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Research & Reports

Struggling Readers

Are California's Reading Textbooks Adequate for Teaching English Learners?

by University of California's Linguistic Minority Research Institute / Robert Calfee

Calfee, R. (2006). Are California's Reading Textbooks Adequate for Teaching English Learners? University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute: Santa Barbara, CA.

Topics Covered: Access, Equity, and Adequacy;

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Comprehension; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Rights, Students; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses: Are California's Reading Textbooks Adequate for Teaching English Learners?

Summary: In 2002, the California State Board of Education adopted programs that required publishers to meet the language arts needs of ELLs. This article is a review of the ELL supplement, the Teacher's Edition for the supplement, and two of the reading series included with the supplement. It also surveys 57 elementary school teachers on their experiences with the materials and the related professional development.

Findings:

  • The materials offered little specific ELL assistance to students of teachers, and what was offered was contrary to best practice.
  • The professional development for ELL instruction was limited in both time and scope.
  • The "supplement strategy" mandated by the Board was practically unworkable.

Policy Recommendations:

  • Design an instructional support system that helps teachers deal with student diversity
  • Directly address the issues of effective instruction for ELL students
  • Advise how to manage student differences and time allocation
  • Develop a program of ongoing professional development

Beating the Odds in Teaching All Children to Read

by Barbara M. Taylor, P. David Pearson, Kathleen F. Clark, Sharon Walpole / Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement

Taylor, B., Pearson, P., Clark, K., & Walpole, S. (1999). Beating the odds in teaching all children to read. CIERA Report #2-006. University of Michigan: Ann Arbor.

Topics Covered: Best Teaching Practices / Professional Development; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3);

Tags: Comprehension; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Placement; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: Which school-level and teacher-level factors affect reading achievement?

Summary:

The authors used quantitative and descriptive methods to investigate school and classroom factors related to primary-grade reading achievement. Fourteen schools across the U.S. with moderate to high numbers of students on subsidized lunch were identified as most, moderately, or least effective based on several measures of reading achievement in the primary grades.

A combination of school and teacher factors, many of which were intertwined, was found to be important in the most effective schools. Statistically significant school factors included strong links to parents, systematic assessment of pupil progress, strong building communication, and a collaborative model for the delivery of reading instruction, including early reading interventions. Statistically significant teacher factors included time spent in small group instruction, time spent in independent reading, high pupil engagement, and strong home communication. More of the most accomplished teachers were frequently observed teaching word recognition by coaching as children were reading, in addition to providing explicit phonics instruction, than the least accomplished teachers and teachers in the moderately or least effective schools.

Additionally, more of the most accomplished teachers and those in effective schools were frequently observed asking higher level questions after reading than their counterparts. In all of the most effective schools, reading was clearly a priority at both the building and classroom level.

Findings:

  • Children in primary grades make the greatest growth when a high proportion of their reading instruction is delivered through small ability groups, with regularly monitored progress, and plenty of time to learn needed skills and strategies
  • Teachers that help students thrive in reading are skilled coaches and keep all children academically engaged
  • Schools have a long way to go in improving reading instruction in the primary grades

Policy Recommendations:
n/a see findings

Contexts for Engagement and Motivation in Reading

by Guthrie, John T.

Guthrie, J.T. (2001). Contexts for engagement and motivation in reading. Reading Online, 4(8). International Reading Association: Washington DC.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early (Pre-K); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Upper Elementary (4-6); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Adolescent (7-12); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Adult;

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Comprehension; Motivation; Reading; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: How do engaged and motivated reading contribute to successful reading skills and achievement?

Summary: Engaged reading is a merger of motivation and thoughtfulness. Engaged readers seek to understand; they enjoy learning and they believe in their reading abilities. They are mastery oriented, intrinsically motivated, and have self-efficacy. Teachers create contexts for engagement when they provide prominent knowledge goals, real-world connections to reading, meaningful choices about what, when, and how to read, and interesting texts that are familiar, vivid, important, and relevant.

Findings:
The following all help to contribute to an environment that will foster motivated and engaged reading:

  • Identify a knowledge goal and announce it
  • Provide a brief real-world experience related to the goal
  • Make trade books and multiple other resources available
  • Give students some choice about the subtopics and texts for learning
  • Teach cognitive strategies that empower students to succeed in reading these texts
  • Assure social collaboration for learning
  • Align evaluation of student work with the instructional context (e.g., grade students for progress toward the knowledge goal)

Policy Recommendations:
None, this article makes no policy recommendations but instead describes the characteristics of an engaging and motivated reading environment.

