Reading Recovery Books

This is hands down a brilliant commentary. I must begin by saying that I disagree with Marshall's rejection of Paul's authorship of the Pastorals. Despite that, he does an absolutely tremendous job and goes to a level of depth that is riveting, not boring. His treatment of the tough "women" passages in 1 Timothy 2 is brilliant. Those on all sides of that issue will have something to cheer about yet something to scratch their heads about and feel the need to rethink their positions. His exegesis gives such a fresh back-to-the-original-setting approach that our later encrusted, culturally-based views on such passages seem rather simplistic by comparison.

The number of in-depth, serious scholarly treatments of the Pastorals is dizzying: Towner's NIC, Johnson's new AB, Quinn & Wacker's ECC, Mounce's WBC, Collin's NTC, Knight's NIGTC and Marshall's ICC (not to mention the forthcoming Pillar and Baker Exegetical volumes). Few NT books can boast such a line-up of high quality commentaries. Marshall's ICC certainly holds it's own in this group, and may well be the best. I've used all of these but Knight and Towner. By the way, Towner was virtually Marshall's co-author on this ICC despite their differing opinions on authorship. I highly recommend this book.

The pastorals have been often overlooked. Finally a superb technical commentary from an evangelical. Some will quibble with major and minor points (though clearly evangelical, he denies Pauline authorship for starters), there is so much that is illuminating in these pages. A real window into early christianity!

I. Howard Marshall has labored to produce a wonderful commentary worthy of inclusion in any pastor and theologian's library. Following suit with the other members of the ICC family, Marshall goes about his exegetical task of taking the Greek and bringing forth meaning in a practical and academic manner. The healthy bibliography allows the student, pastor, and theologian equal access to the mountain of works applicable to a particular passage.

Though Marshall denies Pauline authorship, his arguments, as aforementioned by a fellow reviewer, are not convincing (though exhaustive of the issues confronting authorship.) A rather remarkable approach, Marshall places Titus at the front of the commentary in a bold step to bring to the face a usually neglected book. The commentary is better for this practice.

Having used Knight, Mounce, Quinn and Wacker, Debellious and Counzelmann, and several other competent commentaries in a exegesis course on the Pastoral Epistles, Marhsall's commentary was a steadfast primary resource in my studies. Though the pastor not educated in languages will not be able to follow this commentary easily, the educated clergy will find it invaluable in their pursuits of exegesis and exposition from the PE. Marshall has given us a staple for NT scholarship.

This is a wonderful book filled with lots of different prayers. Enough variety that you can find anything you are looking for.

For those who have problems praying and those who don't: this book is full of prayers, all spiritual in nature, from a variety of sources. You will certainly find a few favorites in here; I did. All short and sweet. A great collection. See vol. 1 for more of same.....

This book is designed for use with an observation survey determining a child's reading readiness and his/her concepts about print. Some pages have the words in strange order, some pages are upside-down, and so on, although superficially it looks like a "normal" book. It is illustrated and has big type, the illustrations facing the type pages. In line with the California Reading Initiative and the assembly bills requiring informed diagnosis of children's reading readiness and progress, and multiple assessments thereof, this is a valuable diagnostic tool for children entering school, to be used with the test script on page 47-48 of Marie Clay's An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement.

This book is designed for use with an observation survey determining a child's reading readiness and his/her concepts about print. Some pages have the words in strange order, some pages are upside-down, and so on, although superficially it looks like a "normal" book. It is illustrated and has big type, the illustrations facing the type pages. In line with the California Reading Initiative and the assembly bills requiring informed diagnosis of children's reading readiness and progress, and multiple assessments thereof, this is a valuable diagnostic tool for children entering school, to be used with the test script on page 47-48 of Marie Clay's An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement.

