Burke, Jim (2001)
Illuminating Texts: How to Teach Students to Read the World.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
In the book, Illuminating Texts: How to Teach Students to Read the World, author Jim Burke explores the interesting and timely concept of “textual intelligence.” He argues that students today need the skills to read, understand, and create a larger variety of texts than ever before. Burke claims teachers should provide students with the tools they need to be literate readers of the following seven texts: the world, the Internet, textbooks, tests, literature, information, and images. Each chapter focuses on one of these seven types and explains the background on and rationale for the chapter’s focus, the connection to national academic standards, the proper questions to ask when tackling each type of text, classroom connections for the teacher, and elements of the text to be analyzed.
One of the remarkable features about Burke’s writing style is that he illustrates for the reader what he is asking teachers to do with their students: he guides the reader through how to best utilize this book. In his preface, he suggests teachers use the accompanying Web site, www.englishcompanion.com/illuminating, to find sample lesson plan ideas, student examples, and links to interesting Web sites. The companion Web site helps to reinforce Burke’s argument about the importance of reading and creating multiple texts to convey ideas and information. The author also includes eight appendices, including everything from forms for evaluating textbooks and Web sites to a literacy timeline. Finally, the format of Illuminating Texts is also conducive to its easy reading and comprehension. Each chapter has the same organizational structure and multiple tables, figures, and icons in the margins. The icons bring the reader’s attention to useful Internet sites or important points of interest.
Although all of the seven chapters are helpful and well written, the one that addresses how to read the Internet is the most beneficial. Burke describes the various types of texts on the Internet, questions to ask when researching on the Internet, ways to use the Internet to supplement classroom instruction, and methods for evaluating the validity of Web sites. Burke also provides practical strategies for finding the authentic educational resources available to both students and teachers. This chapter is a must-read for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the vastness of the Internet.
The author sheds light on an important and multifaceted topic: preparing literate readers in the 21st century. Each chapter synthesizes the multitude of signs and symbols both students and teachers will encounter into meaningful constructs. Burke successfully advises teachers on how to improve their students’ textual intelligence, or their ability to critically read the world around them. The one shortcoming of this book is that in some places there are too many lists and not enough closure. The effect of all the lists on the reader is that the bulleted information becomes lost in a sea of unconnected bullets; if the author had saved the listing technique for the most important points in the chapter, then the truly important points would remain salient. This overuse of lists and lack of closure in some instances is just one criticism of an otherwise powerful book. Overall, teachers will find this text and its accompanying Web site a practical, well written, and worthwhile tool to add to their repertoire of instructional literacy texts.
Pages: 224
Price: $22.00
ISBN: 0-86709-497-4
Reviewed by Kelly Courtney-Smith, University of Oklahoma and Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Oklahoma City, OK.
