Applying Research to Reading Instruction: Whats Next

1
Applying Research to Reading
Instruction Whats Next?

• Timothy Shanahan
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• shanahan_at_uic.edu

2
Why research?

• Lack of growth in reading achievement in more
  than 3 decades need to do better
• Deep divisions in the profession must have way
  to solve disagreements
• Higher accountability demands greater
  need for certainty

3
Settling the Reading Wars

• The National Reading Panel a public review of
  research
• Nature of acceptable evidence
• Findings become the basis of public standards
  Reading First

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However,

• NRP findings are not yet in place
• RF Implementation Study Not much change in
  comprehension instruction in RF
• ETR Survey (ETR) many teachers
  still unaware of SBRR
• NCTQ study on teacher education
• Lets do a quick review of NRP

5
Phonemic Awareness

• Studies show that young children need to learn to
  hear the separable sounds within words
• PA is not phonics
• Teachers need to know how to
  teach PA (and they need to be
  able to distinguish the sounds
  in words)

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Phonics

• Studies show that phonics gives young children
  (K-2) a clear benefit in learning to read
• Phonics instruction needs to be systematic
• Teachers need to know how to teach
  phonics and they need to
  provide a substantial amount
  of phonics in early grades and in remedial
  interventions

7
Oral reading fluency

• Studies show that teaching students to read aloud
  fluently improves reading achievement
• Fluency instruction requires oral reading
  practice with repetition and feedback
• Teachers need to provide substantial fluency
  instruction
• Cleveland study

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Vocabulary (word meaning)

• Studies show that explicit teaching of word
  meanings improves reading achievement
• Teachers need to provide substantial vocabulary
  instruction
• NELP panel findings
• NLP panel findings

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Reading comprehension

• Studies show that teaching reading comprehension
  strategies improves reading achievement
• Strategies instruction is more than comprehension
  practice
• Teachers need to provide
  substantial amounts of
  comprehension instruction
• Are strategies necessary?

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Why do we need to get beyond those points?

• Those five things are essential, but
  there are many other issues in the teaching
  of reading
• There has not been a sufficient
  continuous federal effort to keep
  the research picture updated
  (new panel coming)

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Importance of time

• Amount of instruction is the number one
  determinant of school learning
• Need to ensure that teachers spend sufficient
  amounts of time teaching reading and writing
• Schools are finding ways for
  providing more time

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Need for Greater Literacy Effort in Pre-K and K

• Importance of alphabetic code including
  phonological sensitivity, letter names, print
  awareness, oral language and no difference
  pre-K and K (NELP)
• More explicit idea of vocabulary
  knowledge (NELP, in process)
• Oregon evaluation of all-day K
• NELP positive findings for phonological
  and print instruction, reading to kids,
  parent efforts, preschool, and
  oral language
• ERF study due in fall

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Greater focus on content area reading

• What are we preparing kids for?
• The ACT study
• Greater attention to content reading
  instructionCarnegie projects

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Need for greater ELL effort

• ELL students are a growing population, and as a
  group they have lower comprehension
• They often match first language students on basic
  skills
• The elements work, but not as well as they do
  with first language students
• Need for vocabulary and comprehension efforts
  (intensity)

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Need for writing instruction

• Writing is a key element of literacy
• Research is clear that writing instruction (not
  just practice) can raise reading achievement
• Many aspects of reading benefit from the greater
  intensity of writing instruction

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Need for on-going professional development

• Most neglected finding in NRP was that
  professional development for teachers led to
  higher reading achievement for students
• NCTQ study (Philadelphia, etc.)
• Successful districts do more than
  buy programsthey make sure teachers
  can use programs effectively

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Conclusion

• Well never make progress in reading achievement
  until we rigorously apply research findings
• But that isnt a static process
• Research evidence needs to continue to accumulate
  for continued improvement

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Thank you.

• Timothy Shanahan
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• shanahan_at_uic.edu