Schreck, an education consultant, aids teachers in improving the literacy of upper elementary and secondary students. She does not address the mechanics of reading or writing acquisition, but instead focuses on whether the student is doing the thinking, what level of instruction or stage of rigorous learning is involved, and how students are engaged. She explains how to train students to slow down their normal reading speed and become aware of the details through close reading; how the brain uses stories to make sense of information; how to reteach experiences in lessons throughout the year; how to orally engage students in learning and teach them to be question makers as well as responders; how to play on reluctant students' curiosity, loves, interests, and need to see value and personal ability in what is taught; creative and critical thinking approaches to literacy; how to pull out all the stops and create a setting for learning in which difficult material comes alive and remains in the memory; how to make work meaningful; and assessment and application of the Common Core State Standards in specific lessons. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)