Transcript Document
Creating Successful, Research-Based Reading Interventions for Struggling Readers— that Work!
#PA058 Elizabeth D. Palacios, Ph.D., LSSP
Floyd Harrison, Graduate Student
School Psychology Graduate Program Department of Educational Psychology Baylor University, Waco, Texas (254) 710-4683
NASP 2005 Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA
Definition of Reading Disabilities
Willcutt & Pennington (2000) define a reading disability as “a developmental disorder characterized by significant underachievement on standardized tests on single-word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension, usually resulting from impaired phonological processing”
Most reading experts agree… that a reading disability:
has a biological basis & is due to a congenital neurological condition persists into adolescents & adulthood (Richek, Caldwell, Jennings, & Lerner, 2002) has perceptual, cognitive, & language dimensions often leads to difficulties in many areas of life as the individual matures (Hynd, 1992)
Common Practice
Reading disabilities are most often diagnosed on the basis of a significant discrepancy between a child’s learning potential (Intelligence Quotient score) and his/her reading achievement (reading achievement score)
Developmental Patterns
“children who get off to a poor start in reading rarely catch up” (Torgesen, 1998) Children do not simply “grow out of it” Research indicates that 74% of children significantly delayed in 3 rd grade remain significantly delayed at the end of high school (Shaywitz, et al., 2000) 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 grade 1 grade 4 grade 7 Proficient Readers Impaired Readers grade 10
Grade levels of reading skills over time.
By adolescence…
the primary indications of a reading disability are: difficulty with fluency when reading aloud a very slow reading rate poor spelling (especially in the context of spontaneous writing, rather than on a spelling test)
Components of Reading
According to the National Institutes of Health & Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reading components include: Phonological Awareness Phonics Rules Rate Fluency Comprehension
Reading Interventions
Torgesen proposes 3 general principles for reading interventions: Instruction must be more explicit & comprehensive Instruction must be more intensive Instruction must be more supportive
Reading Interventions
continued
Fletcher & Lyon describe the common components of effective intervention as: Explicitly teaching how to articulate positions & mouth movements associated with each phoneme Comprehensive & intensive instruction Repetition Experiences in different contexts Individualized tutoring High interest books for reading silently Comprehension strategies Vocabulary development Practice for fluency & rate
Struggling Readers
There is an alarming rage of juvenile offenders with disabilities (an estimated 30%-50% of students in correctional system need special services) 2% - 8% school-age children have reading disabilities compared to 30% - 60% of students involved with the juvenile justice system These figures are perhaps higher since many students in the juvenile justice system remain undiagnosed
Behavior Health Institute (BHI): Center for Learning & Development
BHI developed a reading intervention program for male adolescents placed in a long-term residential juvenile justice facility located in Central Texas.
Due to the high correlation of learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency, the juvenile detention center seemed the ideal place to pilot an innovative reading program.
BHI: Reading Intervention Program
PARTICIPANTS:
22 participants (ages 12 through 17) Average age of group was 14 yrs., 9 mos.
Participants were Central Texas students in grades 5 through 11
PROCEDURE:
Students were referred to the program based upon low scores on a reading pronunciation test (WRAT-Reading)
BHI: Reading Intervention Program
PROCEDURE
(CONTINUED) A more comprehensive reading assessment was then administered: Lindamood Auditory Conceptualization Test (LAC): determines the level of phonological awareness skills Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT): measures the reading rate, reading fluency, & reading comprehension
BHI: Reading Intervention Program
The comprehensive reading program is approximately 12 weeks (120 hours) The intensive program addresses phonological awareness, phonics skills, reading fluency, reading rate, & reading comprehension Small groups of 4 to 5 students are each assigned a “station” where he interacts with the different components of the intensive program
BHI: Reading Intervention Program
These stations provide direct instruction by a:
reading specialist interactive computer program oral & silent reading practice of newly acquired skills
The student works at each station for approximately 20 minutes and then rotates to the next station until all stations are completed
BHI: Reading Intervention Program RESULTS:
After 12 weeks of intensive reading intervention (2 hours per day for an average of 120 hours), the average grade level for:
Phonological awareness
increased by 2.9 grade levels
Fluency
increased 1.7 grade level
Rate
increased 1.8 grade level
Comprehension
increased 2.3 grade levels
BHI: 12-Week Intensive Reading Intervention Results
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 P ho no lo gi ca l A w a re ne ss Fl ue n cy R a te C o m p re h en si o n Pretest Postest
First Station: LiPs
Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program for Reading, Spelling, & Speech (LiPS)
Program:
Only a small portion of the program is utilized Students manipulate blocks to match nonsense words The instructor works through many lists of words The words become longer & more complex as the student progresses
LiPS Program
(continued)
Benefits:
Develops phonological processing skills Stimulates phonemic awareness Enables students to become self-correcting in reading, spelling, & speech
Drawbacks:
Requires one-on-one attention Requires the instructor to have precise speech patterns
Second Station: Earobics Program:
teaches more advanced phonological awareness, auditory processing, phonics, & cognitive skills, as well as language skills required for comprehension
Third Station: Lexia Reading S.O.S.
