Reading Keys

Reading Keys, 2/e—the first in a three-book reading series by Laraine Flemming—offers a comprehensive introduction to reading skills and strategies, from using context clues to identifying purpose and bias. Clear, accessible explanations present reading concepts without oversimplifying the process of reading comprehension. To ensure students' understanding, reading "keys" or summaries follow the explanations, breaking them down into manageable chunks. Throughout each chapter, a variety of steadily more difficult exercises assess students' understanding of the material and promote improved comprehension and critical-thinking skills. This incremental approach to instruction and assessment makes it easier for unskilled readers to absorb and master new information.

The Second Edition offers more engaging readings—Laraine Flemming's signature—as well as new reading strategies for both comprehension and critical thinking; new vocabulary definitions; and new diagrams for note-taking. A complete technology package—including the Eduspace online homework and course management system, the Getting Focused CD, and the Online Study Center—provides students with dynamic learning opportunities and instructors with enhanced teaching options.

• New! One-third of the readings are new and address topics such as homeland security alerts, tsunami warning systems, and the deceptive use of statistical evidence.
• New! A chapter on sentence relationships identifies six common ways that sentences can relate.
• New! A completely revised chapter on critical thinking focuses on three key aspects of critical reading: purpose, tone, and bias.
• New! Suggestions for note-taking help students, especially visual learners, use charts and diagrams to record both the structure and content of common organizational patterns.
• New! Pre-reading strategies and suggestions for longer selections promote flexible reading and better understanding of key information and vocabulary in the selections.
• New! Additional coverage of transitions shows students how writers help readers recognize relationships between ideas.
• Eduspace—Houghton Mifflin's online course management system—provides reading-level-specific reviews, exercises, and quizzes to help students hone their reading skills and get immediate feedback on their progress. For instructors, Eduspace offers time-saving classroom management tools that allow you to assign, distribute, track, and grade students assignments.
• The Getting Focused CD, written by Laraine Flemming, offers additional practice in reading skills—perfect for independent at-home or in-the-lab practice.
• The Online Study Center for students provides interactive, easy-to-access quizzes that reinforce textbook learning. A computer icon at the end of chapters directs students to the site for additional practice.