About the Reading Strand
The Center on Instruction offers materials and resources on reading that help educators improve reading outcomes for students in grades K-12, prevent reading difficulties from developing in the early grades as a solution to the problem of struggling readers in middle and high school, and meet instructional challenges of diversity in students’ ability and readiness for learning to read.
Reading: Grades K-12: Resources
|
||||||||
 |
||||||||
| Because scientific studies have repeatedly demonstrated the value of regularly assessing reading progress, a comprehensive assessment plan is a critical element of an effective school-level plan for preventing reading difficulties. This guide from the Center on Instruction provides valuable information for school leaders. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Although writing has received less attention than reading, it is a critical aspect of literacy and one in which effective instructional techniques and intervention models are needed. The Center on Instruction's synopsis distills the findings reported in Writing Next, with special attention to findings for students with learning disabilities. It identifies 11 instructional strategies, listed in decreasing order of effect size. The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar in February 2008 in which co-author Steve Graham described the results and implications presented in his report. The archived WebEx and PowerPoint presentation can be accessed here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
This document developed by the Center on Instruction's Reading, Special Education and ELL Strands makes recommendations for improving literacy-related instruction in the content areas or across the entire school day, interventions for students reading below grade level, and recommendations for supporting literacy development in adolescent English language learners. Also included are comments from experts in response to questions about methods for improving academic literacy in adolescents and examples of state activities in support of improved adolescent literacy in California, Florida, Rhode Island, and Washington. A video of Joe Torgesen providing an overview of this document is available here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| This annotated bibliography from the Center on Instruction, updated from a 2007 edition, is intended as a resource for technical assistance providers as they work with states on adolescent literacy. This revision includes current research and documents of practical use in guiding improvements in grades 4-12 reading instruction in the content areas and in interventions for struggling readers. It is organized into four categories aligned with information provided in adolescent literacy guidance documents previously developed by the Center on Instruction: Policy and Leadership, Assessment for Instruction, Academic Literacy in the Content Areas, and Interventions for Struggling Readers. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
This guide from the Center on Instruction, designed to help principals monitor and support adolescent literacy instruction in their schools more effectively, can be used at the late elementary school level, in content-area classes in middle and high school, and with intervention groups or classes. It provides a scaffold to build principals' understanding of scientifically based reading instruction, as a means for a principal to gather information about the quality of literacy and reading intervention instruction in a school, and as a data collection guide for planning targeted professional development and resource allocation. It includes examples of what a principal might expect to see in a classroom as well as templates that states, districts, and schools may use or adapt. The Center on Instruction held a webinar August 10, 2009, as an orientation to this guide and to explain how an adolescent literacy principal walk-through process can be used to support state and district literacy plans. The archived WebEx file and PowerPoint presentation can be accessed here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| Presented at the K-3 and Adolescent Literacy Workshop February 14-15, 2006, by Dr. Joseph K. Torgesen, Florida Center for Reading Research at FSU. | ||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| This guide, a companion volume to two other publications from the Center on Instruction, Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents and Improving Literacy Instruction in Middle and High Schools: A Guide for Principals, provides information about the key elements of a comprehensive assessment plan to improve literacy instruction for adolescents and provides examples of assessments and assessment systems currently in use or under development to improve literacy instruction for students in grades 4-12. | ||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| Presented at the K-3 and Adolescent Literacy Workshop February 14-15, 2006, by Dr. Marcia Kosanovich, Florida Center for Reading Research at FSU. | ||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has released a practice guide to help educators identify struggling readers and implement evidence-based strategies to increase academic achievement. It details screening students for reading problems, designing a multi-tier intervention program, adjusting instruction to help struggling readers, and monitoring student progress. The guide can be downloaded at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/rti_reading_pg_021809.pdf | ||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
This document, developed by the Center on Instruction, provides research-based guidance on academic literacy instruction in the content areas, specifically focusing on the effective use of text in content areas. It reviews the research evidence about content-area literacy instruction for adolescents and suggests ways teachers can use content-area texts to enable students to understand the vocabulary and concepts they contain. This document also provides a brief synopsis of working with adult learners and the most promising professional development practices identified in research. Intended for use by literacy specialists and other technical assistance providers in their work with states to improve educational policy and practice in adolescent literacy, it describes ways to assist states, districts, and schools in helping teachers develop the kinds of pedagogical skills needed to implement instructional practices that have been shown to improve student literacy outcomes. The Center on Instruction held a webinar July 22,2010, to provide an introduction to this document. The archived WebEx file and PowerPoint presentation can be accessed here. |
