A group of expert educators have written a book to help improve reading skills in and out of the classroom. The book, A Practical Approach to Teaching Foundational Reading Skills in the Classroom and at Home is a collaborative effort by five professionals who have extensive experience in reading, literacy, and special education at local and state levels. Some are the founders of schools and creators of courses.
The project was led by best- selling author, award-winning educator, and publisher, Shanell Lee, Ed.S with the foreword and editing provided by Dr. Marquita S. Blades, an award-winning STEM educator, EmPOWARRment Specialist and manager of national STEM programs.
Other contributors include Daphne Grant Coleman, Ed. D. an Instructional Coach focused on reading and literacy, and Dr. Char-Shenda Covington, Ph.D, Ed. D, a principal in the third largest school district in Georgia, School Improvement Consultant and Literacy Trainer with the Southern Regional Education Board. Also contributing is Cynthia Logan. M.Ed., early childhood special education specialist, Mysha McClain, M.Ed. an educator, and advocate in the community, developing policies, leading teams, and training parents and teachers, as well as Dr. Elondra D. Napper, an award-winning, best-selling author and STREAMA (Science Technology Reading Engineering Arts, Music, Math and Agriculture) Consultant for Encouraging Champions Consulting Firm.
“Reading is fundamental and in order to understand instructions for other subjects, the foundation makes a difference,†says Lee. “As an educator, I have heard the concerns of parents who eagerly want to help their kids become better readers but some can’t connect to teachers with overcrowded classrooms and others would attempt to get the information on their own but they realized the products were written for those with an educational background and not in layman’s terms which further confused them. When they got inundated with educational jargon they didn’t understand, it became impossible to apply.â€
Lee agrees that there is a problem in the USA as it pertains to basic reading skills, noting that according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, about a third of students are performing at a “proficient†level.
“Developing strong reading skills in students is one of the main goals of every early education program,†says Lee. “I believe every educator and parent wants to support that effort. This book is for every parent of a home school, hybrid, virtual or traditional student, pre-service teachers, and classroom teacher who have a vested interest in the academic growth of students and recognize the importance of developing their foundational reading skills.â€
Lee hopes that with the new knowledge readers of the book will gain, they can immediately implement the strategies with their students and children. She says the goal is for them to have a positive impact on the students’ academic achievement and foster their love for reading.
A Practical Approach to Teaching Foundational Reading Skills is available on Amazon.com and for bulk orders visit Fleri Publishing, Inc website at www.fleribookpublishing.com.
-Arthia Nixon
