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“Want to know about the latest developments in comprehension instruction? This volume will tell you. The book reviews theory, research, and instructional practices. It includes current thinking about narrative and informational texts, linked to the CCSS, and examines the evolving research on new literacies and multimodal literacies. A solid read for those seeking advanced knowledge about comprehension and comprehension instruction in the 21st century.”

—Janice A. Dole, PhD, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah


“One of my favorite comprehension books of all time. The third edition continues the tradition of excellence, attesting to comprehension as a vast and multifaceted topic. There’s something for everyone in this book, with chapters exploring various grade levels, genres, and topics. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are especially useful to spark productive conversations regarding how to best teach comprehension in all its complexity.”

—Donna Lamkin, MS, CAS, Literacy Coordinator, Capital Region Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Special Education Division, Albany, New York


“I know of no other text that explores so many realms of reading comprehension—assessment, remediation, policy implications, differentiation for diverse populations, and best practices in multiple contexts and multiple genres. I will eagerly share this book with my doctoral students as they consume and produce research in the area of reading comprehension. Not only do the contributors to the third edition present the most up-to-date research, but they also contribute thoughtfully to a multidisciplinary understanding of what comprehension entails in today’s classrooms.”

—Molly Ness, PhD, Division of Curriculum and Teaching, Fordham University Graduate School of Education


“I love this book! It is an excellent resource for teachers and teacher educators. The third edition addresses significant changes in the field. I especially appreciate the connections to the CCSS. Another strength is the book's emphasis on blending reading, writing, listening, and speaking in instruction. Anyone who is serious about teaching reading in today’s classrooms will find this volume a 'must have.'”

—John Scovill, MEd, staff developer, Washington County (Utah) School District

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Table of Contents

Introduction, Sheri R. Parris and Kathy Headley

I. Comprehension Instruction within Theoretical Frameworks

1. Beyond Borders: A Global Perspective on Reading Comprehension, Sheri R. Parris, Linda B. Gambrell, and Andreas Schleicher

2. Comprehension Instruction from a Critical Theory Viewpoint, Bogum Yoon

3. Using Inquiry Dialogue to Promote the Development of Argument Skills: Possibilities, Challenges, and New Directions, Alina Reznitskaya, Judy Yu-Li Hsu, and Richard C. Anderson

4. Reading Comprehension, Embodied Cognition, and Dual Coding Theory, Mark Sadoski

5. Executive Function and Reading Comprehension: The Critical Role of Cognitive Flexibility, Kelly B. Cartwright

6. Metacognition in Comprehension Instruction: New Directions, Linda Baker, Laura U. DeWyngaert, and Alisa Zeliger-Kandasamy

7. Constructivist Theory as a Framework for Instruction and Assessment of Reading Comprehension, Donna Caccamise, Angela Friend, Megan K. Littrell-Baez, and Eileen Kintsch

II. Comprehension Instruction Contexts

8. Comprehension Instruction within the Context of the Common Core, Evelyn Ford-Connors, Dana A. Robertson, Christine Leighton, Jeanne R. Paratore, C. Patrick Proctor, and Michelle Carney

9. Using Neuroscience to Inform Comprehension Instruction, Sheri R. Parris and Cathy Collins Block

10. Comprehension Instruction in Culturally Responsive Classrooms: A Review of Research and Practice, Ellen McIntyre

11. New Insights on Motivation in the Literacy Classroom, Jacquelynn A. Malloy

12. Research on Response-to-Intervention Supplemental Interventions: Where’s the Comprehension Instruction?, Deborah MacPhee, Elizabeth Bemiss, and Diane Stephens

13. Comprehension Instruction for At-Risk Students, Irma F. Brasseur-Hock, Michael F. Hock, and Donald D. Deshler

14. Comprehension Instruction for English Language Learners: New Perspectives, New Challenges, Robert Rueda, Norman J. Unrau, and Elena Son

III. Comprehension Instruction in Action

15. Best Practices for Comprehension Instruction in the Elementary Classroom, Nell K. Duke and Nicole M. Martin

16. Fiction Comprehension Instruction: Attending to Characters’ and Readers’ Emotional States, Laura B. Smolkin and Erin M. McTigue

17. Improving Comprehension of Informational Texts in the Elementary Classroom, Lisa S. Pao and Joanna P. Williams

18. Best Practices for Comprehension Instruction in the Secondary Classroom, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

19. Improving Comprehension of Fictional Texts in the Secondary Classroom, Tiffany Ohlson, Heather Monroe-Ossi, and Sheri R. Parris

20. Improving Comprehension of Informational Texts in the Secondary Classroom, Vicki A. Jacobs and Jacy Ippolito

IV. Multimodal Literacies and Comprehension

21. Multimodal Literacy: Best Practices for Comprehension Instruction, Sally Lamping

22. Beyond Differentiation: Multimodal Literacy Learning, B. P. Laster

23. Research on Instruction and Assessment in the New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension, Jill Castek, Julie Coiro, Laurie A. Henry, Donald J. Leu, and Douglas K. Hartman

24. Reading Digital: Designing and Teaching with eBooks and Digital Text, Bridget Dalton and David Rose

25. Games and Comprehension: The Importance of Specialist Language, James Paul Gee

26. New Literacies and Comprehension: Resources for Educators, Jan Lacina

27. Summing Up: Putting Comprehension Instruction in Context, Kathy Headley & Sheri R. Parris

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About the Editors

Sheri R. Parris, PhD, is an Associate Research Scientist with the Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University and Adjunct Professor in the Master of Education program at Concordia University Texas. Previously, she was a high school English language arts teacher and a middle school computer literacy teacher, and held a variety of educational research positions. Dr. Parris’s areas of expertise include reading comprehension, adolescent literacy, and neuroscience as it relates to literacy, learning, and child development, with an emphasis on at-risk populations. She has coauthored numerous book chapters and journal articles.