||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| This 2005 report from the National Association of Secondary School Principals describes research-based practices that can be used to create a secondary school literacy instructional plan that not only targets the literacy of all students but also encourages postsecondary education and the enhancement of future employability. It also includes descriptions of schools that have implemented these practices. A hard copy of the document is $21 from the National Association of Secondary School Principals. However, it is available for free in PDF format from several internet sites, such as http://www.ecs.org/html/Document.asp?chouseid=6478. | ||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| This PowerPoint presentation is intended for teachers who are currently implementing CBM in reading and/or math and administrators who are supporting CBM implementation. Advanced issues covered include interpreting CBM reading and math data, using the database to inform instructional decision making, and selecting research-validated interventions. | ||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| This brief from the Center on Instruction provides guidelines for building a high-quality professional development program to support reading instruction in elementary schools. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
Doing What Works (DWW) is a website dedicated to assisting teachers in the implementation of effective educational practices. It contains practice guides developed by IES that evaluate research on the effectiveness of teaching practices described in the guides and examples of possible ways this research may be used. To access this website, visit http://dww.ed.gov/. DWW also provides tables describing the DWW tabs that address literacy and provides a quick reminder about the content to enhance presentations, professional development and general usage of the materials. The "Roadmaps" to Early Childhood Language and Literacy and Adolescent Literacy provide a quick overview and are available for download below, along with the more detailed inventories of the DWW website by topic. |
||||||||||||
|
|
||
|
||
|
This 2nd edition of the Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers professional development module is a revision of the 2008 version and presents information based on findings from Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta-Analysis with Implications for Practice (Scammacca et al., 2007) and recommendations discussed in Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices: A Practice Guide from IES (Kamil et al., 2008). This suite of resources developed by the Center on Instruction has two purposes. First, it is designed to guide the delivery of instruction for adolescent struggling readers, particularly secondary interventions in the general education context. Second, it seeks to deepen technical assistance providers’ knowledge of reading-related issues for adolescents with reading difficulties and learning disabilities and enrich providers’ work with SEAs and LEAs. Detailing selected research-based instructional practices associated with positive effects for adolescent struggling readers, the suite comprises (a) a meta-analysis, (b) a practice brief, (c) a professional development module, and (d) training of trainers materials. (a) Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta-Analysis with Implications for Practice summarizes and synthesizes aspects of recent research on reading instruction for adolescent struggling readers to determine the relative effectiveness of interventions and outlines implications of these findings for practice. It focuses on interventions to improve students' reading vocabulary, accurate decoding of unfamiliar words in text, reading fluency and their use of reading comprehension strategies. A capacity building indicator (CBI) form is provided. (b) Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Practice Brief takes the meta-analysis a step further for educators and decision-makers working in the field. It addresses the five reading components, compares successful and struggling readers’ behaviors, and describes effective school-based instructional practices. A capacity building indicator (CBI) form is provided. c) Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers: Professional Development Module combines information from the meta-analysis and practice brief into an interactive presentation on effective, research-based instruction in secondary reading. It includes a PowerPoint presentation with speaker’s notes and a Facilitator’s Guide. NOTE: Depending on your Web browser, you may have to save the file to your computer in order to see the notes. (d) The Training of Trainers PD Module is designed to train others to facilitate presentations of the Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers: Professional Development Module. It contains all slides from the EIASR-PD Module, presentation guidelines, and suggestions for customizing the PD for different audiences. A handout on customizing the PD is also provided. These resources align with Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction (Torgesen et al., 2007) also available in this section of the website. |
||
|
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| A body of research-based practices is emerging to guide instruction for adolescent struggling readers. This practice brief from the Center on Instruction focuses on the five reading components adolescents need to succeed in school and beyond. Each component - word study, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and motivation - discussed in terms of the available research, comparisons of successful and struggling readers' behaviors, and recommended instructional practices. The brief aligns with on two Center on Instruction publications, Reading Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta-Analysis with Implications for Practice (Scammacca et al., 2007) and Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction (Torgesen et al., 2007). | ||||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| Part of the Issues & Answers series from the Fast Response Projects conducted by the regional educational laboratories on current education issues, this 67 page report describes an investigation of adolescent literacy initiatives in seven states, analysis of a sample of interventions to improve literacy outcomes and guidance for matching interventions to specific school needs. The report was developed by the Regional Education Laboratory Southeast at SERVE Center, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. | ||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
