Diverse Learning CoP Putting the Puzzle Together: Components of an Effective Reading Program for Struggling Readers Facilitator: Donna Lupatkin Guests: Cindy Mata-Aguilar, Andrea Kotula, Cerelle Morrow, Education Development Center Date: November 3, 2008

Goals To understand how the key components of a successful reading program for struggling readers fit together To share information about what works in different schools To plan ways to continue the conversation and share resources

Agenda Welcome and Introductions Setting the Context: Problem Solving Components of an Effective Reading Program Next Steps

Meet our Guest Cindy Mata-Aguilar brings 32 years of experience in working in education. Ms. Aguilar’s expertise includes literacy, special education, inclusive practices, and school reform in the middle and high school. Dr. Andrea Winokur Kotula has been a teacher, teacher-educator, and researcher for 40 years. Her primary focus has been on diagnosis and interventions for struggling readers. Cerelle Morrow is a Senior Training and Technical Assistance Associate. She is a former middle school English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and holds a M.Ed. in International Education Development, with a specialization in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Setting the Context: Types of Reading Problems Foundation skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, and sight word vocabulary) Fluency Comprehension (vocabulary, text comprehension, and comprehension strategies)

Fitting the pieces of a learning program together

What are the Separate Pieces? Assessment Research-based instructional strategies Programming Professional Development Leadership Integration of Technology

Assessment Screening: Which students need additional reading support? Diagnostic testing: What kinds of specific help does each student need? Progress monitoring: How are they doing? Are they acquiring the needed skills?

Discussion: Testing in Your School What kinds of tests do you use in your school? Why? –One school gives the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Test in the spring of the entire school population. How do you use the results to inform instruction? –One school finds that the TerraNova Test identifies red flags. –Another schools uses the QRI (Quality Reading Inventory) since it provides an informal assessment.

Research-Based Strategies Foundation reading skills Vocabulary Comprehension

Assessment drives the instruction Explicit and systematic instruction is needed. Intensity for struggling readers: more time, smaller groups Building sight vocabulary enhances fluency Foundation Reading Skills

Vocabulary Learning Listening – the words needed to understand what is heard Speaking – the words used when speaking Reading – the words needed to understand what is read Writing – the words used in writing Sight – those words that can be identified without explicit decoding during reading Nagy, W.E., & Scott, J.A. (2000)

Vocabulary: Tiers Tier 1 – very basic, common words – happy, good, hand, telephone, house. Tier 2 – high frequency for mature language – fairly general but sophisticated: coincidence, remote, absurd, delinquent, travesty. Isabel Beck estimates 8,000; 800/yr K-9; 600/year K-12. Tier 3 – low frequency words often limited in use to a particular domain – digraph, schwa, isotope, schemata, etc. Beck, I. L., McKeown, M.G. & Kucan, L. Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction

Discussion Implications for Hebrew and English vocabulary learning –Teaching second language learning is best understood as teaching to all students—from the same perspective that RtI teaches to all students. If students come from bilingual homes (Hebrew and English), then it makes it even more complicated to create an effective reading program designed to teach all children. “Koallen “might be a helpful tool “Kriah scan,” a tools designed by Aaron Hirsh Fried, is useful for all ages.

Comprehension Comprehension monitoring Cooperative learning Graphic and semantic organizers Question answering Question generation Summarization Multiple strategy instruction

Discussion In our discussion, participants noted that it became important to consider the following issues and strategies in designing reading programs: * Learning academic vocabulary at home and at school. * Finding and using vocabulary lists of English and Hebrew * Considering the 10 lists of most frequently used academic words

Programming to Meet Students’ Needs Core Instruction Supplemental Instruction Intensive Instruction

Discussion: Programs in Your School What types of supplemental instruction do you provide? –Classroom teachers help students in the classroom. What types of intensive instruction do you provide? –Resource teachers are used, though this gets expensive.

Professional Development Who in your school? What?How? (what strategies) Classroom teacher Reading and specialists Special educators Administrators

Leadership Must involve principal/head of school, curriculum leaders, and members of the Board Needs to be aligned to mission, vision, strategic plan Needs to provide teachers with ongoing support Needs to involve families Needs to consider how to access and allocate resources

Integration of Technology Consider –Types of technology tools –Purpose for use –Students’ abilities and needs –Curriculum goals –Connection to research-based strategies –Availability and access –Professional development

Technology Resources TECHMATRIX: Literacy Matters – Read Write Think Thinkfinity Reading Rockets Eg Eg

PEJE wishes to thank Hidden Sparks for their generous support of this CoP.