Breakthrough in Beginning Reading and Writing
928787
Richard Gentry provides a concrete way to approach how children learn to read and write.  The book is easy to read and understand.  Gentry identifies each stage of beginning readers and writers and provides the key operations, critical aspect, systemic goals, and expectations for each Phase.  His bulleted points that define each Phase, along with the examples of student work in each Phase provided me, a primary teacher, with very valuable information and a great resource to use often.  Gentry provides ways in which educators can "break the code" and understand where our children currently are along the linear Phases.  He promotes that literacy instruction must make some shifts to teach our children not only to know the parts of the system, but the whole system (p. 62).  In addition, Gentry pushes educators to "focus on the Phase, the Instruction, the Medhods, the Materials, and the Child" (p. 68).  I found this book very helpful and will continue to use it as a resource in my classroom.
3763777
After the first page I knew this was entirely different from every other writing book I own. Twice during the reading and study of this book I felt compelled to post two blog entries announcing to the world what a great book this was. So far I have given this as a gift at least five times.
This is material I review on a continual basis. Ms. Long has packed this book with everything from lessons on productivity, grammar discussions, lessons on diction and syntax, and something I haven't seen in many books: instructions on how to observe the world and turn what we experience into words. Unlike many books which simply address craft elements from the author's perspective, she addresses the topic of reading, urging us all to become closer readers and learn from the masters. She covers topics like the "virtuoso sentence" and discusses how to study the work of writers we admire. Instead of explaining what sells, she urges us to strive for greatness.
  The book is practical, she encourages us to use current work, and revise that rather than churn out orphan paragraphs based on arbitrary exercises. To create new work, she offers examples of ways to start new projects, like listing topic sentences or collecting information for a collage essay. With this book I was finally getting a glimpse in to the world of a professional writer.
After she covered the different types of sentences my brain ached-in a good way, like my legs do after a long run. She then covered four types of paragraphs. At the end of the section on paragraphs there is an exercise that asks you to make a list of ten sentences, the topics for your ten paragraphs, and poof- there's a 1,000 word piece.
  A blurb on the back of the book states that The Writer's Portable Mentor was a culmination of over twenty years worth of teaching experience. The book is a collection of material she uses in her classes and just now collected for publication. I can't recommend this book highly enough-it is something new- while being wonderfully instructive- it is also inspiring.
2460549
Heading into my 20th year in the classroom in a few weeks, I was feeling discouraged about everything:  the kids (high school juniors and seniors at an alternative school), the curriculum, my own lack of motivation.  And then I read The Book Whisperer from cover to cover in one sitting, and I've gained a whole new perspective on teaching!  I've got ideas swirling through my head about implementing Miller's tips and methods, and for the first time in a long time, I'm EXCITED about the start of a new school year.  If you teach English, or any subject, read this book, then pass it along to your co-workers and principal!  Who would have thought that a "no-brainer" concept could be so revolutionary or invigorating, but it is...you'll see...  Excellent book, hands down!  UPDATE ONE YEAR LATER: It's been almost a year to the date since I posted this original review, and I'm still raving about this book.  I went into my high school classroom and challenged my students to read TEN books over the course of a semester.  Almost everyone read ten, or more!  Some kids only read 2-5 books, but at least they were reading.  I implemented the program by meeting individually with each student each week, just for a few minutes, to update their reading lists, ask them questions about the books, suggest other books they might enjoy...AND--a major component--I not only gave students one day a week of in-class reading, but I required them to carry their books with them throughout the day.  The accountability worked well.  I honestly didn't know how this whole initiative was going to "go over," but within the first three weeks of school, when I had students coming into class saying, "Miss, can we please read today?"...I knew it was a hit.  I'm SO proud of my kiddos, and I think that this exercise will really make an impact in their lives going forward.
892284
It has now been about six years since I first signed up to take Jennifer Van Bergen's class 'Act to Write' - an earlier incarnation of Archetypes for Writers. The class was online and so I went into it without being able to meet Jennifer in person. At the time there was no book and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I certainly had no idea of the impact that this work would have on my writing and in fact, my life.

Immediately I found the material and the class to be riveting. We started with Character Facts and it became clear very quickly that I was not used to separating out what was observable in someone from my own subjective impressions. I was used to describing a person in terms that assumed everyone sees and thinks the way I do. Along with the humbling quality of this discovery, it was also a relief to realize that there was a truth to see when observing people - and that I was being given tools and a framework with which to find that truth.

After that class I went on to do advanced work with Jennifer, both in a small group and individually. I am so glad that there is now a book that encapsulates this work and makes it accessible in a way it was not before. The book is set up to guide the reader through the steps of acquiring the necessary tools and then learning how to use them. What also comes across loud and clear in the book is the generosity and excitement that is always a part of Jennifer Van Bergen's teaching method. You can almost hear her talking to you, explaining things and encouraging you.