Double the Work: Challenges and Solutions to Acquiring Language and Academic Literacy for Adolescent English Language Learners

Short, D., & Fitzsimmons, S. (2007). Double the Work: Challenges and solutions to acquiring language and academic literacy for adolescent English language learners– A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Adolescent (7-12);

Tags: Curriculum; Struggling Readers;

Summary: Adolescent English Language Learners, who must simultaneously learn English and age-appropriate subject material, face six literacy challenges, ranging from a lack of appropriate assessments to limited use of research-based instruction.

Early Literacy: Policy and Practice in the Preschool Years

by Dorothy Strickland and Shannon Riley-Ayers

Strickland, D., Riley-Ayers, S. (2006). Early Literacy: Policy and Practice in the Preschool Years. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Rutgers University.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early (Pre-K);

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Comprehension; Motivation; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Reading; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: The policy paper analyzes the literature for specific skills and abilities that predict early childhood reading outcomes as they age.

Summary: Early childhood professionals have long recognized the importance of language and literacy in preparing children to succeed in school. Early literacy plays a key role in enabling the kind of early learning experiences that research shows are linked with academic achievement, reduced grade retention, higher graduation rates, and enhanced productivity in adult life. This report synthesizes the body of professional knowledge about early literacy and offers research-based recommendations.

Policy Recommendations:

  • All children should have access to early childhood programs with strong literacy components that include clear adaptations for children with special needs.
  • Early literacy curricula and teaching practices should be evidence-based, integrated with all domains of learning, and understandable to staff members.
  • Early literacy standards should be established that articulate with K-12 programs and reflect consistency and continuity with overall program goals.
  • Early literacy assessment should use multiple methods and use the information to improve both teaching and the total preschool program.
  • Standards for early childhood professionals should require staff to meet early literacy instructional standards.
  • Parent involvement programs should have a strong early literacy component that guides parents and caregivers in providing early literacy experiences at home.
  • Support for English Language Learners should be specified and provided in both the home language and English where feasible.

Ensuring Academic Success for English Learners

by Laurie Olson, UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute

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

Topics Covered: Assessment and Accommodations;

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: The paper provides an overview of research and knowledge that educators can use to create schools in which English learners thrive and achieve at high levels.

Summary: This report, or position paper, highlights nine elements of a strong program, based on three decades of research. The report recommends best practices that include accessible preschool programs, support for newcomers of all ages, and a focus on English language development.

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; and
  • Demonstrate new models of successful schools for English learners

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
University of California
Linguistic Minority Research Institute
4722 South Hall
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3220

Fluent and Nonfluent Forms of Transfer in Reading: Words and Their Message

by Heather J. Faulkner, Betty Ann Levy

Faulkner, H., & Levy, B.A. (1999). Fluent and nonfluent forms of transfer in reading: Words and their message. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 6, 111-116.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

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

Target Population: No target, instead considers reading skills in general. First experiment uses elementary school students, the second uses undergraduate students.

Research Questions the Report Poses: Do readers understand a passage because of the individual words in that passage or because of the order of the passage's words as a whole?

Summary: Abstract:
In two experiments, we examined transfer to the reading of a normal text from a prior reading of that intact text or from a prior reading of a scrambled word version of the passage. In Experiment 1, we studied good and poor readers in Grade 4; in Experiment 2, high- and low-ability undergraduate readers. Good readers at both ages showed rereading benefits only when the prior reading was of the intact text, with no reliable benefit from experience with words only. The poorer readers showed reliable rereading benefits even when only the words, in a scrambled order, were read on the first encounter. The results are discussed in terms of two forms of transfer: nonfluent reading transfer when attention must be focused on word recognition and fluent rereading transfer when word recognition is skilled so that attention can be focused on text processing.

Findings:
If a reader is reading fluently, comprehension largely takes place on the whole-text level (i.e. sentences and paragraphs), but if the reader is at a lower level and not reading fluently then comprehension occurs at the single word level. This held true for readers at both the fourth grade and undergraduate levels.

Policy Recommendations:
None. This is not a policy piece; instead it is a research report. See findings.

Getting Ready for Reading: Early Phoneme Awareness and Phonics Teaching Improves Reading and Spelling in Inner-city Second Language Learners

by M. Stuart

Stuart, M. (1999). Getting ready for reading: early phoneme awareness and phonics teaching improves reading and spelling in inner-city second language learners. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 69, 587-605.

