Research Proven Strategies in Language Arts/Literacy Katie Drummond CCSSO, October 20, 2003

Definitive research base still building Controversies continue (e.g., Fletcher & Lyon, 1998) Concern over identification: reading deficit vs. reading disability (e.g., Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998) Literacy acquisition is problematic for many Reading: Prominent Issues

The Evidence Base 5 strands from Reading Panel (NRP, 2000): –Phonemic Awareness –Phonics –Fluency –Vocabulary –Comprehension Literacy for adolescents Writing

Phonemic Awareness & Phonics Best when explicit, systematic Not a complete program System is complicated; teachers’ skills need to be developed (Moats, 2001) Need to ensure that materials are carefully constructed (Stein, Johnson & Gutlohn, 1999)

Fluency Accurate and quick reading of text Repeated, monitored, & modeled oral reading is best mode of achieving (Chard, Vaughn, & Tyler, 2002) Passages need to be at independent- reading level

Vocabulary Extended instruction Repeated exposure Word substitution Multiple methods work best

Comprehension Use of graphic organizers Question answering/generation Structure-- fiction and expository (Gersten, Fuchs, Williams, & Baker, 2001) Summarization Mixed methods work best

Reading and Verbal Competency As skill in decoding grows, general linguistic competency accounts for more of reading outcomes (Shankweiler et al., 1999) –Metalinguistic awareness –Background knowledge (Shankweiler et al., 1999) –Engagement with complex ideas (Beck, McKeown, Hamilton, & Kucan, 1998)

Older Readers Need to transact with text (Peterson, Caverly, Nicholson, O’Neal, & Cusenbary, 2000) Evidence of late-emerging reading disability (Leach, Scarborough, & Rescorla, 2003) Still need basics; higher level decoding (Moats, 1998) Need ways to engage with complex ideas even if they cannot read it yet

Writing Process and self-regulation are key Mechanisms for consistency Tools for planning (Harris & Graham, 1992) Attention or compensation for handwriting and spelling issues (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2004)

Overall More conclusive findings on general strategies than programs/curricula Expertise of teachers Rigor of instruction time (Chard & Kameenui, 2000; Vaughn, Levy, & Coleman, 2002) Metacognitive strategies, integration important for special needs (Vaughn, Gersten, & Chard, 2000) More research

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