This report from the Center on Instruction summarizes relevant high-quality research studies and synthesizes their findings on the effects of extension reading interventions (comprising at least 100 instructional sessions) and related implications for practice for students with reading problems or learning disabilities in an RTI setting. The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar in October 2007 to provide an opportunity for authors Sharon Vaughn and Jeanne Wanzek to discuss the implications identified in their report. The archived WebEx and PowerPoint presentation can be accessed here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| Presented at the K-3 and Adolescent Literacy Workshop February 14-15, 2006, by Dr. Marcia Kosanovich, Florida Center for Reading Research at FSU. | ||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
The National Association of State Boards of Education developed this guidance document about state policies and programs that lead to actual instructional changes in the classroom, including actions that must be taken at all levels--state, district, school, and classroom--to impact instructional practices and improve student reading skills. It is available for downloading here. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
This handbook, edited by the Center on Innovation and Improvement, was developed by the five national content centers (Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center, Center on Innovation & Improvement, Center on Instruction, National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, and National High School Center). The purpose of the Handbook is to bolster the effective implementation of the intervention models and strategies outlined in the 2009 School Improvement Grant (SIG) program in order to achieve the program’s clear goal—rapid improvement of persistently low-achieving schools. In particular, this Handbook offers practical explanations of the SIG’s required and recommended models and strategies, references to the underlying research, and connections to useful resources. The intended audience includes state education agencies (SEAs), local education agencies (LEAs), charter management organizations (CMOs), education management organizations (EMOs), organizational partners engaged in school improvement, and schools engaged in rapid improvement. To download the entire 210-page document, each chapter individually, or chapters by topic, click here. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
This practice guide from the What Works Clearinghouse offers five evidence-based recommendations for educators to use to improve literacy levels among adolescents in upper elementary, middle, and high schools. It also discusses the quality and quantity of evidence that supports them. This guide will help educators implement strategies to improve literacy practices, with examples of how this implementation may occur in a school setting. To access this document, click here. |
||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| This "quick start" guide for principals of both middle and high schools from the Center on Instruction identifies three goals for secondary school literacy initiatives and provides elements of instruction required to meet these goals. It then outlines the critical elements of a school-level literacy action plan. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
This publication from the Center on Instruction offers educators and policy-makers guidance on research-based strategies that have been effective in instructing English Language learners (ELLs). Regardless of the model that school districts select, teachers--especially those who have not been trained to work with ELLs--need help to determine the most effective strategies to accelerate student learning and maximize instructional time. This document outlines key contextual factors that decision-makers should take into account when making instructional choices for ELLs, provides a brief overview of bilingual and English-only instructional models, and considers the influence of the language of instruction on academic outcomes for ELLs. The Center on Instruction held a webinar July 28, 2010, as an orientation to this document. The archived WebEx file and the PowerPoint presentation can be accessed here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
This guide from the Center on Instruction provides information critical to developing and implementing an effective school-level intervention program. It is designed to suggest some guiding principles along with examples of how these principles can be operationalized to develop an effective school-level system for meeting the instruction needs of all students. In a May 2006 webcast, author Joe Torgesen provided an overview of this guide, which is available here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| Results of this meta-analysis from the Center on Instruction provide guidance for intervening with adolescent struggling readers, outlining major implications for practice. The report focuses on interventions designed to improve students' use of reading comprehension strategies. It also considers the impact of interventions that target improved reading vocabulary, accurate decoding of unfamiliar words in text, and increased reading fluency. | ||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| This online module, the third of a series providing information on Response to Intervention, covers such topics as components of high-quality reading instruction, how to integrate high-quality instruction into the RTI approach, and how teachers can increase student reading success in early grades. This third module can be accessed at http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/rti03_reading/chalcycle.htm. | ||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| This online module, the fourth of a series providing information on Response to Intervention, covers such topics as preparing teachers to implement RTI, effectively implementing RTI components in each tier, and challenges for school professionals to consider when implementing RTI. The fourth module can be accessed at http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/rti04_alltogether/chalcycle.htm | ||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| This is a 5 page translation of "Put Reading First: Helping Your Child Learn to Read - A Parent Guide." This publication is produced by the Partnership for Reading, a collaborative effort of National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the U.S. Department of Education, and the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
