Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (Fountas & Pinnell Resources)

Authors Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell have already helped hundreds of thousands of K-3 teachers engage, inform, and inspire early readers and writers. Now, with Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6), Fountas and Pinnell support teachers on the next leg of the literacy journey, addressing the unique challenges of teaching upper elementary students.

The product of many years of work with classroom teachers, Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6) is one of the most comprehensive, authoritative guides available today. It explores all the essential components of a quality literacy program in six separate sections:

• Breakthrough to Literacy: Fountas and Pinnell present the basic structure of the language/literacy program within a breakthrough framework that encompasses the building of community through language, word study, reading, writing, and the visual arts. The framework plays out as three "blocks," which can be interpreted as conceptual units as well as segments of time within the school day. Specific information on how to structure a reading and writing workshop is provided. A practical chapter on organizing and managing the classroom will help you implement the principles in your own classroom.
• Independent Reading: It is essential for students to develop interests and tastes as readers, selecting books for themselves every day. Fountas and Pinnell devote four chapters to independent reading, exploring how to structure teaching, minilessons, conferences, groupshare, and ways to use response journals as part of a reading workshop.
• Guided Reading: The chapters in this section provide detailed information on planning for guided reading, dynamic grouping for effective teaching, and selecting, introducing, and using leveled texts. Fountas and Pinnell describe characteristics of texts related to difficulty and ways to organize texts in your classroom and school.
• Literature Study: This section of the book discusses how to make students’ experiences with literature as rich as possible. The authors offer specific suggestions for forming groups, guiding student choices, and establishing and teaching routines for literature discussion. A full chapter explores reader response and ways to help readers dig deep to uncover the meaning of texts.
• Teaching for Comprehension and Word Analysis: This detailed look at the reading process explores both oral and silent reading, processes and behaviors related to comprehension, and ways to help students construct meaning. Included are twelve systems for sustaining the reading process and expanding meaning, plus discussions of the important areas of phonics, spelling, and vocabulary.
• The Reading and Writing Connection: These chapters showcase the instructional contexts—poetry, writer’s notebooks, writer’s talks, genre, content literacy, and student research—that support students in connected reading and writing. An informative overview of the characteristics of fiction and nonfiction will help you teach students to read and write a variety of genre. What’s more, the authors suggest ways to help students learn the "genre" of testing and perform the kinds of reading and writing tasks that tests require. They also detail the continuous thoughtful assessment that guides all aspects of effective teaching.

A special feature appears at the end of each section, in which Fountas and Pinnell provide indispensable suggestions for working with struggling readers and writers.

Irene C. Fountas is the Marie M. Clay Endowed Chair for Early Literacy and Reading Recovery at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and director of the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative in the Graduate School of Education. She has been a classroom teacher, language arts specialist, and consultant in school districts across the nation and abroad. She is the recipient of the International Literacy Association's Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, and the Greater Boston Council and the International Reading Association's Celebrate Literacy Award. Currently, she works with administrators, coaches and teacher leaders in systemic school improvement. Fountas and Pinnell's transformative, collective and comprehensive literacy work includes a cohesive classroom literacy system for grades PreK - 6 (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom(tm)), an intervention system for grades K - 12 (Leveled Literacy Intervention), an assessment system (Benchmark Assessment System for grades K - 8 and Sistema de evaluacion de la lectura for grades K - 3), an extensive professional book base, and professional learning opportunities. Fountas and Pinnell continue to influence and inspire educators nationwide and abroad with resources and books such as: - The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Systems (2017, 2019, 2020) - The Reading Minilessons Books, Grades K - 6 (2017, 2019, 2020) - Spanish Reader's Notebooks (2019) - Reader's Notebooks - Sing a Song of Poetry (2018, 2019) - The Literacy Quick Guide (2018) - Words That Sing: Poetry Charts, Grades PreK - 2 (2018) - The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum (2017) - Continuo de la lectoescritura, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - Continuo de la lectoescritura totalmente en espanol, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide (2017) - Guided Reading: Responsive Teaching Across the Grades, Second Edition (2017) - Fountas & Pinnell SELECT Collections - LLI Choice Libraries - Fountas & Pinnell Reading Record Apps - Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Quick Guide, A Companion to Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Fiction (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Nonfiction, Poetry, and Test Taking (2012) - Literacy Beginnings (2011) - Prompting Guide, Part 1 for Oral Reading and Early Writing (2008) - Prompting Guide, Part 2 for Comprehension: Thinking, Talking, Writing (2011) - When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works (2009) - Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K - 8 (2006) - www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com - Leveled Books, K - 8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005) - Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996) - Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001) - Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K - 2 (2000) - Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998) - Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997) While all the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) books, resources, and systems are deeply rooted in teacher professional learning, Irene and Gay, in collaboration with Heinemann Professional Development, offer a range of options and opportunities for professional learning designed to further develop the craft of teaching and foster a climate of collegiality and community. Join the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Community at fountasandpinnell.com to connect with Gay and Irene and thousands of educators from around the world on one of the fastest-growing online literacy communities. Continue the conversation on Twitter @FountasPinnell, on Instagram @FountasPinnell, on Facebook @FountasandPinnell or by joining The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Learning Facebook Group.

