The Literacy Cookbook: A Practical Guide to Effective Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening Instruction

Q&A with Author Sarah Tantillo

Q. How will this book help me address the Common Core Standards?

A. The materials in this book are aligned with the English Language Arts Common Core Standards and will definitely put your students on the path to college. The book focuses on all of the skills that the Common Core Standards emphasize--from reading comprehension and key critical reading skills to how reading and writing are connected. In addition, this book provides a one-time free 30-day trial subscription and 50 percent off annual membership to the companion Website which offers hundreds and hundreds of documents you can download instantly, including a K-12 ELA Common Core Standards Tracking Sheet, which lists each grade's standards in a separate spreadsheet and is particularly handy when writing or evaluating curriculum.

Q. Why did you write this book?

A. Like any other avid reader, I used to think I knew a lot about reading. But most of those times I was wrong. I went through countless years of schooling, but when I began teaching, I didn't know what to do with students who struggled to read. Through years of trial and error (and professional reading), I figured some things out, helped my students get into college, and developed ideas about What I Wish I'd Known. When I began consulting, I met lots of teachers who had the same questions I'd had, so I created a Website and wrote this book. This is the book I wish someone had handed me when I needed help with how to teach students how to read and write more effectively.

Q. I'm not an English teacher. Can you give me an example of how this book could help me?

A. Sure! Paraphrasing--putting things in your own words--is a key critical reading skill that students need in order to comprehend. If they can't paraphrase, they won't be able to solve math word problems, follow directions in a lab, or determine the main argument in a historical document. The good news is that you can teach them how to paraphrase. Here's the strategy:

1. CIRCLE or BRACKET the words or phrases that you cannot or don't want to change. These words/phrases are crucial to the meaning of the passage and should not be changed because doing so would change that meaning. These might include:
   • Proper nouns (unless they can be replaced by something that does not change their meaning, e.g. "Obama" -> "the President")
   • Statistics/specific information
   • Words that are unique or difficult to find a synonym for

   NOTE: Here's how to remember this approach: When we want to protect something, we wrap it in bubble wrap. So, we CIRCLE/WRAP the words we want to keep.

2. UNDERLINE the words or phrases that you know you can change, and then replace them. Remember, paraphrasing is not simplifying; it's putting things in your own words. We want students to use strong vocabulary when paraphrasing.

This is just one of many tips in The Literacy Cookbook that will help you strengthen your practice.