Topics Covered: Assessment and Accommodations; Best Teaching Practices / Professional Development;

Tags: Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Motivation; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Reading; Spelling; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: Does a commercially available early literacy program for ELLs improve reading and spelling.

Summary: Previous studies demonstrate that phoneme awareness training, particularly when combined with letter-sound teaching, results in improved reading and spelling development. This study seeks to extend previous findings by including children learning English as a second language, who have typically been excluded from previous studies.

Findings:

  • The experimental program accelerated children's acquisition of phoneme awareness and of phonics knowledge;
  • Student's ability to apply phoneme awareness and phonics knowledge awareness in reading and writing improved in the experimental group;
  • An early focus on teaching phoneme awareness and phonics can significantly improve reading and spelling standards in inner city second language learners.

Policy Recommendations:
Stuart, M. (1999). Getting ready for reading: early phoneme awareness and phonics teaching improves reading and spelling in inner-city second language learners. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 69, 587-605.

Improving Reading Comprehension of English Learners Through Listening Comprehension Instruction

by University of California's Linguistic Minority Research Institute / Emily Solari

Solari, E. (2007). Improving Reading Comprehension of English Learners through Listening Comprehension Instruction. University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute: Santa Barbara, California

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early (Pre-K); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3);

Tags: Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Latino ELL Students; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: Can focusing on listening comprehension help ELLs to improve their overall literacy?

Summary: The article is a summary of research conducted on Spanish-speaking kindergarten students. The aim of the research was to see if, by concentrating on listening comprehension with on a group of students, their reading comprehension could be raised. The research was conducted using both at risk and non-at risk students, and results were compared against a control group that did not receive emphasis on listening comprehension.

Findings:

  • Intervention for ELL kindergarteners, both at-risk and non at-risk, can concentrate on an important pre-cursor to reading comprehension (i.e. listening comprehension) without loss of positive effects on word level skills.

Policy Recommendations:
No recommendations given other than to examine more closely the use of listening comprehension and other reading pre-cursors in interventions.

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
n/a

Integrated Vocabulary Instruction: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners in Grades K-5

by Camille L. Z. Blachowicz, Peter J. Fisher, Susan Watts-Taffe / Learning Point Associates

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

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Upper Elementary (4-6);

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 different ways that vocabulary can be integrated into the classroom to teach a variety of learners?

Summary: The goal of this document is to provide the information that teachers and other educators need to implement an integrated and comprehensive approach to vocabulary instruction. Integrated means that vocabulary is a core consideration in all grades across the school and in all content areas across the school day. Comprehensive means that vocabulary instruction encompasses much more than a list of words to teach at the beginning of the week. Rather, it involves a common philosophy and shared practices, based on a solid understanding the knowledge base and supported by curricular considerations as well as classroom and school organizational procedures.

Findings:
This article does not contain research findings so much as it contains a collection of 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:
None; this is not so much a policy document as it is a collection of strategies for teachers to use to teach vocabulary more effectively. If anything, the policy recommendation is for teachers to begin incorporating some of these techniques.

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Learning Point Associates
1100 17th Street N.W., Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
(P): 800-252-0283

Meeting the Literacy Development Needs of Adolescent English Language Learners Through Content Area Learning: Part One: Focus on Motivation and Engagement

by Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory (LAB), The Education Alliance at Brown University, Julie Meltzer and Edmund Hamann

Meltzer, J. & Hamann, E. (2004). Meeting the literacy development needs of adolescent English language learners. Part one: Focus on motivation and engagement. Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Adolescent (7-12);

Tags: Content Areas: Math; Content Areas: Science; Content Areas: Social Studies; Motivation; Placement; Reading; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: Review of the literature concerning student motivation and engagement on literacy development of adolescents and research on the schooling of adolescent ELLs.

Summary: This article reviews the major research findings as they relate to engagement and motivation of ELL adolescents. The highlighted research is meant to explore the confluence of two areas of study—literacy development and schooling practices for ELLs and native English speakers—and serve as a guide for professional development for secondary teachers. The literature review explores school and classroom contexts; instructional principles like relevance, choice, and student-centered classrooms; and instructional practices like scaffolding and activating prior knowledge as they relate to adolescent ELLs.