Archetype work not only informs my writing - I read differently, I see people differently on the subway and in the grocery store. It is impossible to forget for one moment that everyone has a story. For me, that's where the life-changing part of this work comes in.
2919230
An slew of easy readers in various languages have appeared recently, making it even easier to learn new languages with confidence. Even reading a small book in another language feels like a quantum leap over memorizing vocabulary, verb drills and introducing yourself repeatedly until your own name becomes redundant. "Pauvre Anne" provides an incredibly great introduction to reading French for those just past the beginner mark. Those familiar with basic sentence structure and grammar, including the present and pass&eacute; compos&eacute; verb tenses, will have no problem reading the book cover to cover. The difficulty also increases as the text progresses. Chapter One contains very basic sentence structures of an almost "Dick & Jane" variety, but soon the sentences elongate and the grammatical forms become more varied. Nonetheless, the difficulty never really rises above beginner.

Even better, there is a story. Not a complicated or even an extremely compelling one, but a story nonetheless. Anne lives in the American suburbs and has problems. Her friends can afford new clothes, cars and other luxury items but her family cannot. She then gets the chance to travel to Belgium and upon her return she finds that her life wasn't so bad after all. Given the limited grammar and vocabulary involved, the fact that "Pauvre Anne" has a story at all is impressive. And it will definitely engage new French readers regardless of the story's depth. The back of the book also contains all of the vocabulary needed to finish the book. Even the verbs appear conjugated, so readers won't have to worry about having a dictionary or a verb guide handy. The book remains self-contained.

A few other great first French readers exist and "Pauvre Anne" is as good as any of them. Its nice compact size also makes it looks unintimidating to beginners. And of course it's only the first book in a series. So start here and start reading real French.
2807234
YUP. If you are preparing to take the Praxis, Foundations of Reading Test, this book is invaluable. Ditto for anyone who plans needs a strong theoretical basis for teaching reading to children. The way it is set up really helps you learn and differentiate all of the concepts and terms. The irony, of course, is that it uses the very reading and fluency strategies it discusses to help you master the content! Also, the interactive setup is really quite fun... never have I found myself getting lost in a textbook like this!

In an ideal world, all instructional content could be set up like this; short and informative paragraphs that are missing key, technical words so that you have to pause and think about the context clues and information you have already learned in order to complete the phrase! Really brilliant, especially for someone who finds themselves 'checking out' when reading semantically-dense text-books. (See what I did there?) Go, and learn!
4380757
This is a wonderful book for both the new and the experienced teacher hoping to bring depth and breadth to their classroom poetry programs. I used it as a first-year teacher of writing, but ended up buying a second copy after sharing-out my original with a colleague with substantially more experience.
For starters, the book is well-written and concise. For busy teachers (is that a tautology?) this means you will really read and really use it. It has all the elements that keep such readers engaged: practical classroom ideas, samples of student work, segmentation of topics into smaller components and, wide-ranging perspective.
Most importantly, however, the book has PASSION! Heard launches you with an introduction entitled "Poetry, Like Bread, Is for Everyone". She maintains this level of enthusiasm through to the last page, where she quotes Matthew Fox to the effect that "The Celtic peoples... insisted that only poets could be teachers... knowledge that is not passed through the heart is dangerous."
I agree - passion HAS TO BE the core of a poetry program in elementary or middle school. Amidst the wash of demand for reading and writing more expository material that standardized testing has brought to the writing class, passion and poetry have often slipped to the background. The poetry 'program' can become a quick trot through narrow 'tricksie' forms like name-poems and shape-poems. Kids need more. You do too.
Heard offers a wonderful suite of approaches to poetry 'centers' in a chapter on "Making a Poetry Environment." These include listening, illustration, performance and music centers as well as poetry windows, amazing language center and a handful more. The centers-based approach can be hard to manage unless properly prepared, but it is a wonderful way to build fluidity into a process that otherwise suffers from rigidity of task or schedule. This book will offer strong support for such an approach.
In the chapter discussing "Writing Poetry", Heard takes the metaphor of the door as entryway, suggesting, among others, the "observation door", the "concern about the world door" and the "wonder door." She then moves to the details of crafting of poetry with a "toolbox" metaphor and a nice collection of tools. In this as in the earlier instances, her pedagogical metaphors will serve your students but also serve to structure your planning and presentation of concepts. Heard concludes with a chapter about the observational element of the poet's craft - what she terms "sharpening outer and inner visions", and a number of useful appendices.
I'm certain this book will light-up your enthusiasm for a poetry-based classroom.
367758
My just entered kindergartener daughter just finished this book today.  Her brother and I did the lessons between his kindergarten and first grade year.  He is now in third grade and reading at the eighth grade level.  I found that this book put him on a fast track to very fluent reading and enjoyment and now he hides under the covers at night to read.
He has a great advantage in school in that he can concentrate on the content of what he is reading rather than struggling with the decoding part.
  This book does take effort on the part of the parent.  You must spend the one on one time with your child nearly every day.  We skipped the writing section (both kids knew how to write the letters) because it simply was too much at once.  Neither seems to have suffered because of this.  I HIGHLY suggest that you take up this book BEFORE your child is being "taught" to read at school.  Once the child learns the names of the letters it is more difficult to teach them the letters as sounds as they will insist on naming the letter rather than the sound.  If they enter school already having mastered sounding out words then all the letter practice will not confuse them.
  You don't have much to lose, the price is right and the rewards are well worth it.  Give it a try!

