Tackling The Reading Jungle I

HIGHLIGHTS OF TACKLING THE READING JUNGLE PART I:

Websites for reading resources and how to use the National Reading Panel’s findings:

Florida Center for Reading Research
www.fcrr.org
The Florida Center for Reading Research conducts research on reading, growth, assessment, and instruction that contributes to the scientific knowledge of reading and benefits students throughout the nation. It disseminates information about research-based practices related to literacy instruction and assessment for children in pre-school through 12th grade.

The Center on Instruction
www.centeroninstruction.org
The Center on Instruction offers resources that help educators improve reading outcomes for students in grades K-12, prevent reading difficulties from developing in the early grades, and meet instructional challenges of diversity in students’ ability and readiness for learning to read.

Reading Rockets
www.readingrockets.org
Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.

Reading instruction should be:

1. Systematic—instruction has scope and sequence; avoiding gaps
2. Explicit—leaving nothing to guesswork
   

Gradual Release of Responsibility: A research-based instructional model in which the responsibility for task completion shifts gradually from the teacher to the student.

Scripted Reading Program: A program that tells the teacher and the student exactly what to say and do in the teaching of reading.  

Teachers can judge the effectiveness of a reading program by ensuring it is:

1. Based on research of students and teachers
2. Approved by the National Reading Panel
3. Systematic and explicit
4. Provides data assessments to conduct progress monitoring at all points throughout the program through data collection
   

Teachers collect data on students to:

1. Ensure students are learning the necessary skills at the appropriate grade level
2. Plan and adapt instructional lessons
3. Be more precise and specific in their teaching  
   

Independent Student Centered Activities:

1. Independent practice activities on skills already taught to students when not working with their teachers that continues their learning process.
2. see www.fcrr.org to download activities ordered by difficulty, for grades 1–5.
   

A reading/literacy lesson should typically take 90 minutes.

1. Twenty minutes whole group instruction.
2. Rotate small groups, usually grouped by reading level, every 20 minutes doing Independent Student Centered Activities.