"Trust Me! I Can Read": Building from Strengths in the High School English Classroom (Language and Literacy Series)

''I invite you to read this book . . . to listen to the wise words that Sally Lamping and Dean Blase offer us, to analyze what they've done in their own classrooms, and to make the kinds of changes in your own that will honor and respect the amazing students that you teach.''

--From the Foreword by Cathy Fleischer, Eastern Michigan University

''Trust me! I Can Read is a compelling, sensible argument that pairs rigorous literary instruction and high standards with a deep belief in openness and the possibility (and necessity) of creating classrooms that are alive with dialogue and inquiry. It presents a low-tech, practical curriculum that celebrates the hard work that goes into the independent reading cycle. Inspiring and instructive: Trust me!''

--Dixie Goswami, Bread Loaf Teacher Network, BLSE, Middlebury College

This innovative guide shows teachers how to transform high-school English students into passionate readers with a trust-based approach that honors both student choice and teacher expertise. The authors begin with a series of reflective invitations to help teachers rediscover trust in themselves and in their students. The book offers methods for building confidence and critical skills through thematic book groups, the whole-class novel, and independent reading. As teachers work through each methods chapter, they will begin to create their own trust-based curriculum with the help of ''Extend Your Thinking'' sections. Classroom examples from urban, rural, and suburban contexts help teachers interweave trust building methods (small reading communities, critically engaging lessons, student-led seminars, artistic response, drama, and dialogue) to create an English classroom that is once again a place of possibility and power.

''Trust Me! I Can Read'' is a practical resource that addresses the real concerns of today's English educators who are caught between the standards movement and their passion for teaching.