This report from the Center on Instruction presents information about assessment, instructional interventions, and professional development with a particular focus on ELL students who have been identified with a language and/or learning disability or who are at risk for reading difficulties. The focus of the intervention section is on those that have demonstrated success at remediating reading for ELLs who have either identified language impairment, reading and/or learning disabilities, or those who are performing significantly below their peers in reading achievement. The report also offers recommendations followed by discussion and empirical evidence for the types of instructional interventions that best serve ELLs who are at risk for reading difficulties who may or may not have an identified language and/or learning disability. |
||||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
In this transcript of an April 2007 question-and-answer session sponsored by the National Center on Learning Disabilities, Drs. Sharon Vaughn and Jeanne Wanzek answer questions about features of evidence-based reading instruction, the delivery of effective supplemental services, the importance of collecting, and using data to inform instruction. They also offer information about the implementation of RTI. The transcript is available at http://www.ncldtalks.org/content/interview/detail/1204/ . |
||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
This suite of resource materials developed by the Center on Instruction is designed to prepare school-based reading coaches who work with teachers to improve reading instruction in kindergarten through grade three. The materials support a four- or five-day professional development event, although they can be used in alternate formats. The materials include three components: a Participant’s Guide for use in the workshop sessions and as a long-term resource for attendees, a Facilitator’s Guide to provide information for session leaders (e.g., speaker notes, activity instructions), and a slide presentation with embedded video clips that illustrate practical application of the content. To download each component, click below. The Center on Instruction held a webinar on February 28, 2009, to introduce this PD module, along with three other recently released elementary school level products, to identify how it might be helpful to RCCs in their work with states. The archived WebEx can be accessed here. |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
This free online library provides local educators with easy access to over 700 professional development resources that can be customized to meet their needs. Such groups as AFT, NEA, federally funded TA centers, the IRIS Center, COI, and various states, have contributed resources to bring together research, policy and practice. The site can be searched by keyword or by an alphabetical list of resources, topics, or organizations providing the resource. It also has "featured resources", an opportunity to add a resource, and a signup to receive email updates. The database can be accessed here. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
This report from the Alliance for Excellent Education describes issues that must be addressed as students move beyond achieving basic reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills to more advanced literacy skills that will enable them to succeed in academic content areas. It is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/LitCon.pdf. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| This guide from the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy draws together evidence on nine of the most commonly used, commercially available reading comprehension assessments for use with adolescents. It provides a critical view into the strengths and weaknesses of each. Authors Leila Morsy, Michael Kieffer, and Catherine Snow focus on the utility of assessments for the purposes of screening groups of students to identify those who struggle and diagnosing their specific needs. The guide is available at http://www.carnegie.org/literacy/tta/pdf/tta_Morsy.pdf. | ||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| This 2007 brief developed by the National High School Center describes issues related to the implementation of RTI at the high school level. It provides an overview of RTI, describes current research on RTI and secondary education, and provides an example, the Long Beach, CA school district, that implemented RTI so successfully at the high school level that they are applying it to their middle schools. The document is available for download below. | ||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| This series of modules from the National Center on Response to Intervention provides information about how student progress monitoring, specifically Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM), can be used to determine a student's response to an intervention. The six modules include an introduction to CBM, using CBM in reading, math, written expression and spelling, other ways to use CBM data, and using CBM to determine RTI. These modules are designed for conducting professional development, course offerings, or individual study. Each module includes a PowerPoint presentation with notes, a manual, and handouts. While they are intended to be used as a series, each module can stand on its own. To access the CBM Modules, visit http://www.rti4success.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1172&Itemid=150. | ||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
