1st Edition

Reality Checks Teaching Reading Comprehension with Nonfiction, K-5

By Tony Stead Copyright 2005
274 Pages
by Routledge

274 Pages
by Routledge

Teaching comprehension with informational texts is a critical component of any reading program and one that many children struggle with as they progress through their schooling. Nonfiction can be overwhelming to young readers, presenting them with complex vocabulary and a new density of information that may combine text, diagrams, pictures, captions, and other devices.Reality Checks: Teaching... Read more
Chapter 1: Comprehending Nonfiction: The Real Story; Part 1: Developing Literal Understandings; Chapter 2: Getting the Facts; Chapter 3: The Art of Retelling; Chapter 4: Dealing with Unknown Vocabulary and Concepts; Part 2: Developing Interpretive Understandings; Chapter 5: Inferring; Chapter 6: Making Connections; Part 3: Developing Evaluative Understandings; Chapter 7: Reading Between the Words; Chapter 8: All Those in Favor? Explorations in the Early Years; Part 4: Completing the Picture; Chapter 9: Visual Literacy: Comprehension Beyond Words; Chapter 10: Guided Reading and Assessment; Chapter 11: Providing a Framework for Teaching and Learning

Biography

Tony Stead became a teacher because he wanted to make a difference in children's lives. And he is certainly doing that through his publications, teaching, and work with teachers all over the world. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Tony earned his master of education degree from the University of Melbourne and worked for fourteen years as a K-6 teacher in five different school settings in Melbourne. He visits the United States and Canada at least four times a year to consult in literacy education with school districts. When in Australia, he does some consulting, but spends most of his time with children and writing new publications and teacher resource materials. He believes that professional development should be hands-on, relevant, reflective, engaging, empowering. He encourages teachers to take off the teacher hat and replace it with that of the learner, and to celebrate success, no matter how small. Tony is the author of Reality Checks, Is That a Fact? and the videos Bridges to Independence and Time for Nonfiction. Before sitting down to write, he likes to spend at least one year researching. I like to write in large blocks of time so that I can totally fall into the writing and let it become part of my everyday thinking. I like to talk extensively with teachers and children prior to writing.