Elementary Reading Instruction Research Articles

Meeting the Language Needs of Emergent Multilingual Students at Risk for Learning Disabilities through Multitiered Systems of Support

AbstractThis review and case example describes the key components of elementary reading instruction and intervention within multitiered systems of supports (MTSS) and ways to enhance and scaffold reading instruction and intervention for language as a means of supporting the learning of students who are emergent multilingual (EM) learners. First, we provide an overview of elementary reading comprehension skills and describe culturally, linguistically, and ecologically situated learning principles and overview the essential elements of MTSS rooted in these principles. Next, we present research‐based practices that enhance reading instruction and intervention among elementary EM students. We then illustrate the PLUSS framework to highlight how educators can implement these practices across MTSS. Finally, we present considerations for reading instruction and intervention and provide resources that may be useful to educators and policymakers with respect to MTSS.

Homogeneous Grouping in Early Elementary Reading Instruction

Separating students into homogeneous groups is a common instructional practice used by elementary teachers during reading instruction. Although researchers have been studying the effects of homogeneous grouping for many decades, there is little consensus on whether grouping is an effective or equitable instructional practice. The central challenge in estimating the effects of grouping is determining an appropriate comparison case for homogeneously grouped students. Using data from the 2010 cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, this study uses student fixed effects to compare the reading growth of students who have different grouping experiences during reading instruction over their first 3 years of schooling. This study finds that, on average, homogeneously grouped students have slightly higher reading growth than students who are not grouped but also finds that this association between homogeneous grouping and reading growth depends on students’ reading group placement and initial reading skills.

What a Genealogical Analysis of Nila Banton Smith's American Reading Instruction Reveals About the Present Through the Past

ABSTRACTThe authors used a conceptual analysis, following Foucauldian genealogy, to consider the history of Nila Banton Smith's American Reading Instruction. The goal was to make better sense of the challenges and opportunities facing literacy instruction today and to articulate the enormous responsibilities of literacy scholars to critically represent the past in relation to the present. The guiding question for the research was, What enabling conditions make it possible for Smith's American Reading Instruction and the historical narrative of progress in elementary reading instruction in the United States to remain strong? The authors identify and discuss five enabling conditions and discuss how the study of these conditions can inform understanding of the field of reading instruction today. The authors further argue for genealogical research as a promising tool for historical research into reading instruction.

Levels in the library

Leveled reading, in which students select “just right” books based on their assessed reading level, has become a significant part of elementary reading instruction. However, libraries remain places where students can select books to read outside their reading levels. Based on observations of 1st-grade students, the author describes how the idea of reading levels has affected students’ perceptions of themselves as readers and what they should be reading. She argues for the preservation of spaces, like libraries, where students choose what, when, and how they read, without regard for reading levels.

An Analysis of Teachers' Discourse and Their Perceptions Concerncing the Use of Questioning and Feedback During Reading Instruction in Third Grade Classrooms

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher talk during elementary reading instruction. The study was designed to gain insight into existing discourse patterns and to understand how change in these patterns might be facilitated. The design of the study evolved after a review of existing literature on the topic of teacher talk indicated a lack of widespread, intentional focus on classroom discourse and its potential impact on student learning.

Research-Based, Culturally Responsive Reading Practice in Elementary Classrooms: A Yearlong Study

In the field of elementary reading instruction, educators from varying theoretical perspectives have strived to promote instructional practices that “work” with diverse populations of students, with differing conclusions. In the present study, we examined elementary teachers' attempts at blending reading practices reflecting two philosophical perspectives, research-based reading instruction and culturally responsive instruction. We also documented the teachers' views on the feasibility of this practice. There were strong similarities across the teachers in how they implemented the model, with differences corresponding somewhat by grade level. All demonstrated both research-based reading instruction and culturally responsive practice, at times simultaneously blending principles from both perspectives within lessons. However, the teachers viewed the model as feasible for some components of reading but not others. Implications of findings are discussed.

Understanding Coach-Based Professional Development in Reading First: How do Coaches Spend Their Time and How do Teachers Perceive Coaches' Work?

