The Thinking Reader E-Book

Ciera Harris

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 551

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Concepts, lesson plans, and strategies for making reading lessons work

The Thinking Reader: Cultivating Critical Thinkers in the Classroom is the frazzled teacher's guide to setting up any grade 2-4 classroom for reading success. You won't find any busywork, condescending lectures, or boring worksheets in this book. Instead, you'll learn flexible reading strategies to blend into your lessons at the start of the school year that will support your students for years to come. This book also debunks old-school ideas about reading instruction and explains the concepts that you'll need to know as you help students build a foundation for their future as readers.

Former elementary teacher and instructional coach Ciera Harris has achieved remarkable, replicable results with young readers, not with a rigid system or program, but with a new approach to thinking about reading. In this book, you'll learn why it makes sense to go beyond all the lessons of phonics, fluency, and vocabulary by making reading personal to each student. This easy-to-use approach has helped teachers across the country create a culture of reading within their classrooms, so students—even those that struggle the most with reading—can start view themselves as readers. Help students learn based on what interests them, as individuals, and watch budding readers bloom.

• Discover why reading is not a series of decoding skills, but a personal, powerful act of thinking
• Learn the steps to setting up your classroom for reading success at the beginning of the year
• Get engaging lesson plans and techniques for implementing primary reading strategies like schema, asking questions, metacognition, and so much more
• Overcome common roadblocks, including student resistance to reading

With The Thinking Reader, elementary school teachers in grades 2-4 can build the ultimate framework for reading success.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

COVER

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

Meet Ciera!

Curricula Aren’t Enough

The Structure of This Book: Building the Thinking Reader

How to Use This Book

Benefits of Reading this Book

A Quick Note from Ciera

CHAPTER 1: WHAT READING REALLY IS

Reading Is Thinking

Five Components of Literacy

Reading Consumption vs. Reading Comprehension

Making Meaning

Promoting Comprehension Over Consumption

Reading Strategies vs. Reading Skills

Reading Is Me, Reading Is Thinking, Reading Is Power

Building a Reading Identity

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 2: SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS

Getting to Know Your Readers

Factors That Impact Comprehension Success

Give Them Access

Let Them Read!

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 3: THE READER'S BLUEPRINT

A Reader's Blueprint

Time to Act

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 4: READING AND THE BRAIN

Why the Brain?

Let's Start with Something Simple. What Is the Brain?

The Brain and the Science of Reading

Interest and the Brain

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 5: SCHEMA: THE POWER OF PERSPECTIVE

What Is Schema?

Understanding Schema on a Deeper Level

Three Steps to Using Schema in Your Reading Classroom

Building Schema in Your Students

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 6: CURIOSITY: THE MOTIVATION MAXIMIZER

What Is Curiosity?

Curiosity and Reading Comprehension

Curiosity and Intrinsic Motivation

Practical Strategies to Promote Curiosity

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 7: METACOGNITION: INQUIRY AND INDEPENDENCE

What Is Metacognition?

Benefits of Teaching Metacognition

Tips for Teaching Metacognition

Metacognition and Complex Texts

Metacognition Activities

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 8: METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

Introduction to Metacognitive Strategies

The Metacognitive Cycle

Three Most Impactful Metacognitive Strategies

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 9: TALKING (MEANINGFULLY) ABOUT TEXTS

Don't Make Assumptions

What Is an Academic Conversation?

How to Talk About a Text

Tips for Encouraging Conversations in Your Classroom

Better Questions, Even Better Conversations

Make Conversations FUN!

Benefits to Having Text Discussions

Build a Culture of Collaboration

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CHAPTER 10: FOSTERING CRITICAL THINKING IN THE CLASSROOM

What Is Critical Thinking?

Deep Dive into the Four Components of Critical Thinking

Strategies for Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Encouraging a Critical Thinking Mindset

Closing

Lessons To Try

Notes

CHAPTER 11: BUILDING PERSISTENCE AND CULTIVATING THE READER'S MINDSET

A Reader's Mindset

Growth Mindset vs. Reader's Mindset

Why Teach About a Reader's Mindset?

Do My Students Have a Reader's Mindset?

Common Barriers and How a Reader's Mindset Can Help

Building a Reader's Mindset

Overcoming Common Reading Challenges with a Reader's Mindset

A Reading Teacher's Mindset

Fostering a Reader's Mindset Culture

Closing

Lessons to Try

Notes

CLOSING

A Quick Look Back

What's Missing?

Support from Others

Long‐Term Benefits of Being a Thinking Reader

Wrapping It Up

Final Note from Ciera

INDEX

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Guide

COVER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

BEGIN READING

CLOSING

INDEX

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

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The Thinking Reader

Cultivating Critical Thinkers in the Classroom

Ciera Harris

Copyright © 2025 Ciera Harris. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per‐copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750‐8400, fax (978) 750‐4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748‐6011, fax (201) 748‐6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permission.

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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data:

ISBN: 978‐1‐394‐27617‐2

ISBN: 978‐1‐394‐27618‐9 (ebk)

ISBN: 978‐1‐394‐27619‐6 (ebk)

Cover Design: Wiley

Cover Image: © cienpies/Getty Images

Author Photo: Victoria Hunt Photography

To my family, whose love fuels me, and to the hardworking teachers around the globe—you are the heart of every child's story.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my incredible husband, Matt, there are no words that can truly capture the depth of my gratitude. From the moment I dreamed of stepping beyond the classroom to pursue a bigger vision, you never hesitated—it was an unwavering “yes” from you, even when the road seemed uncertain. Your love, encouragement, and belief in me have been my constant source of strength.

