Books and Other Reading Materials

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Phonological Awareness; Reading; Spelling; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Writing;

Target Population: Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What steps can be taken improve literacy instruction in grades 4-12 (especially among adolescents)?

Findings:

• The most recent data show that although U.S. students in grade four score among the best in the world, those in grade eight score much lower. And by grade ten, U.S. students score among the lowest in the world.
• Lack of literacy skills renders students unable to understand, evaluate and judge the information they hear and read, or to convey complex ideas, whether in the college classroom or the workplace-all of which act as a barrier to finding employment and exercising their full rights as citizens.
• A lack of capacity, time and will for middle and high school teachers to teach literacy within their content areas;
• Inadequate reinforcement of comprehension of "informational text" in early reading;
• Few strategies provided pupils at the end of the third grade for dealing with a rapid shift from narrative to expository text;
• Absence of systemic thinking in schools about literacy beyond age eight;
• Decrease in students' motivation to read as they progress from fourth through twelfth grade;
• Middle and high school designs with insufficient capacity to identify and target students requiring literacy assistance;
• Little awareness by parents and community groups that literacy instruction needs to continue after children have acquired basic decoding skills.
• Districts need to focus on increasing capacity (particularly training teachers) to adopt literacy practices within the school day, especially to embed literacy practices within content areas.
• Attention should be devoted to special challenges of English language learners.
• Reform efforts need to make literacy a central concern and to build ideas for advancing literacy into school redesign.

• Read the Full Report

Advancing Adolescent Literacy: The Cornerstone of School Reform. (2010). New York, NY: Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Tags: American Indian ELL Students; Asian ELL Students; Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Books and Other Reading Materials; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Instructional Programs; Language of Instruction; Latino ELL Students; Motivation; Other ELL Students (Middle Eastern, African, European, etc.); Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA;

Target Population: Middle and high school students, parents, teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors.

Research Questions the Report Poses: This article questions how important it is for higher education institutions, schools, states, and the federal government to help students prepare for post-secondary education and graduate successfully.

Findings:

• For many students, the decision not to apply for college does not reflect a lack of higher education aspirations; instead, many students are discouraged by the application process and tuition rates.
• There is a growing consensus that high schools should be accountable for what their students' outcomes are after high graduation and that high schools and governments at all levels to increase the academic readiness.
• Proper guidance and easy access to available programs of financial aid and college admission application need to be highly promoted in all states, especially for low-income students.

Policy Recommendations:

The report authors identify three strategies that the federal government and states can potentially pursue in order to help all students enter and suceed in higher education:

• Create data systems that track college readiness and attainment and build accountability.
• Support and build the capacity of high school and college educators.
• Develop strong signals and clear incentives to students about the path to college.

The federal government is encouraged to take note of the recommendations made in this article on the economic, social, and academic factors that can prevent students from attending college. In addition, policymakers at the state and federal level are encouraged to create programs that facilitate the transition from high school to college by promoting students current and future college aspirations.

• Read the Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Center for American Progress 1333 H Street, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005

Nagaoka, Jenny; Roderick, Melissa; Coca, Vanessa. (2009). Barriers to College Attainment: Lessons from Chicago. Washington, D.C. Center for American Progress.

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Placement; Rights, Students;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses:

• What are the demographics of LEP and LEP students with disabilities?
• What kind of instructional services do LEP and LEP with disabilities receive, and how do they align with statewide standards?
• What are the outcomes of LEP and LEP with disabilities?

Findings:

• In 2001–02, LEP comprised 8.4 % of the student population, with the majority in lower elementary grades.
• Spanish is the most common native language of LEP by far.
• Although the largest portion of the LEP student population is enrolled within only a few districts, there are many districts across the U.S. serving small numbers of LEP students.
• Instructional services for LEP vary greatly, especially in the areas of extent of services provided, and extent of use of native language, and for Sp–Ed LEP–services provided outside vs. inside the classroom.
• There has been a shift in the past 10 years in LEP instructional services toward services provided in English.
• There has been a dramatic increase (350%) in the number of teachers who work with at least one LEP student from '92–'02.
• 6/10 teachers who worked with three or more LEP students reported a median of four hours of relevant in–service training.
• District coordinators reported that the instruction LEP and Sp–Ed LEP students received was less aligned with State standards than that of non–LEP students.
• Many school districts and schools had considerable difficulty in providing a count of SpEd–MEP students.
• Fewer LEP students were in special education than the entire student population as a whole. (9.2& vs. 13.5%)
• Compared to LEP students, SpEd–MEP students are less likely to receive LEP instructional services, and more likely to receive instruction in English.
• Instructional services for Spanish–language SpEd–MEP students differed from services received by SpEd–MEP students from other language backgrounds.

Policy Recommendations:

• As mainstream classes become more diverse, in ethnicity, English proficiency, and instruction, teachers and aides face new challenges, which should be answered with additional training.
• Districts should keep better records on LEP and former LEPs, and consider both when analyzing student outcomes.
• Schools need to determine as early as possible if students' difficulties stem from second language learning or from a disability, and provide support accordingly.
• Further efforts are needed to define effective instruction for SpEd–MEP students, and to promote increased collaboration across the LEP and special education programs in providing SpEd–MEP services.

• Read the Full Report

U.S. Department of Education. (2002). To assure the free appropriate public education of all children with disabilities: Twenty-fourth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.

Zehler, A. M., Fleischman, H. L., Hopstock, P. J., Pendzick, M. L., & Stephenson, T. G. (2003). Descriptive study of services to LEP students and LEP students with disabilities (No. 4 Special topic report: findings on special education LEP students). Development Associates, Inc.: Arlington, VA.

