The science of reading has been a hot topic among elementary teachers for years, but if you teach middle school, you may have wondered if it applies to you at all. It definitely does!
While a lot of the chatter about the science of reading movement may have initially focused on phonics, which is typically taught in the early elementary years, there is a lot of research about how reading comprehension develops!
There is also no shortage of books out there that discuss the many topics covered by the science of reading. I’ve rounded up the science of reading books for middle school that I found most helpful when I was working on my master’s in literacy education! From vocabulary to writing and reading comprehension in general, these books will provide an excellent foundation for anyone who wants to improve their middle school literacy instruction.
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The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading
This book is the perfect overview for understanding everything that goes into comprehending a text and how we can help our students become stronger readers. I really love that it discusses the role that fluency plays in reading comprehension! You will develop a better understanding of the components that are involved in reading comprehension, including vocabulary and background knowledge. In addition, this book provides plenty of examples of what this looks like in real classrooms! If you can only read one book about the science of reading in middle school, this would be my pick!
Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction
This is one of the most important books ever written about vocabulary instruction, and if you have ever spent time in a reading methods course or participated in reading professional development, then you are likely familiar with some of the ideas discussed in it! This book discusses the three-tier framework (I bet you’ve heard of Tier 2 words!) as a way of identifying and prioritizing which words to teach. The book also discusses the best practices for vocabulary instruction, which include the importance of student-friendly definitions and multiple exposures to a word.
Patterns of Power: Inviting Adolescent Writers into the Conventions of Language, Grades 6–8
Teaching grammar can feel overwhelming because there is so much for students to learn, and it is not always an engaging task. This book provides students with authentic examples from real books and invites students to analyze the writing and its effect before they are ever asked to come up with their own examples. This book is full of meaningful lessons you can use in your classroom with very little prep on your part!
The Writing Revolution 2.0
Teaching writing in middle school was one of the hardest things that I had to do as a teacher because my students had so many gaps! It often felt overwhelming and, at times, impossible. This book makes writing instruction more manageable by starting at the sentence level. It provides a lot of examples of what sentence-level writing instruction can look like in all subject-area classes. The lessons become increasingly complex and allow students to produce more sophisticated pieces of writing. If you are looking for ways to improve your writing instruction, this book is a great place to start!
Honorable Mention: Reading Above the Fray
This book is an easy read that really helps middle school teachers understand how foundational word-reading skills develop. If you know that phonics is important, but don’t really understand why that is the case, then I suggest grabbing this book!
The science of reading is important for middle school teachers, and understanding the research behind how students develop literacy skills can help teachers make better instructional decisions. Whether you’re looking to improve your vocabulary instruction, strengthen students’ writing skills, or better understand reading comprehension, these books are a great place to start!