Gay Su Pinnell is Professor Emerita in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University and a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. She has extensive experience in classroom teaching, field-based research, and in developing comprehensive literacy systems. She is the recipient of the International Literacy Association's Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, The Ohio State University Alumni Association's Medalist Award, the International Reading Association's Albert J. Harris Award for research in reading difficulties, the Ohio Governor's Award, the Charles A. Dana Foundation Award, The Eastern New Mexico University Hall of Honor, and a 2018 recipient of an honorary doctorate Lesley University for her contributions to literacy education. Fountas and Pinnell's transformative, collective and comprehensive literacy work includes a cohesive classroom literacy system for grades PreK - 6 (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom(tm)), an intervention system for grades K - 12 (Leveled Literacy Intervention), an assessment system (Benchmark Assessment System for grades K - 8 and Sistema de evaluacion de la lectura for grades K - 3), an extensive professional book base, and professional learning opportunities. Fountas and Pinnell continue to influence and inspire educators nationwide and abroad with resources and books such as: - The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Systems (2017, 2019, 2020) - The Reading Minilessons Books, Grades K - 6 (2017, 2019, 2020) - Spanish Reader's Notebooks (2019) - Reader's Notebooks - Sing a Song of Poetry (2018, 2019) - The Literacy Quick Guide (2018) - Words That Sing: Poetry Charts, Grades PreK - 2 (2018) - The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum (2017) - Continuo de la lectoescritura, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - Continuo de la lectoescritura totalmente en espanol, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide (2017) - Guided Reading: Responsive Teaching Across the Grades, Second Edition (2017) - Fountas & Pinnell SELECT Collections - LLI Choice Libraries - Fountas & Pinnell Reading Record Apps - Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Quick Guide, A Companion to Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Fiction (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Nonfiction, Poetry, and Test Taking (2012) - Literacy Beginnings (2011) - Prompting Guide, Part 1 for Oral Reading and Early Writing (2008) - Prompting Guide, Part 2 for Comprehension: Thinking, Talking, Writing (2011) - When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works (2009) - Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K - 8 (2006) - www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com - Leveled Books, K - 8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005) - Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996) - Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001) - Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K - 2 (2000) - Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998) - Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997) While all the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) books, resources, and systems are deeply rooted in teacher professional learning, Irene and Gay, in collaboration with Heinemann Professional Development, offer a range of options and opportunities for professional learning designed to further develop the craft of teaching and foster a climate of collegiality and community. Join the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Community at fountasandpinnell.com to connect with Gay and Irene and thousands of educators from around the world on one of the fastest-growing online literacy communities. Continue the conversation on Twitter @FountasPinnell, on Instagram @FountasPinnell, on Facebook @FountasandPinnell or by joining The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Learning Facebook Group.

