1. 1 Effective Interventions for Struggling Readers Comprehension: The Essence of Reading Dr. Melissa Comer Tennessee Tech University

2. 2 Impact of Reading Interventions Factors That Interfere With Comprehension Assessment Strategies and Practice Processing Outline

3. 3 The Connections Between Reading Interventions, NCLB, and YOU!

4. 4 Targeted Interventions Benefit: Students Teachers Schools Districts States

5. 5 Essential Components of Reading 1.Phonemic Awareness 2.Phonics 3.Fluency 4.Vocabulary 5.Comprehension Comprehension: “Components of an Effective Reading Program” http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/ effectivereadingcomponents.asp http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/ effectivereadingcomponents.asp

6. 6 Discussion Share with your partner examples of students you know who struggle with comprehension. Discuss why you think they may be having difficulty. Share with your partner any comprehension strategies you currently use, or know about.

7. 7 Students Who Struggle Students with disabilities: –Dyslexia –Traumatic brain injury –Learning disability –Cognitive deficit –Attention deficit disorder –Sensory Impairment Students with skill deficits in the reading components Students who are not task persistent Students who lack appropriate background knowledge Students who are not engaged in reading Students who are not motivated to read

8. 8 What Can Practitioners Do Students with disabilities: –Increase your knowledge base –Provide accommodations Skill deficits: –Conduct screening assessments –Provide remediation Lack of appropriate background knowledge: –Conduct screening assessments –Implement pre-reading activities Lack of engagement: –Select appropriate text –Allow for choice

9. 9 Comprehension Assessments Things to Consider Different tests tap different abilities. Tests do not usually help pinpoint difficulties in individual students. Tests are not geared toward distinguishing specific comprehension processes that might underlie poor comprehension in both listening and reading. Spear-Swerling (2006)

10. 10 What Practitioners Can Do Look for and use tests that are technically adequate If possible, use more than one test Assess key component skills Take everyday classroom performance into account Consider both current and upcoming grade expectations For more information about comprehension assessments, go to the Web site of the Southwest Education Development Laboratory: http://www.sedl.org/reading/framework/assessment.html

11. 11 How Do You Assess Comprehension

12. 12 Instructional Strategies and Practice

13. 13 National Reading Panel (2000) Key Findings Teaching a combination of reading comprehension techniques is the most effective. When students use comprehension techniques appropriately, they assist in recall, question answering, question generation, and summarization of texts. When reading comprehension techniques are used in combination, these can improve results in standardized comprehension tests. Teachers must be provided with appropriate and intensive training to ensure that they know when and how to teach specific strategies.

14. 14 Evidenced-Based Comprehension Strategies 1.Cooperative Learning 2.Comprehension Monitoring 3.Graphic Organizers 4.Answering Questions 5.Summarization National Reading Panel (2000)

15. 15 Cooperative Learning A successful teaching strategy in which small teams use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject Key Elements:  Positive Interdependence (sink or swim together)  Face-to-Face Interaction (promote each other's success)  Individual and Group Accountability (no hitchhiking or social loafing)  Interpersonal and Small-Group Skills  Group Processing

16. 16 “The Jigsaw” All students: –Learn about pieces of the puzzle of material –Share their findings –Solidify their learning by teaching to other students