Thank you for your faith in me when I needed it most, for pushing me when I doubted myself, and for standing by my side through every triumph and challenge. This journey has been made possible because of your endless support, and I am extremely grateful to have you as my partner in both life and dreams. I love you beyond words.

To my amazing friend and colleague, Katie, your positivity, creativity, and unwavering support have been a true gift throughout this journey. I couldn't have written this book without your help. Thank you for being by my side every step of the way.

To my best friend, Renee—your brilliance as an educator is only matched by your incredible friendship. Helping me launch my first‐ever workshop set me on the path to this book, and I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for being there from the very beginning and for believing in me every step of the way.

To the amazing teachers who have been by my side, using and believing in the resources, approaches, and philosophies I teach—your support and encouragement have meant more to me than you will ever know. Your daily emails, feedback, and words of thanks remind me that together, we are making a real difference in the world of literacy. Thank you for believing in me and for all that you do.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ciera Harris is a seasoned educator with more than 15 years of experience in literacy instruction and the author of The Thinking Reader, an educational textbook that equips educators with evidence‐based strategies to foster critical thinking and deepen reading comprehension in young learners. She brings a wealth of expertise and passion to her role as a presenter and literacy advocate. With a background encompassing 10 years of elementary teaching and 2 years as a K‐4 instructional coach, she possesses a deep understanding of the complexities of literacy development in young learners. Currently pursuing her doctoral degree in literacy at St. John's University, Ciera is dedicated to advancing her knowledge and expertise in the field.

Ciera's teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that fostering a love of reading begins with equipping students to think critically and independently, empowering them to become lifelong learners. Based in Indiana, she is committed to supporting educators worldwide in creating impactful literacy experiences. She has impacted hundreds of thousands of teachers around the world through her multimedia platforms, including The Literacy Lounge podcast, her website (cieraharristeaching.com), blog, YouTube channel, and private professional development sessions. Additionally, she offers an exclusive membership called The Building Comprehension Hub, where educators can access practical tools to support reading comprehension in the classroom.

Ciera has presented at conferences across the country, including the SDE National Educators Conference in Las Vegas and multiple statewide conferences. She has a particular passion for bringing literacy strategies to underserved communities, having worked with educators both nationally and internationally to close literacy gaps and foster reading equity.

With her doctorate in progress, Ciera plans to continue her research on literacy interventions and expand her resources for educators around the globe. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is a devoted wife and mother of three, residing in Indiana with her family and two beloved dogs. In her leisure time, she indulges her passion for collecting earrings and unwinds by cheering on Notre Dame football. Ciera's unique blend of academic rigor, practical experience, and personal warmth makes her a dynamic and inspiring presenter in the field of literacy instruction.

INTRODUCTION

This book differs from others you might have encountered in your teaching journey. Countless resources are already available if you’re looking for intervention strategies to deploy immediately in your classroom or if you’re seeking small group activities designed to support fluency and identify needs in struggling readers. But that's not what this book offers. You're here because you and I both sense that something crucial is missing in our approach to teaching reading. Despite our best efforts, incorporating the latest research, and diligently following the science of reading research, it still feels like we’re missing a vital piece of the puzzle.

You’re here because you believe, as I do, that reading encompasses more than the five literacy components. You want more for your students than just basic literacy skills. You’re here because you aspire to cultivate the very best readers your students can be, and together, that’s precisely what we will achieve. This book is different because it doesn’t just aim to improve reading skills; it seeks to transform how students think about reading and engage with texts.

In this book, I will not merely touch upon the five essential components of literacy—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Instead, I integrate these components into a broader framework designed to build what I call the Thinking Reader. A Thinking Reader is cognitively aware of their thinking processes as they read. They don’t just decode words; they interact with the text, ask questions, make connections, and reflect on their understanding.

A Thinking Reader identifies as a reader, regardless of their proficiency level. They embrace challenges and persevere through complex texts, employing critical thinking strategies to extract meaning and insights. This transformation from a passive reader to an active, engaged thinker sets this book apart.

We are going to build thinkers, not just readers. I explore strategies that foster deep, reflective, and analytical thinking. I delve into practices that encourage students to see themselves as capable, confident readers who can tackle any text. This book will guide you through creating an environment where students are not just learning to read but are reading to learn, grow, and think critically.

So, if this resonates with you and if you’re ready to push your students beyond the basics and into the realm of thoughtful, engaged reading, then you’re in the right place. This journey won’t be easy, but it will be gratifying. Together, we will reshape how our students view reading and help them become the best thinkers and readers they can be. Welcome to a new way of teaching reading.

Meet Ciera!

When picking up this book, you probably looked at the name and had no idea who I was, so let’s fix that! Hi! I’m Ciera Harris, an educational consultant passionate about literacy. My journey in education began at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where I earned both my undergraduate and master's degrees in Elementary Education. I am currently a doctoral candidate at St. John’s University, specializing in Literacy. While I could tell you the familiar tale of always knowing I wanted to be a teacher, I prefer to focus on the unique path that led me here. Yes, I love teaching, but my journey has shown me that my true passion lies in working with teachers and helping them inspire a love for reading in their students.

