The FIVES Strategy for Reading Comprehension, Jun/2016

Mary Shea and Nancy Roberts walk educators through helping students develop authentic, real-world skills, focusing on Facts, Inferences, Vocabulary, Experiences, Summary, and applying knowledge acquired to write cohesive paragraphs and essays. In this book, the authors explore:

1. Intervention strategies for various groups
2. Working with English-language learners
3. Meeting Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
4. Discussions that enhance learning and build community

The FIVES Path to Full Comprehension translates into college, career, and life skills that lead to success. Each part of the FIVES strategy connects to specific standards and can be universally applied across disciplines to develop high levels of competence in all learners.

About The Authors:

Mary Shea is a professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, where she teaches in and directs the graduate literacy programs. Previously, she worked for many years in western New York schools as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, and language arts coordinator. She is the author of five other texts for teachers, a chapter in an edited book, and numerous journal articles and teacher guides. Shea regularly conducts workshops for teachers, staff developers, and administrators. She was recently a visiting professor at St. Patrick’s College in Dublin, Ireland. Shea has held leadership positions in local and state professional organizations and continues to work with and support these groups.

Nancy Roberts is a literacy specialist at the high school in the Lockport City School District in New York and works with grades 9–12 in various content areas, weaving literacy skills and strategies into all curricular areas. Within her position, Roberts teaches collaboratively and in lab settings. Her students include 12:1:1, 15:1, CT/504, ESL, and general education. She provides staff development to support literacy instruction across grades K–12 and addresses the Common Core ELA requirements in all content areas.

Roberts also works at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, in the graduate literacy program as an adjunct professor. Her work there includes teaching and working in the clinical experience as well as teaching a course on the changing role of a literacy specialist. Previously, she worked many years as a classroom teacher and literacy specialist in an elementary/intermediate parochial school in Buffalo.

Most recently, Roberts has worked with a specialized grant to engage collaboration in literacy instruction across curricula with teachers. She has presented at the New York State Reading Association (NYSRA) conference in Albany on the FIVES and collaborative teaching with fellow literacy specialist Sarah Kozarowicz and building administrator Bernadette Smith.