This practice guide from the National Center for Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, offers teachers ways to improve their instruction and their students' study habits to enhance learning and remembering information. It offers seven of the more concrete and applicable recommendations available for improving instruction and student learning. The guide is available for downloading at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/20072004.pdf |
||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
The Principal's Reading Walk-Through (PRWT) K-3, developed by the Center on Instruction, is a suite of professional development materials designed as a user-friendly tool for classroom walk-through implementation that can identify research-based reading instruction in the classroom quickly and accurately. It includes a Participant's Guide, a Facilitator's Guide, a PowerPoint Presentation Module for Facilitators (with embedded video clips of classroom scenarios), and a Principal's Orientation PowerPoint Presentation with speaker notes, to be delivered by principals to introduce the PRWT to their staff. The recommended delivery is a one-day session followed by a half-day session scheduled within a four-week time span, a weekly study group, or self-guided instruction. The Center on Instruction held a webinar on February 28, 2009, to introduce this PD module, along with three other recently released elementary school level products, to identify how it might be helpful to RCCs in their work with states. The archived WebEx can be accessed here. |
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| This is a 64-page booklet summarizing the findings of the National Reading Panel Report for teachers of kindergarten through third grade students. Organized by the 5 components of reading, it suggests ways to translate the Panel's findings into teaching practices and answers frequently asked questions. This publication is produced by the Partnership for Reading, a collaborative effort of National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the U.S. Department of Education, and the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| This 5-page brochure discusses the basics on how to help your child become a reader -- what to look for at school and do at home in 25 easy-to-follow tips. This publication is produced by the Partnership for Reading, a collaborative effort of National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the U.S. Department of Education, and the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| The final report of a year-long study of adolescent literacy conducted by the National Association of State Boards of Education, this 2006 document outlines recommendations for policymakers based on joint problem-solving, collaborative practice, and collective accountability that engages students in purposeful reading and writing in all subjects being taught. | ||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
This guidance document from the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy discusses some of the challenges for adolescents who struggle with written texts in the academic subject areas of history, science, mathematics, and literacy. It also explores how standards, assessments, and teaching instruction can be strengthened in order to support these readers. The guidance document is available at http://www.carnegie.org/literacy/tta/pdf/tta_Lee.pdf. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices - Adolescent Literacy Advisory Panel identified five strategies for governors and state leaders to establish a framework and policies to support improvement of adolescent student literacy. This 41-page document provides a description of the work of the Advisory Panel including thorough discussion of each strategy and appendices with additional resources, contacts and examples of how the strategies have been implemented. It is available for online reading or download at The National Governors Association website at http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.9123e83a1f6786440ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=8f09ab8f0caf6010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD. | ||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
The Center on Instruction has developed a two-day professional development module based on the Florida Center for Reading Research's "Guidelines for Reviewing a Reading Program." The training module is designed to guide reviewers of reading programs through the review process to determine if a program is consistent with the scientific research on reading. The Participant's Guide contains resources (charts, summaries, and the Guidelines themselves) that are discussed during the professional development session but it can also serve as a stand-alone tool for reviewing any reading program. The Center on Instruction held a webinar on February 28, 2009, to introduce this PD module, along with three other recently released elementary school level products, to identify how it might be helpful to RCCs in their work with states. The archived WebEx can be accessed here. |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| The National Center on Response to Intervention has established a standard process to evaluate the scientific rigor of commercially available tools and interventions that can be used in an RTI context. A Screening Reading Tools Chart which reviews DIBELS, Scholastic, STAR, and STEEP programs is available online (submission to the review process was voluntary). The Center provides this information to assist educators and practitioners in making informed decisions about scientifically based tools that best meet their individual needs. The Screening Reading Tools Chart is available here. | ||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| As you apply for ARRA funds and implement your plan, COI's resources can help you identify reforms that work and how to implement them. As you advance reforms in the area of "data systems to support instruction", consider that COI's resources cover the use of data to inform instructional practices and decision making; inform professional development for teachers and administrators; and improve teacher and principal effectiveness. | ||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| As you apply for ARRA funds and implement your plan, COI's resources