Three year update

 It is now 3 years later. Both are voracious readers. The now 10 year old fifth grader scored at above high school reading level on his last NWEA test. The now 8 year old second grader at seventh grade level on the NWEA (she took it early since she is in a reading group with older kids). So yes, it works and yes they do keep the advantage they gain.

Five year update

 My son is now in 7th grade and reads everything he can get his hands on.
My daughter is in 4th grade and reading "Little Women" and scoring higher than a typical 10th grader in reading.  Not that I think this book did all of that, but I credit it with making them into early and proficient readers.  Well worth the time I spent on it.

Seven year update
 I now recommend this book to anyone with a kid in kindergarten.  Both read at least a dozen books on their own this summer, they love reading enough that we have to check for "flashlight under the covers" covert reading when they are supposed to be sleeping.

Nine year update
  Both kids have recently taken standardized reading tests this year.  Both scored in the 99th percentile. I credit some of this success to this program.  More importantly, both still ADORE reading and turn to books more often than TV or computers.
1534563
If your a parent wondering how in the world you can teach your child to read,  buy this book.
After 7 months I can say we have finished this book.  My son is now wanting more lessons.  I can honestly say this book works and he can read at a very good level.  I can remember when we first started, lessons 90 through 100 looked impossible to him.  He could not believe that he would be able to read a page and a half.  Now he does it without hardly any help.  From some of the earlier reviews, I have read how they are teaching there 3 years old to read.  This book will help the very young, but could also be used for older students (I would say up to 3rd or 4th grade) understand the basics.
The book is very easy to understand.  The adult reads the RED print, the child will read the very large black print. Almost impossible to mess up.
The lesson are broken down into 7 to 8 tasks. These tasks will reinforce the what they are learning through rhyming, repeating sounds in different words, sound writing and various other method.  These tasks will gradually increase in difficulty and will start with the child learning the sounds of each letter and will progress to reading words (cat, dog, big) and then to short sentences.  Finally they will read paragraphs and short stories.  Each lesson will review in some aspect what they have learned before.
This is a great book for you parents who want to teach your child to read.  It will take time and dedication on your behalf.  You must be the one to take the time to set time aside to do the teaching.  It took us 7 months to get through this book.  Some days you  need to step away from the book when the lesson is not going well.  If you stick to it, you will be amazed in the improvement of your child's read ability.
4399649
Highly recommend this book for writing . I began using this method a couple of years ago with kindergarten students and have seen huge improvement in writing & developing a love of writing in my k classroom. We start the year with one word they really want to learn to write (yep even Pokmon ) and we go over the sounds and penmanship before they write it in their journals and then we expand to a sentence and then when the student is ready we go to writing short stories (fiction and non fiction ) . I'm amazed each year how much they grow ! They're eager and excited because it's topics they care about .
3664451
I started teaching my daughter to read when she turned 4 in hopes that learning what letters are in the words would help with her speech problems as a result of her repaired cleft palate. We made a lot of progress, but she was impatient. When my friend introduced me to this book (her 4 year-old has finished the book and is an excellent, independent reader), I thought I'd give it a try. We're ten lessons in, and already I have seen improvement in my daughter's speech because of the emphasis this method places on learning the sounds before the letter (she already knew the sounds all the letters make, but it's the EMPHASIS that has made all the difference). The lessons are the perfect length for the limited attention spans of young children, and the patterns are simple and easy to grasp for children. The parent is taught the principles behind this method as well as given the exact way to say things, making it easy to combine the expertise and experience of the educator with the love of a parent for a child. Learning to read is becoming a much more peaceful and enjoyable time for me and my child.
502695
Do you want to get your early childhood students writing and thinking? Then you must get this little book, it has many ideas for helping young writers get started on creating their own songs, poems and stories.  Old favorites are used to build a scaffold for kids "to hang on their own words".  If you are tired of pencil and paper pages everyday then this book is for you.  It will take a little time to get started but the results will be fantastic. Your students will understand spelling, grammar, reading and writing much more than textbook assignments can give them.  You will need blank word cards and chart paper then you and your kids will be ready to go.  Oh, also lots of great children's literature.(Which you can get from Amazon.com) It will be fun and rewarding for you and your kids.  Don't forget to have them illustrate their creations. And share them in author's chair.  The results will be phenomenal.
4020351
My mother bought this book when I asked to learn how to read when I was four years old. The school where I attended kindergarten only taught me one letter a week and my mother was afraid I would lose my desire to read. I still remember sitting on the couch with my mom while we went through the exercises in the book and feeling so proud that I could read!

