I cited this chapter 2 in my summer class(Theory and Practice with students with high incidence disabiltites)papers quite a bit! In my opinion learning can be fun, but fun takes work on a teachers part.
It is also a very good point that Mendler makes about praising a student if they have used the right strategy, even if the answer is wrong..although usually when the strategy is used, the answer is correct. However, if the focus is on praising only correct answers, students tend to fall out of the habit of using the strategy. Fern's reading and comprehension strategy was such a great one!