As I started my career in teaching, I quickly realized that I was as enthusiastic about collaborating with my colleagues as I was about teaching my students. I became known as the “literacy geek” who eagerly anticipated planning days when everyone gathered in my classroom to prepare their lessons. This passion extended to mentoring, and I eagerly accepted the mentor‐teacher role, where I could share my insights and strategies with others. My enthusiasm for teaching naturally evolved from focusing on children to concentrating on teachers, guiding them to become more effective literacy educators.

After years of teaching in the elementary classroom, I transitioned to an instructional specialist for a K‐4 building. While I loved supporting teachers across all grades, I found the scope of the role to be challenging. This realization led me to start my own educational consulting business, Ciera Harris Teaching. Through my business, I have had the privilege of connecting with hundreds of thousands of teachers from across the country and worldwide, all sharing my passion for literacy and my commitment to fostering growth in young readers.

Through Ciera Harris Teaching, I support teachers with online articles, my podcast “The Literacy Lounge,” my YouTube channel, social media platforms, and my exclusive membership club, The Building Comprehension Hub. These platforms have allowed me to reach and assist countless educators, sharing strategies and insights beyond the basics of literacy instruction. My experiences as an educator, instructional specialist, and consultant have revealed the profound complexities of literacy and the transformative power of reading. This book is the culmination of everything I’ve learned and shared with thousands of teachers, offering a deeper understanding of literacy that you will experience as you turn these pages.

Curricula Aren’t Enough

As a teacher in the classroom, I experienced the same frustrations and challenges that many of you face. I went through the motions, trying every educational fad—pre‐/post‐tests, digital literacy, balanced literacy. You name it, we tried it. Yet, despite our best efforts, the results remained the same year after year. We ended up with students on, above, and below levels, neatly fitting into the desired bell curve. But this isn’t good enough. The system might be content with these outcomes, but as teachers, we know there’s more to literacy and reading than just fitting students into predetermined categories.

Teachers want more than just a checklist of standards to teach. We understand that literacy and reading are about more than meeting benchmarks; they are about life, awareness, and personality. Unfortunately, our current curricula and programs often fail to reflect this understanding. While states across the country claim to value critical thinking and complex reading skills, they still mandate the same old standards, expecting us to teach them in a rote, mechanical way. This approach won't produce the type of readers we aspire to nurture.

We are going to build thinkers, not just readers.

A genuinely complex reader who can think, analyze, evaluate, and infer won’t emerge from a curriculum that treats literacy as a series of boxes to tick. Developing such a reader requires nurturing curiosity, fostering critical thinking, and encouraging students to ask questions and explore. This type of reader is a one‐of‐a‐kind thinker who sees beyond the text and connects with the world around them. They don’t just read; they engage with the material on a deeper level, drawing insights and making connections that go beyond the surface.

As educators, we strive to create these Thinking Readers. We want our students to become individuals who are cognitively aware of their reading processes, can engage with texts thoughtfully, and see themselves as capable and confident readers. This goes beyond merely teaching standards; it’s about building a culture of curiosity and critical thinking in our classrooms. We aim to inspire our students to become lifelong learners who can navigate complex texts and draw meaningful conclusions.

Together, we can build these Thinking Readers. This book guides you through strategies and practices that move beyond traditional literacy instruction, focusing on developing students’ critical thinking and comprehension skills. And don’t worry, it is research based! I explore methods to encourage students to think deeply, ask questions, and make connections. By the end of this journey, you will have the tools to transform your students into readers who are not only proficient but also passionate and insightful. Let’s embark on this path together and create a new generation of thinkers and readers.

The Structure of This Book: Building the Thinking Reader

This book is structured around five essential steps to building a Thinking Reader, each designed to guide you through transforming your students into critical thinkers who engage deeply with texts. The image represents these steps:

Foundations of Reading

Cognitive Science of a Reader

Cultivating Metacognitive Thinkers

Communication and Critical Thinking

Building Resilience and Persistence

Each step is crucial in creating readers who do more than decode words—they think, analyze, and connect with what they read.

Foundations of Reading

The first step, Foundations of Reading, lays the groundwork for understanding the core principles of reading. This section focuses on establishing a thriving reading environment where the essential literacy components are taught and integrated into a cohesive framework. Here, you learn how to set the stage for effective reading instruction by creating a classroom atmosphere that fosters a love for reading and encourages students to see reading as an essential part of their lives. This foundational knowledge is crucial because it prepares students for the more advanced skills they will develop in the subsequent steps.

Cognitive Science of a Reader

Next, I delve into the Cognitive Science of a Reader. This section explores the neurological and cognitive processes behind reading, emphasizing the importance of schema and how the brain processes and comprehends text. Understanding these cognitive processes is vital for teachers, as it allows you to tailor your instruction to align with how students naturally learn and process information. By applying insights from cognitive science, you can help students develop more effective reading strategies that enhance their comprehension and retention of material.