4/25/2008.
"The purpose of this book is to recover the gospel as storytelling. The only way to start an exploration of the gospel as storytelling is to learn to tell stories." So this theme begins and ends Dr. Thomas E. Boomershine's invaluable "Story Journey: Faith and Imagination--An Invitation to the Gospel as Storytelling" (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1988, 221 pp., hidden until page 17, then 203, 205, et al) Storytelling is "a source of renewal and new life. . . when you are in stress, pain, or crisis." (21, 68, 195) Storytelling thus reversed the nearing-death of Broadway Methodist Church in Chicago, Illinois. (195f.) And storytelling, especially life-stories, expresses all of the emotions of teller and hearers. Bible Storytelling claims to fill the gaps of people's life-storytelling.
Author Dr. Thomas E. Boomershine is a well-known Professor of New Testament at Methodist United Theological Seminary near Dayton, Ohio and the original founder of the worldwide Network of Biblical Storytellers [...]. His book arose from his own trauma and healing (15, 67-68).
Every Biblical Scripture has a story behind it. (15f., 19) Boomershine's book attempts to organize the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth one chapter per selected event, from which to describe processes of Biblical Storytelling. Each chapter's structure and style follows a.) Learning the Story, b.) Listening to the Story, c.) Connections, and d.) Telling the Story, loosely constructed with various illustrative experiences. Each chapter includes instructions of how to progress building dramatic expressions and scripts from its Biblical event.
Techniques explored include developing memory (13, et al), tradition (16), emotions (19 throughout 206, many references), selecting themes (24, 27, 74, 205), improvisation (30, 31, 38), body language (45, 47, 57, 85, 207), connecting with today's events personal and newsworthy (16, 51, 103-105, et al), historic-geographical context (20), and more.
"Story Journey" mentions learning to tell a story ". . . without fear," unless, of course, fear is part of the story itself (23). In the book's Appendix, the five "W's"--Who, When, Where, What, Why--and "How" of journalistic reporting are absent or confused (206). With slow patience and repetition many can learn from its many instructions which otherwise would seem perhaps no more than a small group of professional dramatists could accumulate and master. Skills must not preempt authenticity.
My own perceptual preference is to look at Biblical events and stories, particularly the New Testament, as from "eyewitnesses" and also "ear-witnesses." "For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20; 22:15; Luke 1:2; Hebrews 2:3; 1 John 1:1, 3. See "Story Journey" 47, 163.) And Biblical Storytelling, for myself at least, reaches its highest effectiveness when told from "as if" an "eyewitness." (See "Knowing Feeling" Donald Nathanson, editor. New York: Norton, 1996, 307-308 by Miller James and David Read Johnson.) This arouses all of people's emotions. This connects the emotions in the text of the Biblical event and the emotions of the speaker and so hearers, instead of drama manufactured for drama's sake itself. This brings the positive out of the negative--a major Biblical theme--from the various storytellers' own personal emotional styles authentically, as the book mentions (18, 36, 99, 196).
The meaning of "witness" creates a problem. To some it means actually seeing and hearing the event itself. For others it means simply testifying an academic recitation about the event. Added to this are the methods of transmission through the years. "Only later did the gospel become associated with books. When the stories were recorded in the Gospels, they were written down so that they could be read aloud and relearned," as in Western tradition, and for future generations. (17, 20) Yet "eyewitnessing" and such storytelling stands out and breeds ". . . a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) It is essential to the text.
At the annual conference of the American Dance Therapy Association in the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, New York City, Saturday afternoon, September 29, 2007, I attended the workshop on storytelling through body movement and music. The workshop leader described a story's plot as: a.) "Once upon a time . . .," b.) "And then one day . . .," and c.) "And so . . . ." It was a lively workshop. Dance choreography often observes people's body movements in their everyday activities in order to abstract their essence and shape new dances. Much of Bible Storytelling today, has completed the abstraction phase but stopped there. Yet "Until you have experienced the stories as stories, all arguments about the meaningfulness of 'telling' the stories will be more or less meaningless abstractions." (17)
Generous rewards await church members and officers practicing this book's Bible Storytelling exercises. We are deeply indebted to Dr. Boomershine for his invaluable special resource for Bible Storytelling whose vibrant life and emotions flow from the origin-time of the event through printed page and voice into our hearts today.
The final chapter, on Resurrection, describes storytelling as reversing negative crisis to positive options and celebration. "The plot of the entire Gospel here reaches its conclusion. The prophesies of Jesus are being fulfilled. The resurrection confirms Jesus' status as both a true prophet and Messiah. The earlier signs of defeat in his passion and death are now transformed into signs of victory. The expectation of condemnation for the disciples and Peter is now changed into the promise of reconciliation. The place of grief in the tomb is now a place of joy." (185) by Rev. Dr. Charles G. Yopst, Chicago.

This is an amazingly important book for all who want to engage the bible as a living word and want to help others to share that encounter. Boomershine describes a practical method for learning to tell biblical texts by heart in a way that is painless and profoundly spiritual. The book guides us through several gospel texts modelling a method of biblical scholarship that could radically reform the academy, the church, and the world.

