Textbooks

Continuum of McGraw-Hill’s Elder and Cortina/Elder Texts:
Entryways into College Reading and Learning (Elder)
New Worlds (Cortina/Elder)
Opening Doors (Cortina/Elder)
Exercise Your College Reading Skills (Elder)

Features common to the texts include:

• a scaffolded approach with full, clear explanations
• recursive application of skills
• the integration of reading and writing
• extensive reading selections and excerpts that are relevant, timely, and help students expand their fund of useful background knowledge
• access, at no additional cost, to a dedicated Online Learning Center (OLC) with a rich array of supplemental readings and resource material for
both students and instructors
• Annotated Instructor’s Edition with answers, teaching tips, resources, and supplemental information

The information below describes some distinguishing features of each book and its reading level. Websites for individual texts are for that book’s student Online Learning Center. For further information or examination copies, please visit www.mcgraw-hill.com and type the book title in the search box.

Entryways into College Reading and Learning
by Janet Elder (2007; www.mhhe.com/entryways)

An entry-level developmental reading text that features an inductive, brain-friendly approach that addresses multiple-learning styles; additional brain-friendly features and formatting; a strongly supportive and motivating tone that incorporates humor; an emphasis on vocabulary and basic comprehension skills with extensive practice; an introduction to study skills, one chapter each on success behaviors in class and success behaviors out of class; and 8 pages of full-color Visual Summaries that recap key concepts and strategies; 10 reading selections; and a rich Online Reading Lab that contains, among other things, 30 additional reading selections with apparatus.
(RL: approximately 5th-8th grade)
New Worlds: An Introduction to College Reading, 4th ed.
by Joe Cortina and Janet Elder (2011--release date January, 2010; www.mhhe.com/newworlds)

A low-to-intermediate, full-color developmental reading text that features two sets of practice exercises per chapter as well as skill application in the context of 29 chapter reading selections from a variety of content area textbooks and other popular sources with additional extensive apparatus for each; a “comprehension core” that targets the skills essential for understanding written material; Chapter Review Cards, a unique student-created summary of important chapter concepts and information; and introduction to critical reading, critical thinking skills, and basic study skills.
(RL: approximately 7th-9th grade)
Opening Doors: Understanding College Reading, 6th ed.
by Joe Cortina and Janet Elder (2011--release date January, 2010; www.mhhe.com/openingdoors)

An intermediate, full-color text that features 29 full-length reading selections to which skills are recursively applied; Reading Skills Application quizzes for all reading selections that provide additional practice and are especially valuable to students who will take the CLAST, THEA, or other state-mandated basic skills competency tests or exit tests; Chapter Review Cards; a chapter feature entitled “Tips for Scoring Well on Standardized Tests”; in-depth coverage of critical reading and thinking skills, including evaluation material critically, as well as in-depth coverage of study skills.
(RL: approximately 9th-11th grade)
Exercise Your College Reading Skills: Developing More Powerful Comprehension, 2nd ed.
by Janet Elder (2008; www.mhhe.com/exercise)

The intermediate-to-upper-level reading and study skills text presents clear, concise explanations followed by extensive practice (three sets per chapter at increasing levels of challenge, as well as three full review chapters); brain-friendly features in this supportive and highly-motivating text include The “Secrets”of Success, A User’s Guide to the Brain, and The Trainer, a chapter section that shows an efficient reader’s thoughts as that person applies a skill. The text offers great flexibility of use depending on exercises and chapters used, and can be used very effectively in self-paced and online courses, as well as a supplemental text in literature-, newsmagazine-, and newspaper-based courses. It prepares students for success on exit exams and state-mandated basic skills competency tests, such as the Texas THEA and the Florida CLAST. Six appendixes present a wealth of additional information that includes conducting Internet research and evaluating websites, identifying propaganda devices, and learning style tips. The Annotated Instructor’s Edition gives complete answers, including fully worked models of study skills answers, and includes explanations of why incorrect answers are incorrect.
(RL: approximately 10th-13th grade)