In Kelly Gallagher's high school classroom in Anaheim, California, students are not only learning to comprehend difficult novels and texts, they are developing the skills and behaviors of lifelong readers. Drawing from his books Reading Reasons and Deeper Reading, Kelly's new video set brings effective reading strategies to life. Presenting examples of both small- and whole-group discussions, Building Adolescent Readers demonstrates how to engage students with a variety of texts, teaching them what it means to be a good reader.

Program 1: The Six Building Blocks
Before we teach students how to read better, we need to help them understand why they should be readers. Kelly outlines his six blocks for motivating students to read more—both recreationally and academically. He models specific classroom lessons that help students to internalize the value of reading.

Program 2: First Draft Reading
Adolescent readers often adopt one of two universal strategies when they are confronted with difficult text: they either quit or dutifully continue, even though they do not understand what they are reading. In this program Kelly models a number of useful strategies to help students not only monitor their comprehension, but to also fix their comprehension when it begins to falter.

Program 3: Second Draft Reading
Revisiting a text helps students uncover its deeper layers of meaning. Kelly demonstrates numerous strategies that help students move past an “I read it once; I'm done” mentality and into richer second draft reading. He also discusses the importance assessment plays in planning an effective reading lesson.