Leaving Johnny Behind: Overcoming Barriers to Literacy and Reclaiming At-Risk Readers

(Paperback)

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Description

In the tradition of Why Johnny Can't Read written by Rudolph Flesch in the 1950s, Leaving Johnny Behind provides a comprehensive examination of the barriers that deny children adequate literacy training. This book describes the obstacles faced by a school principal from Milwaukee's central city when he attempted to implement research-based reading practices. Upon further examination, he discovered that the reading establishment generally rejects the product of legitimate science, choosing instead to engage in a never-ending interfusion of the latest innovations, modifications, and gimmicks. This condition, Anthony Pedriana observes, has a disparate impact on poor and minorities, those who suffer from dyslexia and other forms of reading disability, and those for whom English is a second language.
But unlike Flesch who stressed the differences between phonics and holistic practices, Pedriana seeks common ground among reading practitioners. He notes that there is plenty in the data for both sides to love and that failing to take advantage of that convergence is to mock our high-minded expressions of "children first."

Reviews

Anthony Pedriana has exposed a raw nerve. He has taken the educational world to task for its willingness to ignore scientific principles and thus create tragic patterns of school failure that will haunt children throughout their lives. This book is a must-read for teachers and those who must prepare them for the harsh realities of the classroom. -- Janie Hatton, former National Principal of the Year and deputy superintendent of schools
Leaving Johnny Behind serves as a clarion call for the next generation of reading instruction and literacy skill development. Anthony Pedriana provides a clear view of the most effective approaches to reading instruction and how we can provide teachers the training and support necessary to transform virtually every child into a strong and confident reader. If we are to make long-term improvements to our schools, we need to start with Leaving Johnny Behind. -- Patrick R. Riccards
In Leaving Johnny Behind, Anthony Pedriana confronts the issue of how low literacy and academic failure create pathways to violent crime. It is a compelling narrative of a fictional Johnny, but a realistic portrayal nonetheless. This book should be on every teacher's reading list. -- Cecile Guin, director, Office of Social Service Research and Development, Louisiana State University

Author Bio

Anthony Pedriana spent thirty-five years as a teacher and administrator in Milwaukee's central city. Since retiring in 2005, he has meticulously researched the discrepancies between reading ideology and reading science.