 14. Character Interviews 15. Classroom Newspaper 16. Commercials 17. Developing and Writing Biographies 18. Documentaries 19. Literacy Escape Room 20. Literary Film Festival 21. Public Service Announcement 22. Reading Review Blog 23. Storytelling Podcast 24. Time Travel 25. Webcasts 26. Conclusion
Biography
Chase Young is Professor in Literacy at Sam Houston State University, USA, and is an established scholar in reading fluency and literacy interventions. He has published widely and earned international recognition for advancing evidence-based literacy practices.
Seth A. Parsons is Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University, USA. He has spent 20 years in education exploring how to enhance students’ literacy motivation.
Allison Ward Parsons is Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University, USA. As a former elementary teacher and now a literacy researcher and teacher educator, she has spent her career focused on how classroom tasks influence students’ motivation and learning.
"This is a book we’ve needed for a very long time. Chase Young, Seth Parsons, and Allison Ward Parsons demonstrate how the science of reading can be translated into creative, engaging, and actionable literacy instruction. The book covers all the major competencies in learning to read – from phonics to fluency to vocabulary and comprehension. I can’t wait to read how these highly regarded science-based authors show how the science of reading can also become the art of reading instruction! I am delighted to offer my highest recommendation for this one-of-a-kind book."
- Timothy Rasinski, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Kent State University;
Member, Reading Hall of Fame
"As an administrator, I’m always looking for resources that help teachers bring research-based literacy instruction to life—and this book delivers. Artfully Teaching Reading with Project-Based Learning shows that the ‘science of reading’ doesn’t have to mean sterile or scripted instruction. Young, Parsons, and Parsons blend solid cognitive research with creativity and joy, offering ready-to-use lessons that make classrooms hum with authentic literacy learning.
What I appreciate most is how these projects connect foundational skills with motivation, collaboration, and purpose—key ingredients for student success and teacher satisfaction. This is the kind of professional text that bridges policy and practice, helping teachers design instruction that is both rigorous and deeply engaging. Every school committed to meaningful literacy learning should have this book on its shelves."
- Dr. Ashlee Horton, Assistant Principal, Columbia County School District, GA
"My sixty years as a teacher and reading educator have been dominated by debates about whether we should emphasize skills or the joy of reading. Then, along comes this book, which shows that reading instruction is not an either-or proposition. By providing concrete examples of how to teach skills in the context of motivating projects, it reaffirms what classroom teachers have always known—the best reading instruction is both art and science. Teachers and supervisors who use this book will find their students to be more engaged and more enriched because both the science and the art of reading are emphasized."
-Dr. Gerald G. Duffy, Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University
