Notable Literacy Educators

1. IRENE C. FOUNTAS  AND  GAY SU PINNELL NOTABLE LITERACY EDUCATORS

2. -Fountas is the Marie M. Clay Endowed Chair for Early Literacy and Reading Recovery at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. IRENE C. FOUNTAS - She is the director of the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative in the Graduate School of Education at Lesley University. -She is the recipient of the International Literacy Association’s Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, and the Greater Boston Council and the International Reading Association’s Celebrate Literacy Award.

3. - Pinnell is a professor of Teaching and Learning at Ohio State University. -She is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. GAY SU PINNELL -In 2008, she was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Lesley University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for her contribution to literacy education -She is also the recipient of the International Literacy Association’s Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, The Ohio State University Alumni Association’s Medalist Award, the International Reading Association’s Albert J. Harris Award for research in reading difficulties, the Ohio Governor’s Award, the Charles A. Dana Foundation Award,  and in The Eastern New Mexico University Hall of Honor.

4. -Fountas and Pinnell are best known for their approach on teaching students how to read -They are the authors of some of the most widely used instructional materials in American elementary schools, and their approach to teaching reading has been widely used for many years. -Some of Fountas and Pinnell's teaching techniques encourage children to use context, pictures and sentence structure, along with letters, to identify words.

5. - They believe that informal assessment is just as important as formal assessments. FOUNTAS AND PINNELL'S  BENCHMARK - "By observing students one-on-one as they read original, precisely leveled books, and engaging in comprehension that go beyond retelling, teachers are able to make informed decisions and connect assessment to instruction."- Fountas and Pinnell

6. -Fountas and Pinnell reading level is a leveling system based on text difficulty from levels A-Z; A-N is targeted for Kindergarten through 2nd grade and L-Z is targeted for grades 3 through 8.  FOUNTAS AND PINNELL'S  BENCHMARK BENCHMARK FOUNTAS AND PINNELL'S  -The reading levels suggested by Fountas and Pinnell is tentatively associated with the student's grade level. 

7. GRADE LEVEL EQUALIVENT CHART AS SUGGESTED BY FOUNTAS AND PINNELL

8. -"Each level indicates the instructional level; that is, the level that he or she can read with instructional support (e.g., text introduction). At levels A–K, the instructional level is the highest level a student can read with 90– 94% accuracy and excellent or satisfactory comprehension, or 95–100% accuracy with limited comprehension. At levels L–Z, the instructional level is the highest level a student can read with 95–97% accuracy and excellent or satisfactory comprehension, or 98–100% accuracy with limited comprehension" - According to Fountas and Pinnell, if a student’s instructional level is lower than the grade-level that the student is in, then the student will need intervention. If the student is one to three levels lower, a more intensive intervention is needed.

9. “The goal for the reader is accuracy using all sources of information simultaneously,”      - Fountas and Pinnell

10. -In the 1990's Fountas & Pinnell's literacy instruction was raved widely by educators across the country. PROS AND CONS  -Many school systems used (and some still use) part of Fountas and Pinnell's Language Literacy Intervention for the Multi-Tiered Level of Support (MTSS) for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. -In 2020, Fountas and Pinnell’s signature set of curriculum materials, Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, received a failing rating from EdReports, an influential nonprofit that reviews K-12 instructional materials.

11. “The goal for the reader is accuracy using all sources of information simultaneously,”      - Fountas and Pinnell

12. Books by Fountas and Pinnell

13. OVERVIEW _Teachers are not always going to agree on the "correct" way to teach reading, especially in the elementary grades, however, the strategies that are used need to be researched based and proven to be successful. -Whether one agrees or disagrees with the effectiveness of Fountas & Pinnell's leveled reading program, we can all agree on this quote from them, "You are teaching the children, not the lesson. You are teaching the children, not the book. Teach the child, not the program." 

14. REFERENCES -Hanford, E., & Peak, C. (2021, November 19). Influential authors Fountas and Pinnell stand behind  disproven reading theory. American Public Media . broadcast.  -Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2017). The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum: A tool for assessment, planning, and teaching. Heinemann. -Fountas & Pinnell Classroom (2020) - series overview. EdReports. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://www.edreports.org/reports/overview/fountas-pinnell-classroom-2020  -Harms, P. J. (2013). Improving K-2 Reading Instruction through the Use of a Coaching Model with Onsite Professional Development: An Action Research Study [ProQuest LLC]. In ProQuest LLC. -Ransford-Kaldon, C. R., Flynt, E. S., Ross, C. L., Franceschini, L., Zoblotsky, T., Huang, Y., Gallagher, B., & Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP). (2010). Implementation of Effective Intervention: An Empirical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Fountas & Pinnell’s Leveled Literacy Intervention System (LLI). 2009-2010. In Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP). Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP).  -Taylor, L. (2017). The Effects of Leveled Literacy Intervention for Students in the RtI Process [ProQuest LLC]. In ProQuest LLC.

15. Created by Ashley S. Judy February 16, 2022