At 118 pages, READICIDE is a concise manifesto on the "State of the Union" for reading instruction. Gallagher's primary target is high-stakes testing and the whole machine it has set in motion. Ironically, he declares, the very tests designed to improve literacy in our country are having the opposite effect. That fact, my friends, is the proverbial elephant in the room and this book, therefore, should be read by administrators and teachers alike. As for interested parents (the best kind), this book will pull the curtain back on where we're going wrong and why. It will also reveal some of the games being played in the name of higher test scores. For instance, Gallagher documents cases of states trumpeting gains while hiding the fact that the bar has been lowered to give the appearance of gains. It's almost used car salesman material. He also reveals shell games that are played with designation of students (calling them "special ed students" when they are not, for instance, or temporarily seeing that they are "unenrolled" for school until the testing period ends, a little trick from Texas).
Gallagher doesn't leave it at that, however. He points to mistakes teachers are making as well. Some are underteaching books ("Here, read it -- I'll see you at the end."), for instance. This sets students up for failure or for a record number of SparkNotes hits when the book is too difficult, which is true of many classics assigned in the class. On the opposite side of the spectrum are teachers who overteach books. Slice it, dice it, and assign a new task every couple of pages until the students cannot possibly develop "flow" (Nancie Atwell calls it "reach the zone"). These kids (surprise!) wind up hating the book because it has been flogged to death by well-meaning teachers.
Complaining and identifying weaknesses is all well and good, but Gallagher also offers solutions. He gives concrete ideas on how to hit the "sweet spot" in instruction when it comes to longer works. He agrees with Nancie Atwell's championing of recreational reading, but disagrees with her insistence that teaching never begin until students complete the book (and with her reluctance to take on classwide novels other than her beloved favorite, THE OUTSIDERS).
Overall, spot on. This book calls it like it is and calls us to arms. Read it, quote it, stand up and defend your kids right to read and their right to choice. Insist, too, that they be challenged by curriculum selections requiring a teacher's expert help. In short, be a true voice for literacy by shouting down these phony pretenders from political rings and business models who insist data-driven drivel equates to a more competitive United States. It doesn't.
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- debbie waskiewichReviewed in Canada on April 3, 2015
I HIGHLY recommend this book for all middle-school and high-school teachers
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