Findings:

  • literacy development and effective instruction for ELL and non-ELL adolescents alike share many commonalities;
  • isolated ELL students are further negatively impacted as a result of these findings; and
  • content-area teachers may benefit from research and practices designed for ELL teachers
"

Policy Recommendations:
n/a

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
The Education Alliance at Brown
222 Richmond Street, Suite 300
Providence, RI 02903-4226
Phone: 800.521.9550
Fax: 401.421.7650
E-mail: info@alliance.brown.edu

Meeting the Literacy Development Needs of Adolescent English Language Learners Through Content Area Learning: Part Two: Focus on Classroom Teaching and Learning Strategies

by Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory (LAB), The Education Alliance at Brown University, Julie Meltzer and Edmund Hamann

Meltzer, J. & Hamann, E. (2004). Meeting the literacy development needs of adolescent English language learners. Part two: Focus on classroom teaching and learning strategies. Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory .

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Adolescent (7-12);

Tags: Content Areas: Math; Content Areas: Science; Content Areas: Social Studies; Motivation; Placement; Reading; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What instructional practices dovetail in both the ELL adolescent literacy literature and non-ELL adolescent literacy literature?

Summary: As with part one of this publication, part two amounts to a literature review. Part two looks for congruous instructional practices that are good for secondary ELL and native English speakers alike. The article shifts through a series of discussions about a variety of domains related to teaching and arrives at a conclusion in support of strategies beneficial to ELL students and native English language students.

Findings:
Eight instructional approaches are supported in both literatures (what's good for ELL adolescents and adolescent native English speakers):

  1. teacher modeling, strategy instruction, and using multiple forms of assessment;
  2. emphasis on reading and writing;
  3. emphasis on speaking and listening/viewing;
  4. emphasis on thinking;
  5. creating a learner-centered classroom;
  6. recognizing and analyzing content-area discourse features;
  7. understanding text structures within the content areas; and
  8. vocabulary development.

Policy Recommendations:
n/a

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
The Education Alliance at Brown
222 Richmond Street, Suite 300
Providence, RI 02903-4226
Phone: 800.521.9550
Fax: 401.421.7650
E-mail: info@alliance.brown.edu

Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-based Recommendations for the Instruction and Academic Interventions

by David J. Francis and Mabel Rivera/Center on Instruction English Language Learners Strand, Nonie Lesaux and Michael Kieffer/Havard Graduate School of Education, Hector Rivera/Center on Instruction English Language Learners Strand

Francis, David J., Mabel Rivera, Nonie Lesaux, and Hector Rivera. (2006). Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners, Retrieved April 11,2008, from http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL1-Interventions.pdf

Topics Covered: About ELLs; Assessment and Accommodations; Learning Disabilities and Special Education; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

Tags: American Indian ELL Students; Asian ELL Students; Comprehension; Content Areas: Math; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency; Latino ELL Students; Other ELL Students (Middle Eastern, African, European, etc.); Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Reading; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What students are classified as being English Language Learners? How are they best identified, and what recommendations should be made to more adequately instruct possible ELL students to prevent further learning difficulties?

Summary: After briefly highlighting the characteristics of and how to best identify ELL students the articles attempts to show the importance of effective instruction and intervention not only for academically struggling ELL students, but also for all ELL students including those individuals who are linguistically fluent in English. Before looking into the proposed recommendations the article also briefly looks into the importance of mastering academic language skills as key elements to academic success. The importance of academic language skills is revisited under the recommendations sections for both reading comprehension and mathematics.

Findings:

  • Statistics for ELLs may be hard to obtain or may be inaccurate since many ELL students go without being properly identified
  • ELL students can better from more individualized instruction
  • Mastery of academic language is necessary for academic success, which can prove to be difficult even for English speaking proficient ELLs
  • In order to provide effective support of reading comprehension to ELLs educators must have an understanding of the child's individual needs
  • In addition to reading comprehension it is crucial for students to become proficient in mathematics

Policy Recommendations:
While the article did not have any specific policy recommendations the recommendations listed in the article could be taken as such and thus included in this section.

Recommendations for Reading Instruction and interventions:

  • ELLs need early, explicit, and intensive instruction in phonological awareness and phonics in order to build decoding skills.
  • K-12 classrooms across the nation must increase opportunities for ELLs to develop sophisticated vocabulary knowledge.
  • Reading instruction in K-12 classrooms must equip ELLs with strategies and knowledge to comprehend and analyze challenging narrative and expository texts.
  • Instruction and intervention to promote ELLs' reading fluency must focus on vocabulary and increased exposure to print.
  • In all K-12 classrooms across the U.S., ELLs need significant opportunities to engage in structured, academic talk.
  • Independent reading is only beneficial when it is structured and purposeful, and there is a good reader-text match.
Recommendations for Mathematics Instruction:

  • ELLs need early explicit and intensive instruction and intervention in basic mathematics concepts and skill.
  • Academic language is as central to mathematics as it is to other academic areas. It is a significant source of difficulty for many ELLs who struggle with mathematics.
  • ELLs need academic language support to understand and solve the word problems that are often used for mathematics assessment and instruction.