Cultivating Metacognitive Thinkers

The third step, Cultivating Metacognitive Thinkers, focuses on strategies to maintain curiosity and develop metacognitive skills. Metacognition—thinking about one's thinking—is crucial to critical reading. This section provides techniques to help students become aware of their thought processes as they read, enabling them to monitor their comprehension, identify areas of confusion, and apply strategies to improve their understanding. By cultivating these skills, you empower students to take control of their learning and become more independent, reflective readers.

Communication and Critical Thinking

The fourth step, Communication and Critical Thinking, highlights the importance of meaningful dialogue about texts and developing critical thinking skills in reading. This section encourages teachers to create opportunities for students to discuss their reading, share their insights, and engage in debates and discussions. By fostering a classroom culture where open communication and critical analysis are valued, you can help students develop the ability to think deeply about texts, ask probing questions, and connect their reading to broader themes and ideas. This step is essential for building readers who can engage with complex texts and think critically about what they read.

Building Resilience and Persistence

The final step, Building Resilience and Persistence, provides strategies for fostering a growth mindset and teaching students to overcome challenges and persist in their reading efforts. Reading complex texts can be difficult and frustrating for students, but by building resilience and persistence, you can help them develop the grit and determination needed to tackle challenging material. This section offers practical techniques for encouraging students to persevere through difficulties, view mistakes as learning opportunities, and maintain a positive attitude toward reading. By instilling these qualities, you prepare students to become lifelong readers who are not deterred by obstacles but instead view them as opportunities for growth.

Bringing It All Together

Throughout these five steps, the overarching goal is to build readers who can think critically. Each component plays a vital role in this transformation. By laying a solid foundation in reading, you can ensure that students have the essential skills and environment they need to succeed. Understanding the cognitive science behind reading allows you to align your teaching with how students naturally learn, enhancing their comprehension and retention. Cultivating metacognitive thinkers empowers students to be aware of their thought processes, enabling them to become independent and reflective readers.

Encouraging communication and critical thinking fosters a classroom culture where students feel comfortable discussing and analyzing texts, developing their ability to think deeply and make connections. Building resilience and persistence equips students with the grit and determination needed to tackle challenging material, viewing difficulties as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles. These components collectively create a comprehensive framework for literacy instruction that goes beyond basic skills, aiming to develop well‐rounded, thoughtful readers.

By following this structured approach, you will be equipped to guide your students on their journey to becoming Thinking Readers. This book is designed to be more than just a collection of strategies; it is a comprehensive guide to transforming how we teach reading and how our students experience it. Each of the five components—Foundations of Reading, Cognitive Science of a Reader, Cultivating Metacognitive Thinkers, Communication and Critical Thinking, and Building Resilience and Persistence—works together to build a new generation of readers who are not only proficient in literacy but also thoughtful, reflective, and engaged thinkers.

Together, we embark on this journey to create readers who do more than decode words. They will engage deeply with texts, think critically about what they read, and connect their reading to the world around them. This transformation is at the heart of the Thinking Reader, and it is the ultimate goal of this book. Let’s take this journey together and impact our students’ lives by building readers who think, analyze, and grow with every text they encounter.

How to Use This Book

This book provides a clear and structured path that will set you and your students on a journey to becoming enlightened and critical thinkers and readers if followed at the beginning of the year. The first step is to read through this book entirely to make the most out of it. Understanding the big picture and how each component fits together is essential before diving into the individual lessons.

As you read, you’ll notice that each chapter concludes with three carefully designed lesson plans. These lesson plans are versatile, suitable for any grade level, and require no prior reading, making them ideal for the beginning of the school year. They are hands‐on and engaging, designed to prepare your students for the journey ahead and to ignite their passion for reading. By starting with these lessons, you can create an interactive and stimulating learning environment that sets the stage for developing critical reading skills.

After you have read the entire book, it’s time to create a strategic plan tailored to your students’ needs. Reflect on which lessons will benefit your students the most and in what order. While the lessons are best followed in the sequence presented in the book, they are flexible and can be adapted to meet the specific needs of your classroom. Inside the book, you’ll find images of the lesson plans and a brief overview of each lesson, providing a visual guide to help you plan effectively.

These resources will be invaluable year after year, helping you establish a strong foundation for building amazing readers. As you revisit this book annually, you’ll find that these lessons continue to work effectively and grow richer with each implementation. This book is designed to be a lasting resource, evolving with your teaching practice and continually enhancing your students’ reading experiences.

By following the steps outlined in this book and utilizing the lesson plans provided, you’ll be well on your way to creating a classroom of Thinking Readers—students who are engaged, thoughtful, and passionate about reading. Together, let’s embark on this journey and make a lasting impact on our students’ lives.

Benefits of Reading this Book

Benefits for the teacher:

Understand what a reader truly is:

Develop a deep understanding that a genuine reader actively thinks, engages with, and questions the text.

Equip and encourage use of metacognition:

Equip and encourage teachers to understand and use metacognitive strategies to support their students in becoming active, thoughtful readers.

Foster a reader's mindset:

Help teachers foster a reader's mindset in their students, promoting resilience, perseverance, and a passion for continuous improvement in reading.

Integrate cognitive science:

Enable teachers to incorporate principles from cognitive science into their reading instruction, enhancing students’ understanding and retention of material.

Create an intentional learning environment:

Support teachers in creating a learning environment that is intentional about planning for and supporting critical thinking at all student ability levels.