can help you identify reforms that work and how to implement them. As you advance reforms in "effective leaders and teachers", consider that COI's resources cover the research on high-quality instruction and interventions; using data to inform instruction; high-quality coaching and professional development for your teachers; and how to improve teacher and principal effectiveness. | ||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| As you apply for ARRA funds and implement your plan, COI's resources can guide you in your decision-making about what reforms work and how to implement them most effectively in the area of "standards and assessments". COI's resources can help you implement high-quality assessments and use information from assessments to guide classroom instruction. | ||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| As you apply for ARRA funds and implement your plan for "turning around lowest-performing schools", COI's resources can help you understand research-based practices to provide high-quality instruction and effective intervention to reach struggling students. Our resources can also help principals understand how to plan initiatives to improve the instructional programs for students and how to serve as an instructional leader at their school. | ||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
This article from the RTI Action Network discusses the RTI component of scientifically based instructions for all students--Tier 1. It also provides information on selecting a Tier 1 core program in reading, and addresses the issue of selecting core programs in other subjects of writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. It is available for download here. |
||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| This document from the National Reading Technical Assistance Center highlights a case study that compares two approaches for teaching ELLs to read: (1) in their primary language (Spanish) and then transitioning to English, and (2) in English only. This descriptive study examines what works, what doesn't work, and what is challenging in addressing the ELL issue in grades two and three. It is intended for individual readers, study groups, or school-site teams interested in reading instruction for ELLs. The appendix includes guiding discussion questions that can help to define their school's language reading program. | ||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Students with learning disabilities often experience difficulty making the transition from primary-level "learning to read" to upper-level "reading to learn". The Center on Instruction's synopsis of "Improving Comprehension of Expository Text in Students with Learning Disabilities: A Research Synthesis" discusses the results of a synthesis of 29 studies that addressed instructional approaches for enhancing reading comprehension and their implications for helping students with LD improve their reading comprehension in content-area instruction. The authors describe two main types of interventions: content enhancement and cognitive strategy instruction, both found to be highly effective in this population. The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar in June 2008 with author Asha Jitendra to discuss the results of the synthesis. The archived WebEx file can be accessed here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
To investigate the ways in which academic and behavior problems develop, McIntosh, Homer, Card, Boland, and Good (2006) conducted a retrospective longitudinal analysis of the interaction between reading skills and problem behavior among students from kindergarten through Grade 5 in a school district that was implementing universal support systems for both reading and behavior. The authors also sought to determine the usefulness of screening assessments in reading to predict responses to school-wide positive behavior support. This Center on Instruction synopsis outlines the authors' hypotheses, describes the results of their data analysis from reading and behavior measures, and discusses implications of these results for prevention of and intervention in both reading and behavior problems. The study appeared in School Psychology Review, 35, 275-291. The Center on Instruction hostd a webinar on October 10, 2008, to allow author Kent McIntosh to discuss this study. The archived WebEx file and PowerPoint presentation can be accessed here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| This "quick start" guide for elementary school-level instructional leaders, developed by the Center on Instruction, is based on scientific research on reading and reading instruction as well as on studies of successful schools and interviews with successful principals. It includes critical elements of an effective reading program in elementary school, critical tasks for principals as literacy leaders, and special considerations for reading instruction after third grade. It is available for download below. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| The Council for Exceptional Children's May/June 2007 issue, edited by guest editors Douglas and Lynn Fuchs, provides a cogent framework for understanding RTI as a means of preventing academic failure and identifying students as having learning disabilities. The articles in this special issue present a coherent set of developmental practices that can provide administrators and practitioners with an understanding of the benefits of using RTI and demonstrate how instruction and a tiered approach to service delivery, along with progress monitoring, can be implemented within schools and classrooms. The document is available for download below. | ||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
This report presents results of the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading at grades 4 and 8. Results show that the overall average score for fourth-graders in 2009 was unchanged from the score in 2007 but was higher than the scores in other earlier assessment years from 1992 to 2005. The average score for eighth-graders in 2009 was one point higher than in 2009 and four points higher than 1992 but was not consistently higher than in all the assessment years in between. There were no significant changes from 2007 to 2009 in the score gaps between White and Black students or between White and Hispanic students at eighter grade 4 or grade 8. To access this report, click here.
