� Focus on the basics. The book is designed to explain, in a extremely clear, step-by-step way, the essential elements of each skill. Many examples are provided to ensure that students understand each point. In general, the focus is on teaching the skills--not just on explaining them and not just on testing them.
� Frequent practice and feedback. Because abundant practice and careful feedback are essential to learning, this book includes numerous activities. Students can get immediate feedback on the practice exercises in Parts One and Four by turning to the limited answer key at the back of the book. The answers to the review and mastery tests in Part One, the reading questions in Part Two, and the relationships and combined-skills tests in Part Three are in the Instructor's Manual.
The limited answer key increases the active role that students take in their own learning. They are likely to use the answer key in an honest and positive way if they know they will be tested on the many activities and selections for which answers are not provided. (Answers not in the book can be easily copied from the Instructor's Edition or the Instructor's Manual and passed out at the teacher's discretion.)
� High interest level. Dull and unvaried readings and exercises work against learning. Students need to experience genuine interest and enjoyment in what they read. Teachers as well should be able to take pleasure in the selections, for their own good feeling can carry over favorably into class work. The readings in the book, then, have been chosen not only for the appropriateness of their reading level but also for their compelling content. They should engage teachers and students alike.
� Ease of use. The logical sequence in each chapter--from explanation to example to practice to review tests to mastery tests--helps make the skills easy to teach. The book's organization into distinct parts also makes for ease of use. Within a single class, for instance, teachers can work on anew skill in Part One, review another skill with one or more mastery tests, and provide variety by having students read one of the selections in Part Two. The limited answer key at the back of the text also makes for versatility: the teacher can assign some chapters for self-teaching. Finally, the mastery tests--each on its own tear-out page--and the combined-skills tests make it a simple matter for a teacher to test and evaluate student progress.
� Integration of skills. Students do more than learn the skills individually in Part One. They also learn to apply the skills together through the reading selections in Parts One, and Two, as well as the combined-skills tests in Part Three. They become effective readers and thinkers through repeated practice in applying a combination of skills.
� Integrated online resources. Through the use of TP's acclaimed Learning Center, Ten Steps to Advanced Reading, 2/e, features powerful online components to enhanced learning, including:
1. Web-based instructional videos. The Learning Center hosts hands-on video lessons which provided students with introductions to each of the ten chapters in Part One.
2. Online practice exercises and mastery tests. Each chapter of the book is supported by additional practice exercises and online versions of the book's mastery tests. These materials can be used to reinforce skills taught in the chapter or to assess students' learning.
3. Helpful PowerPoint files. A comprehensive collection of PowerPoint files covering the book's ten key chapters is available for immediate downloading.
4. Downloadable supplements. Electronic (PDF) versions of the instructor's manual and test bank can be downloaded directly from the Learning Center. These files give you the resources you need whenever and wherever you are--24 hours a day.
5. Class management controls. The Learning Center allows you to control which assignments and tests your students can access. It also allows you to select different assignments for each class you teach, track students' progress, and simplify grading.
� Thinking activities. Thinking activities--in the form of outlining, mapping, summarizing, and taking study notes--are a distinctive feature of the book. While educators agree that such organizational abilities are important, these skills are all too seldom taught. From a practical standpoint, it is almost impossible for a teacher to respond in detail to entire collections of class outlines, summaries, or study notes. This book, then, presents activities that truly involve students in outlining, mapping, summarizing and taking student notes--in other words, that truly makes students think--and yet enable teachers to give immediate feedback. Again, it is through continued practice and feedback on challenging material that a student becomes a more effective reader and thinker.
