Overview of Chapter 3

            by Jeff Sapp

    What are the methods and strategies that educators use to teach students not only to read and write but also to love to read and write?  Teaching is both a science and an art.  Chapter three explores the science of teaching reading by examining research that reveals effective, state-of-the-art techniques.  The articles give equal validation, though, to the art of teaching reading.

    The chapter begins with Gerald Duffy and James Hoffman’s article on the pursuit of the perfect method of teaching reading.  This false premise adds fuel to the reading wars be reinforcing the notion that there is a best way or an easy way to teach reading.  The authors offer alternatives to the perfect method concept.  Thoughtful eclecticism is the aim of their article.

    Brain-compatible learning is a relatively new field in education.  About 90% of the material that has been written about the brain and learning has been written in the last five years.  Are there ideas to be gleaned from neuroscience that can help to maximize efforts in teaching reading?  Thomas Cardellichio and Wendy Field offer seven strategies that encourage neural branching.

    The triarchic model for improving reading instruction is composed of three parts:  analytical, creative, and practical cognitive skills.  Robert Sternberg, Elena Grigorenko, and Linda Jarvin reveal how this model can be applied to any subject matter and any grade level.  This is not the model for teaching reading, but it is offered as a tangible example of a model that works well.  The triarchic model is also a good example of a balanced approach to literacy, because it encourages a balanced approach of activities that are analytical, creative, and practical.

    Luther Kirk’s article offers the research perspective of personal narrative.  Kirk reflects on his own childhood and how he was held back because he was a struggling reader and writer.  His article also offers a perspective on being raised in Appalachia, an area and culture defined by low literacy.  How do the values and beliefs in a working-class culture affect the teaching of reading?  What strategies contribute to painful experiences of not being successful?  What strategies joyfully open students up to the possibilities of being successful at reading and writing?  Kirk offers instructional approaches for working with culturally diverse groups of learners.

    The last article in this chapter offers a global perspective on teaching reading.  Is practice in one country the same or different from practice in another country?  Nine countries participated in this study, which explored whether or not countries adopt consistent approaches within their educational systems.

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