|
||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| This 2007 guide developed by the Stupski Foundation provides an overview of the Content Literacy Continuum (CLC), a replicable district-level model of instruction to meet the differentiated needs of struggling adolescents. It is available for download below or at their website, http://www.stupski.org/documents/Secondary_Literacy_Instruction_Intervention_Guide.pdf. | ||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
The Striving Readers program aims to improve the reading skills of middle- and high school-aged students reading below grade level by investigating (1) supplemental literacy interventions targeted toward students who are reading significantly below grade level and (2) cross-disciplinary strategies for improving student literacy through discretionary, competitive grants with a strong experimental evaluation component. Striving Reader grants were awarded to eight sites in March 2006 with plans to continue the interventions at least through the five years of the grant. During each year of implementation, independent evaluators under contract to the grantee track and measure the program’s implementation. Annual implementation reports describe the school context, the logic model for the intervention, the implementation research questions and implications for implementation of the adolescent literacy intervention. Project Profiles provide a brief summary of the setting, literacy model under investigation, research questions and the evaluation design used in the project. A cross-site synthesis provides an analysis of common elements and findings across the eight projects—to date. To access the these documents, go to http://www.ed.gov/programs/strivingreaders/performance.html. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| This report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy describes the research base and data on how to help students "read to learn." It also includes a discussion of best practices and describes how the practices and recommendations in the document are currently being implemented in schools and districts across the U.S. and, if implemented widely, hold promise for helping students become more skilled readers as they enter college and careers. This report is available at http://www.carnegie.org/literacy/tta/pdf/tta_Main.pdf. | ||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Presented at the 2006 Summer Institute on Student Progress Monitoring, this "Progress Monitoring in the Context of Responsiveness-to-Intervention" by Lynn Fuchs, Douglas Fuchs, John Hintze, and Erica Lemke provides clear distinctions between services offered in the different tiers of RTI and addresses both reading and math. This resource includes the PowerPoint presentation, a manual, and handout materials that include an appendix for additional RTI resources. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
This guide, developed by the Center on Instruction, is designed for technical assistance providers working with state education leaders to improve reading achievement. It describes a suite of Student Center Activities offering teachers a wide range of activities to engage students in differentiated reading activities during small-group work in the classroom. The activities target specific skills, scaffold student learning, and provide engaging practice to extend student learning and increase the time focused on critical reading skills at all levels of reading proficiency. Originally prepared for use in Florida schools, these activities are appropriate in any elementary school context and are consistent with scientific research on reading instruction. The Center on Instruction held a webinar on February 27, 2009, to introduce this guide, along with three other recently released elementary school level products, to identify how it might be helpful to RCCs in their work with states. The archived WebEx can be accessed here. |
||||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
| This document from the Utah State Office of Education uses Utah's Core Curricula to guide educators K-12 in implementing a 3-tier model of reading instruction. While specific to Utah, it has potential utility for a broader audience of those just beginning implementation of RTI-multi-tiered models for reading instruction. It is available for download below or at their website, http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/SARS/servicesinfo/pdfs/3-tierread.pdf. | ||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| In a video conference held on April 30, 2007, Dr. Joseph Torgesen of COI's Reading Strand provided an overview of the newly released "Adolescent Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction." To view the archived video, go to http://www.wfsu.org/fcrr/ and click on "Overview of Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents" in either RealTime or Windows Media. The PowerPoint used as the handout discussed in the video conference is also available. | ||||
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| This 8-page brochure is a condensed version of Using Research and Reason in Education. It outlines the basic guidelines in evaluating educational research and using the scientific method in the classroom. This publication is produced by the Partnership for Reading, a collaborative effort of National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the U.S. Department of Education, and the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. | ||||||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| This report from the Carnegie Corporation of New York presents results of a meta-analysis that examines the influence of writing on reading skills. Authors Steve Graham and Michael Hebert provide three broad recommendations and discuss specific writing practices to improve student reading skills. The full report can be accessed here. | ||||
|