Reading's Non-Negotiables - by Rachael Gabriel (Paperback)

About the Book

This book can be used as a guide for program design and evaluation, as well as a source of ideas and (re)assurances for those currently engaged in the ongoing pursuit of effective literacy instruction for every reader, every day.

Book Synopsis

This book can be used as a guide for program design and evaluation, as well as a source of ideas and (re)assurances for those currently engaged in the ongoing pursuit of effective literacy instruction for every reader, every day.

Review Quotes

Gabriel's book Reading's Non-Negotiables is written in an accessible manner for both practitioners and school literacy leaders. She does an excellent job of presenting the non-negotiables of effective reading instruction in a straightforward, common-sense approach. Throughout the book, Gabriel discusses how important it is to make literacy meaningful and purposeful. By using classroom examples and metaphors for learning she engages the reader and provides opportunities to think about one's own teaching. For anyone examining a basal reading series or looking for teaching ideas on the internet it is obvious that the reading "industry" is saturated. For new teachers or administrators trying to boil it down to the most critical reading topics this book is vital and is a welcome addition to other books on the market.

Gabrielle, assistant professor of reading education at Connecticut College, presents fundamental elements of reading instruction, along with an explanation for the research that supports them, and practical applications.


In this book, Dr. Gabriel takes the mystery out of teaching reading and adeptly describes for practitioners how to infuse seven meaningful and workable elements into their classroom reading instruction. These elements promote high-quality and differentiated instruction for all students, while offering guidelines to develop more expert teachers of reading.

This era of standardization in reading instruction has resulted in shocking compromise when it comes to what we know matters most. In this no-nonsense, exceedingly readable book, Gabriel reminds us of what I fear we are forgetting. This book provides an excellent, evidence-based background for novice teachers and will be a great tool for school-wide self-inventory and reflection even for seasoned literacy educators.

This is gold.

About the Author

Rachael Gabriel is an assistant professor of reading education at the University of Connecticut. As a researcher, Rachael has focused on teacher development and evaluation with a specific interest in related policies and a continued interest in supporting teachers' efforts to address reading difficulty.In her teaching and research, she integrates these scholarly perspectives with her experience as a former middle school teacher and literacy specialist.