Improving
Literacy in America: Guidelines from Research.
Frederick J. Morrison, Heather J.
Bachman, and Carol McDonald Connor. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press,
2005. Pp. 240. $35.00, hardcover. ISBN: 0-300-10645-9. TEL: 203-432-0163 •
FAX: 203-432-8485
It has become a truism that alarming numbers of American students are not
acquiring basic proficiencies in reading, math, and science. Moving beyond
so-called “silver-bullet” solutions like reducing class size or
implementing voucher programs, this book offers a more integrative analysis
of our nation’s literacy challenges.
More than 20 years of research demonstrate that a complex and interrelated
set of parent, child, school, and societal factors shape children’s
learning. Improving literacy requires an understanding of the cumulative and
interconnected nature of these forces and how they impact children’s
literacy development.
Here, Morrison, Bachman, and Connor present up-to-date research on the diverse
factors that relate to a child’s literacy development from preschool
through early elementary school. Urging greater emphasis on the immediate
sources of influence on children, the authors warn against simple, single
solutions that ignore other pivotal aspects of the problem. They make seven
specific recommendations for improving literacy.
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