Linking Educational Research and Practice
Research Lights Reflections On Our Literacy Process
A key tool for practitioners is reflection about our practice, using the light that research provides. The research-based principles that The Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) cite are encouraging for us because of the positive comparison that emerges between these principles and our schools’ literacy block work. It is always reassuring to be able to state to parents, students and colleagues how research supports the practices in which we are immersed. The 7 principles and accompanying references below are excerpted from the CIERA Improving the Reading Achievement of America’s Children: 10 Research-Based Principles (1998) and are printed with permission.
Research-Based Principles from CIERA
1. Home language and literacy experiences that lead to the development of key print concepts are plentiful among children who enter school prepared to learn to read. Joint book reading with family members helps children develop a wide range of knowledge that supports them in school-based reading.
Once students are in school, parental help in the form of modeling good reading habits and monitoring homework and television viewing is associated with gains in student achievement. Programs that assist families in initiating and sustaining these sorts of activities show positive benefits for children’s reading achievement.
References
• Baker, L., Scher, D., Mackler, K. (1997). Home and Family Influences On Motivations For Reading. Educational Psychologist (32) 69-82.
• Bus, A., van Ijzendoorn, H., Pellegrini, A. (1965). Joint Book Reading Makes For Success In Learning To Read: A Meta-Analysis On Intergenerational Transmission Of Literacy. Review of Educational Research (65) 1-21.
• Neuman, S. (1996). Children Engaging In Storybook Reading: The Influence of Access To Print Resources, Opportunity, And Parental Interaction. Early Childhood Research Quarterly (11) 495-513.
2. Professional opportunities to improve reading achievement are prominent in successful schools and programs. These opportunities allow teachers and administrators to analyze instruction, assessment, and achievement, to set goals for improvement, to learn about effective practices, and to participate in ongoing communities in which participants deliberately try to understand both successes and persistent problems.
References
• Louis, K., Marks, H. Kruse, S. (1996). Teachers’ Professional Community In Restructuring Schools. American Educational Research Journal (33) 757-798.
• Peterson, P., McCarthey, S., Elmore, R. (1996). Learning From School Restructuring. American Educational Research Journal (33) 119-153.
• Sacks, C., and Mergendoller, R. (1997). The Relationship Between Teachers’ Theoretical Orientation Toward Reading And Student Outcomes In Kindergarten Children With Different Initial Reading Abilities. American Educational Research Journal (34) 721-739.
3. Skills that predict later reading success can be promoted through a variety of classroom language and meaningful reading and writing events in kindergarten and grade 1. The two most powerful of these predictors are letter-name knowledge and phonemic awareness (the conscious awareness of the sounds in spoken works). Instruction that pro-motes phonemic awareness engages children in hearing and blending sounds. Activities that pro-mote this attention to sounds can be motivating and playful for young children, including oral renditions of rhymes, poems, and songs, as well as writing their own journals and messages. Such instruction has demonstrated positive effects on primary-grade reading achievement, especially when it is coupled with letter-sound instruction.
References
• Cunningham, A. (1990). Explicit Instruction In Phonemic Awareness. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology (50) 429-444.
• Fielding-Barnsley, R. Explicit Instruction In Decoding Benefits Children High In Phonemic Awareness And Alphabet Knowledge. Scientific Studies of Reading (1) 85-98.
• Phillips, L., Norris, S., & Mason, J. (1996). Longitudinal Effects Of Early Literacy Concepts On Reading Achievement: A Kindergarten Intervention and Five Year Follow Up. Journal of Literacy Research (28) 173-195.
4. Primary-level instruction that supports successful reading acquisition is consistent, well designed, and focused. Teachers lead lessons where children receive systematic word recognition instruction on common, consistent letter-sound relationships and important but often unpredictable high-frequency words, such as the and what. Teachers ensure that children become adept at monitoring the accuracy of their reading as well as their understanding of texts through instruction in strategies such as predicting, inferencing, clarifying misunderstandings, and summarizing. Instructional activities that promote growth in word recognition and comprehension include repeated reading of text, guided reading and writing, strategy lessons, reading aloud with feedback, and conversations about texts children have read.
