Full Description
In Unison Reading, Cynthia McCallister presents an instructional method for group reading that was originally developed to provide a strong scaffold for struggling readers but has since proven extraordinarily effective with readers at all levels of proficiency in primary and secondary schools. Unison Reading allows students to help each other improve their skills by reading together orally in small, diverse groups. This method is part of a larger approach called Genre Practice, rooted in the foundational beliefs that children learn best collaboratively, that reading is fundamentally a social process, and that students are able to take responsibility for their own learning with appropriate scaffolding. Using examples from real classrooms and teachers' narratives, the book walks teachers through every aspect of implementing Unison Reading in their classroom: from knowing what it is and how it is different from other small group instruction techniques, to explaining how it fits within the reading curriculum. McCallister also shows how Unison Reading, piloted in a high-needs urban district, can benefit English Language Learners and special needs students, and addresses frequently asked questions from teachers, administrators, and staff developers, including how to implement Unison Reading school-wide. The text includes an appendix full of ready-to-use forms.
Contents
Foreword by David R. OlsonPrefaceAbout This BookAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author1. What is Unison Reading? The MethodUnison Reading: A Pedagogical RevolutionThe Unison Reading MethodThe Unison Reading RecordChildren's Self-Responsibility and AccountabilityGetting Started With Unison ReadingConclusion: "Chew Food Taste Better"2. Unison Reading as a Program of Instruction: Classroom ImplementationUnison Reading: Principles for PracticeClassroom ImplementationSummarizing Procedures for ImplementationConclusion: The Paradox of Rules3. Distinctions and Differences: How Unison Reading Breaks the MoldThe Aims of ReadingGroup Reading Instruction: Traditions and ConventionsRedefining Reading Instruction: Unison Reading as a New Space for LearningAn Examination of Unison Reading PrinciplesA Pedagogy for Reading4. "A Seat at the Table": How Unison Reading Supports Every ChildRaising Strong Readers From the Start: Unison Reading in Kindergarten and First GradeUnison Reading in Content Areas: Maximizing Learning in Middle SchoolEnglish Language Learners and the Pull of a "Cool" TextRe-Engaging Reluctant and Avoidant Adolescent ReadersRe-Entry: Mainstreaming Students With Special Needs Into the General Education ClassroomUnison Reading Is Good for Everybody: The Advantages of Diverse Learning Groups"Unison Reading Makes Teachers Reading Teachers": What We Ourselves Can Learn at the Table5. Conclusion: Unison Reading as Consciousness RaisingA Concluding Story: Unison Reading at the Jacob Riis School ConclusionConclusionAfterword by Edmund W. GordonAppendix A. FormsAppendix B. FormsReferencesIndex
