Spelling

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: Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Language Proficiency; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Placement; Spelling; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: In spite of the debate over bilingual versus English-only education, the fundamental question remains: What are the best ways to teach English literacy to English language learners, and what rate of achievement in English is realistic to expect?

Findings:

• ELLs need the same kind of reading instruction that works for native speakers, more of it, and they need to be watched carefully so they get help adjusted to their language development needs as soon as they encounter problems;
• ELL students can learn basic English reading skills in two years, but their chances of falling behind later in school are greater than native English speaking children;
• There is no evidence that the extra teaching that ELLs need can be effectively offered in "pullout" programs that are not closely integrated with the main literacy program;
• ELLs benefit from lengthening the school day and/or year; and
• ELLs need teachers who can deliver reading instruction shown to be most effective, and these teachers need intensive professional development

Policy Recommendations:

• Give English language learners extra time and instruction in literacy, either through longer school days or extended years;
• Assign the best teachers to English learners and provide professional development in effective teaching strategies;
• Use proven techniques for teaching basic word recognition skills, including phonics and phonological awareness;
• Provide lots of practice reading and frequent assessments to pinpoint children's reading strengths and weaknesses;
• Provide structured academic conversation, built around books and other subject matter activities to build vocabulary and comprehension; and
• Provide several years of intensive, high-quality instruction to help students master the vocabulary, comprehension, and oral language skills that will make them fully fluent in speaking, reading, and writing English.

• Download research brief (89KB PDF)*

Resnick, L.B., Ed. (2004). English Language Learners: Boosting Academic Achievement. Research Points, 2(1). American Educational Research Association: Washington DC.