This is a really useful book for anyone who has to take funerals - secular or religious. Appropriate readings for all sorts of situations - good to have on the shelf

This book is designed for use with an observation survey determining a child's reading readiness and his/her concepts about print. Some pages have the words in strange order, some pages are upside-down, and so on, although superficially it looks like a "normal" book. It is illustrated and has big type, the illustrations facing the type pages. In line with the California Reading Initiative and the assembly bills requiring informed diagnosis of children's reading readiness and progress, and multiple assessments thereof, this is a valuable diagnostic tool for children entering school, to be used with the test script on page 47-48 of Marie Clay's An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement.

At times hysterically funny and at other times tremendously sad. I found pieces of myself throughout the book and could relate on a lot of levels. great story

Dry is funny, in the spirit of Magical Thinking with a darker twist that's more reminiscent of Wolf at the Table. It's a book about getting sober, but--as is often the case with Augusten Burroughs--it's also much more than that. Entertaining start to finish and if you like Augusten Burroughs, you'll likely read this book in just a few sittings. It made a plane ride go by VERY quickly for me.

I know that "Running with Scissors" is the Burroughs memoir that everyone is supposed to read first, but "Dry" was my introduction to the author. I enjoyed this book very much, and find his writing-style very easy to follow. His ability with dialogue is great, and I found myself caring about characters I orginially dismissed as nothings.

The book is very enjoyable, and it will do strange things to you. I, personally, found myself craving a tall glass of scotch when reading Burroughs describe his love of drinking. Then, I found myself wanting to NEVER drink again when reading his description of his addiction and the aftermath of it all, from blackouts to burned bridges.

It's a really enjoyable read, and it has one of the most touching endings I've read in a long time. I recommend it.

Augusten Burroughs never ceases to amaze. This is by far my favorite book of his. The writing is terrific, the story is captivating. I couldn't put it down. The characters are so real, and even if alcohol isn't you thing, you can identify something in your life that has taken over and relate.

One of my favorite lines comes from a passage where he is describing an ex boyfriend of his. He says,

"He's like this incredibly beautiful Van Gogh painting with slashes all through it. True, it's a Van Gogh. But look at those slashes."

That line made me identify with someone in my own life and helped me realize that sometimes we have to let people go because no matter how much we love them, we cannot make them whole. It actually helped me set aside someone I had been unable to leave behind.

This book is a terrific read. Go out and pick it up. Don't get it from the library- bo buy it. You'll end up buying it anyway.

I read Running with Scissors and found it shocking, almost embarrassing and worried that people would be reading over my shoulder on the metro. But it was great and left me feeling shocked that someone could be raised that way and still turn out relatively normal. Dry was extremely witty, scary, sad, exciting, anger provoking, thought provoking, startling, comforting, and truly enjoyable to read. I found myself impatient for my subway ride home and not caring who might be reading over my shoulder. At the end of the read I decided to go purchase the rest of Augusten's memoirs because I just love his brand of humor and wit and sense of irony and sarcasm. He's, umm, dare I say it, addicting.

I spent 14 years in education. I witnessed whole language (a strange program which was terribly implemented). The current educational fad is pure phonics (yes, a fad). Research shows that 80% of children will learn to read in spite of the method they are taught. Reading Recovery was designed as a one-on-one program for the remaining 20%. Reading Recovery depends on very strict implementation and very strict adherence to the methods presented in this book. "Reader" from NY states this is "whole language by another name". Far from it. Reading Recovery uses many proven methodologies (some phonics included); but its main emphasis is on teaching students to derive meaning from text and to build a reading system that is "self-extending"--they learn to check for meaning, word structure, etc. My wife is a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader--I watch the growth of her students and see the amazement on their teachers' faces. The book alone is a fantastic resource; however, to be truly effective a teacher should receive Reading Recovery training. As I said earlier, effective implementation of the program depends on strict adherence to Reading Recovery methodologies. Proper teacher training is critical to the success of this program.

The work of Marie Clay, as described in this book, and then the implementation of the concepts and methodology with those young students who are confused and befuddled as they begin the literacy process, has changed the lives of many of today's students and their families. One only has to look into the eyes of a Reading Recovery student who is on her way to becoming an independent reader to understand the power behind the program. Wonders of wonders as a young child holds a book in her hands and confidently reads! All of education needs more researchers like Marie Clay who look at what children can do and then design programs to help those children become highly proficient readers and writers.

I also must compliment those educators, both internationally and nationally who have taken Marie Clay's work forward in the Reading Recovery Institutes around the world and then right into our classrooms.

If you have doubts about this program contact a school district near you where Reading Recovery has been implemented. Ask to speak to students, teachers and parents.

Bravo!

I bought this book to familiarize myself with the Reading Recovery program. It opened my eyes to several things I have been doing when helping my child read which actually hinder a child's ability to decode words by themselves. Too much focus on the mechanics of reading and the letters in a word can contribute to problems when the child moves beyond the most basic reading skills.