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Intervention; Language Proficiency; Motivation; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Reading;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What strategies or programs can educators adopt to create schools in which ELLs learn and thrive?

Findings:
A comprehensive system of schooling for ELLS includes the following nine elements:

• High quality and accessible preschool education
• Supports for newcomers to meet needs of transition
• A comprehensive program of English Language development
• A program providing full access to challenging curriculum
• High quality instruction and materials
• Inclusive and affirming school climate
• Valid, comprehensive, and useful assessments
• Strong family and community partnerships
• Schools structured to meet the particular needs of English learners.

Policy Recommendations:

• Invest in building a qualified educator workforce;
• Build a meaningful accountability system for English learners;
• Assure that educators have the materials they need to deliver high quality English Language Development;
• Demonstrate new models of successful schools for English learners

• Read the full report (128KB PDF)*

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:

University of California

Linguistic Minority Research Institute

4722 South Hall

Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3220

Olsen, L. (2006). Ensuring Academic Success for English Learners. University of California: Linguistic Minority Research Institute.

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Intervention; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA;

Target Population: Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: Which media are young people using, and how much? How does media use vary across ages and races?

Findings:

• Kids are using media more than ever in the past.
• Media consumption varies by age: 11-14-year-olds consume the most by far (12 hours a day); younger kids (8-10-year-olds) read more than older kids; older teenagers (15-18-year-olds) listen to more music than anyone else.
• Boys consume more media than girls, especially in video games and computers, though girls spend more time on social media, music, and print media.
• The disparity in media use between races has drastically increased (doubled) since 2004- Minority kids (Black and Hispanic) use 4.5 hours more of media than do white kids.

Policy Recommendations:
The findings should be used by policymakers addressing national media policies, parents curious of their children’s media habits, and educators, advocates, and public health groups concerned with the impact of media on youth, and those interested in the educational and informational potential of media in young people’s lives.

• Read the Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
orders@kff.org

Rideout, V.J., Foehr U.G., & Roberts D.F. (2010) Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8-to 18-Year-OIds. Washington, D.C.: Kaiser Family Foundation.

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Books and Other Reading Materials; Comprehension; Differentiated Instruction; Instructional Programs; Motivation; Reading; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What are the most effective ways to teach vocabulary to diverse learners?

Findings:
This article focuses on strategies and techniques for integrating vocabulary into the classroom. Some of the vocabulary areas covered are:

• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• Compound words
• Root words
• Using technology to teach vocabulary

Policy Recommendations:
N/A

• Download full article (159KB PDF)*

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Learning Point Associates 1100 17th Street N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20036

Blachowicz, C.L.Z, Watts-Taffe, S. & Fisher, P. (2005). Learning Point Associates.

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Comprehension; Content Areas: Science; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses:

1. Do accommodation strategies help reduce the performance gap between ELL and non-ELL students? (Effectiveness)
< li>Do accommodation strategies impact the performance of non-ELL students on content-based assessments? (Validity)
2. Do student background variables impact performance on the accommodated assessments? (Differential impact)
3. Are accommodations easy to implement or use? (Feasibility)

Findings:

• Accommodation effectiveness varies by type (ie English dictionary vs. bilingual dictionary vs. linguistic modification);
• Accommodation effectiveness also varies by grade level;
• Accommodation strategies did not impact the general student population, which suggests that the tests remained valid even with the use of accommodations.
• Many background variables were significantly related to performance in the science assessments including time lived in US, initial grade enrollment in US, other schooling outside US, home language of Korean or Spanish, and fealty with spoken English at school.

Policy Recommendations:

• Because bilingual dictionaries yield varying results of benefit, accommodations that are more "pre–packaged" would be more effective, such as linguistic modifications.

• Download full report (128KB PDF)*

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Center for the Study of Evaluation National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing Graduate School of Education & Information Studies University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 90095-1522

Abedi, J., Courtney, M., Mirocha, J., Leon, S., and Goldberg, J. (2005). Language Accommodations for English Language Learners in Large-Scale Assessments. National Center for Research on Education, Standards, and Student Testing: Los Angeles, CA.

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Libraries; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Reading; Struggling Readers;

Target Population: Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses:

• How does summer loss affect students' reading achievement?
• Why does summer reading loss occur?
• What can be done to curb summer reading loss?
• What elements contribute to family literacy participation?

Findings:

• While reading and academic gains during the school year are comparable among student groups, studies and tests show that reading loss is much more significant in low-income students, which ultimately contributes to a widening achievement gap as they progress into higher grades.
• Summer reading loss seems to have its greatest impact on low-achieving students and at-risk students-those who can least afford to fall further behind.
• Access to reading materials is a vital element in enhancing the reading development of children, but low-income students experience several barriers to reading at home.
• It is not enough to simply tell parents that it is important to read to children. Parents, particularly lower socioeconomic-status parents, need concrete, specific programs, suggestions on how to participate in family literacy, and support.

Policy Recommendations:

• Parent workshops just before summer break.
• Schools should coordinate with the local public library for their summer reading program.
• Required summer reading list of 3-5 proven favorites for children, with adequate access to them for all students.
• Reading Millionaires Program
• TV programs and movies based on books can encourage reading; Parents can turn down the volume and turn on the captions so kids have to read.
• Use daily routines as reading activities such as cooking, web surfing, reading directions in a manual, etc.

• Read the Full Report

Mraz, M. and Rasinski, T.V. (2007). Summer reading loss. The Reading Teacher, 60(8). International Reading Association. 784-789.