Handbook on the Science of Literacy in Grades 3-8

by Neuman, Susan B.; Kuhn, Melanie R.

• ISBN13: 9781462558018
• ISBN10: 1462558011
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781462558025
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2025-08-18
• Publisher: The Guilford Press
• More Book Details

Summary

From foremost authorities, this needed work demonstrates the importance of a science of literacy perspective for teaching and learning beyond the primary grades. Contributors present cutting-edge research on reading and writing development in grades 3–8 and review evidence-based classroom practices and professional learning frameworks. The Handbook explores how to support upper elementary and middle grades learners in improving morphological knowledge and vocabulary, understanding text complexity, and building comprehension. It describes effective ways to meet the instructional needs of struggling readers and writers, including multilingual students and those with learning disabilities. Timely topics include multi-tiered systems of support, student motivation and engagement, adaptive teaching, digital and multimodal literacies, and culturally responsive and sustaining practices. 

Author Biography

Susan B. Neuman, EdD, is Professor of Teaching and Learning at New York University. Previously, she was Professor at the University of Michigan and served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, in which role she established the Early Reading First program and the Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program and was responsible for all activities in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Dr. Neuman has served on the boards of directors of the International Literacy Association and numerous other nonprofit organizations, and as coeditor of Reading Research Quarterly. She has received two lifetime achievement awards for research in literacy development and is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame and a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. She has published over 100 articles and numerous books.

Melanie R. Kuhn, PhD, is Professor and Jean Adamson Stanley Faculty Chair in Literacy at the Purdue University College of Education. Her primary focus has been on reading fluency and how best to support its development. In addition, her research interests include literacy instruction for struggling readers and comprehension and vocabulary development. Dr. Kuhn’s instructional experience includes clinic work, directing reading interventions, and teaching in the Boston Public Schools. She served as a member of the Literacy Research Panel for the International Literacy Association and as a board member for the Literacy Research Association. Dr. Kuhn has written or edited several books, along with numerous journal articles and book chapters. She moderates the website thereadingforum.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword, Sharon Vaughn
Introduction, Melanie R. Kuhn & Susan B. Neuman
I. What Does the Research Say about Language and Vocabulary?
1. Raising the Bar: Supporting Teachers in Engaging Students in Rigorous Argumentation, Alina Reznitskaya, Ian Wilkinson, & Maughn Gregory
2. Multisyllabic Word-Reading Instruction in the Intermediate Grades, Jessica R. Toste & Brennan Chandler
3. The Science of Reading: Morphology Matters, Amanda Goodwin
4. Critical and Developmental Perspectives in Multilingual Literacy and Curriculum, Patrick Proctor
5. The Language of Learning: Academic Vocabulary Development and Comprehension, Joshua Lawrence, Rebecca Knoph, & Åste Hagen 
II. What Does the Research Say about Text Complexity and Comprehension?
6. Supporting Reading Comprehension in the Upper Elementary Grades, Kristen McMaster & Panayiota Kendeou
7. Complicating the Simple View of Reading, Gina Biancarosa
8. What Is Text Complexity and How Does It Affect Literacy Learning?, Steve Amendum & Kristin Conradi Smith
9. Readers’ Motivation and Engagement in the Science of Literacy, Ana Taboada Barber & Xiaoli Gong
10. The Role of Knowledge in Text Comprehension, Gina Cervetti & Tanya Wright
III. What Does the Research Say about Supporting Struggling Readers?
11. Addressing Reading Achievement during Summer Vacation, Joanna Christodoulou & Anya Maloney
12. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Improving Literacy Outcomes for Students in Grades 3−8, Devin M. Kearns, Nina Bayer, Melissa Stalega, & Meaghan McKenna
13. The Need for Schoolwide Literacy Models, Jade Wexler, Deborah Reed, & Karen Omohundro
14. Adaptive Teaching: A Critical Tool to Support Readers, Margaret Vaughn
15. Reading Fluency for Struggling Readers in the Upper Elementary Grades, Melanie R. Kuhn
IV. What Does the Research Say about Writing Instruction?
16. Changing Writing Instruction in the Middle Grades, Steve Graham
17. Effective Writing Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities in Grades 3–8, Steven Ciullo & Alyson Collins
18. A Cognitive Strategies Approach to Teaching Text-Based Argument Writing to English Learners, Carol Booth Olson, Undraa Maamuujar, & Huy Chung
19. Expansive Literacies for Middle Grade Learners, Jill Castek, Megan Goss, & Aniqa Shah
V. Teacher Knowledge and Professional Development
20. Toward a Science of Professional Learning for Teachers of Grade 3–8, Sharon Walpole & John Z. Strong
21. Discourse, Positioning, and Agency: A Relational Perspective on Literacy Coaching in the Upper Elementary and Middle Grades, Dana Robertson & Jeanne R. Paratore
22. Upper Elementary Teachers’ Specialized Knowledge of the Components and Processes of Reading Comprehension, Dennis S. Davis
23. Black Futures Matter: Reimagining Science of Literacy Instruction for Black Students, Jennifer Turner &Simone Gibson
24. Beyond Words: Multimodal and Digital Literacies, Culture, and Identity in Learners’ Lives, Cheryl McLean
Author Index
Subject Index