Kathy Headley, EdD, is Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Health, Education, and Human Development and Professor of Literacy in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University. Dr. Headley began her career as a teacher and reading specialist in Georgia. Her areas of expertise include adolescent literacy and writing, with specialized interests in comprehension and vocabulary. She has published articles in leading literacy journals and served on the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association.

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Contributors

Richard C. Anderson, EdD, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois

Linda Baker, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland

Elizabeth Bemiss, MEd, College of Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

Cathy Collins Block, PhD, College of Education, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas

Irma F. Brasseur-Hock, PhD, Center for Research on Learning, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Donna Caccamise, PhD, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado

Michelle Carney, MAT, School of Education, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Kelly B. Cartwright, PhD, Department of Psychology, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, Virginia

Jill Castek, PhD, Department of Applied Linguistics, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

Julie Coiro, PhD, School of Education, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island

Bridget Dalton, EdD, School of Education, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado

Donald D. Deshler, PhD, Center for Research on Learning, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Laura U. DeWyngaert, BS, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland

Nell K. Duke, EdD, School of Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Douglas Fisher, PhD, Department of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University, San Diego, California

Evelyn Ford-Connors, EdD, School of Education, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Nancy Frey, PhD, Department of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University, San Diego, California

Angela Friend, PhD, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado

Linda B. Gambrell, PhD, Eugene T. Moore School of Education, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

James Paul Gee, PhD, Mary Lou Fulton College of Education, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

Douglas K. Hartman, PhD, College of Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan

Kathy Headley, EdD, College of Health, Education, and Human Development, Eugene T. Moore School of Education, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

Laurie A. Henry, PhD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky

Michael F. Hock, PhD, Center for Research on Learning, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Judy Yu-Li Hsu, EdM, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois

Jacy Ippolito, EdD, School of Education, Salem State University, Salem, Massachusetts

Vicki A. Jacobs, EdD, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Eileen Kintsch, PhD, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado

Jan Lacina, PhD, College of Education, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas

Sally Lamping, EdD, Department of English Language and Literatures, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio

B. P. Laster, EdD, Department of Educational Technology and Literacy, Towson University,Towson, Maryland

Christine M. Leighton, EdD, Department of Education, Emmanuel College, Boston, Massachusetts

Donald J. Leu, PhD, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

Megan K. Littrell-Baez, PhD, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado

Deborah MacPhee, PhD, College of Education, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

Jacquelynn A. Malloy, PhD, Eugene T. Moore School of Education, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

Nicole M. Martin, PhD, Department of Elementary Education, Teachers College, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana

Ellen McIntyre, EdD, College of Education, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina

Erin M. McTigue, PhD, College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

Heather Monroe-Ossi, MEd, Florida Institute of Education, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida

Tiffany Ohlson, PhD, Florida Institute of Education, University of North Florida,Jacksonville, Florida

Lisa S. Pao, PhD, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York

Jeanne R. Paratore, EdD, School of Education, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Sheri R. Parris, PhD, Institute of Child Development, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas

C. Patrick Proctor, EdD, Lynch School of Education, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Alina Reznitskaya, PhD, Department of Educational Foundations, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey

Dana A. Robertson, EdD, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming

David Rose, EdD, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), Wakefield, Massachusetts

Robert Rueda, PhD, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Mark Sadoski, PhD, College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University,College Station, Texas

Andreas Schleicher, MSc, Indicators and Analysis Division (Directorate for Education), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, France

Laura B. Smolkin, EdD, Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Elena Son, MA, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Diane Stephens, PhD, College of Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

Norman J. Unrau, EdD, Division of Curriculum and Instruction, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

Joanna P. Williams, PhD, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York

Bogum Yoon, PhD, Graduate School of Education, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, Binghamton, New York

Alisa Zeliger-Kandasamy, BA, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland

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Audience

K–12 classroom teachers, reading specialists, and coaches; teacher educators and graduate students.

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Course Use

Serves as a text in such courses as Comprehension Instruction and Reading Methods.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

Second Edition, © 2008
ISBN: 9781593857004

First Edition, © 2002
ISBN: 9781572306929

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New to this edition:

• Incorporates the latest research and instructional practices.
• Chapters on the CCSS, critical theory, culturally responsive instruction, and response to intervention.
• Chapters on teaching fiction and informational texts in the secondary grades.
• Expanded coverage of multimodal literacy learning.
• Timely topics such as text complexity, close reading, digital literacies, and neuroscience are discussed in multiple chapters.