'We often hear middle and high school teachers are frustrated because their students can't understand the textbooks or can't write effectively about their particular content. This book will provide both the framework for solving this dilemma and the specific, practical classroom practices that teachers can use each day to help students become more competent readers and writers' - Douglas Johnson, Assistant Superintendent, Kane County Regional Office of Education, IL

'Every middle school and secondary teacher should have a copy of this book. It not only provides the theoretical basis for each strategy, but it also effective instructions for use of the strategies in the classroom' - Dorothy Giroux, Program Director, Initial Teacher Preparation Program, School of Education, Loyola University Chicago

Using a step-by-step approach that makes the strategies easy to understand and implement, the authors provide updated research-based strategies that will help increase students' reading comprehension, strengthen their writing skills, and build vocabulary across content areas. Expanded coverage of content literacy, additional reading and writing strategies for exploring content, and suggestions for working with struggling readers are included in this revised edition.

This rich resource also offers:

- Tips for using trade books in the classroom

- Graphic organizers to help students recognize text structures

- Assessment tools

- Technology activities in every chapter

- Real classroom examples of how the strategies have been implemented

- More ways to evaluate the "readability" of textbooks

- Over 40 ready-to-use photocopiables

Whether you are getting ready to begin teaching or are an experienced teacher, this accessible, invaluable handbook will give you the tools you need to help your students become lifelong learners!