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
N/A

Recognition and Response: An Early Intervening System for Young Children At-Risk for Learning Disabilities

by Mary Ruth Coleman, Virginia Buysse, and Jennifer Neitzel / FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Coleman, M.R., Buysse, V. & Neitzel, J. (2006). Recognition and Response: An early intervening system for young children at-risk for learning disabilities. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, FPG Child Development Institute: Chapel Hill, NC.

Topics Covered: Best Teaching Practices / Professional Development;

Tags: Comprehension; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: How can a "Recognition and Response" system be integrated into classrooms to identify struggling students who may have learning disabilities and get them the help they need?

Summary:

Some young children show signs that they may not be learning in an expected manner, even before they begin kindergarten. These children may exhibit problems in areas such as language development, phonological awareness, perceptual-motor abilities, and attention, which are considered precursors of learning disabilities in older children. However, under current state and federal guidelines, these children are unlikely to meet eligibility criteria for having a learning disability. This is because formal identification of a child's learning disability generally does not occur until there is a measurable discrepancy between the child's aptitude and academic achievement, often not until the second or third grade.

This report describes a method of addressing those warning signs immediately.

Findings:

  • There is an "emerging body of empirical evidence" that RTI is effective at identifying "at-risk" students.
  • Despite the general effectiveness of RTI, the manner of implementation, the definition of RTI, and the way students were evaluated varied widely.
  • Many studies of RTI only include grades 1-3. This leaves doubt as to how the program could be implemented with children as young as three or four.
  • Because the studies examined in this report only examined RTI when used with reading and phonics, it remains to be seen how effective RTI could be with other subjects.

Policy Recommendations:

  • Further develop the Recognition and Response system by (a) specifying in more detail each of the four components (i.e., an intervention hierarchy; screening, assessment, and progress monitoring; research-based curriculum, instruction, and focused interventions; a collaborative problem-solving process for decision-making) and (b) creating the tools and resources related to implementing each component.
  • Evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of the Recognition and Response system through future research.
  • Use professional development as the primary vehicle for disseminating information about the Recognition and Response system to front line early childhood professionals—teachers, specialists, and administrators.
  • Develop and evaluate dissemination strategies (consisting of print, electronic, and oral presentation methods) to communicate information about the Recognition and Response system with a wide audience that includes parents of young children, researchers, policy makers, and the general public.
  • Develop (or adapt) existing public policies related to program standards and professional competencies to support the widespread adoption and implementation of the Recognition and Response system throughout various sectors of the early childhood field (e.g., child care centers and homes, public and private pre-k programs, Head Start).

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
n/a

Repeated Reading to Enhance Fluency: Old Approaches and New Directions

Meyer, M. S., & Felton, R. H. (1999). Repeated reading to enhance fluency: Old approaches and new directions. Annals of Dyslexia, 49, 283-306.

Topics Covered: Best Teaching Practices / Professional Development; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

Tags: Fluency; Phonological Awareness; Struggling Readers;

Summary: As phoneme awareness deficits and resulting decoding weaknesses are increasingly addressed, there is heightened awareness of the role of fluency in reading. This paper reviews the history of fluency training, discusses the theoretical bases of such training, and summarizes the current knowledge about the efficacy of training procedures. It focuses on Repeated Reading (RR), the most familiar and researched approach to fluency training. Outcome data on Repeated Reading, presented in the form of questions, is meant to answer practitioner's questions about implementation and efficacy and to provide a starting point for researchers interested in the topic. Although some answers are straightforward, others indicate the subtleties involved in answering the broad question: Does Repeated Reading work? In addition to a list of practical suggestions based on Repeated Readings findings, three new approaches to fluency training are introduced.

Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do

by The American Federation of Teachers

Moats, L. C. (1999). Teaching reading is rocket science: What expert teachers of reading should know and be able to do. Washington, DC: American Federation of Teachers.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

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

Target Population: Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What practices in the classroom and elements in curriculums facilitate teaching reading to students?

Summary: This report discusses the current state of teacher preparation in reading. It reviews the reading research and describes the knowledge base that is essential for teacher candidates and practicing teachers to master if they are to be successful in teaching all children to read well. Developed by the American Federation of Teachers(AFT).

