Misreading Reading: The Bad Science That Hurts Children

Coles, an educational psychologist who has written widely on literacy and learning disabilities, critiques studies which have been used to promote policy and legislation on behalf of skills-emphasis learning, especially those studies financed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. He identifies each claim made in research and analyzes research that supports it. At the beginning of each chapter is a summary of claims and the major criticism of the research discussed in the chapter. These summaries can be used as handouts or overheads. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

GERALD COLES is an educational psychologist who has written extensively on literacy and learning disabilities. He is the author of Reading Lessons: The Debate Over Literacy, The Learning Mystique: A Critical Look at "Learning Disabilities," as well as numerous articles in educational and psychology journals. Formerly a professor at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the University of Rochester, he now writes full-time and lives in Ithaca, New York.