Benefits for the students:

Develop critical thinking skills:

Cultivate students’ ability to think critically about texts, analyze content, make inferences, and draw meaningful connections.

Enhance metacognitive awareness:

Increase students' awareness of their thought processes while reading, enabling them to monitor and improve their comprehension and learning strategies.

Foster a love for reading:

Inspire a genuine passion for reading by engaging students with hands‐on, interactive lessons that make reading an enjoyable and enriching experience.

Build resilience and persistence:

Encourage students to develop resilience and persistence in their reading efforts, helping them overcome challenges and view difficulties as opportunities for growth.

Create lifelong learners:

Nurture students to become lifelong learners who are curious, reflective, and capable of independent thought, equipped with the skills to engage deeply with texts throughout their lives.

By focusing on these goals, this book aims to transform how teachers approach literacy instruction and how students experience reading, ultimately creating a more dynamic and thoughtful learning environment.

A Quick Note from Ciera

As you embark on this journey with me, I encourage you always to do what’s best for your students. There is no such thing as a perfect curriculum, and research can often contradict itself. The key is to get to know your students, understand their unique needs, and tailor your approach to support, challenge, and inspire them. Love them, encourage them, and create an environment where they feel valued and capable.

Remember, in the end, your students will grow and blossom into the exceptional individuals they were always meant to be. Your dedication, flexibility, and passion for teaching will make all the difference in their lives. Thank you for being an incredible teacher and for committing to this journey of building Thinking Readers together.

CHAPTER 1WHAT READING REALLY IS

Reading is a deeply personal journey intertwined with our identity and experiences. It goes beyond the mechanics of fluency, decoding, and morphology, encompassing a rich tapestry of thoughts, emotions, and reflections. True reading is an immersive experience, an interplay between the text and the reader's mind. As educators, our goal is not merely to produce students who can read words accurately but to cultivate individuals who think critically, connect deeply, and reflect meaningfully on what they read. This chapter is a call to action for teachers to build a classroom culture that celebrates and nurtures these profound aspects of reading.

The essence of reading lies in the unique relationship each student forms with a text. While foundational skills like phonics and vocabulary are essential, they are just the starting point. Reading must be seen as an active process where students engage with the material, draw upon their experiences, and construct new understandings. Teachers play a crucial role in this process by fostering an environment where students feel confident and motivated to explore texts beyond their surface meanings. Doing so, teachers help students become readers and thinkers who approach texts with curiosity and insight.

True reading is an immersive experience, an interplay between the text and the reader's mind.

Creating a culture of reading in the classroom starts with recognizing and valuing each student's reading journey. It is vital to encourage students to see themselves as readers, regardless of their current skill level. This belief forms the foundation for developing strong, independent readers. Teachers must emphasize that reading is an act of thinking, where comprehension involves connecting with the text, visualizing, questioning, and applying it to one's life. This holistic approach to reading empowers students to see the relevance of their reading and inspires a lifelong love of learning.

This chapter explores strategies and techniques to help you, as an educator, inspire and develop critical thinkers through reading. By integrating thoughtful questioning, modeling deep comprehension, and fostering reflective discussions, you can transform your classroom into a vibrant community of readers. Together, let's embark on this journey to redefine what it means to be a reader and elevate the role of reading in our students' lives.

Reading Is Thinking

We as teachers must refrain from asking our students to come into our classrooms understanding what reading is. And yes, even if you are a 5th or 6th‐grade teacher, that is still an assumption we should not make. I know if you ask your students, “What is reading?,” they would probably say, “It's when you open a book and read the words.” That's the answer that we're going to get. But is that reading? Is being a strong reader all about being a master decoder? Or does it mean we have the best fluency or strongest vocabulary? These are all literacy factors and have an impact, but in the end, none matters unless one key factor is present. “Sounding out or decoding words is part of the reading puzzle, but falls short of real reading. If children don't understand what they read, they're not really reading. If they don't unlock meaning as they read, the words are boring babble and they will never read well or enjoy reading.”1 At the beginning of the year, we have to make sure that we are spending time explaining to all of our students what reading really means.

One of the biggest roadblocks to student success in reading is confidence and belief in themselves. Many students do not see themselves as readers—whether that is because they are still struggling to decode or they simply don't enjoy reading for pleasure. Teachers must ensure that all students see themselves as readers before we can ever reach them all. Teachers need to ensure that students know from the beginning of the year that reading is a personal experience. They need to know that reading is all about who they are as students, as people, and what they bring to the table. If we can explain this and help them understand that they are a reader right now, at this very moment, and what they know in their brain and what they’ve done in their life makes them a reader, then we can help them understand that they are a reader right now. What you know in your brain and what you've done in your life make you a reader.

Explaining this to students will increase their confidence. It will give them the self‐esteem boost they need to tackle the year successfully. It will set them off on the right path during that year and help build them up as readers. By focusing on “What Is Reading” at the beginning of the year, you're helping to set that purpose for the year. You're helping to build strong and independent readers. It's something that teachers need to take time to discuss and explain. You need to show your students that everyone can be a reader.

Here is where I might lose some of you, and that's okay. I promise to try and win you over as you keep reading. To be a reader, it does not matter if a student struggles with fluency. It does not matter if they can't decode words. It doesn't matter if they don't know a single sight word. Students can still be readers. How? Because reading is thinking. And I think this is one of the biggest and least spoken‐about pieces of literacy. It's not JUST about the words. Reading is thinking. It's inside our brains. It's combining all of our knowledge and understanding from that text with what the author has given us and thinking about what you just read.

