Reading Instruction Books

While I know the book from previous reading I am commenting on the quality of the paper and print. This is disappointing and I think you should contact your publishers. This is not the quality of paper for a book to keep. I would willingly pay a little extra for a better quality
Thank you Paula King

David K. Wyatt's book is a historian's interpretation of the murals of Wat Phumin, a temple in northern Thailand. Despite its rather misleading title, this book is neither an introduction nor a guide to reading Thai temple murals; nor is it art history or criticism. Written in plain language that is essentially jargon-free, this slim volume of 80 pages is quite accessible and reflects Wyatt's view that the Wat Phumin murals can be "read" as evidence of the past.

The overall purpose of temple murals, of course, is to teach. Wat Phumin's murals were commissioned by the King of Nan at the end of the 19th century, not long after the Siamese king ceded half of Nan, then a vassal state of Siam (now Thailand), to the French. There are no written records of what the King of Nan must have thought or felt about the loss of his territory. Wyatt conjectures that the murals of Wat Phumin were a political and social commentary of contemporary events as re-told in scenes from the Buddhist tale of Gaddhana. Because it would have been impolitic to openly criticize the Siamese king, the murals depict the story of Gaddhana, a boy who goes in search of his father, the god Indra. "The message that viewers were reading off the walls," Wyatt concludes, "was from a cautionary tale of persistence through adversity, in a world suffused with evil in which virtue was rewarded eventually" (p. 21). Wyatt offers compelling evidence for historical commentary, revealing at different times slyness (the Gaddhana tale) and startling directness (the French depicted as copulating monkeys) in the parallels between story and history.

In contrast, some of the social commentary proves elusive, undoubtedly, because it is also cultural. There are some clever and even bawdy scenes that have been inserted in these religiously themed murals, which remind the reader/viewer that mural painting may have had more than teaching as its purpose; for example, the "shrouded man" which Wyatt interprets as a transvestite, and which may indicate social attitudes at the time. Examples such as this are references to local conditions, now forgotten. Though Wyatt attempts to avoid unfounded generalizations by providing examples and illustrations, the danger is in claiming to be able to "interpret" another culture's symbols. His book reminds us that ambiguities, both deliberate and accidental, are the result of time passing and cultural differences, and demonstrate the artist's ability to both reveal and coyly conceal a world and its politics.

This product is very nice for those people out there that want to learn the basics of music. This book is appropriate for just about any age level and even gives you practice pages for review! By far, one of the better music book that I have bought.

I am using this text for a graduate level class I am teaching about reading in the content area. It seems to be a very large overview of all of the issues facing secondary content area teachers.

Somehow, I managed to lay my hands on an used copy of this book, which I have found by chance on the net. It was written in the 1970s & based on some fourteen years' of teaching experience by the staff of Baldridge Reading & Study Skills Inc. In other words, its origins may go back to mid-1950s, but I note that the inside stuff are still very relevant in today's information-rich world.

Frankly, I am very impressed by the contents of this book. Prior to this, & in the light of my deep passion for reading & books, I have not seen a book on reading strategies so finely detailed & systematically organized.

The seven basic strategies (some of which are broken down into component techniques) in the book refer to:

- survey reading (as a pre-reading technique);
- speed reading (reading for specific information);
- phrase reading (reading for thematic ideas within paragraphs or sections);
- close reading (reading with annotations, focusing on summarizing & paraphrasing ideas);
- inquiry (questioning the author);
- critical reading (reading the lines, reading between the lines & reading beyond the lines);
- esthetic reading (for the enjoyment of literature);

with each strategy covered in a specific chapter. Since reading is a complex activity, & no single approach, not even the seven strategies, can meet the demands of all reading situations, the author has generously shared his expert tips on developing a reading approach, i.e. combining component techniques with basic strategies. This is obviously a marvelous idea.

In addition, there are seven supplementary chapters that touch on study skills (e.g. study scheduling, overcoming reading obstacles, test taking, research writing & vocabulary development). Also, suggestions for applying some of the reading strategies to several different academic disciplines (social sciences, physical sciences, languages, linguistics & humanities) are illustrated in the form of easy-to-read, quick-reference charts. For the college student, these are real gems. There are also practice exercises & a summary at the end of each chapter.

As part of vocabulary development, the book even lists out 1,000 words which every college student must know. Cool!

I get this funny feeling that many of the current speed reading books in the marketplace may have drawn their material, in some way, from this wonderful book.

Roney's book is written primarily as a college textbook or as a guide for adults who want to begin storytelling. Although it is not aimed at a juvenile audience, it is likely to be helpful to teachers and parents who are nurturing storytelling in children -- particularly if they want to use reading aloud as a springboard to storytelling. Roney devotes nearly half of the book to reading aloud effectively. Most chapters include sections on story selection, preparation, and delivery. Practice activities and resources are also included. Only one chapter (about twenty pages) focuses directly on the storytelling craft.

Did not have problems recieving product. Product in great condition for it being a used book.

This book gives you a great detail about how computers can be used in the classroom. The editor provides actual demonstrations that were done in class that used technology. This book is also geared to technology with literacy. I highly recommend this book for all teachers

This book is an excellent resource for anyone teaching reading. The worksheets can be utilized with any book though suggestions are given. The worksheets hit almost every important reading topic a 5th grader needs to know. Getting a different assignment than their neighbor has not been an issue for any of my students. This book allows each student in my class to get practice with the same topic but on their own academic level. I plan on ordering this book for writing as well!

I ordered this book for review to determine if we could use it in the 10 person French class that I'm in. After a quick review we decided that it would be a plus for our French reading.One of our group had two copies; I ordered three which I just received. Now I want to order five (5) more.It will serve as a valuable asset to our reading and understanding of French in general.