What Research Tells Us about Reading Instruction

Georgia’s Reading First

February 2005

What is SBRR (and how can I get

some?)

Dr. Michael C. McKennaGeorgia Southern University

prevents the use of unreliable and untested methods that can actually impede academic progress

makes teaching more effective, productive, and efficient

can be better generalized and replicated across many sites

Scientifically-Based Research

Scientifically-Based Research

applies rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to reading development, reading instruction, and reading difficulties

Scientifically-Based Research

employs systematic empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment;

Scientifically-Based Research

involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;

relies on measurements or observational methods that provide valid data across evaluators and observers and across multiple measurements and observations;

and . . .

Scientifically-Based Research

has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective and scientific review

Scientifically-Based Research

SBRR in a Nutshell

Scientific method Begins with hypothesis Controls are used Outcome proves or disproves the

hypothesis Replicated – Repeat studies find

the same results

SBRR in a Nutshell

Generalized – Study findings represent truth for the general population.

Meets Rigorous Standards – Methods and conclusions must be confirmed by peer review.

Convergent findings – Conclusions are in line with findings from other studies.

Horse Race Studies

Important Documents

Preventing ReadingDifficulties in YoungChildren

Catherine E. Snow, M.Susan Burns, and PegGriffin, editors

National ResearchCouncil, 1998

Reading Research Summary

Let’s look at the 5 Areas

Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension

NRP Findings on PA

PA training improves phonemic awareness PA training improves decoding PA training improves spelling PA training improves comprehension

NRP Findings on PA

PA training works for preK, K, 1 and older disabled readers

PA training works with high- and low-SES children PA training does not improve spelling for reading-

disabled students

NRP Findings on PA

PA training works in English and in other languages.

Many different activities can be used in the trainings; a focus on one or two skills appears more effective than more.

Blending and segmenting are most powerful.

NRP Findings on PA

Overlearning letter names, shapes, and sounds should be emphasized along with PA training.

Between 5 and 18 hours yielded the strongest effects. Longer programs were less effective. (But the panel cautioned against making “rules” about time.)

NRP Findings on PA

Regular classroom teachers can effectively implement the training

Small groups were more effective than whole class or tutoring

Oddity Tasks Adding Sounds Deletion Tasks Sound Blending Stretch Sounding

Some Effective Techniques

Elkonin Boxes

Elkonin Boxes

Elkonin Boxes

Elkonin Boxes

Elkonin Boxes

m a n

Sound Sorting

Sound Sorting

Sound Sorting

Sound Sorting

Picture Blending

Picture Blending

Picture Blending

Picture Blending

Task #1LEA Reps Principals Literacy

Coaches

What steps have you taken to ensure that SBRR phonemic awareness instruction is occurring?

How have you supported your LC’s efforts to foster SBRR instruction in phonemic awareness?

To what extent are your teachers using SBRR strategies for teaching phonemic awareness?

NRP Findings on Phonics

Systematic phonics instruction had a significant effect on children’s reading achievement compared to controls

Synthetic, larger-unit (onset-rime), and other phonics programs all were more effective than controls, but no one type of instruction or instructional program was significantly more effective than any other

Synthetic Phonics

• Teach individual letter-sound correspondences in isolation.

• Have children sound out unfamiliar words by blending phonemes.

cat = /k/ + /a/ + /t/

Analogy-Based Decoding

• Teach children to recognize patterns (chunks) (e.g., -at, -ake).

• Teach key sight words containing these chunks (e.g., cat, make).

• Teach them to decode unfamilar words by recognizing chunks, recalling the key word, and substituting the onset they’ve just encountered.

vatT: Let’s start with the vowel. Do you

see a part you know? S: Yes, at. T: Can you think of a word that has at? S: Yes, cat. T: So take off the c and put a v there. S: /v/ - /at/, /vat/!

Stages of Decoding

• Prephonemic (just guessing, using the first letter at most)

bird might be read as

ball

Stages of Decoding

• Prephonemic (just guessing, using the first letter at most)

• Partial Alphabetic (some letter-sound knowledge is used.

gem is read as gum

Stages of Decoding

• Prephonemic (just guessing, using the first letter at most)

• Partial Alphabetic (some letter-sound knowledge is used)

• Full Alphabetic (left-to-right sequential decoding)

cat = /k/ + /a/ + /t/

Stages of Decoding

• Prephonemic (just guessing, using the first letter at most)

• Partial Alphabetic (some letter-sound knowledge is used)

• Full Alphabetic (left-to-right sequential decoding)

• Consolidated Alphabetic (orthographic) (onset and rime approach)

band

bandiferous different

band

bandiferous different

band

bandiferous different

NRP Findings on Phonics

Tutoring, small groups, and whole classes are all effective delivery systems for phonics instruction

Phonics instruction is more effective when it occurs in kindergarten and first grade than later

NRP Findings on Phonics

Phonics instruction is effective for at-risk kindergarteners, at-risk first graders, and disabled students. The findings for older weak readers are confusing.

Phonics instruction improves students’ ability to read real words, pseudowords, and (to a lesser extent) irregular words.