References
• Adams, J. (1990). Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print.Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Hiebert, E., Colt, J., Catto, S., Gury, E. (1992). Reading and Writing Of First-Grade Students In A Restructured Chapter I Program. American Educational Research Journal (29) 545-572.
• Ross, S., Smith, L., Casey, J., and Slavin, R. (1995). Increasing The Academic Success Of Disadvantaged Children: An Examination Of Alternative Early Intervention Programs. American Educational Research Journal (32) 773-800.
5. Primary-level classroom environments in successful schools provide opportunities for students to apply what they have learned in teacher-guided instruction to everyday reading and writing. In these classrooms, teachers read books aloud and hold follow-up discussions, children read independently every day, and children write stories and keep journals. These events are monitored frequently by teachers, ensuring that time is well spent and that children receive feedback on their efforts. Teachers design these events carefully, using information from on going assessment of children’s strengths and needs as the primary basis for new activities.
References
• Morrow, L. (1992). The Impact Of A Literature-Based Program On Literacy Achievement, Use Of Literature, And Attitudes Of Children From Minority Backgrounds. Reading Research Quarterly (27) 250-275.
• Purcell-Gates, V., McIntyre, E., Freppon, P. (1995). Learning Written Storybook Language In School: A Comparison Of Low-SES Children In Skills-Based and Whole Language Classrooms. American Educational Research Journal (32) 659-685.
• Pressley, M., Rankin, J., Yokoi, L. (1996). A Survey Of Instructional Practices Of Primary Teachers Nominated As Effective In Promoting Literacy. The Elementary School Journal (96) 363-384.
6. Cultural and linguistic diversity among America’s children reflects the variations within the communities and homes in which they live and is manifest in differences in their dispositions toward and knowledge about topics, language, and literacy. Effective instruction includes assessment, integration, and extension of relevant background knowledge and the use of texts that recognize these diverse backgrounds. The language of children’s homes is especially critical for schools to build on when children are learning to speak, listen to, write, and read English. There is considerable evidence that the linguistic and orthographic knowledge students acquire in speaking and reading their first language predicts and transfers to learning to read a second language. When teachers capitalize on the advantages of bilingualism or biliteracy, second language reading acquisition is significantly enhanced.
References
• August, D., and Hakuta, K. (Eds.). (1997). Improving Schooling For Language Minority Children: A Research Agenda.Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
• Fitzgerald, J. (1995). English-As-A-Second-Language Learners’ Cognitive Reading Processes: A Review Of Research In The U.S. Review of Educational Research (65) 145-190.
• Jimenez, R.T., Garcia, G., Pearson, P. (1996). The Reading Strategies Of Latina/o Students Who Are Successful Readers: Opportunities & Obstacles. Reading Research Quarterly (31) 90-112.
7. Children who are identified as having reading disabilities benefit from systematic instruction, but not at the cost of opportunities to engage in meaningful reading and writing. These children profit from the same sort of well-balanced instructional programs that benefit all children who are learning to read and write. Programs are characterized by intensive one-on-one or small-group instruction, attention to both comprehension and word recognition processes, thoroughly individualized assessment and instructional planning and extensive experiences with an array of texts.
References
• Englert, C., Garmon, A., Mariage, T., Rozendal, M., Tarrant, K., Urban, J. (1995). The Early Literacy Project: Connecting Across The Literacy Curriculum. Learning Disability Quarterly, (18) 253-275
• Vellutino, F. et al. (1996). Cognitive Profiles Of Difficult-To-Remediate and Readily Remediated Poor Readers: Early Intervention As A Vehicle For Distinguishing Between Cognitive And Experiential Deficits As Basic Causes Of Specific Reading Disability. Journal of Educational Psychology (88)601-638.
• Wasik, B., Slavin, R. (1993). Preventing Early Reading Failure With One-To-One Tutoring: A Review Of Five Programs. Reading Research Quarterly (28) 178-200.
[The Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA), at the University of Michigan is a collaboration of the Universities of Michigan, Virginia and Michigan State University. —Ed.]