The Reading First (RF) program placed emphasis on professional development as a means of improving early elementary reading instruction. For many states literacy coaching was an important component of the professional development provided for teachers. The purpose of this article is to examine coaching in the early years of Michigan's RF program, which placed considerable emphasis on literacy coaching. We investigate the professional training and knowledge of Michigan's RF coaches, the structure and substance of coach/teacher interactions, and teachers' perceptions of factors that influence the effectiveness of the coach. Results suggest the promise of literacy coaching as a means of supporting teachers' professional growth; further study is needed to determine the particular roles of literacy coaches that bring about improvements in reading instruction.

Marginal Mean Weighting Through Stratification: Adjustment for Selection Bias in Multilevel Data

Defining causal effects as comparisons between marginal population means, this article introduces marginal mean weighting through stratification (MMW-S) to adjust for selection bias in multilevel educational data. The article formally shows the inherent connections among the MMW-S method, propensity score stratification, and inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting (IPTW). Both MMW-S and IPTW are suitable for evaluating multiple concurrent treatments, and hence have broader applications than matching, stratification, or covariance adjustment for the propensity score. Furthermore, mathematical consideration and a series of simulations reveal that the MMW-S method has incorporated some important strengths of the propensity score stratification method, which generally enhance the robustness of MMW-S estimates in comparison with IPTW estimates. To illustrate, the author applies the MMW-S method to evaluations of within-class homogeneous grouping in early elementary reading instruction.

Using Early Literacy Monitoring to Prevent Reading Failure

MOST CHILDREN who do not to during the primary grades will probably never to well. Children who reach the end of third grade with low literacy skills typically have less access to the regular curriculum, require long-term support, and fall further behind their peers in literacy achievement and curricular knowledge. The negative ramifications of low literacy skills are pervasive and well documented--poor self-esteem, low motivation, behavioral difficulties, academic underachievement, and, ultimately, reduced occupational and economic status. However, these negative trajectories can be altered. Children experiencing reading difficulties can be identified early and, with appropriate early intervention during the primary grades, can to read. (1) Reading is a complex process, and that complexity is reflected in the range of philosophies, pedagogies, curricula, and programs available to guide early elementary reading instruction. It is little wonder, given the myriad of options available and the constraints imposed by limited resources and students' diverse skills, that a crucial question for practitioners and researchers alike is how best to ensure that children do to early and well. The Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children suggests a three-tier framework to address that question: 1) provide excellent classroom literacy instruction for all children, 2) further reduce literacy failure by allocating supplementary resources and offering enhanced learning opportunities to at-risk children, and 3) ameliorate the effects of established reading difficulties by providing intensive interventions. Efforts to translate research into practice always generate additional questions, and early literacy is no exception. As with most issues in education, responses to concerns about early literacy programming must take into account the needs of multiple stakeholders--students, parents, teachers, and administrators--while at the same time respecting empirical evidence of what constitutes effective practice. Research strongly supports both the vital role of early identification in the prevention of reading difficulties and the urgent need to teach children to during the first few years of school so that they can read to learn in grade 3 and beyond. These issues were the driving force behind a yearlong process in which a group of researchers from the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy consulted with the New Brunswick Department of Education and five district school boards. The consultation evolved into a five-year pilot program aimed at lowering the rate of reading failure at the K-2 level. The pilot program involves implementing a school-based, continuous monitoring system during those crucial years to assist teachers in the early identification of children who encounter difficulty in their literacy development. This early literacy monitoring program, currently in its third year of data collection, is being piloted in 20 public schools and six federal First Nations schools. It responds to needs expressed by teachers, department officials, and school administrators and provides a mechanism for keeping parents apprised of their children's progress. IDENTIFYING WHAT WE NEED Throughout the first year of our five-year program, two members of our project team traveled frequently to participating schools and district offices to gather input from teachers, reading specialists, program coordinators, and school administrators. After each round of meetings, the entire research team, including researchers, programmers, analysts, early reading consultants, and support staff, would review partner specifications in order to design the components of the monitoring program. At each stage, return visits to districts and schools sought further input that the research team would again take into account, a process that continued over the course of the year until we had a structure in place that met the expectations of all partners. …

The Identification of Valid Syndromes in Disturbed Reading and Spelling Behavior

As yet, psychoeducational practice lacks a reliable and valid set of established classifications of learning behaviors, which is an indispensable starting point for the diagnosis of a child's problems. This paper reports an epidemiology cal study in which we collected descriptive behavioral data from a fairly representative sample (N= 150) of Dutch third-grade children who show severe learning problems. These children were described by their teachers (N= 150) with respect to their behavioral responses to a set of reading and spelling tasks that are commonly used in Dutch elementary reading and spelling instruction. Cluster analyses resulted in the identification of four syndromes in elementary reading and spelling behavior. Further analyses, based both on the epidemiological data and on further data collected in additional small-scale studies, show these four syndromes to be both reliable and valid.