NRP Findings on Phonics

Phonics instruction improves reading comprehension in kindergarteners, first graders, and disabled readers, but not necessarily in older readers

Phonics instruction improves spelling in kindergarten and first grade, but not for older readers

NRP Findings on Phonics

Phonics instruction is effective for children at different levels of SES

Phonics instruction was more effective than all forms of control groups (basal, whole language, whole word, regular curriculum).

And here’s what the NRP said we don’t know about teaching phonics

How long should phonics instruction be Years? Minutes?

How many letter-sound relationships should be taught?

How can we maintain consistency in instruction and interest and motivation of teachers?

What is the role of teacher knowledge? How should teachers be trained to teach phonics?

Task #2LEA Reps Principals Literacy

Coaches

What steps have you taken to ensure that SBRR phonics instruction is occurring?

How have you supported your LC’s efforts to foster SBRR instruction in phonics?

To what extent are your teachers using SBRR strategies for teaching phonics?

Oral reading fluency

requires automatic recognition of most words

includes meaningful phrasing and emphasis (prosody).

NRP Findings on Fluency

Fluency can be improved through instruction.

Guided oral reading activities and guided repeated oral reading activities improve fluency, at least through grade 5.

Repeated oral reading activities improve fluency for non-impaired students.

And here’s what the NRP said we don’t know about teaching fluency

What kinds of guided oral reading improve fluency the most?

Are instructional techniques more effective at certain ages and abilities?

What is the impact of independent reading on fluency development?

Let’s listen to some GARF students

Reading First Cases

WCPM

Child 1 24

Child 2 60

Child 3 150I am so happy! I just found out I can be on the soccer team. We have our first practice on Saturday. . . .

Guiding Principles of Teaching Fluency

Do not assume that fluency instruction can be

leapfrogged.

Practice, practice, practice!

Maximize the time spent reading.

Model fluent reading.

Repeated Readings Partner Reading Partner Repeated Reading Readers’ Theater Echo Reading Choral Reading

Effective Fluency Methods

Task #3LEA Reps Principals Literacy

Coaches

What steps have you taken to ensure that SBRR fluency instruction is occurring?

How have you supported your LC’s efforts to foster SBRR instruction in fluency?

To what extent are your teachers using SBRR strategies for teaching fluency?

NRP Findings on Vocabulary

Teaching vocabulary improves general comprehension ability.

Preteaching vocabulary helps both word learning and comprehension of a selection.

Much vocabulary is acquired through incidental exposure.

Repeated exposures in a variety of contexts are important.

NRP Findings on Vocabulary

A combination of definitions and contextual examples works better than either one alone.

Many instructional methods can be effective in teaching vocabulary.

Instructional methods should result in active engagement.

Both direct and indirect methods should be used.

NRP Findings on Vocabulary

The more connections that are made to a word, the better the word tends to be learned.

Computer applications can be effective. The effectiveness of some instructional

methods depends on the age or ability of the children.

What the NRP said they didn’t know about vocabulary instruction

What are the best ways to assess vocabulary? Which methods work best with students of

different ages and abilities? How can technology best be used to teach

vocabulary? How is vocabulary best integrated with

comprehension instruction? What combinations of instructional methods

tend to work best?

Preteach key words to improve comprehension.

Introduce new words in related clusters.

Stress the connections among related terms.

Provide more than definitions.

Tie new words to old knowledge.

Provide brief, periodic review.

Some SBRR Techniques

Teacher Read-Alouds Graphic Organizers Semantic Maps (webs) Semantic Feature Analysis Other Charting Approaches List-Group-Label Possible Sentences Word Sorts

Task #4LEA Reps Principals Literacy

Coaches

What steps have you taken to ensure that SBRR vocabulary instruction is occurring?

How have you supported your LC’s efforts to foster SBRR instruction in vocabulary?

To what extent are your teachers using SBRR strategies for teaching vocabulary?

NRP Findings on Comprehension

Many approaches have some level of research evidence.

For example, stressing mental images and mnemonics can be effective.

But seven instructional approaches have a clear scientific basis.

And here’s what the NRP said we don’t know about teaching comprehension

What are the best ways of teaching teachers? Does comprehension strategy instruction

transfer to content learning? Which strategies work best at which ages and

abilities? Do effective strategies work with all genres?

1. Comprehension monitoring2. Cooperative learning3. Graphic and semantic organizers

(esp. those stressing text structure)4. Question answering5. Question generation6. Summarization7. Combinations of 1-6

Key Instructional Approaches

Task #5LEA Reps Principals Literacy Coaches

What steps have you taken to ensure that SBRR comprehension instruction is occurring?

How have you supported your LC’s efforts to foster SBRR instruction in comprehension?

To what extent are your teachers using SBRR strategies for teaching comprehension?

Afternoon Agenda

12:45 - 1:05 Chapter 11:05 - 1:25 Chapter 21:25 - 1:45 Chapter 31:45 - 2:05 Chapter 42:05 - 2:15 Break2:15 - 2:35 Chapter 52:35 - 3:00 Q&A