Further Reading
The entire text of Improving the Reading Achievement of America’s Children: 10 Research-Based Principles is available on the CIERA Web site: www.ciera.org/ciera/information/principles
Research Lights Reflections On Our Literacy Process
A key tool for practitioners is reflection about our practice, using the light that research provides. The research-based principles that The Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) cite are encouraging for us because of the positive comparison that emerges between these principles and our schools’ literacy block work. It is always reassuring to be able to state to parents, students and colleagues how research supports the practices in which we are immersed. The 7 principles and accompanying references below are excerpted from the CIERA Improving the Reading Achievement of America’s Children: 10 Research-Based Principles (1998) and are printed with permission.
Research-Based Principles from CIERA
1. Home language and literacy experiences that lead to the development of key print concepts are plentiful among children who enter school prepared to learn to read. Joint book reading with family members helps children develop a wide range of knowledge that supports them in school-based reading.
Once students are in school, parental help in the form of modeling good reading habits and monitoring homework and television viewing is associated with gains in student achievement. Programs that assist families in initiating and sustaining these sorts of activities show positive benefits for children’s reading achievement.
References
• Baker, L., Scher, D., Mackler, K. (1997). Home and Family Influences On Motivations For Reading. Educational Psychologist (32) 69-82.
• Bus, A., van Ijzendoorn, H., Pellegrini, A. (1965). Joint Book Reading Makes For Success In Learning To Read: A Meta-Analysis On Intergenerational Transmission Of Literacy. Review of Educational Research (65) 1-21.
• Neuman, S. (1996). Children Engaging In Storybook Reading: The Influence of Access To Print Resources, Opportunity, And Parental Interaction. Early Childhood Research Quarterly (11) 495-513.
2. Professional opportunities to improve reading achievement are prominent in successful schools and programs. These opportunities allow teachers and administrators to analyze instruction, assessment, and achievement, to set goals for improvement, to learn about effective practices, and to participate in ongoing communities in which participants deliberately try to understand both successes and persistent problems.
References
• Louis, K., Marks, H. Kruse, S. (1996). Teachers’ Professional Community In Restructuring Schools. American Educational Research Journal (33) 757-798.
• Peterson, P., McCarthey, S., Elmore, R. (1996). Learning From School Restructuring. American Educational Research Journal (33) 119-153.
• Sacks, C., and Mergendoller, R. (1997). The Relationship Between Teachers’ Theoretical Orientation Toward Reading And Student Outcomes In Kindergarten Children With Different Initial Reading Abilities. American Educational Research Journal (34) 721-739.
3. Skills that predict later reading success can be promoted through a variety of classroom language and meaningful reading and writing events in kindergarten and grade 1. The two most powerful of these predictors are letter-name knowledge and phonemic awareness (the conscious awareness of the sounds in spoken works). Instruction that pro-motes phonemic awareness engages children in hearing and blending sounds. Activities that pro-mote this attention to sounds can be motivating and playful for young children, including oral renditions of rhymes, poems, and songs, as well as writing their own journals and messages. Such instruction has demonstrated positive effects on primary-grade reading achievement, especially when it is coupled with letter-sound instruction.
References
• Cunningham, A. (1990). Explicit Instruction In Phonemic Awareness. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology (50) 429-444.
• Fielding-Barnsley, R. Explicit Instruction In Decoding Benefits Children High In Phonemic Awareness And Alphabet Knowledge. Scientific Studies of Reading (1) 85-98.
• Phillips, L., Norris, S., & Mason, J. (1996). Longitudinal Effects Of Early Literacy Concepts On Reading Achievement: A Kindergarten Intervention and Five Year Follow Up. Journal of Literacy Research (28) 173-195.
4. Primary-level instruction that supports successful reading acquisition is consistent, well designed, and focused. Teachers lead lessons where children receive systematic word recognition instruction on common, consistent letter-sound relationships and important but often unpredictable high-frequency words, such as the and what. Teachers ensure that children become adept at monitoring the accuracy of their reading as well as their understanding of texts through instruction in strategies such as predicting, inferencing, clarifying misunderstandings, and summarizing. Instructional activities that promote growth in word recognition and comprehension include repeated reading of text, guided reading and writing, strategy lessons, reading aloud with feedback, and conversations about texts children have read.
