1. Are Students Receiving Evidenced- Based Literacy Instruction In My District and School?
Julie Morrill, L4GA Grant/Literacy Program Manager
Georgia Department of Education
11/17/2018

2. Introduce myself and my background.
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3. Session Objectives Why evidenced-based What is evidenced-based
What a reading program is and isn’t
Start with the Cognitive Model
Grades K-5
Elementary Literacy Block
Grades 6-12
Content delivery models
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4. Why evidenced-based?
It is risky to use practices, strategies, programs and interventions that haven’t been validated by empirical studies.
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5. Evidenced-Based Practices
Professionalizes Educators
Responsive to the Community
Data-informed
Research-based

6. Georgia’s definition of evidenced-based.
(I) strong evidence from at least 1 well designed and well implemented experimental study;
(II) moderate evidence from at least 1 well designed and well implemented quasi-experimental study; or
(III) promising evidence from at least 1 well designed and well implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias; or
(ii) (I) demonstrates a rationale based on high quality research findings or positive evaluation that such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other relevant outcomes; and
(ii) (II) includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of such activity, strategy, or intervention.
Georgia’s definition of evidenced-based.
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7. Walk through the cognitive model and how it’s use influences the literacy block Pk-5
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8. Literacy K-5
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9. What is a school literacy program?
A school reading program does not come in a box
A school reading program is not funding
A school reading program is not a schedule
A school reading program is not a standard
A school reading program is not a set of random assessments
“THE SCHOOL READING PROGRAM IS WHAT YOUR CHILDREN RECEIVE ON A DAILY BASIS. YOUR SCHOOL OWNS IT, CONTROLS IT AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT!”
This has been the mantra of our professional colleagues Dr. Mike McKenna and Dr. Sharon Walpole since I met them in The school reading program must address each and every students need in the school. It should be stable but also flexible. All adults in the building must be able to articulate it, but it should ultimately rest in the hands of the Instructional leader in the building. If that is not the principal, then they must relinquish control to the person who will take responsibility for student learning.
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11. Planning the ELA Block
All of the evidence based practices are located at Comprehensive Reading Solutions.com
This is the website developed and administered by Drs. Walpole and McKenna(late)
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12. An ELA Block Uses Resources
Reading Program
Texts and curriculum materials
Instruction and practice time
Grouping Formats
Formal and informal data
Instructional Routines

13. An ELA Block Divides Time Each Day
Interactive Read-Aloud of Challenging Text
45 minutes
Shared Reading of Grade Level Text
Differentiated Targeted Skills Work
45 minutes total
In small groups
Grade-Level Writing Instruction

14. Read aloud from real literature every day
Core programs simply do not have enough text at sufficient levels of difficulty.
The language of literature will provide you with opportunities to teach craft and structure. Your students will build vocabulary and grammar knowledge from listening.
Information text and narratives, checked out from the library, are accessible to all.
Volume is definitely something that should be managed. Looking at how much a child is actually reading daily is a task that must be tackled by administration.
Monitor check outs from the media center as part of the literacy needs assessment.

15. Build Vocabulary
Students need to increase their listening vocabulary well ahead of their reading vocabulary.
Focus on a few simple approaches so that you can teach more words more quickly.
Repurpose your word wall to remind yourself to review old words for meaning.
Visit CRS to watch the Interactive Read Alouds module and certainly check out the Bookworms lesson plans for well developed evidenced based Read Aloud lesson plans for K-5.

16. Lead Better Discussions
Much language development occurs during discussions in which teachers expand student language.
Open-ended, inferential questions will allow students to stretch their skills every day.
Challenging text is a better venue for a good discussion.
Always model school language.

17. Sample Lesson Plans Bookworms
Comprehensive reading program written by Dr. Michael McKenna and Dr. Sharon Walpole
u/revised-bookworms-lessons
Videos are available to assist in perfecting delivery of the Interactive Read Aloud.
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18. Use Every Pupil Response
If your students are taking turns, most are waiting.
When everyone is reading aloud and together, all are engaged.
When students are discussing in groups or partners, all are engaged.
When students are writing, all are engaged.

19. Shared Reading children grouped heterogeneously
reading a grade-level text
heavily scaffolded by a teacher
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20. Rethinking Shared Reading
om/2013/05/08/rethinking-shared- reading-2/
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21. Increase Reading Volume
One story a week will not be enough to accelerate development.
Use all the materials you have.
Make sure that students are reading new text every day.
Build up your classroom library. Make sure children have an opportunity to visit the media center often. Don’t focus on non-motivational programs to engage students.

22. Use Repeated Readings
Repeated reading is the best way to increase reading fluency and deepen comprehension.
Challenging texts will become accessible with repeated readings.
Repeaded readings in real text will build fluency and comprehension. Paired reading, buddy reading etc. Do not limit students to leveled text as it doesn’t utilize any knowledge building and isn’t engaging.
Formulaic chapter books are better. (cam Janson, encyclopedia brown, etc) For lesson plans, look at the Bookworms lesson plans on CRS.

23. Differentiate for Foundational Skills
Phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency are not the goal anymore – they are a tools. They have to be mastered by all, faster.
The fastest way to build basic skills is to target them directly in small groups.
There are simple, free assessments to help you. You need only an oral reading fluency screening test, a phonics inventory, and a high-frequency word list.
Ensure that your program assesses students knowledge base to start them in the foundational skills. These should be taught briskly. Small part of the balanced literacy block.

24. Differentiated Reading Instruction
om/2013/10/26/0introduction-to- differentiation/
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25. Use Writing to Demonstrate Comprehension
Children can draw or write after every read-aloud and every shared reading.
Provide prompts that require text-based evidence.
Ask students to share their writing with one another to establish a meaningful audience.
Using writing to develop comprehension is an ideal way to broaden students thoughts and development of concepts. Students can start as early as kindergarten. It is an ideal center activity during small group differentiation time.

26. Elementary Writing Instruction
om/2016/06/23/3elementary-writing- instruction/
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27. Teach Handwriting
Handwriting fluency in the early years is associated with compositional quality many years later.
Students need to be able to form letters automatically so that they can focus on meaning.
om/2013/02/03/7handwriting/
CRS has a module on handwriting. Dr. David Coker, UDEL writing researcher delivers evidenced based information on the value of handwriting in the ELA block. He also adds a free resource to be used three days per week if there is no handwriting curriculum available.

28. Literacy 6-12
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30. Cracking the Common Core
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31. What is content literacy?
Published and unpublished programs are a part of your school ELA block. The schedule should be carefully crafted by administrators for teachers. The schedule dictates the amount of instruction a child receives daily.

32. Content
It’s in the delivery Participation vs. Transmission Jetton and Alexander (2004)
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33. Reading comprehension
Reading comprehension requires domain- specific background knowledge.
One of the ways to develop domain- specific background knowledge is through extensive reading and writing.
Reading comprehension
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34.
Background
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35. During Reading and After Reading
During Reading and After Reading
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36. Julie Morrill, Striving Readers/Literacy Program Manager jmorrill@doe
Julie Morrill, Striving Readers/Literacy Program Manager
11/17/2018