UW’s Robertson Co-Writes Book on Engaging Student Readers

University of Wyoming College of Education Assistant Professor Dana Robertson has been recognized for his contribution to the field of literacy.

Robertson, the executive director of the Literacy Research Center and Clinic in the College of Education, co-wrote “Engaging Readers: Supporting All Students in Knowledge-Driven Reading, Grades 4-8.” The book was published by Rowan and Littlefield, and co-written with Evelyn Ford-Connors and Susan Dougherty.

The book examines current research on instructional principles and actions related to engaged reading. It shows how teachers can translate the research into evidence-based actions that promote productive instructional contexts and focus students’ use of literacy in acquiring knowledge.

The authors integrate descriptions of principles and actions with concrete examples of classroom instruction and thematic teaching across disciplinary contexts. They demonstrate how teachers might mediate students’ reading of complex texts. The authors describe the complexities of teaching reading in the upper elementary and middle grades.

“This text offers instructional ideas that promote learning for new and novice teachers and more experienced teachers alike, and it should be a must read in teacher education classes and for in-service teachers,” says Diane Lapp, a distinguished professor of education at San Diego State University.

As the Literacy Research Center and Clinic’s executive director, Robertson oversees the state-of-the-art facility in the College of Education Annex that supports literacy initiatives across the state.