References
• Adams, J. (1990). Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print.Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Hiebert, E., Colt, J., Catto, S., Gury, E. (1992). Reading and Writing Of First-Grade Students In A Restructured Chapter I Program. American Educational Research Journal (29) 545-572.
• Ross, S., Smith, L., Casey, J., and Slavin, R. (1995). Increasing The Academic Success Of Disadvantaged Children: An Examination Of Alternative Early Intervention Programs. American Educational Research Journal (32) 773-800.
5. Primary-level classroom environments in successful schools provide opportunities for students to apply what they have learned in teacher-guided instruction to everyday reading and writing. In these classrooms, teachers read books aloud and hold follow-up discussions, children read independently every day, and children write stories and keep journals. These events are monitored frequently by teachers, ensuring that time is well spent and that children receive feedback on their efforts. Teachers design these events carefully, using information from on going assessment of children’s strengths and needs as the primary basis for new activities.
References
• Morrow, L. (1992). The Impact Of A Literature-Based Program On Literacy Achievement, Use Of Literature, And Attitudes Of Children From Minority Backgrounds. Reading Research Quarterly (27) 250-275.
• Purcell-Gates, V., McIntyre, E., Freppon, P. (1995). Learning Written Storybook Language In School: A Comparison Of Low-SES Children In Skills-Based and Whole Language Classrooms. American Educational Research Journal (32) 659-685.
• Pressley, M., Rankin, J., Yokoi, L. (1996). A Survey Of Instructional Practices Of Primary Teachers Nominated As Effective In Promoting Literacy. The Elementary School Journal (96) 363-384.
6. Cultural and linguistic diversity among America’s children reflects the variations within the communities and homes in which they live and is manifest in differences in their dispositions toward and knowledge about topics, language, and literacy. Effective instruction includes assessment, integration, and extension of relevant background knowledge and the use of texts that recognize these diverse backgrounds. The language of children’s homes is especially critical for schools to build on when children are learning to speak, listen to, write, and read English. There is considerable evidence that the linguistic and orthographic knowledge students acquire in speaking and reading their first language predicts and transfers to learning to read a second language. When teachers capitalize on the advantages of bilingualism or biliteracy, second language reading acquisition is significantly enhanced.
References
• August, D., and Hakuta, K. (Eds.). (1997). Improving Schooling For Language Minority Children: A Research Agenda.Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
• Fitzgerald, J. (1995). English-As-A-Second-Language Learners’ Cognitive Reading Processes: A Review Of Research In The U.S. Review of Educational Research (65) 145-190.
• Jimenez, R.T., Garcia, G., Pearson, P. (1996). The Reading Strategies Of Latina/o Students Who Are Successful Readers: Opportunities & Obstacles. Reading Research Quarterly (31) 90-112.
7. Children who are identified as having reading disabilities benefit from systematic instruction, but not at the cost of opportunities to engage in meaningful reading and writing. These children profit from the same sort of well-balanced instructional programs that benefit all children who are learning to read and write. Programs are characterized by intensive one-on-one or small-group instruction, attention to both comprehension and word recognition processes, thoroughly individualized assessment and instructional planning and extensive experiences with an array of texts.
References
• Englert, C., Garmon, A., Mariage, T., Rozendal, M., Tarrant, K., Urban, J. (1995). The Early Literacy Project: Connecting Across The Literacy Curriculum. Learning Disability Quarterly, (18) 253-275
• Vellutino, F. et al. (1996). Cognitive Profiles Of Difficult-To-Remediate and Readily Remediated Poor Readers: Early Intervention As A Vehicle For Distinguishing Between Cognitive And Experiential Deficits As Basic Causes Of Specific Reading Disability. Journal of Educational Psychology (88)601-638.
• Wasik, B., Slavin, R. (1993). Preventing Early Reading Failure With One-To-One Tutoring: A Review Of Five Programs. Reading Research Quarterly (28) 178-200.
[The Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA), at the University of Michigan is a collaboration of the Universities of Michigan, Virginia and Michigan State University. —Ed.]
Further Reading
The entire text of Improving the Reading Achievement of America’s Children: 10 Research-Based Principles is available on the CIERA Web site: www.ciera.org/ciera/information/principles