Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Beyond the Bedtime Story: Promoting Reading Development During the Middle School Years

Beyond the Bedtime Story: Understanding and Promoting Reading Development During the Middle School Years was written for educators, parents, and all who care about promoting the reading development of middle school students. The book fills a much-needed void in scholarly literature by considering the unique developmental nature of early adolescence. Although the authors highlight many of the challenges with promoting reading achievement during the middle school transition years, their hope is that this user-friendly book will suggest ways that reading can remain a critical part of middle school students' lives, both in and out of school, so that we can create a nation of life-long readers. This book also encourages practitioners and family members to accept the challenge of creatively engaging reluctant readers so that all middle school students will share in the literacy legacy begun in preschools and elementary schools and offers practical strategies to build this legacy. Review Beyond the Bedtime Story: Understanding and Promoting Reading Development During the Middle School Transition Years provides a solid overview of the research, context, and processes essential for teaching reading effectively and achieving literacy-related goals at the middle school level. This book is an excellent resource for understanding how middle school students learn, how to use appropriate middle school pedagogy for typical and atypical learners, and how to engage parents in the processes that promote reading success during middle school, where 'reading to learn in all content areas' is a necessary skill for interdisciplinary success throughout the educational spectrum.--Lynne M. Celli, PhD, associate dean for graduate education programs, Endicott College, Beverly, MA Amid the flurry of friends, parties, hormones, and all the additional changes that occur in adolescence, some students may hit a middle grades malaise leading to an academic slump. Such a malaise can certainly influence preteens' desire to read. Studies show what common sense tells us: the more students read and comprehend what they read, the more academically proficient they will become. Reading can become an even bigger battle in middle school, especially for the reluctant reader with learning disabilities and attention disorders. Beyond the Bedtime Story is a tribute to the art of teaching reading, an immensely important contribution to an adolescent's education. The teaching of reading has tremendous power when it comes to fulfilling the development of all aspects of a learner's language ability, and its importance to the entirety of human life in this day and age cannot be overstated.--Judith L. Klimkiewicz Ed.D, senior consultant for K-12 College/Career Education and Workforce Development, Commissioner's Office, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Intended for parents and teachers of middle school students, this book provides practical suggestions on how to foster a love of reading in early adolescents. The authors draw on research in the fields of literacy education and adolescent psychology.--Children's Literature Association Quarterly Written by a collection of educators, school administrators, and advocates, this slim volume walks through problems and solutions to a decline in reading during the middle school years. . . .[W]ith its emphasis on the inclusion of scholarly articles, it provides ideal research support for anyone interested in working with administration, grants, and policy changes for school libraries.--VOYA At a time when a growing number of middle school students are not demonstrating strong reading skills, parents and teachers are searching for explanations and solutions. This book unlocks the reasons why many middle schoolers do not read, providing parents and teachers with an understanding of the social, emotional, psychological, and educational factors that influence reading development. Tapping