Because my mother had the tool to teach me to read, I was able to go to a more advanced school for first grade without lagging behind the other students. In fact, I was a better reader than most! That was 24 years ago and I am still an avid reader like my parents and English was always my strongest subject in school. I don't know if you can get a better recommendation than that.
2121361
If you are looking for a successful reading program that's affordable, easy, and fun to use, then The Reading Lesson is a must have!

I bought the complete Reading Lesson set for my four year old twin daughters.  By age three, we'd managed to teach them the alphabet and letter sounds; however, I didn't know where to begin to teach them to read.  I had read several other books on the subject, but they just weren't what I needed. Either I did not finish the book because it was too confusing or if I did manage to complete the book, I'd have no idea how to implement what I'd just read.  With the Reading Lesson, getting started was literally as easy as opening the book to Lesson One.  Everything I needed to know to teach my daughters to read was explained in a clear and concise way, with no additional prep work needed on my part.  What a timesaver !!

In the beginning, I started out slowly using the book and the letter sounds VHS, which was just what we needed at the time.  Since The Reading Lesson COMBINES phonics with sight words (which I love), I feel like my daughters are truly learning how to read and decipher words for themselves; they are not simply memorizing words, except for articles, irregularly spelled words, etc. Each lesson provides lots of review opportunities, as well as cute illustrations which my twins love to color after our lesson is completed.  Now that we are a little further into the book, I adapted our lessons to include guided reading activities and writing activities using the Writing Lesson CD.  Since Montcastle Company offers so many other products to supplement The Reading Program book, the possibilities are endless.  With a little creativity , this program will be able to grow with my two daughters for many years.

The Reading Lesson is absolutely one of the best investments that I've made in my children's education.  At age four and a half, they are able to sound out small words and read some leveled readers, but more importantly we are having fun as a family.  This is our special time together, and we treasure it.  The girls actually ASK for their reading lesson every day and are so disappointed  on days when we are forced to miss it.  They eagerly show everyone what the are learning and even use our manual to "teach" their stuffed animals how to read.  Wathching my daughters have fun with learning and knowing that I'm instilling a love of reading in them at the same time is priceless.
3338696
I have used this book with my oldest son who is now in first grade.  His teacher has informed us that he is the strongest reader in his class, and that he is reading on a 2nd grade level.  I am working with my 5 year old son now, who will be in kindergarten next year.  It is amazing how this program works, he is reading and trying to sound out every word he sees.  He does very well with each lesson.  I am glad I discovered this book, I feel I gave my first son a good foundation for his reading skills.  I cannot imagine how he would be reading if he was only taught through the school.
2570728
Debbie Goodman has created a motivating way for intermediate students to discover reading processes.  Debbie, the daughter of Ken and Yetta Goodman, has written several well designed activities to help students do detective  work to discover how our brains work when we read.  As an intermediate  reading specialist, I have used this book with fourth grade struggling  readers and their teachers.  The lessons teach themselves by allowing  students to discover, discuss, and confirm.  These activities have helped  teachers to learn about cue systems and strategies as well as their  students.
3553391
Its rare that I give anything a five star review anymore but Im pleased to say that this book is fantastic. I have a 4.5 year old whos arguably a fast learner, even so, after exactly 1 month of using this book we just wrapped up lesson 10 and he still loves practicing every day! Done at 1/3 the speed youd still finish the book in a very acceptable 6 months. This teaches not only reading, but grammar, word definition, and speech all at the same time. The biggest stumbling block can be the pronouncing of certain sounds like TH. You need to practice patiently and may want to look ahead a few chapters to make sure your child can make the needed letter sounds. This way you have some time to practice and try a few techniques before its needed in the lessons to help prevent discouragement. Nicely done and what a benefit to my sons learning this book has been! Quite possibly the best 20-some bucks youll ever spend on education.