Conceptual Foundations of Teaching Reading

Mark Sadoski. (2004). Conceptual Foundations of Teaching Reading . New York & London, UK: The Guilford Press. 156 pages. ISBN: 1-59385-037-9 (hardcover); 1-59385-036-0 (paperback).

Sadoski names his audience for Conceptual Foundations of Teaching Reading as preservice and in-service teachers, educational administration students, and "even the involved parent or policy maker." Some readers may find this book a useful resource. The main strength of Sadoski's book lies in his ability to synthesize and digest a range of reading research in a thoughtful and accessible manner. In particular, his discussion of the role of comprehension in reading and the philosophical roots of various reading pedagogies is both highly readable and informative. Sadoski argues articulately for the central importance of comprehension to reading competency and does a fine job of outlining some of the philosophical differences between reading pedagogies that emphasize "instruction" versus those that emphasize "education."

Sadoski is also very skilful at presenting some of the historical antecedents of current reading pedagogies. However, ultimately Sadoski's brief focus on history serves to highlight the most serious limitations of this book. Conceptual Foundations of Teaching Reading suffers from a lack of attention to how larger historical forces have influenced reading pedagogies. Sadoski's version of history reads like a lineage. He traces the evolution of particular pedagogical practices without ever giving the reader a sense of why certain practices or theories may have fallen in or out of vogue. For example, in noting a marked interest in comprehension in the late 1800s and early...