"If students understand that being able to read and write better will not only make life easier but more enriching, we will all have a better standard of living." ~Cris Tovani
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Stenhouse Publishers has been proudly publishing books by Cris Tovani since 2003 and we continue to be inspired by her work. She is an internationally known consultant who focuses on issues of disciplinary reading and writing instruction. She has been an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado and the University of Denver, and in 2017 she was awarded the Thought Leader Award from the International Literacy Association. She has taught students from grades 1 to12 and continues to study the “knowing-doing gap” by investigating how best practice research can be practically applied to a variety of instructional settings.
She is the author of four Stenhouse books, most recently Why Do I Have to Read This? Let's take a look at the full collection. Do you have them all?
Why Do I Have to Read This?
Literacy Strategies to Engage Our Most Reluctant Students
Why do I have to read this?” What teacher doesn’t dread this question? It usually comes from our most disengaged students like the class clown or the student who struggles to read and write at grade-level. In Why Do I Have to Read This? Cris Tovani shares her best secrets, lessons learned from big fails, and her most effective literacy and planning strategies that hook these hard-to-get learners.
Cris reminds us of the importance of connecting students to compelling topics, rich text, useful targets, and worthy tasks, and the importance of tending to students’ basic needs, which will help us consider how to best structure instructional time. After reading this book, teachers will have new ways to connect with students in a deep, authentic way.
I Read It, but I Don't Get It
Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers
I Read It, but I Don't Get It is a practical, engaging account of how teachers can help adolescents develop new reading comprehension skills. In this popular book, Cris writes with verve and humor about the challenges of working with students at all levels of achievement—from those who have mastered the art of "fake reading" to college-bound juniors and seniors who struggle with the different demands of content-area textbooks and novels. This book will provide support for teachers who want to incorporate comprehension instruction into their daily lesson plans without sacrificing content knowledge.
Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?
Content Comprehension, Grades 6-12
“Do I really have to teach reading?” This is the question many teachers of adolescents are asking, wondering how they can possibly add a new element to an already overloaded curriculum. And most are finding that the answer is “yes.” If they want their students to learn complex new concepts in different disciplines, they often have to help their students become better readers. In Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?, Cris takes on the challenge of helping students apply reading comprehension strategies in any subject and shows how teachers can expand on their content expertise to provide instruction students need to understand specific technical and narrative texts. Cris's humor, honesty, and willingness to share her own struggles as a teacher make this a unique take on content reading instruction that will be valuable to reading teachers as well as content specialists.
So What Do They Really Know?
Assessment That Informs Teaching and Learning
In So What Do They Really Know? Cris explores the complex issue of monitoring, assessing, and grading students' thinking and performance with fairness and fidelity. Like all teachers, Cris struggles to balance her student-centered instruction with school system mandates. Her recommendations are realistic and practical; she understands that what isn't manageable isn't sustainable. Cris describes the systems and structure she uses in her own classroom and shows teachers how to use assessments to monitor student growth and provide targeted feedback that enables students to master content goals. Teachers will recognize their own students and the challenges they face as they join Cris on the journey to figure out how to raise student achievement.