Irene C. Fountas is the Marie M. Clay Endowed Chair for Early Literacy and Reading Recovery at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and director of the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative in the Graduate School of Education. She has been a classroom teacher, language arts specialist, and consultant in school districts across the nation and abroad. She is the recipient of the International Literacy Association's Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, and the Greater Boston Council and the International Reading Association's Celebrate Literacy Award. Currently, she works with administrators, coaches and teacher leaders in systemic school improvement. Fountas and Pinnell's transformative, collective and comprehensive literacy work includes a cohesive classroom literacy system for grades PreK - 6 (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom(tm)), an intervention system for grades K - 12 (Leveled Literacy Intervention), an assessment system (Benchmark Assessment System for grades K - 8 and Sistema de evaluacion de la lectura for grades K - 3), an extensive professional book base, and professional learning opportunities. Fountas and Pinnell continue to influence and inspire educators nationwide and abroad with resources and books such as: - The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Systems (2017, 2019, 2020) - The Reading Minilessons Books, Grades K - 6 (2017, 2019, 2020) - Spanish Reader's Notebooks (2019) - Reader's Notebooks - Sing a Song of Poetry (2018, 2019) - The Literacy Quick Guide (2018) - Words That Sing: Poetry Charts, Grades PreK - 2 (2018) - The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum (2017) - Continuo de la lectoescritura, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - Continuo de la lectoescritura totalmente en espanol, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide (2017) - Guided Reading: Responsive Teaching Across the Grades, Second Edition (2017) - Fountas & Pinnell SELECT Collections - LLI Choice Libraries - Fountas & Pinnell Reading Record Apps - Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Quick Guide, A Companion to Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Fiction (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Nonfiction, Poetry, and Test Taking (2012) - Literacy Beginnings (2011) - Prompting Guide, Part 1 for Oral Reading and Early Writing (2008) - Prompting Guide, Part 2 for Comprehension: Thinking, Talking, Writing (2011) - When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works (2009) - Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K - 8 (2006) - www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com - Leveled Books, K - 8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005) - Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996) - Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001) - Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K - 2 (2000) - Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998) - Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997) While all the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) books, resources, and systems are deeply rooted in teacher professional learning, Irene and Gay, in collaboration with Heinemann Professional Development, offer a range of options and opportunities for professional learning designed to further develop the craft of teaching and foster a climate of collegiality and community. Join the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Community to connect with Gay and Irene and thousands of educators from around the world on one of the fastest-growing online literacy communities. Continue the conversation on Twitter @FountasPinnell, on Instagram @FountasPinnell, on Facebook @FountasandPinnell or by joining The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Learning Facebook Group.

Gay Su Pinnell is Professor Emerita in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University and a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. She has extensive experience in classroom teaching, field-based research, and in developing comprehensive literacy systems. She is the recipient of the International Literacy Association's Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, The Ohio State University Alumni Association's Medalist Award, the International Reading Association's Albert J. Harris Award for research in reading difficulties, the Ohio Governor's Award, the Charles A. Dana Foundation Award, The Eastern New Mexico University Hall of Honor, and a 2018 recipient of an honorary doctorate Lesley University for her contributions to literacy education. Fountas and Pinnell's transformative, collective and comprehensive literacy work includes a cohesive classroom literacy system for grades PreK - 6 (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom(tm)), an intervention system for grades K - 12 (Leveled Literacy Intervention), an assessment system (Benchmark Assessment System for grades K - 8 and Sistema de evaluacion de la lectura for grades K - 3), an extensive professional book base, and professional learning opportunities. Fountas and Pinnell continue to influence and inspire educators nationwide and abroad with resources and books such as: - The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Systems (2017, 2019, 2020) - The Reading Minilessons Books, Grades K - 6 (2017, 2019, 2020) - Spanish Reader's Notebooks (2019) - Reader's Notebooks - Sing a Song of Poetry (2018, 2019) - The Literacy Quick Guide (2018) - Words That Sing: Poetry Charts, Grades PreK - 2 (2018) - The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum (2017) - Continuo de la lectoescritura, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - Continuo de la lectoescritura totalmente en espanol, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide (2017) - Guided Reading: Responsive Teaching Across the Grades, Second Edition (2017) - Fountas & Pinnell SELECT Collections - LLI Choice Libraries - Fountas & Pinnell Reading Record Apps - Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Quick Guide, A Companion to Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Fiction (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Nonfiction, Poetry, and Test Taking (2012) - Literacy Beginnings (2011) - Prompting Guide, Part 1 for Oral Reading and Early Writing (2008) - Prompting Guide, Part 2 for Comprehension: Thinking, Talking, Writing (2011) - When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works (2009) - Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K - 8 (2006) - www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com - Leveled Books, K - 8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005) - Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996) - Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001) - Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K - 2 (2000) - Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998) - Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997) While all the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) books, resources, and systems are deeply rooted in teacher professional learning, Irene and Gay, in collaboration with Heinemann Professional Development, offer a range of options and opportunities for professional learning designed to further develop the craft of teaching and foster a climate of collegiality and community. Join the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Community to connect with Gay and Irene and thousands of educators from around the world on one of the fastest-growing online literacy communities. Continue the conversation on Twitter @FountasPinnell, on Instagram @FountasPinnell, on Facebook @FountasandPinnell or by joining The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Learning Facebook Group.