Resisting reading mandates: How to triumph with the truth (book)

The Report of the National Reading Panel (NRP) is the focus of Elaine M. Garan’s latest book, Resisting Reading Mandates: How to Triumph with the Truth. Garan, an Assistant Professor at California State University-Fresno in the Department of Literacy and Early Education, takes issue with what she calls this “shamelessly flawed research effort” (p. xiii). Since its publication in 1999, the NRP report has sparked intense debate over its emphasis on scientifically based research, its criteria for selected research, and the conclusions drawn from its efforts. Garan’s book is formatted as a handbook for any educator who wants information to respond to the research claims in the NRP report. She singles out teachers, especially, as an important target audience in her “About This Book” section (p. xv) where she pens a “Dear Teachers” letter, urging educators to take an active part in literacy advocacy. She organizes her book in a question-and-answer format, responding to commonly asked questions from teachers in the field.