Foreword by Richard L. Allington
Acknowledgments
Preface: Reading upside down
Jenna
Reading upside down
Shifting the focus from achievement gaps to opportunity gaps
Reading right side up
1. "Tis the good reader that makes the good book / The gap: The view of students as "unready" or "at-risk"
The view of students as "unready" or "at-risk"
Problems with traditional constructs of school readiness
Distinguishing achievement gaps versus opportunity gaps
Changing the trajectory of students viewed as "unready" or "at-risk"
Closing the beginning opportunity gap for all students
2. Checking the weather / The gap: Seeing students as "struggling readers"
Viewing readers as "struggling"
The quest to find the best reading program
Distinguishing achievement gaps versus opportunity gaps
Changing the trajectory of students viewed as "struggling"
No matter the weather
3. The gift of reading / The gap: Ableism toward students in "special education"
Problems with placing students in "special education"
The costs and benefits of special education
Distinguishing achievements gaps versus opportunity gaps
Changing the trajectory of students in "special education"
Do we really need special education
4. It looks Greek to me / The gap: Regarding forms of speech and English as "nonstandard"
Misunderstanding language transfer from native languages and "nonstandard" forms of speech and English
Distinguishing achievement gaps versus opportunity gaps
Acknowledging language variation in changing the trajectories of children learning English in print
Language, language, and language
5. You can't judge a book by its cover / The gap: The unexplored issues of race
The role of race in special education referrals
Distinguishing the achievement gaps versus opportunity gaps
Changing the trajectory for all readers
Taking ownership for all students
6. Reading as an escape? / The gap: Seeing students as "reluctant" or otherwise "using escape tactics"
The view of students as "reluctant" or otherwise "using escape tactics"
Defining and addressing emotional disturbances and their relationship to language disorders
Distinguishing achievement gaps versus opportunity gaps
Changing the trajectory of "reluctant" readers
Reading as an escape
7. Reading the fine print of tests / The gap: Students who "fail" to make the grade
Students who are seen as "failing"
Questions about the usefulness of testing to evaluation student progress in literacy
Distinguishing achievement gaps versus opportunity gaps
Changing the trajectory of students who "fail" standardized tests
Reading the fine print
Conclusion: Reading right side up.