Findings:
The following are all part of effective reading instruction:

  • Direct teaching of decoding, comprehension, and literature appreciation
  • Phoneme awareness instruction
  • Systematic and explicit instruction in the code system of written English
  • Daily exposure to a variety of texts, as well as incentives for children to read independently and with others
  • Vocabulary instruction that includes a variety of complementary methods designed to explore the relationships among words and the relationships among word structure, origin, and meaning
  • Comprehension strategies that include prediction of outcomes, summarizing, clarification, questioning, and visualization
  • Frequent writing of prose to enable a deeper understanding of what is read

Policy Recommendations:
The following recommendations pertain to professional development that should be employed to best train reading teachers:

  • Research should guide the profession.
  • Core requirements and standards for new teachers should be established.
  • Teacher education programs should be aligned with standards for students and licensing requirements for teachers.
  • Professional development institutes should be created for professors of education and master teachers.
  • Developers of textbooks and instructional materials should be encouraged to improve their products.
  • High-quality professional development must be available for teachers.
  • An investment in teaching should be made to attract and retain high-caliber teacher candidates.

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
http://www.aft.org/teachers/pubs-reports/reading.htm

The Role of English Teachers in Educating English Language Learners (ELLs)

NCTE ELL Task Force. (2006). NCTE Position Paper on the Role of English Teachers in Educating English Language Learners. National Council of Teachers of English: Urbana, IL.

Topics Covered: Best Teaching Practices / Professional Development; Bilingual Education; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Content Areas: Math; Content Areas: Science; Content Areas: Social Studies; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Language of Instruction; Reading; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary; Writing;

Summary:

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has pulled together information from a broad range of research on how to support English language learners in the classroom. It takes into account the variety of skill levels and background knowledge of ELL students and suggests best practices for teaching language, reading, writing, and content.

Waiting Rarely Works: Late Bloomers Usually Just Wilt

by American Federation of Teachers

American Federation of Teachers. (2004). Waiting Rarely Works: Late Bloomers Usually Just Wilt. American Educator: Washington, D.C.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3);

Tags: Comprehension; Instructional Programs; Struggling Readers;

Target Population: Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: Do struggling readers catch up? Do readers who are behind other students in initial grades ever catch up to their classmates' levels of achievement in later grades?

Summary: Until about a decade ago, the idea of a child being a "late bloomer" was accepted among researchers and educators as a valid reason for a child learning at a slower pace than peers. It was thought that these children would eventually bloom in their reading, but that they would just do it a bit later than their peers. Known as the "developmental lag theory," it justified the common practice of delaying the diagnosis of reading problems until they were quite severe. But more recently, long after many teachers ended their formal education training, researchers have been able to put the developmental lag theory to rest. Rather than a lag, early reading weakness is now defined as a skill deficit.

Findings:

  • Children who lag behind their peers in reading achievement in early grades tend to not catch up to their peers in later grades.
  • The failure to catch up is a skill deficit, not a developmental problem.

Policy Recommendations:

  • Increased focus on identifying and working with struggling readers in early grades so that they can get the emphasis they need before they fall behind

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What Makes Literacy Tutoring Effective?

by Connie Juel

Juel, C. (1996). What makes literacy tutoring effective? Reading Research Quarterly, 31, 268-289.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Comprehension; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What factors contribute to successful tutoring outcomes?

Summary:

In 1991, researchers Connie Juel reported that university student-athletes who were poor readers seemed to be effective tutors of first-grade children who were poor readers. This 1996 study explores factors that may account for successful tutoring outcomes when poor readers tutor other poor readers. Two activities were found to be particularly important in successful tutor-student relationship: (a) the use of texts that gradually and repetitively introduced both high-frequency vocabulary and words with common spelling patterns and (b) activities in which children were engaged in direct letter-sound instruction. Two forms of verbal interaction were found to be particularly important: (a) scaffolding of reading and writing and (b) modeling of how to read and spell unknown words.

Findings:

  • Two activities were found to be particularly important in successful tutor-student relationship: (a) the use of texts that gradually and repetitively introduced both high-frequency vocabulary and words with common spelling patterns and (b) activities in which children were engaged in direct letter-sound instruction.
  • Two forms of verbal interaction were found to be particularly important: (a) scaffolding of reading and writing and (b) modeling of how to read and spell unknown words.

Policy Recommendations:
n/a

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
http://marketplace.reading.org/products/tnt_products.cfm?Subsystem=ORD&primary_id=10.1598/RRQ.31.3.3&product_class=IRABOOK&action=Long&PPV=Y