Even readers who can't read the words themselves but are being read to can do the thinking part, which is the most critical part. I always love to say that your struggling readers can be your most exceptional thinkers. Don't disregard the fact that kids struggle to read the words. That's only part one. We must ensure that we teach our students from day one that reading is all about thinking. It's not JUST about the words. “Real comprehension has to do with thinking, learning, and expanding a reader's knowledge and horizons. It has to do with building on past knowledge, mastering new information, connecting with the minds of those you've never met.”2

It's okay if students struggle with the words. Teachers can help with that, but that's not the most essential part. The most important part is thinking while you read the words. Teaching students this concept from day one will help set all of your struggling readers, exceptional readers, and everybody in between on the right path. It’s okay if students struggle at reading words. That will come with time. But they can think. They can think, connect to that text, visualize the text that the teacher is reading to them, ask questions about that text, and do all these strategies to better their comprehension, and that is what makes them a reader.

When you teach that to your students, especially your struggling and striving readers, you know they will have a confidence boost they won't get from anything else. They're going to see that they already have what they need. It's not something they will learn in two or three years down the road. They've already got it. They can think. Now, when I teach this year, we will improve our thinking. It will be a huge stepping stone toward literacy that your students already have. So when they see that they are a reader already, and we will make them better readers, who wouldn't want to hear that message?

Five Components of Literacy

In the pursuit of literacy, the ultimate goal is for all students to comprehend texts on a deeper level. While each literacy component is crucial, comprehension and thinking are paramount to achieving this objective. A comprehensive understanding of a text requires more than just the ability to read words; it necessitates the ability to think critically about what is being read. Therefore, while all literacy components are necessary, the emphasis on comprehension and thinking is vital to genuinely developing proficient readers. The following sections quickly review the five essential components of literacy.

Component 1: Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness is the most foundational literacy skill. It involves recognizing that individual sounds, or phonemes, construct words, making it an auditory skill that predicts reading abilities. This skill is typically introduced in preschool and continues to be essential throughout the school years. It lays the groundwork for understanding how sounds form words, setting students up for success in their future reading endeavors. Students may need more advanced literacy skills with a solid foundation in phonemic awareness.

Component 2: Phonics

While often confused with phonemic awareness, phonics is distinctly different. Phonemic awareness is about sounds; phonics involves the systematic relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes). This relationship is critical for decoding words essential for reading, spelling, and writing. Phonics instruction enables students to understand how letters combine to form words, making it a crucial step in developing reading proficiency.

Component 3: Fluency

Fluency refers to the ability to read text accurately, quickly, and with proper expression. It transforms reading from a mechanical process into an enjoyable and meaningful activity. Fluency acts as a bridge within the five components, connecting the ability to decode words with the ability to read smoothly and effortlessly. In analyzing the association between fluency and comprehension, an article by Frankel et al. argued that speed and accuracy of word reading tie fluency to word identification, and prosody ties fluency to comprehension.3 When students achieve fluency, they can focus on understanding the text rather than decoding each word, making reading a more engaging experience.

Component 4: Vocabulary

Vocabulary encompasses the words a person knows and uses in listening, reading, and writing. It builds on background knowledge, schema, and life experiences. A robust vocabulary is essential for understanding texts, as it equips students with the words they need to comprehend diverse materials. Expanding students' vocabulary enhances their ability to engage with and understand the content they encounter, thus supporting overall comprehension.

Component 5: Comprehension

Comprehension is the pinnacle of reading—the ability to understand and interpret the meaning of a text. This skill is the overall objective of reading. Students with solid comprehension can derive meaning from texts and apply this understanding to their lives. Comprehension is the culmination of all the other literacy components; it combines phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary into a cohesive ability to understand and engage with texts.

Despite the importance of the five literacy components, many teachers find that their students still struggle with comprehension. A study published in Reading Psychology discusses the persistent difficulties students face with reading comprehension, even when foundational literacy components like phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency are taught. The study emphasizes that while these foundational components are crucial, many students, especially struggling readers, continue to have challenges in understanding text, suggesting that more targeted interventions are needed to improve comprehension outcomes.4 Additionally, another study published in Reading and Writing analyzed reading interventions for upper elementary students and found that while interventions focused on fluency and word recognition can improve certain aspects of reading, comprehension often remains a challenge, especially when students lack the ability to connect prior knowledge to new material.5

This often happens because the critical element of thinking is missing from instruction. Teaching students to think as they read is essential for deep understanding. Students need to foster critical thinking to decode and read texts fluently, but they will not fully grasp the meaning or implications of what they read. Thus, while the five literacy components are foundational, integrating thinking into literacy instruction is crucial for developing proper comprehension skills. The following table shows how each literacy component supports the overall goals of deeper comprehension.

Explanation

The previous table highlights how each component contributes to achieving the ultimate goal of reading comprehension.

Phonemic Awareness

is foundational. It ensures that students can recognize and manipulate sounds, which is essential for decoding words.

Phonics

builds on this by teaching the relationship between letters and sounds, which is crucial for accurate word recognition.

