The Literacy Place: The Reading Book by Sheena Cameron (author) and Louise Dempsey (author)

The Reading Book is a comprehensive guide to teaching reading. It contains research-based information that will support primary and middle school teachers to plan realistic and effective programmes that engage learners.

The Reading Book outlines the teaching approaches used in effective reading instruction in a clear, teacher-friendly way. It contains practical ideas and photocopiable and downloadable resources, that make reading more manageable for teachers and appealing for students.

• Chapter 1: Guiding principles and practices

Read Chapter 1 for an outline of the guiding principles and practices of teaching reading. It includes traits of effective teachers of reading and an overview of the reading process. There is also information about the developmental stages of reading and a breakdown of the teaching approaches used in balanced reading instruction. The chapter ends with a summary about catering for different learning needs.


• Chapter 2: Teaching reading

Read Chapter 2 to learn more about the teaching of reading, including the recommended types of lessons, teaching oral language as part of reading, and ideas for grouping. In addition, there is information about how to teach decoding, comprehension and critical thinking. The chapter ends with ideas for supporting students to read at home and information about assessing progress in reading.

• Chapter 3: Reading to students

Read Chapter 3 for information about planning and teaching a balanced ‘read aloud’ programme.

• Chapter 4: Shared reading

Chapter 4 includes detailed information about shared reading. High-impact teaching strategies to use in shared reading lessons are outlined. The remainder of the chapter covers ideas and activities for planning and teaching a series of shared reading lessons. Seven generic weekly plans for different ages are also included.

• Chapter 5: Guided reading

Read Chapter 5 for ideas about planning, teaching and assessing guided reading. This chapter also includes an overview of levels, text characteristics and reader characteristics. There are ideas for teaching a lesson, including activities for before and after the session. The chapter introduces a range of ways to use modelling books and ends with suggested levelled goals to use with guided reading groups.

• Chapter 6: Independent activities

Chapter 6 is about planning for the students who are not working with the teacher during guided reading. It includes management ideas, tips and activity ideas for younger and older students. There are also ideas for celebrating reading and detailed information about planning and teaching reciprocal reading, book clubs and Reader Theatre.

• Chapter 7: Independent reading

The final chapter of the book emphasises the importance of planning for independent reading. It includes ideas for promoting a reading culture in the class and the important role of the teacher in monitoring and supporting students. There is also a useful list of activities that can be included in independent reading to help students discuss and reflect on their personal reading. Finally, there are ideas for supporting ‘at risk’ and reluctant readers to manage their reading.

• Resources

71 photocopiable masters are included at the back of the book. They are also available to download.

• Home reading
Many of the activities in the book are suitable as home reading activities. These are indicated with the home reading icon.

Slide presentations available to download

• SS1 Teaching self-monitoring


• SS2 Introducing reciprocal reading


• SS3 Introducing book clubs


• SS4 Shared reading plan – Junior level – poetry


• SS5 Shared reading plan – Middle level – fiction


• SS6 Shared reading plan – Middle level – non-fiction


• SS7 Shared reading plan – Senior level – fiction


• SS8 Shared reading plan – Senior level – non-fiction