Changing the Odds: Lessons learned from successful programs

Susan B. Neuman

Professor, Director of Ready to Learn University of Michigan

Changing the Odds:

Lessons learned from successful programs

Susan B. NeumanUniversity of Michigan

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 9

o In order to effectively change the odds, we need to apply two kinds of information

From the “science of early literacy”

From effectiveprograms

Information about the individualcomponents of instruction and assessment that are most effectivein raising achievement

Information aboutleadership, organization,and practices that are most effectiveIn raising achievement

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 10

o A central problem in reading success arises, not from the absolute level of children’s preparation for learning to read, but from the diversity in their levels of preparation.(Torgeson, 2009)

Two important sources of diversity

1. Diversity in instruction2. Diversity in preparation, and family

supports for learning to read

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 11

o By 3-years, children exhibit large differences in word knowledge that correlate with income level (Hart & Risley, 1996).

o These achievement differences (i) persist through high school (Biemiller, 2001), (ii) are highly correlated with later literacy skills (Hart & Risley, 2003), (iii) and perpetuate the ever-widening achievement gap (Stanovich, 1986).

o In elementary school, there is little emphasis on acquisition or new words (Biemiller, 2001) or instruction of vocabulary (Scott, Jamieson-Noel, & Asselin, 2003).

Yearly Exposure Vocabulary SizeHigher - SES 11.2 million

words1116 words

Working Class - SES 6.5 million words 749 wordsLower – SES 3.2 million words 525 words

The Challenge…..

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 12

NAEP 2007

o When there is great diversity among students in their preparation for learning to read….

o Little variation in our teaching, and in our programs will always result in greater variation in student learning.

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 13

Extending our reach

o Good hearted soulso Weak interventionso Short attention spanso Ill-fitting interventions

The problem…

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 14

The problem….

o Change the way we do business

The Changing the Odds Strategy

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 15

o Lessons learned from successful programs:o Avance Books Aloudo Bright Beginnings America’s promiseo Chicago Parent-child centerso Early Head Start Nurse-family parto Head Starto Oklahoma Preschool Projecto Reach out and Reado Reading Recoveryo Success for All

Bruner2004

Cost/Benefit Analyses

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 16

1. Start early…

The prevention of reading difficulties

2. Target our programs to children’s needs

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 17

Phonological awarenessLetter namesConcepts of printVocabularyBackground knowledge-conceptsMotivation to learn and self-regulation

Skills that are essential for early literacy

development

3. Comprehensive Services

o Greater connections to health services

Unmet Dental Needs

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 18

Absenteeism due to illness

o 4, 5. Compensatory and Intensive instructiono Greater dosageo Greater deptho Targeted focuso Integrated instruction

• Scienceo Parent involvement and engagement

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 19

Efforts to increase the quality, consistency, and reach of instructiona. Insuring teachers have excellent professional developmentb. Monitoring and supporting classroom instruction

Are teachers providing systematic and motivating instruction?

Is small group instruction differentiated to students’ needs

Are children engaged in thoughtful instruction?

Intensifying instruction

All curriculum are not equal

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 20

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o Highly trained professionalso No one-shot workshopso Focused pd tied to a curriculum most

powerful strategyo Coaching

Accountability Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 21

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 22

o More instructional timeo Small instructional groupso More precisely targeted to student needso Clearer and more detailed explanationso More systematic and detailed instructiono More guided practice, review, corrective

feedback

Powerful instruction

o We need a school and community plan that is sufficiently powerful and targeted to ensure that all children can read, and are successful performers.

Indiana Family Impact Seminars – November 2009 23

We can’t do it alone

Project Website:http://readytolearnresearch.org/

Principal Investigator: Prof. Susan B. NeumanEmail: sbneuman@umich.edu

contact information