The First R Yesterday and Today: U.S. Elementary Reading Instruction Practices Reported by Teachers and Administrators

<i>The First R</i> Yesterday and Today: U.S. Elementary Reading Instruction Practices Reported by Teachers and Administrators

Then and now: Perspectives on the status of elementary reading instruction by prominent reading educators

This study queried members of the Reading Hall of Fame about elementary school reading instruction. Results from closed and open items revealed three major themes: (a) a neo‐traditional view toward the teaching and learning of reading; (b) frustration with the fadism and ideological debates in the field; and (c) the necessity of enhancing teacher knowledge at the university and in public school settings. The perspectives of Reading Hall of Fame members of today were then compared to those of prominent reading educators of the past (Morrison, 1963), revealing both similarities and differences in the evaluation of elementary reading education then and now.

Handbook of academic learning: construction of knowledge

Academic Learning: Perspectives, Theory, and Models: E. Bredo, The Social Construction of Learning. G.D. Phye, Learning and Remembering: The Basis for Personal Knowledge Construction. M.H. Dembo and M.J. Eaton, School Learning and Motivation. B.J. Zimmerman and R. Risemberg, Self-Regulatory Dimensions of Academic Learning and Motivation. P.D. Nichols and D.J. Mittelholtz, Constructing the Concept of Aptitude: Implications for the Assessment of Analogical Reasoning. Teaching How to Learn within Domains: M. Pressley, R. Wharton-McDonald, J. Rankin, P.B. El-Dinary, R. Brown, P. Afflerbach, J. Mistretta, and L. Yokoi, Elementary Reading Instruction. J.M. Royer, A Cognitive Perspective on the Assessment, Diagnosis, and Remediation of Reading Skills. S.L. Benton, Psychological Foundations of Elementary Writing Instruction. R.E. Burnett and L.M. Kastman, Teaching Composition: Current Theories and Practices. M.L. Franke and D.A. Grouws, Developing Student Understanding in Elementary School Mathematics: A Cognitive Perspective. S.R. Williams, Mathematics (Grades 7-12). K. Tobin, The Teaching and Learning of Elementary Science. J.J. Mintzes, J.H. Wandersee, and J.D. Novak, Meaningful Learning in Science: The Human Constructivist Perspective. Learning to Learn: G.D. Phye, Inductive Reasoning and Problem Solving: The Early Grades. R.E. Mayer, Incorporating Problem Solving into Secondary School Curricula. D.R. Olson, Critical Thinking: Learning to Talk About Talk and Text. Assessment of Classroom Learning: W.D. Schafer, Classroom Assessment. J.H.M. Hamers and A.J.J.M. Ruijssenaars, Assessing Classroom Learning Potential. V. Spandel, Reflections on Portfolios. Epilogue: Classroom Learning, Looking Ahead. Index.

Effects of a Cooperative Learning Approach in Reading and Writing on Academically Handicapped and Nonhandicapped Students

A 2-year study was conducted to determine the long-term effects of a comprehensive cooperative learning approach to elementary reading and language arts instruction on students' achievement, attitudes, and metacognitive awareness. In the Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) program, students in second through sixth grade worked in heterogeneous learning teams on reading and writing activities related to stories they were reading. Teachers provided students with explicit instruction on comprehension strategies and used a writing process approach to teach writing and language arts. The study also mainstreamed academically handicapped students in regular classes, and these students were active participants in the cooperative learning team activities. In the study 635 students at 3 elementary schools using the CIRC program were compared to 664 students at 4 matched schools that used traditional instruction. The 72 academically handicapped students at the CIRC schools were mainstreamed in CIRC and compared to 65 students in pull-out programs in the control schools. The first-year results showed that CIRC students had significantly higher achievement in reading vocabulary and reading comprehension. Second-year results indicated that CIRC students had significantly higher achievement in vocabulary, comprehension, and language expression. The CIRC students also exhibited greater metacognitive awareness than did their peers. Academically handicapped students who were mainstreamed in CIRC classes had significantly higher achievement in reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and language expression than did comparable special education students taught in traditional settings. There were no significant effects on students' attitudes toward reading or writing.