Marie's book offers many excellent suggestions for working with a child. Her suggestions help a child grow in their reading without getting in their way. The lists of activities and skills to be acquired are helpful. We have seen tremendous progress in our child's ability to read independently since implementing the reading recovery program.

I think every parent who has a child struggling with reading could learn something from this book. I also think it would make excellent reading for any educator interested in helping their students read better.

A frightening look into the way children who can't teach themselves to read by being exposed to print, in the whole-language classroom, are remediated.With this method it is claimed you don't even have to know letters or their associated sounds to be able to read.Whole-Language was a horrible failure in California and its continuing implementation is likely to condem thousands of our children to marginal reading skills, if not total illiteracy.

Anyone one who has any doubts about the effectiveness of this method need only look at its' birthplace, New Zealand, to see how truly effective it is. Reading Recovery is a god-send for those children who need another "shot" at beginning literacy skills.

This book is written about an interesting topic, I think, that many people would be interested in, since, you know, half the population is female and has a father. No matter what the person's relationship to their father, be it good or bad, I think this book is insightful, because even in a good relationship, there are shadows and undercurrents and spoken or unspoken negotiations. I think this book is particularly interesting right now, as well, as the culture of the United States seems to have returned to a male oriented, and non-reflective perspective, and seems to have some sort of amnesia that at other times, people were at least trying to listen to "female" perspectives as well, and that these perspectives had credibility. Although this book is written from a sort of Jungian archetypal perspective, which can seem sort of limiting at times, at least it assures that there is or could be a female archetype for this relationship, and to me, there is such little information anyway that ever covered this topic, that it is helpful anyway. I want to keep it on my bookshelf until there is some kind of re-movement towards a more positive direction, politically, economically, and socially for women in the United States.

I am glad that i picked up this book second-hand. Although the author does reference several classic films and stories, these detailed descriptions of other, better works are the best part of the book. In addition, there is a strong subtext throughout the book of the author's narrow opinions about what a "feminine" woman should be like- artistic and creative only. One is left with the impression that she views any sort of logical, analytical nature in a woman as pathology, or at least unnatural. She offers little in the way of true description of maladaptive behavior patterns, preferring to refer the reader to fictional characters, and very little advice about dealing with those issues beyond offering more flowery passages. Basically, if you want to sit around and pet yourself about how cultured and wounded you are, go ahead and waste the money. If you want genuine help for genuine issues, look elsewhere.

So I picked this book up recently and had another one of my revelations about my life recently. Through the father and daughter wound chapters I realized that I had spent the last 15 years in a career that, while very successful for me, left me empty.

After reading some personally important chapters in this book, I finally decided to make some necessary changes in my life and have decided to explore the creative, literary, psychology driven side of my life that was previously kept for "down" time.....

Ladies...buy this book...you will not regret it...

I discovered this book after seeing it recommended in May Sarton's At Seventy. She admired Leonard's courage "in talking frankly about her relation to her father and combining her insights learned from patients (she is a psychotherapist) with her experience." Sarton said the book spoke to her with great force. The author uses fairy tales to make some of her points.
Many women suffer from overweight, depression, harmful relationships, drug or alcohol dependency, or anxiety. The author traces much of this to the wounded relationship with the father. Actions that harm the father/daughter relationship include the father's inability to show love, alcoholism, drug addiction, abuse, divorce, abandonment or absence.

This book approaches healing the father-daughter relationship in an academic manner. It is helpful for those who work with women damaged by dysfunctional relationships with their fathers, but its academic approach may leave abused daughters seeking comfort and solutions disatisfied. Women seeking to heal their souls from the pain inflicted by their relationship with their fathers would find more hope and concrete skills for healing by reading some of the powerful memoirs by women who have survived and transcended difficult childhoods particularly "It Stops with Me" by Charleen Touchette, "The Color Purple" by Alice Waters, and "Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You" by Sue William Silverman. Of the three, "It Stops with Me" is the most recent addition to the literature of healing from the father-daughter relationship, and the most hopeful. The Author's courage to leave her culture behind to escape her father and her determination to create a better family life for her children is inspirational. Readers will find that "It Stops with Me" is a catalyst that will give them the strength to tell their own stories and begin their healing.

I would recommend a subscription to "the Magnificat" or "The Word Amoung Us". Another option is the "Office of Hours".

As stated in an earlier review, this is part of a set of mediations beginning with Ordinary Time, weeks 1-9,10-22, Advent/Christmas, Lent/Easter.

A wonderful addition to your reflective library!