Improving Adolescent Literacy: Five Recommendations

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Improving Adolescent Literacy Five
Recommendations
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THREE TASKS IN ADOLESCENT LITERACY

• RAISE EXPECTATIONS
• INCREASE CAPACITY
• MEASURE and REPORT PROGRESS

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ACT. (2008). The Forgotten Middle. (p. 18)
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READING NEXT INSTRUCTION

• Direct, explicit comprehension instruction
• Instruction embedded in content
• Motivation and self-directed learning
• Text-based collaborative learning

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READING NEXT INSTRUCTION

• Strategic tutoring
• Diverse texts
• Intensive writing
• Technology component
• Ongoing formative assessment

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READING NEXT INFRASTRUCTURE

• Extended time for literacy
• Professional development
• Summative assessment
• Teacher teams
• Leadership
• Comprehensive coordinated literacy program

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• NOT ALL OF THEM ALL THE TIME

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• READING NEXT available
• http//www.all4ed.org/publication_material/adlit
• WRITING NEXT available (same location

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COGNITIVE TARGETS
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COGNITIVE TARGETS
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NAEP 2009 READING FRAMEWORK

• http//www.nagb.org/publications/frameworks/readin
  g09.pdf

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS

• Consensus
• READING NEXT
• Evidence-based
• Practice Guides
• Meta-analyses

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STRONG EVIDENCE

• Studies with high internal and external validity
• Systematic review of research that meets WWC
  standards
• No contradictory evidence of similar quality

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STRONG EVIDENCE

• Several well-designed, randomized controlled
  trials or quasi-experiments that generally meet
  WWC standards
• One large, well-designed, randomized controlled,
  multisite trial that meets WWC standards
• No contradictory evidence of similar quality

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MODERATE EVIDENCE

• Studies that support strong causal conclusions
  but generalization is uncertain
• Studies that support the relationship but where
  causality is uncertain
• Experiments or quasi-experiments meeting WWC
  standards with limited generalizability
• No contrary evidence

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MODERATE EVIDENCE

• Comparison group studies not meeting WWC
  standards but
• (a) consistently show enhanced outcomes
• (b) have no major flaws
• Correlational research with strong statistical
  controls for selection bias
• No contrary evidence

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LOW EVIDENCE

• Expert opinion
• derived from strong findings or theories in
  related areas.
• based on evidence that does not rise to moderate
  or strong levels.

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FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS

• First three are about strategies teachers can
  incorporate into instruction.
• The fourth is about strategies for improving
  students motivation and engagement.
• The fifth is about remedies for struggling
  readersusually not in class.

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PROVIDE EXPLICIT VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION

• Devote time to explicit instruction
• Expose new words in multiple contexts

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PROVIDE EXPLICIT VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION

• New vocabulary in multiple contexts
• Independent vocabulary learning

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POTENTIAL ROADBLOCK

• Teachers may not know how to select words to
  teach, especially in content areas.

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ONE SOLUTION

• Vocabulary should be selected on the basis of how
  important the words are for learning in a
  discipline, NOT the tier in which the word is
  located.

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DIRECT EXPLICIT COMPREHENSION STRATEGY INSTRUCTION

• Select carefully the text to use when teaching a
  strategy.
• Show students how to apply strategies to
  different texts.
• Use text appropriate for the reading level of
  students.

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DIRECT EXPLICIT COMPREHENSION STRATEGY INSTRUCTION

• Use direct explicit instruction lessons to teach
  strategies.
• Provide the appropriate amount of guided
  practice.
• Talk about comprehension strategies while
  teaching them.

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POTENTIAL ROADBLOCK

• Most teachers lack the skills to provide direct
  and explicit comprehension strategy instruction.

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ONE SOLUTION

• Professional development in explicit instruction
  of comprehension strategies will assist all
  teachers (language arts and content-areas) in
  teaching. Coaching is a good example.

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EXTENDED DISCUSSION OF TEXT MEANING AND
INTERPRETATION

• Select engaging materials and develop stimulating
  questions.
• Ask questions to provide continuity and extend
  discussion.
• Use a specific discussion protocol.

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META-ANALYSIS

• Murphy, K., Wilkinson, I., Soter, A., Hennesey,
  M. Alexander, J. (In Press). Examining the
  effects of classroom discussion on students
  comprehension of text a meta-analysis. Journal
  of Educational Psychology.

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THREE TYPES OF DISCUSSION

• Efferent
• Unpacking the facts of the text
• Aesthetic
• Expressiveaffective responsesay what you
  think
• Critical/Analytic
• Debate ideas
• Interrogate the text, author, issue

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CONCLUSIONS

• Few approaches increased literal or inferential
  comprehension and critical-thinking and
  reasoning.
• Efferent discussions increase student talk and
  comprehension more than other types.
• The amount of time was related to success.
• Greatest effects for below-average and average
  ability students.
• Putting students into groups to talk is not
  enough to enhance comprehension and learning.

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POTENTIAL ROADBLOCK

• Teachers lack the skills in behavior management,
  discussion techniques, or critical thinking to
  guide productive discussion and analysis of text
  meanings.

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ONE SOLUTION

• Content-area teachers should experience these
  kinds of discussions themselves as a way of
  learning what it feels like to participate in
  effective, open discussions.

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INCREASE MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT

• Meaningful and engaging content learning goals
  around the essential ideas of a discipline.
• Provide a positive environment that promotes
  student autonomy in learning.

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INCREASE MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT

• Make literacy experiences more relevant.
• Promote higher reading engagement and conceptual
  learning.

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POTENTIAL ROADBLOCK

• Some teachers think that motivational activities
  must entertain students and often create fun
  activities that are not necessarily focused on
  learning.

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ONE SOLUTION

• Teachers should closely connect instruction and
  student performance to learning goals.

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INDIVIDUALIZED INTERVENTIONS FOR STRUGGLING
READERS

• Screening assessments to identify students with
  reading difficulties.
• Formal and informal assessments to pinpoint
  students instructional needs.
• Intervention that provides an explicit
  instructional focus for each student.

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INDIVIDUALIZED INTERVENTIONS FOR STRUGGLING
READERS

• Greater instructional need, more intensive
  intervention.
• Intensity of interventions is related to size of
  instructional groups and instructional time.

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POTENTIAL ROADBLOCK

• Some middle and high schools may not have the
  specialized personnel, time, and resources to
  conduct efficient screening to identify students
  reading needs.

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ONE SOLUTION

• Results from standardized tests can be used to
  determine which students are reading below grade
  level. Classroom teachers can administer group
  screening tests that will identify students who
  may have reading problems.

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PRACTICE GUIDES

• Available at
• http//ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/
  practiceguides/adlit_pg_082608.pdf

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• http//dww.ed.gov

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DWW Goal

• Translate research-based practices into
  practical toolsthat support and improve
  classroom instruction

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Website Tour

• Research base/Instructional presentations
• Expert interviews

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• http//dww.ed.gov

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• THE END