Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (Eds.). (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
The results of a two-year review of the research on teaching and learning, conducted under the auspices of the National Research Council.

Bruer, J.T. (1994). Schools for thought: A science of learning in the classroom. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
An informed layperson's view of how ideas from cognitive psychology can improve student learning.

Perkins, D. (1992). Smart schools: From training memories to educating minds. New York: Free Press.
A well-written, engaging, and comprehensive consideration of teaching for understanding.

Resnick, L.B. (1987). Education and learning to think. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
A brief but very powerful discussion of higher level thinking and its importance.

Ryder, R.J., & Graves, M.F. (1998). Reading and learning in content areas (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.
The webpage for this book, part of John Wiley & Sons' website, describes its contents, which include a chapter on teaching for understanding.