What does research tell us about reading?

A look at the research and ideas about what we should use

William OlmsteadApril 2004

“Reading war” returns On one side, whole language or

language experience On other, direct instruction, reading

basals, and explicit phonics instruction Federal gov’t has stirred up the embers,

taking a position in favor of direct and phonics instruction, with National Reading Panel report.

National Reading Panel (NRP) NOT a Bush creation Was established, by Congress, in 1997

Charge was to bring together all the “scientifically-based” reading research

Tied to Clinton’s America Reads Challenge Report was issued in 1999.

So, why is there controversy? Some NRP conclusions are based on

only a handful of studies “Science-based” research eliminates all

qualitative and teacher research How you characterize studies can

determine the result.

National Reading Panel Conclusions

Explicit instruction matters most

NRP elements of reading Phonemic awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension.

Phonemic awareness (PA) Involves teaching the sounds

(phonemes) that make up words Has many parts: Phonemic isolation,

identity, categorization, blending, segmentation, and deletion.

NRP conclusions on PA Focused, explicit instruction helps

reading and spelling Works better in small groups, and better

when limited time allotted Greater impact at K than 1st or later;

Should be introduced before phonics. Blending and segmentation instruction

had much more effect on reading than did other PA manipulations.

Phonics Everyone teaches it, difference is how

explicit and systematic you are. It is the letter-sound correspondence,

and how to use that information in reading and spelling.

NRP conclusions on phonics Strong effect on reading & spelling Early is more effective than after 1st grade;

No effect on low readers 2nd--6th grades No effect on older readers’

comprehension Synthetic programs (convert letters into

sounds, then blend into words) had biggest effect; patterns (onset-rimes) also significant.

Others on phonics Camilli, et al. looked at same studies

NRP used, but more careful analysis. Found: Tutoring and language activities had at

least as much effect as systematic phonics Tutoring and language activities had more

long lasting effect than phonics Phonics matters, but so do the other parts.

Fluency Develops from reading practice Improvements to fluency tied to

comprehension improvements Directed oral reading had positive effect

on all readers through 4th grade, and on poor readers through high school

Sustained Silent Reading has no proven effect.

Vocabulary The larger the vocabulary, the easier it

is to make sense of text Starts very early, with visual memory of

high frequency words Teach both directly and indirectly

Repetition and multiple exposures Learning in rich contexts A single method is not optimal.

Comprehension Explicit instruction is highly effective in

enhancing understanding 7 categories of effective instruction are:

Comprehension monitoring -- teaching students metacognition. Effective 3rd-6th

Cooperative learning -- peers interacting about strategies increases learning

Graphic/semantic organizers & story maps improves memory of material -- used in content areas, 4th-6th.

Comprehension con’t Question answering -- teacher questions to

monitor & guide comprehension Question generation -- The strongest!

Students ask themselves questions about the text

Includes predictions before & during reading Story structure -- teaching structure to help

recall story content (more effect on less able readers)

Summarization -- skill transfers to recall and understanding.

Multiple strategy instruction Flexible and multiple use of strategies in

natural learning situations Interactive, with teacher modeling an

approach s/he might use Most promising approach.

How should we teach?

Beyond phonics to balance

Should we use PA? Yes! Kids who need it really need it. However, it is only a means to the end

of reading It must be differentiated -- some kids

need segmenting, some need blending with letters, some don’t need PA at all.

Low SES increases need Experience with listening and speaking

directly tied to SES Welfare child, average 616 words/hour Working class, average 1,251 words/hour Professional, average 2,153 words/hours

Vocabulary, phonological sensitivity, and alphabetic skills vary accordingly

So many of these kids really need PA.

Phonics? Yes, but once again, must be

differentiated Works best in a print-rich,

comprehensive literacy program Necessary for some kids, but only when added to meaning-oriented instruction, never as a replacement for a literature-rich classroom.

Phonics for intermediate? No! If s/he can read @ 1st or 2nd grade

level, what is phonics going to add? Give those students:

Instruction in word recognition & spelling Text at their ability level, both content & fun

reading Discussions about process of reading &

helping making sense of text.

Fluency -- Prosodic reading Reading speed alone does not

necessarily equal comprehension Prosodic reading is oral reading with

expression & punctuation Requires students to parse into

semantically and syntactically appropriate units, so comprehension increases.

Echo & repeated reading Are highly effective in promoting fluency Teacher reads and students echo,

either in a group or individually Students then do repeated readings

with partners Use poetry, plays, speeches.

Sustained Silent Reading Other researchers, looking at same

studies as NRP, are convinced that research does show increased fluency and comprehension.

Fits well with reader’s workshop model.

Vocabulary practices Use word play

Crosswords, puns, word walls Teach explicitly from text you are using Build independent strategies

Structural analysis (like root words) Expose to a wide range of books,

including read aloud Book clubs, lit circles, guided reading, etc.

Always teaching reading Whatever you are doing, you are

teaching reading In any content area, should activate

prior knowledge, work on metacognition skills, model reading, and encourage the reading/writing connection.

Brainstorm before, complete semantic map during, do Venn diagram in cooperative groups or quick write after.

Comprehension strategies You can teach

To activate schema before reading Find important themes/ideas Ask questions of self/author/text Create sensory images Draw inferences (judgments, predictions) Retell or synthesize.

Mosaic of Thought “Teaching reading is teaching the

strategies proficient readers use and helping them use strategies independently.”

One way to do that, encouraged by ASD, is to use reader’s workshop.

Reader’s workshop Provides the literacy rich environment

that everyone agrees is a necessary part of teaching reading

Combines benefits of SSR with focused instruction

Provides time for individual reading conferences.

Workshop aspects Mini-lessons: comprehension strategies Opportunity (time) Choice (ownership) Response (sharing & feedback) Relevance/authenticity (ties to outside) Faith in ability to make meaning Space, physical & psychological.

Interventions Accelerated, not decelerated instruction Explicitly teach all the components

above Extensive, daily practice Finite time for intervention Differentiated even more than regular

classroom -- base instruction on regular assessments.

Balance required Recent study -- kids with just direct

instruction much lower on reading and comprehension

Also, the Camilli study -- tutoring and language activities matter as much as systematic instruction.

Teaching matters! Tutoring may make more difference

than any other one thing Whether direct instruction or not,

teachers who used gentle encouragement, mild control, and encouraged student independence had students who read significantly better than others.