Literacy MattersWhat Teachers and Parents Need To Know

Maryland State Steering Committee for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Spring Conference

March 17, 2005

McDaniel College

W. Dorsey Hammond

Skilled Readers are:

Constructive

Fluent

Strategic

Motivated

Lifelong ANDERSON, BNR ‘85

Constructivism

Tony ordered the $9.95 Lasagna Special. By the time is order finally arrived he was quite

upset. He left a very small tip.

Sam knew his wife’s minor operation would be expensive. However, there was always Uncle Fred. He picked up the phone and dialed long distance

Common Middle Grade Profile

Grade 6 75% 80% 5 85% 60% 85% 4 80% 75% 60% 90% 3 90% 80% 70% 90% 2 95% 85% 75% 95% 1 100% 95% 85% 100% Word Comp Comp Lang. Rec(Iso) Oral Rdg. Silent Rdg. Comp.

Stage or Linear View of Literacy

Phonological Awareness- Phonics

Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension

National Reading Panel (2000), NICHD, Chall (83),

Moats,(03,04)

Process of Reading

Top Down Interactive Bottom Up

meaning V ^ meaning

language V ^ words(lexicon)

phonics V ^ phonics

__ ___ ___ I I I

Reading of Text---Multiple Cues

The boy saddled his _______. horse, pony, mare, mustang, stallion house horse The boy saddled his m____. …saddled his

m_r_.

Phonics Irregularity

mare no care so are to too blue knew through

gave bone that paid save tone what said have gone done

Interactive Model of Reading

Phonological Awareness-- Lang. Experiences

Lang. Exp.---------------------PA. & Phonics

Fluency-------------------------- Comprehension

Comprehension-------------------------- Fluency

Vocabulary -----------------------Comprehension

Comprehension------------------ Vocabulary

Implications of Interactive/Recursive Model

Multiple aspects of learning to read are complementary

Major components of learning to read addressed at beginning stages

Redundant system more “fail safe” Learning to read and write inherently more

satisfying to the learner

What An Early Literacy Program Should Look Like

Experience stories Early writing Reading of Predictable Texts Closely Supported Guided Reading Word Study (PA, Phonics and particularly known to

unknown strategies) Repeated Reading Modeled Reading Metacognitive Strategies

A Middle Years Literacy Curriculum

Directed and Guided Reading Writing and Revision Independent Reading Responses to Text( multiple responses in terms of concepts/ideas and medium) Reading and investigation across the Curr. (accessing prior knowledge, predicting,dialogue) Vocabulary and Word Study Metacognition

Metacognition

As a skilled reader: I always begin with what I already know I always try to make sense of what I read I ask myself questions before during and after reading I predict and think ahead I know what I am reading to find out I know that good readers often reread two, three or

more times in order to construct meaning.

Contemporary Myths of Literacy

There has been a major “Salk vaccine type”

breakthrough in literacy research. Research in Reading is a relatively recent

phenomenon. The only acceptable research methodology is

the model used in science and medicine.

Additional Cautions

Is explicit systematic phonics a type of phonics or a process of teaching?

Is there congruency between full reports,as for example, NRP and abridged versions such as Put Reading First?

Is our focus too short term rather than investigating long term consequences

Have we learned from history?

Guiding Principles of Literacy Instruction

Engage in literacy acts at every opportunity “Engage in” rather than “teach about.” Understand that reading is fundamentally a

process of thinking and language Celebrate new learning and new insights Connect reading to the real world of the

learner.