Fluency

allows for smooth and expressive reading, freeing cognitive resources to focus on understanding the text.

Vocabulary

is essential for comprehension, providing the necessary words to understand and engage with diverse texts.

Comprehension

is the culmination of these components, enabling students to understand, interpret, and think critically about texts.

While the first four components of literacy—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary—are essential building blocks, they alone do not guarantee the ultimate goal of reading comprehension. It is possible for students to be proficient in each of these areas yet still struggle with understanding texts, especially as the complexity of reading material increases with age. Gaps in any of the early components can hinder comprehension, but even without those gaps, students may still find themselves unable to engage deeply with the material. This is because comprehension is not just the sum of these parts; it requires higher‐order thinking skills, such as making connections, drawing inferences, and synthesizing information. For true comprehension to occur, students must not only be proficient in the foundational skills but also be guided to think critically about the content they are reading. This challenge becomes particularly evident as students advance in their education, where content complexity demands more than just surface‐level understanding.

Despite our accumulated knowledge about the vital components of literacy, significant challenges remain in ensuring all students achieve reading proficiency. For example, research highlights that many students experience stagnation in their reading progress around third or fourth grade, a critical period for literacy development. Alarmingly, recent estimates reveal that 64% of fourth graders, including nearly 80% of Black and Hispanic students, are performing at or below proficient levels on standardized reading assessments. This data underscores the persistent gaps in literacy education, particularly for marginalized groups, despite advancements in our understanding of reading comprehension processes.6

Reading Consumption vs. Reading Comprehension

I'm going to start with a scenario. I like getting teachers to put themselves in their students' shoes to gain some empathy for what they are going through as new readers. Teachers tend to forget because they're going through the motions. Sometimes, they just forget what being a 10‐year‐old in a classroom is like. I want you to put yourself in a situation they see themselves in daily. I want you to pretend that you open a book and read yourself 5 to 10 medical terms.

These are big, fancy words. You're able to read them out loud. You can decode them. You can verbally say them. And as your “teacher,” I ask you to read them. After you read them, I will ask you about the terms: “What were the terms you read? What did you remember?” And because you're a strong reader, and you place them, you can easily repeat them. Maybe not all of them. Perhaps you can't remember all 10, but a good majority, you'll be able to remember.

What is this testing? Is this testing your ability to comprehend or consume the information? When information is regurgitated, is that comprehension? So that's the big question right now. I want you to understand what comprehension is, proper. Can you repeat what you read, or is it something more?

Unfortunately, teachers often confuse reading consumption with reading comprehension. How are they different? Which one might your students be doing when they read? Let's discuss the difference.

We know that we consume oxygen and food. Consumption involves things that we take in. Reading consumption is when a student can remember facts and details from a text. So when you remember those medical facts and repeat them back, you just consume and regurgitate the information. “When students view reading as an opportunity to construct new knowledge, they use higher order thinking more frequently than students who believe that the goal of reading is to establish only a literal understanding of text to give back to the teacher.”7

I wish I could think of a better word for regurgitate because I know it's a yucky word, but it's the first word that comes to mind! It's just that rote recitation of information back to you. I see a detail, and I'm reciting it back. I know a number, and I'm reciting it back. No connection was truly made, and there needed to be a deeper understanding of the text.

Let's go back to the list of medical terms. If I asked you what those medical terms meant, as teachers, you might understand a few of the terms, but many of them, you probably don't know much more other than how to pronounce the word. There was no connection there. There wasn't any deep understanding of the medical terms.

So when students are consuming, that's what's happening. They're reading the text.

They're able to decode. Their fluency is good, and they can tell you lots of information about that text. But the big missing piece is no connection or deep understanding. The students are only consuming the info instead of comprehending it.

Reading Comprehension is when a student can recall details from a text AND make meaning of them. The first part of the definition is the same as reading consumption, but a second part has been added. This means the information has been taken in and then processed for meaning. It means the reader is not just taking it in and spitting it out. They're taking it in and figuring out what this means to them. There are two levels of comprehension. The first is making meaning, and the second is taking it outside the text and applying that meaning to the reader's life. In that second part, connections have been made to that text, and the information of the text has been used in the reader's life.

Proper deep critical comprehension means that you have taken the information from the text and put it in your brain. You are able to dissect, analyze, and evaluate it to make meaning. Then, you take that meaning and determine if you can make any connections to it to make it a more profound understanding in your brain.

Do you truly understand what this character is going through? Do you know the significance of this event? Have you been able to make a connection? And then, have you applied this understanding to your life somehow? Has it changed your way of thinking? Has it changed a viewpoint or an opinion? Has it impacted different things you think about in the world, or has it made you reflect on specific situations you've lived through?

Unfortunately, I see a lot of consumption in the classroom. Everyone, from teachers to students, administrators, and even those going higher into the Department of Education and curriculum designers, has a skewed definition of comprehension.

As teachers, we want our students to refrain from consuming and regurgitating information. We want them to break it down, evaluate, analyze, apply, make connections, and ask questions. We want them to think deeply about this text, think critically, and figure out what it means to them.

Making Meaning

The latter part of the definition of comprehension is what differentiates consumption from comprehension. It consists of two words: making meaning. Let's break down what that means.

Making meaning is where students can apply the information from the text to their own lives. If they can't connect the text to their lives somehow, it does not have meaning. So, meaning comes from understanding, and understanding comes from experience.

