Professional Books for Teaching Reading You Should Know

I read a considerably large amount of professional books for teaching reading every year.  But because I have more time on my hands in the summer, that’s when I tend to read the most.  This year was no exception, and I want to share two of them with you.  And yes, these books absolutely align with practices that the current science of reading tells us are best.  Both are heavily grounded in a large range of research, and both draw from decades of it–meaning a wide body.  No narrowly focused narratives in either of them.  And both are fast reads, very worth having on your shelf to refer to again and again.  

First up: Reading Above the Fray by Julia B. Lindsey

Lindsey is now a researcher, but was a kindergarten and first grade teacher.  And she taught for more than a couple of years, unlike many of the experts writing books about reading instruction today.  She is deeply informed by the research.  For example, she advocated for incorporating graphemes with phonemic awareness instruction long before it became more widely known that this approach is best.  (She shares a lot of valuable information on Instagram).

At the same time, she’s a true researcher, and she knows that science is ever-evolving.  So rather than messages of “this is the only way to do it, end of story,” when we truly do not know the complete answer yet, she says things like “more research is needed here” or “at this time, there is little evidence to support this” in recognition that science is rarely “settled.” On the flip side, of course, there is much that has been such long-standing evidence across many studies.  In these instances, she tells us what we can count on as a reliable practice we can be confident about.

What I love about it

While this book is by design narrowly focused on the topic of the development of decoding skills for K-2 students, Lindsey understands all the early literacy skills that go into it.  She also makes it very clear that there’s much more to reading than just decoding. Her book is just about that one part of reading instruction.

That said, she keeps in mind that all of the research that feeds into early literacy.  For example, she knows the importance of shared reading and includes an entire section on how to do it in a way that completely aligns with the science.  There are very few books about literacy out there today that include a word about this critical classroom practice. 

One of the things I most appreciate is that the author supports Duke and Cartwright’s Active View of Reading (2021).  As a profession, we have got to move past the forty year old Simple View (1986). As well, much has been learned about reading since Scarborough’s (2001) Reading Rope model was introduced.  There is so much more to reading than those models provide, and Lindsey knows this.  

And she knows the research so well that she advocates for the combination of reading and writing that I’m such a big proponent of.  In the introduction Lindsey says, “you do not need to have an entire block of your day individually devoted to each skill if you purposefully teach each skill and integrate it in meaningful ways for reading and writing.” All of the actionable recommendations she makes throughout the book are quick and simple.  In the shared reading section, for example, she recommends simply swapping any predictable text you may have used in the past for one that isn’t a predictable text.  

Who would I recommend this book for?

This is a very fast read, so great for busy educators. It’s perfect for anyone looking for a “quick and dirty” basic understanding of what it takes to help kids decode words.  It’s one of those foundational books that would be great to include as required reading in teacher prep coursework, or to incorporate into bite-sized learning through PLCs.  I can also see it being really beneficial for anyone who’s moving from an intermediate grade to a primary grade who never learned about early literacy. And I highly recommend it for every elementary school administrator. Preschool teachers would very greatly benefit from this book, too. 

There won’t be much new information for those who’ve been teaching primary for a while. Even so, it’s still worth the read for the nuggets of tips throughout.  

Next: Teaching Reading Across the Day by Jennifer Serravallo

Serravallo is a literacy consultant, former Teachers College staff developer, and also really understands kids.  She taught for years in NYC public schools, and works alongside teachers in classrooms all across the country to this day as part of her work as consultant.  Like Lindsey, Serravallo also understands all that goes into reading, and also anchors to the current Active View model. 

Also like Lindsey, she is deeply entrenched in the research, and draws from a wide body of it from across decades of time.  She, like Lindsey, is not about to throw out any babies with the bathwater.  Rather, she’s all about staying informed so best practice decisions–and tweaks to instruction–can be made. This book, in fact, draws from over 300 research studies to back up her recommendations.

What I love about it

Because Serravallo knows literacy so well, she knows that it’s not taught in silos.  If you know anything about my philosophy about literacy, it’s that I wholeheartedly believe that integration is the key.  As the title of the book implies, reading is taught all day long, across subjects.  Reading cannot just be relegated to the “reading block” on the schedule (just as this cannot be done with writing, either). 

For the most impactful teaching and learning, reading instruction should be embedded and integrated with the content you’re teaching.  Literacy should be part of all content classes, and content classes should incorporate literacy. With all that we know to be true about the importance of vocabulary and knowledge-building, this is the way forward.

And because she knows literacy–and the research–so well, she reminds us that a mix of instructional practices we’ve known for years to be crucial are truly best, and should never be minimized: things like read alouds, shared reading, conversation, reader’s theater, explicitly taught phonics, and strategy instruction, among a few others.  The “modern” tweak Serravallo pushes for, though, is to be sure the texts used for these practices are grounded in the content you’re also teaching.

But it’s not just a professional book about reading. It’s professional learning that can be immediately applied.

Serravallo provides such practical, use-it-right-away tools to help teachers, too.  Each chapter gives a list of research studies to support the practice, and she shares an easy to understand definition of each. She also gives planning templates for each practice, along with a thorough explanation of how to use it.  Going a step further, she even tells how this book can be used in tandem with her other books.  And she tells us which of her earlier publications she’s actually taken out of print because her thinking has evolved so much as she’s kept abreast of the research. I don’t know of a single author who has taken a step like that, do you?

The coolest part, though, is that she shares the actual lesson plan she wrote for each practice, and a QR code to watch her really teach that exact lesson in front of real kids in real classrooms.  On her lesson plan, she points out where in the real lesson she made a responsive instructional decision and why, which sends educators the clear message that responsive teaching is always at the forefront, and will often not 100% exactly follow the “script” you’ve written (or have been given).

Speaking of scripts, she shares very practically how each instructional practice supports any curriculum–whether it’s one you’ve been handed and told to follow “with fidelity,” it’s written by your district’s curriculum department, or you have complete freedom to write your own lessons.  

Who would I recommend this book for?

Literally everyone who teaches k-8.  It’s very, very rare that a book that says it’s for K-8 actually is.  This one truly is.  Educators who understand that great teaching is nuanced and responsive, not done solely through one-size-fits-all scripts and programs–will especially appreciate this book.   

I think this is an extremely  important book for departmentalized teachers, because as Serravallo says, “the job of teaching students how to read well belongs to all of us.” One of the biggest dangers with departmentalization is the inherent siloing of subjects, causing instruction to be disjointed.  This book would be great professional development to help departments understand how they can support each other…and thereby support students in a much more united way.

I also believe every single literacy coach needs to read this book.  As a person who is uniquely suited to bridge divides between departments and grade levels, the instructional practices explained in it would make very worthy school-wide goals to work toward. They would go a very long way to increasing reading outcomes for kids.

I’d love to know:  if you’ve read either of these books, what would you add to the conversation?

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Who is Coach from the Couch??  I’m Michelle, a 25-year veteran educator, currently an at-your-service virtual literacy coach and K-5 school coach.  I continue to teach and learn alongside teachers in classrooms each and every day, and it’s my mission to support as many teachers just like you as I can! 

Click here to learn how I can support you.