Teaching Struggling Readers

1. Teaching Struggling Readers Alicia A. McCartney, PhD Gwinnett County Public Schools, Gwinnett County, GA

2. Content Area Teaching and Learning: What�s all the fuss?

3. What is comprehension? It is making sense of text by connecting new information with background knowledge and context. It is a mental representation of text.

4. What is vocabulary? The words we need to know to communicate effectively through listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

5. The Problems The length of instructional time devoted to comprehension strategies has remained very poor for decades. And�vocabulary knowledge is directly related to comprehension skill. We call this the �Matthew Effects� of reading: Children who have poor reading skills (including vocabulary knowledge) read less because it�s too hard for them. They read less and less, and are exposed to and learn fewer new words. The cycle just keeps repeating and getting worse and worse. Average student in grades 3-12 learns about 3,000 new words per year, IF they read between 500,000 and 1,000,000 words per year. THAT�S WHY OUR READING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM STANDARD IS SO IMPORTANT! We call this the �Matthew Effects� of reading: Children who have poor reading skills (including vocabulary knowledge) read less because it�s too hard for them. They read less and less, and are exposed to and learn fewer new words. The cycle just keeps repeating and getting worse and worse. Average student in grades 3-12 learns about 3,000 new words per year, IF they read between 500,000 and 1,000,000 words per year. THAT�S WHY OUR READING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM STANDARD IS SO IMPORTANT!

6. �The trend of �alliterate� secondary content classrooms coupled with non-existent literacy instruction in those classes must be reversed.� From Literacy Across the Curriculum: Setting and Implementing Goals in Grades 6-12

7. Successful comprehension demands two things of the reader. The reader must attend to the text. The reader must attach a standard of importance to the text (e.g., school reading vs. leisure reading).

8. Reader Characteristics: What does the student need? Attention Metacognition Inferential and reasoning skills Content knowledge Basic skills Motivation

9. Text Properties: These Can Make or Break a Reader! Text structure Technical articles Poorly written draft copy Book sequel without prior knowledge Poetry heavy with symbolism

10. Instructional Context: What Role Does the Teacher Play? Classroom environment Methodology Expectations for achievement Purpose for reading

11. �To Do� List for the Teacher Read aloud to students, regardless of their ages. Increase amount of independent reading. Provide direct instruction with scaffolding. Scaffolding: Initially, direct instruction with close teacher supervision. Gradual release of responsibility as students become used to the methods and materials used until they are able to complete the activity independently.Scaffolding: Initially, direct instruction with close teacher supervision. Gradual release of responsibility as students become used to the methods and materials used until they are able to complete the activity independently.

12. Proven Strategies Metacognitive instruction- �thinking about your thinking� Graphic/semantic organizers Question answering/generation Summarization Multiple strategy teaching Summarization: Perhaps a �ticket out the door� (e.g., In 2-3 complete, coherent sentences, please tell me what you got out of today�s discussion on blood types.�Summarization: Perhaps a �ticket out the door� (e.g., In 2-3 complete, coherent sentences, please tell me what you got out of today�s discussion on blood types.�

13. Vocabulary Always preteach new words! Provide a variety of activities to study new words. Provide multiple exposures to new words.

14. Some Numbers on Word Learning The average student in grades 3-12 learns about 3,000 new vocabulary words per year, assuming that she reads between 500,000 and 1 million words of text per year. In grades 1-3, low SES students� vocabularies increase by about 3,000 words per year, compared to higher SES students� vocabularies, which increase by about 5,000 words per year. One of the most powerful things we can do is to encourage students to read as much as possible.One of the most powerful things we can do is to encourage students to read as much as possible.

15. Specific Word Instruction Teach specific words during pre-reading phase Important words: Words in a unit that students need to know Useful words: Words that students will see and use repeatedly and consistently. Difficult words: Words that will likely be difficult for students, such as multiple meaning words Multiple meaning words: Spelled the same but pronounced differently (bow and bow) Spelled and pronounced the same, but have different meanings: ray (narrow beam of light); ray (type of fish); and ray (part of a line).Multiple meaning words: Spelled the same but pronounced differently (bow and bow) Spelled and pronounced the same, but have different meanings: ray (narrow beam of light); ray (type of fish); and ray (part of a line).

16. Extended and active engagement- a variety of activities using targeted words Multiple exposures to new words- continual modeling and using every opportunity to point out and use targeted words Extended and active engagement: Use examples from NIFL handout.Extended and active engagement: Use examples from NIFL handout.

18. CONCEPT OF DEFINITION MAPCONCEPT OF DEFINITION MAP

22. This is what is meant by the term �scaffolding�: You initially do this activity as a guided practice, then gradually give the students more responsibility for completing the activity, until, eventually, they are doing it independently (or maybe even in small groups).This is what is meant by the term �scaffolding�: You initially do this activity as a guided practice, then gradually give the students more responsibility for completing the activity, until, eventually, they are doing it independently (or maybe even in small groups).

23. The mama of all graphic organizers! The Venn Diagram can be used to compare/contrast topics, issues, words, anything that has been read. It forces the students to think about what they�ve read. The mama of all graphic organizers! The Venn Diagram can be used to compare/contrast topics, issues, words, anything that has been read. It forces the students to think about what they�ve read.

24. Now what do I do? Develop lists of words from your content area that are important for conceptual understanding. Choose one or two strategies you feel comfortable trying out with your students. Begin slowly! Introduce new activities one at a time. Allow plenty of time for practice before expecting independence.