If you have researched the Science of Reading, you know that schema, or background knowledge, is one of the most important things a student brings to the table to comprehend. “As he or she reads, the skilled reader gains access to and integrates relevant knowledge to create a mental model of the text. The informed educator recognizes the importance of background knowledge and designs instruction to activate it, assess it, build it, and facilitate students' connections to it.”8

Much of a student's ability to read comes from their schema. That is much of the comprehension puzzle, which doesn't come from the text. It comes from the student's ability to THINK and use metacognition to access their brains and use what they already know. A student's experiences, life, the events they've participated in, relationships, the places they've traveled, and everything about them make up one‐third of their ability to read and comprehend a text. “Each reader is unique in that he or she possesses certain traits or characteristics that are distinctly applied with each text and situation.”9 So, if you think backward about that definition of comprehension, it all makes sense now. As a reader, you might be able to read and understand the details. But are you also making meaning of them and connecting them to your schema and background knowledge? Are you understanding and relating to the text due to your background knowledge? And then, are you making meaning and connecting it to your own life?

Schema definition from The Reading Teacher: “The process of connecting known information to new information takes place through a series of networkable connections known as schema.”10

Let's examine an example of the difference between reading comprehension and reading consumption. In this example, we'll have Student A and Student B. Let's pretend you, as the teacher, have just read the text and are asking the class a question.

Teacher:

Why were Sarah's actions so significant?

Student A:

They were substantial because she could find the missing dog.

Let's analyze this answer: Honestly, that was the correct answer. She found the dog, which was a big deal and a significant event in the story. But is this a reading comprehension answer or a reading consumption answer?

Teacher:

Why were Sarah's actions so significant?

Student B:

They were substantial because since she could find the dog, she could reintroduce it to its owner, who is physically disabled, and without the dog, she couldn't get around. She was lost, figuratively speaking.

Let's delve deeper into this response: It's clear that the student has comprehended the text. They provided a correct answer and explained the reasoning behind it. For instance, she inferred that the character was lost without her dog, a service animal. If Student B hadn't possessed the schema or background knowledge about physical disabilities and the crucial role of service dogs, she wouldn't have been able to make that inference

.

Consider a student with no schema regarding service dogs and no awareness or exposure to people with disabilities, particularly physical disabilities or blindness, where service dogs are essential for mobility. Such a student likely wouldn’t grasp the significance of the scenario. They might simply think, “Well, she's happy now that she got her dog back,” without understanding the more profound implications. This example highlights the two levels of comprehension rooted in a student's schema. What they bring to the text significantly influences their ability to achieve deep critical comprehension.

In this case, Student A consumed the text while Student B genuinely comprehended it. However, Student A might also have comprehended the text; they just needed to provide more information to demonstrate it. As a teacher, if I received Student A's response, I would engage with them further to extract more details. My goal would be to determine whether they are merely consuming the text or truly comprehending it. To do this, I would ask follow‐up questions such as:

“She found the missing dog, but why is that important? What impact did that have on the story? Is that a significant event? Why?”

These questions are designed to probe deeper and assess whether the student is comprehending or simply consuming the text.

Promoting Comprehension Over Consumption

It all boils down to one crucial aspect: asking the right kinds of questions and expecting more detailed, thoughtful answers. This is fundamentally about the relationship between questions and answers.

Basic questions simply won't suffice. Asking questions like, “Who are the characters?” may be necessary in kindergarten or first grade, but beyond that level, especially in second grade and above, teachers need to move beyond these simplistic inquiries.

For instance, questions such as, “Who was the character's best friend?” or “Why didn't they get along?” are examples of basic, regurgitation questions. These are one‐sided, closed questions that do not encourage deeper thinking. We need to eliminate such questions from our repertoire. Our time is too valuable to be spent on questions with only one correct answer that leave no room for making inferences, critical thinking, or analysis.

Instead, we should focus on asking questions that challenge students to think critically and engage more deeply with the text. This approach will help develop their ability to analyze, infer, and understand complex concepts, leading to a richer and more meaningful learning experience.

Reflecting on the teacher's question about Sarah and her dog, it's evident there was only one correct answer. While it could have been phrased differently, arriving at the answer required inferencing, schema, and critical thinking. Closed questions, when used, must be profound and necessitate a thoughtful process to answer. Alternatively, open‐ended questions, which allow for multiple correct answers, encourage deeper student engagement.

Open‐ended questions require students to invest time and engage in conversations to arrive at their answers. This process pushes them to evaluate their prior knowledge and analyze the information gathered from the text to formulate a comprehensive response. This method of questioning fosters a richer understanding and a more meaningful connection to the material. We will discuss open‐ended questions more deeply later in the book.

So, how can you help your students by providing these more in‐depth answers? Here are some strategies:

If you only model basic one‐answer, one‐word, or phrase answers to questions about a text, then that's all they'll think is acceptable. You are also NOT modeling that reading is thinking. That's what students think is needed to answer questions they are being asked. But if you're modeling going into detail, using evidence, and making inferences, then your students will pick up on what is expected of them when they answer a question.

Prepare your questions in advance. You need to know your text and control where you want the text conversation to go. Do this by prepping your open‐ended questions in advance!

Reading Strategies vs. Reading Skills