Leaving Johnny Behind: Overcoming Barriers to Literacy and Reclaiming At-Risk Readers

by Anthony Pedriana, Reid Lyon (Foreword by)

Overview

In the tradition of Why Johnny Can't Read written by Rudolph Flesch in the 1950s, Leaving Johnny Behind provides a comprehensive examination of the barriers that deny children adequate literacy training. This book describes the obstacles faced by a school principal from Milwaukee's central city when he attempted to implement research-based reading practices. Upon further examination, he discovered that the reading establishment generally rejects the product of legitimate science, choosing instead to engage in a never-ending interfusion of the latest innovations, modifications, and gimmicks. This condition, Anthony Pedriana observes, has a disparate impact on poor and minorities, those who suffer from dyslexia and other forms of reading disability, and those for whom English is a second language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607099130
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	10/16/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	202
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Anthony Pedriana spent thirty-five years as a teacher and administrator in Milwaukee's central city. Since retiring in 2005, he has meticulously researched the discrepancies between reading ideology and reading science.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Foreword
Chapter 2 Message from the Author
Chapter 3 Prologue
Chapter 4 A Failure to Communicate
Chapter 5 Gayle Force
Chapter 6 Soporific Effluvium
Chapter 7 Preponderance of the Evidence
Chapter 8 The Weak Arm of the Law
Chapter 9 So Shall We Reap
Chapter 10 The Unkindest Cut of All
Chapter 11 The Three Rs: Reform, Reform, Reform
Chapter 12 Teaching to Mastery
Chapter 13 Through Johnny's Eyes
Chapter 14 Rescuing Johnny
Chapter 15 Epilogue

What People are Saying About This

Janie Hatton

Anthony Pedriana has exposed a raw nerve. He has taken the educational world to task for its willingness to ignore scientific principles and thus create tragic patterns of school failure that will haunt children throughout their lives. This book is a must-read for teachers and those who must prepare them for the harsh realities of the classroom.

Cecile Guin

In Leaving Johnny Behind, Anthony Pedriana confronts the issue of how low literacy and academic failure create pathways to violent crime. It is a compelling narrative of a fictional Johnny, but a realistic portrayal nonetheless. This book should be on every teacher's reading list.

Patrick R. Riccards

Leaving Johnny Behind serves as a clarion call for the next generation of reading instruction and literacy skill development. Anthony Pedriana provides a clear view of the most effective approaches to reading instruction and how we can provide teachers the training and support necessary to transform virtually every child into a strong and confident reader. If we are to make long-term improvements to our schools, we need to start with Leaving Johnny Behind.

Editorial Reviews

Leaving Johnny Behind serves as a clarion call for the next generation of reading instruction and literacy skill development. Anthony Pedriana provides a clear view of the most effective approaches to reading instruction and how we can provide teachers the training and support necessary to transform virtually every child into a strong and confident reader. If we are to make long-term improvements to our schools, we need to start with Leaving Johnny Behind.

Patrick R. Riccards

Anthony Pedriana has exposed a raw nerve. He has taken the educational world to task for its willingness to ignore scientific principles and thus create tragic patterns of school failure that will haunt children throughout their lives. This book is a must-read for teachers and those who must prepare them for the harsh realities of the classroom.

Janie Hatton

In Leaving Johnny Behind, Anthony Pedriana confronts the issue of how low literacy and academic failure create pathways to violent crime. It is a compelling narrative of a fictional Johnny, but a realistic portrayal nonetheless. This book should be on every teacher's reading list.

Cecile Guin