Mesmer, Heidi Anne E. (2008). Tools for Matching Readers to Text: Research-Based Practices. Reviewed by Lynn Columba, Lehigh University

Mesmer, Heidi Anne E. (2008). Tools for Matching Readers to Text: Research-Based Practices. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Pp. vii + 180     $25     ISBN 1-59385-597-4 Reviewed by Lynn Columba Lehigh University August 25, 2008 Heidi Anne E. Mesmer, in Tools for Matching Readers to Texts, provides a comprehensive review of information about text analysis tools. As an experienced practitioner and researcher, Mesmer offers a thorough review of the research literature in this area, along with a useful set of guidelines for selecting text analysis tools for school personnel. The chapters have an informative depth with actual school-based and classroom-level practices that are helpful to teachers at all levels of experience to estimate book difficulty. The book provides a detailed and integrative review of recently developed applications such as Lexiles, as well as, traditional readability formulas and systems for beginning readers and how to use these systems effectively and appropriately. An abundance of charts, tables and resources are provided as a guide and quick reference for classroom practitioners. Strong literacy teachers take very seriously their responsibility to establish lifelong habits of reading. Good teachers capitalize on the natural curiosity of their students and match them with books that are appealing and accessible. After almost a century, estimating book difficulty has grown and changed and teachers remain interested in reliable tools to bring appropriate books to children. Reading is both a personal and intellectual endeavor and in order to help students construct meaning through their reading, teachers must ensure suitable matches are made between the readers and the text. In the preface, Mesmer quotes Maya Angelou who reminds us that bringing kids and books together will have far-reaching, often life-changing consequences. The first chapter begins with Mesmer developing a persuasive argument of the importance of putting the right books in the hands of children and the importance of these decisions on our students’ literacy development. So important is matching readers to texts that Allington (2005) has identified this instructional process as one of the missing pillars of effective reading instruction. Also, the Standards for Reading Professionals (International Reading Association, 2004) emphasizes the importance of selecting materials for readers. Children who have positive and successful reading experiences are more likely to be motivated to read again and children who fail to read books fluently are more likely to avoid reading Another reason why text-reader matching is so essential is that many elementary learners have difficulty selecting materials for themselves. Despite this convincing imperative, there are a number of text analysis tools and a great deal of misunderstanding about the labels. Subsequently, the remainder of the book is to inform the profession about the workings of the most popular text analysis tools and to show school personnel how to use these tools. Part I, Chapters 2-4, is a reference for text analysis tools. Chapter 2, presents an overview of readability formulas (a summary table on pages 32-33) and describes generally how they work, the test features used for prediction, and the research base. This is followed by a brief overview of five of the most common readability formulas and guidelines for using them. A word of caution is provided by the author, readability formulas only begin the process of matching texts and readers. They do what they are designed to do: estimate text difficulty. Chapter 3 provides an in depth comparison and contrast of second-generation readability formulas, specifically Lexiles and Degrees of Reading Power (DPR). Research, text features, levels, units, advantages and disadvantages of these fundamentally different tools are discussed. Chapter 4 details textual scaffolds for beginning readers such as qualitative leveling, decidability and vocabulary control because readability formulas are simply not precise enough to address all of the features that affect beginning readers. Part II, Chapters 5-7, of Tools for Matching Readers to Text explains the process of choosing text analysis tools for successful schools and implementing these tools in the primary and intermediate classrooms. Teamwork is a crucial element in schools’ successful use of text analysis tools. A step-by-step process involving teamwork and all school personnel is discussed. The text-reader matching that occurs in kindergarten and first grade is so pivotal and quite complicated because readers are growing and changing rapidly with very different needs at different times. The vignettes describe four primary teachers implementing diverse types of beginning reading materials and the unique problems each encountered in making text-matches. All of these teachers carefully select materials to help their learners through key developmental stages and these teachers work within the realities of today’s classrooms. The book follows a similar format for intermediate teachers using text analysis tools. The reader of Tools for Matching Readers to Text will gain much insight of text analysis tools that guide in selecting reading materials at the appropriate level for each student which is vitally important in promoting literacy. Mesmer offers both a comprehensive examination of the research literature in this area and a practitioner’s guide with detailed vignettes on how teachers have used these tools in real classrooms. As stated by the author, the focus of this book is to help improve reading for children and it is recommended for teachers whose professional work is dedicated to helping children learn to read. References Allington, R. L. (2005, June/July). The other five “pillars” of effective reading instruction. Reading Today, 22, 3. International Reading Association. (2004). Standards for reading professionals. Newark, DE: Author. About the Reviewer Dr. Lynn Columba, Dept. of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. Area of research interest: Children developing mathematical concepts through reading and interacting with carefully selected children’s books.