Issues in reading instruction: The views and information sources of state‐level textbook adoption committee members

Abstract The entire population of current functioning state‐level textbook adoption committee members in 13 state‐level adoption states (141) were surveyed to determine: (a) their perceptions of current issues in elementary reading instruction, and (b) their information sources. State‐level textbook adoption committee members reported four major unresolved reading issues: (a) the assessment of students' reading progress, (b) the whole language vs. basal approaches, (c) the use of ability grouping for reading instruction, and (d) the use of tradebooks in place of basals. The most frequently consulted reading information sources used by state‐level textbook adoption committee members within the past twelve months included: magazines, newspapers, and newsletter articles, TV and radio broadcasts, and personal contacts with reading experts. The authors conclude that state‐level textbook adoption committee members are aware of the important reading issues of the day, but that they may lack sufficient specific k...

Reading Instruction: Perceptions of Elementary School Principals

Abstract A stratified random sample of 1,244 U.S. elementary public school principals was surveyed to determine perceptions of their understanding of current issues in elementary reading instruction and the information sources that they use to learn about current issues in reading. The principals reported four major unresolved reading issues: (a) whole language versus basal approaches; (b) assessment of students' reading progress; (c) the use of tradebooks in place of basals; and (d) ability grouping students for reading instruction. Principals' priority ranking of the four most important unresolved reading issues were (a) whole language versus basal approaches; (b) effective alternative assessment of students' reading progress; (c) alternatives to ability grouping students for reading instruction; and (d) the necessity of phonics instruction as a prerequisite to formal reading instruction. The most frequently consulted reading information sources used by elementary school principals within the past 12 mo...

What Does the Term Whole Language Mean? Constructing a Definition from the Literature

The present study analyzed 64 articles pertaining to whole-language instruction in elementary classrooms in order to compile a definition for this term. Five questions are presented and explored: (a) How is whole langauge defined in the educational literature? (b) What types of instructional techniques/strategies are used in describing whole-language programs? (c) What trends can be drawn from comparisons made between publication dates of journal articles as well as between author categorizations? (d) What definition for whole language can be compiled as a result of an extensive review, analysis, and synthesis of the literature? and (e) What implications does the knowledge gained from the literature analysis have for elementary reading instruction? Review analysis found that definitions and descriptions of whole language vary widely throughout the literature and that differences exist between school- and university-based authors' perceptions of this concept.

Self-assessment of classroom instruction: An effective approach to inservice education

This paper reports a study that was conducted within a client-based staff development program sponsored by a school in a medium-sized city in the southeastern United States. The study examined the effectiveness of self-assessment in improving the quality of elementary reading instruction. Participants reviewed reports of research underlying a checklist developed for their use in assessing their reading group instruction. They then used the checklist to analyze audio tapes of their own teaching, targeting behaviors they wished to improve. A comparison of pre and post tapes indicated the effectiveness of the procedure in promoting instructional improvements in areas represented on the checklist and in other aspects of instruction. Teachers' subjective reactions to the experience were positive.

A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform

A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform

THE EFFECT OF THEORETICAL AND SITUATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF READING ON TEACHERS’ ESTIMATES OF READABILITY

This study sought to determine: to what extent teachers who possess theoretical and situational knowledge of elementary reading instruction are accurate in estimating the readability levels of materials; to what extent teachers who possess theoretical and situational knowledge of elementary reading instruction are more accurate in estimating the readability levels of materials than: in‐service teachers who possess only situational knowledge of reading from teaching experience? pre‐service teachers who possess only theoretical knowledge of elementary reading instruction? pre‐service teachers who possess neither theoretical knowledge of elementary reading instruction nor situational knowledge of reading from teaching experience?