Chris Tovani rocks

Wow..... from the very get go on this book, it was as though Tovani had taken a look at my life and struggles I had when I was a young reader. Her insight to reading difficulties and ideas to work around them were fantastic. I loved the way that she interacted with the kids in her class and answered their fears and apprehensions regarding not only reading but what to expect in her class. Gaining knowledge from her students and how they had survived up till this point in their education allowed her to directly address each one and discuss a technique that might work for them as they progressed. Even when she met opposition from students, it didn't deter her or set her back, instead it provided more focus and how she would work with this student to overcome the barriers that had been placed in front of them. One of my favorite quotes from the book has to be "Too many bright kids are wasting time sitting in back of the classroom expecting to be filled with knowledge. It's time to pull the plug on this type of behavior and begin teaching adolescents of all ages and reading abilities how to understand what they read so they can begin constructing meaning on their own." There are so many tools out there to help kids to day and there is no excuse for teachers to just let students slide by and fake read their way through school and life.