Unison Reading
Socially Inclusive Group Instruction for Equity and Achievement
- Cynthia McCallister - New York University, USA
Literacy, K-12 | Middle School Teaching Methods | Teaching Strategies for Diverse Students
Unison Reading allows students to help each other improve their skills by reading together orally in small, diverse groups. This method is part of a larger approach called Genre Practice, rooted in the foundational beliefs that children learn best collaboratively, that reading is fundamentally a social process, and that students are able to take responsibility for their own learning with appropriate scaffolding.
Using examples from real classrooms and teachers' narratives, the book walks teachers through every aspect of implementing Unison Reading in their classroom: from knowing what it is and how it is different from other small group instruction techniques, to explaining how it fits within the reading curriculum. McCallister also shows how Unison Reading, piloted in a high-needs urban district, can benefit English Language Learners and special needs students, and addresses frequently asked questions from teachers, administrators, and staff developers, including how to implement Unison Reading school-wide. The text includes an appendix full of ready-to-use forms.
"This book’s strong research base, as well as the knowledge that a school can use this method with success, speaks volumes to the success rate of using Unison Reading."
"This book offers the promise of an effective approach to reading instruction based on sound theory and substantial research. It is a powerful antidote to the hyper-focus on low level reading skills."
“Cynthia McCallister reminds us to stop labeling children and to begin listening to them and learning from them. Above all, the author highlights the importance of camaraderie, respect and support as children learn to read in the company of their peers.”
"As the principal who collaborated with McCallister to pilot the implementation of Unison Reading on a PK-8 schoolwide basis, I have witnessed firsthand its true power to dramatically raise reading achievement. Growth of students in all grades outpaced the national norm, and our lowest performing students' achievement rates have been even more dramatic. Unison Reading, if brought to a larger scale, can close the achievement gap.”
“Cynthia McCallister’s Unison Reading boldly proposes and shows how to achieve a deep change of theory and practice in the acquisition and development of reading. It promises to live up to its subtitle and build socially inclusive classrooms producing equity and achievement. And, most exciting of all, this uncommon sense approach will banish boredom and bring joy and excitement back to the reading class."
“Unison Reading enables educators to deliver the kind of attention to individual performance that is normally only attained through one-on-one instruction. As a science education researcher I've used Unison Reading to hear students co-construct and talk about scientific words, claims, and evidence and found it to be a powerful tool to design transformative instruction.”
“McCallister and her colleagues in schools have spawned an enormously generative idea that creates a lively and inclusive learning environment. This approach provides a remarkable opportunity for teachers who want a very rich context for observing students' comprehension and interests."
“McCallister has developed one of the most exciting and important educational innovations I have ever seen. In an era where schools are forced into a Faustian choice between time spent on academic skills and time spent on social, moral, and character development, along comes this theoretical and practical breath of fresh air, which elegantly does it all at the same time. This book should be read by anyone interested in improving education.”
“Thank you, Cynthia McCallister, for this remarkable contribution to practices of collaborative learning. The concept of Unison Reading reminds us that learning is fundamentally a social process. Most helpfully, we are introduced to the fine details of how this process can increase motivation, attention, mutually supportive relationships, and reading mastery. I am very impressed, and we should all be grateful.”
"This could be the most innovative approach to reading instruction I've come across in the last 20 years. It has the potential to transform classroom practice, enabling students to meet the highest quality standards of reading instruction. A must-read."
