The Principal′s Guide to Raising Reading Achievement - Paperback

by Elaine K. McEwan-Adkins (Author)

"I found the Principal′s Guide to Raising Reading Achievement to be an excellent source of information for any elementary school principal who is concerned about the level of reading achievement in his/her school. The book contains not only an excellent and balanced discussion of some of the major controversies in the area of reading instruction, but also shows how these controversies should not be a stumbling block to providing a balanced, comprehensive instructional program for children."
Joseph Torgesen, Professor of Psychology
Florida State University

Now you can plan and set the tone for making sure reading levels go up in your school. McEwan offers common-sense ways to change the way your students learn to read.

The author states three important goals:

• Realize and use the power you have to create a "school of readers"
• Keep up with the available research on how to teach reading more effectively so that you and your teachers can decide what methods will work best for your students
• Learn and use the eight key components included in this book to raise student reading achievement

The author begins by explaining why your students can′t read as well as they should. She shows you changes you can make right away to start raising your students′ reading levels. McEwan summarizes the debate between phonics and whole language and helps you understand how a balanced approach can work for your students.

Find out what you need to boost reading scores at your school. The book shows you:

• The eight big ideas essential to improving your students′ reading
• What your students need to know about reading and learning
• Thirty-plus things you can do tomorrow to raise reading achievement
• Teaching-reading-related web sites you can visit to get more help for your students
• A recommended reading list to help you start your program

McEwan offers you the kind of practical guidance you need to start a productive reading improvement program in your school. She shows you the best ways to get buy-in from your teachers and how to build their enthusiasm and continued support. You′ll learn how you can involve your students′ families along with the greater community and begin to work toward your crucial shared goal of boosting students′ reading levels.

If you want to make a significant difference in your students′ reading abilities and scores and help them learn to like reading, this book can point the way.

Author Biography

Elaine K. McEwan is an educational consultant with The McEwan-Adkins Group, offering professional development for educators to assist them in meeting the challenges of literacy learning in Grades Pre K-6. A former teacher, librarian, principal, and assistant superintendent for instruction in several suburban Chicago school districts, Elaine is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than three dozen books for educators. Her Corwin Press titles include Raising Reading Achievement in Middle and High Schools: Five Simple-to-Follow Strategies for Principals, Second Edition (2006), Seven Strategies of Highly Effective Readers: Using Cognitive Research to Boost K-8 Achievement (2004), Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals: From Good to Great Performance (2003), Making Sense of Research: What's Good, What's Not, and How to Tell the Difference (2003), Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership, Second Edition (2003), Teach Them ALL to Read: Catching the Kids Who Fall through the Cracks (2002), and Ten Traits of Highly Effective Teachers: How to Hire, Mentor, and Coach Successful Teachers (2001).

McEwan was honored by the Illinois Principals Association as an outstanding instructional leader, by the Illinois State Board of Education with an Award of Excellence in the Those Who Excel Program, and by the National Association of Elementary School Principals as the National Distinguished Principal from Illinois for 1991. She received her undergraduate degree in education from Wheaton College and advanced degrees in library science (MA) and educational administration (EdD) from Northern Illinois University.