1. Reading Successful Practices

2. Adapted from Successful Practices with English Learners: A Focus on Reading Aida Walqui, Director Teacher Professional Development Program Wested 3 rd Annual Language, Culture, and Education Institute University of Wisconsin Oshkosh April 5, 2003 Used with permission, 2003 Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

3. Think-Jot Down-Share or Reflect (3-5 minutes) How do you think children learn to read well? How do you think home culture impacts the process? Why do you think so? Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

4. New Literacy Studies Social orientation of reading and writing: Literacy varies from one context to another. Readers and writers have different conceptions of the meanings of what they are doing. These meanings are not just individual or cognitive, but derive from social practices. Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

5. Learning to Read Well Long-term developmental process. Goal: read a variety of materials with ease and interest, for varying purposes, with comprehension even when materials are difficult and not intrinsically interesting. Extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language. Wested, Teacher Professional Development., 2003

6. Elements in Reading The reader (cognitive capabilities, motivation, knowledge, experiences). The text (features impact comprehension). While reading, reader constructs various representations of text: surface code, text base, mental models. The activity: involves purposes, operations to process the text, and outcomes. The context: situated in the particular and derived from particular circumstances. Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

7. What do we know about reading? Good instruction is the most powerful means of promoting its development. Instruction designed to increase reading fluency leads to significant gains in word recognition and fluency and to moderate gains in comprehension (National Reading Panel meta-analysis of 14 studies). Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

8. What do we know about reading? Effective instruction can provide students with a repertoire of strategies that foster comprehension and that promote comprehension monitoring. Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

9. Types of Question-Answer Relationships 1. Right there The reader can immediately identify the answer because it is stated explicitly in the text. 2. Think and search The answer is implicit in the text. The reader must analyze, infer, draw logical conclusions, etc. 3. On my own The reader has questions related to the topic that are not included in the text. 4. Writer and me If the reader were with the author, what questions would s/he ask? Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

10. Think Aloud 1. Read the titleANTICIPATE: Review your knowledge of the topic. 2. Read the first sentenceSTOP: Put content in your own words. Connect it to concepts you already know. 3. Read the next sentenceSTOP and: Rephrase Connect Visualize NEW WORD? 1 st time:Guess! No solution? Put on hold! 2 nd time:Guess! No solution? Put on hold! 3 rd time: Guess! No answer? Now check the dictionary! Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

11. What do we know about reading? Explicit instruction makes a difference in learners’ outcomes, especially for English learners and students who have been systematically underserved. The role of vocabulary in enhancing comprehension is complex (confounded by the complexity of relationships among vocabulary knowledge, conceptual and cultural knowledge, and instructional opportunities. Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

12. What do we know about reading? Poor comprehenders are the result of differential instruction. McDermott and Varenne (1995) documented how differently teachers work with high and low achievers. With English learners a misguided sense of protection prevails, which leads to dangerous simplifications. Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2003

13. What do we know about reading? Teachers who provide comprehension strategy instruction that is deeply connected with content area reading foster comprehension development. Knowledge of text structure – across genres – enhances comprehension. It determines readers’ approach. Teach it explicitly. Wested, Teacher Professional Development, 2032

14. Explicit instruction is essential.