Too often, teacher and student talk during instruction can appear unimportant or unplanned to the untrained eye. In "Talking About Text," Maria Nichols carefully explains and illustrates how deliberately planned classroom talk can instruct, explain, and facilitate reading comprehension. Her explanations are clear, logical, and make use of actual classroom interaction to illustrate the concepts and lessons she describes. From whole class discussion to partnership work to "turn-and-talk" during read-alouds, the examples in this book will help all teachers create reading classrooms where "purposeful talk" can help students develop their ability to read well, to read deeply, and to love reading.