(Strategies for Older Students)
Program:
Computer-based phonemic awareness & decoding program Wide selection of game-like sections teach a variety of phonics & decoding skills Lesson content builds with each of five levels Automatic branching to specific skill areas lets the students practice the unit they need Progress can be monitored easily by student & teacher
Lexia Reading S.O.S
(continued)
Benefits:
Students develop automatic word recognition skills Activities build phonemic awareness, sound symbol correspondence, decoding skills, & comprehension skills Can be used with a wide range of students 4 th through 12 th grade
Drawbacks:
No grades are provided by the program (only units completed or passed)
Fourth Station: Read Naturally Program:
Audio tape reading program Student is allowed one minute to read a selection cold Student places a mark where he/she had to stop after one minute Student graphs the number of words read in one minute Student listens repeatedly to an audio tape of a person reading slowly
Fourth Station: Read Naturally
(continued)
Student answers comprehension questions over reading material Student practices reading the selection alone Teacher retimes the student as he/she attempts to increase the number of words read in one minute Student graphs the final number of words read
Fourth Station: Read Naturally
(continued) Benefits:
Partner reading with tape builds fluency & vocabulary Comprehension skills are developed by questioning Graphing provides progress monitoring Students like the challenging “race like” nature of the program
Drawbacks:
Difficult for teacher to know if students are listening to the tapes Mixed levels are sometimes embarrassing for students
Fifth Station: PLATO/AEC A+ Learning Programs
Plato Program:
Focuses on reading comprehension skills Computer-based curriculum takes each student through a series of lessons addressing informational text, expository texts, & literature
American Education Corp. A+dvanced Learning System
Computer-based Language Arts & Reading program Teaches skills from 1 st to the 5 th grade level Student takes practice test then real test over lesson All tests are 10 multiple choice questions Lessons build on each other
Benefits:
Student is able to practice, learn, and test his ability in the area of vocabulary & reading comprehension
Sixth Station: Don Johnston’s Books Program:
High-interest, controlled-vocabulary reading series Narrated computer books on CD’s Includes CD, paperback book, & audiocassette Students read a chapter one page at a time Students answer quizzes (cloze passage or multiple choice) after each chapter Quizzes are graded immediately & the student receives instant feedback
Sixth Station: Don Johnston’s Books
(continued) Benefits:
Large choice of mature titles Students like the choices available Real number grades are provided Build fluency through more reading experience
Drawbacks:
Limited number of levels 2/3 and 4/5 Under-motivated students may just listen to the CD & not read the text
BHI: Reading Intervention Program
DISCUSSION:
Through intense, direct, and interactive reading instruction older students are able to improve their reading skills that most children learn at an early age Those students who have already suffered through years of humiliation & discouragement are able to experience school success Further research is needed to determine if this reading program can produce even a larger gain if delivered over a longer period of time for a greater number of hours
Contact Information
Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS): 800-554-1819; www.lindamoodbell.com
Earobics:
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www.enablemart.com/products_detail.asp?id=451 Lexia Learning Systems Reading S.O.S: School Version - 800-435-3942; www.lexialearning.com
Read Naturally: 800-788-4085, www.readnaturally.com
Plato: $1,000 – 1 station American Education Corporation A+dvanced Learning System: 800-34A-PLUS; www.amered.com
Don Johnston’s Start-to-Finish books: 800-999-4660; www.donjohnston.com
BHI: Center for Learning & Development [email protected]
(254) 751-0922