HUMBEHV 2AP3 - What works
Introduction
The following notes provide a comprehensive study guide summarizing essential concepts, principles, and data related to reading instruction and evaluation methods in educational settings. These notes are structured to reflect the major themes discussed in the content and elaborate on detailed explanations and implications as presented in the source material.
How Children Learn to Read
Reading development in children is a multifaceted process involving several key components:
Exposure to Oral Language: Children learn vocabulary and the structure of language through verbal communication, which is foundational in developing reading skills.
Learning Phonemes: The recognition and understanding of phonemes, which are the distinct units of sound in a given language, is crucial. Children learn to identify these sounds as a part of their reading development.
Matching Sounds to Letters: This process involves associating sounds (phonemes) with their corresponding letters, which is fundamental for decoding written words.
Phoneme Recognition and Examples
An essential component of learning to read involves sound-to-object matching. For example, children may encounter the words “mat,” “cat,” and “bat.” The frequent auditory exposure to the sound sequence “-at” enables them to identify the phonemes “a” and “t,” reinforcing their understanding of word structures and phonetics.
Reading Curricula Comparison
Types of Reading Approaches
Phonics Approach:
Focuses on teaching the sounds associated with letters and combinations of letters.
Empirical evidence supports its effectiveness as a foundational reading strategy.
Non-Phonics Approach:
Relies on context clues, pictures, and the 'sound' of sentences rather than explicit phonics instruction.
There is a lack of empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of this approach, suggesting that skilled readers utilize contextual cues better than less-skilled readers.
Reading Recovery Program
Objectives and Implementation
Goal: After a year in the Reading Recovery program, struggling readers should achieve reading and writing abilities commensurate with their classmates, enabling them to engage effectively in regular classroom instruction.
Teacher and Student Behavior Changes: The program emphasizes altering the teaching methods of educators and strategies employed by students.
Systemic Changes: Advocacy for a better educational system where support is not solely placed on the child.
Effective Screening: The program utilizes specific screening methods to identify students who require intervention. However, there are concerns regarding low specificity in certain screening processes.
Intervention Components
Teacher Training: Educators receive specialized training to provide small-group interventions for struggling readers.
Individualized Instruction: Each child receives at least two hours of individualized reading instruction daily, facilitated by a trained Reading Recovery teacher on a weekly basis.
Curriculum Content:
Students read 2-3 easy books.
Revisit previously read texts for reinforcement.
Engage in letter and word practice to enhance fluency.
Compose original sentences and analyze new words necessary for their written work.
Engage in reconstructing sentences based on jumbled words to deepen their understanding of text structure and word relations.
Evaluation of Educational Products
EdReports
Purpose: EdReports is a non-profit organization that reviews instructional materials used in classrooms, akin to consumer reports but for education.
Transparency Issues: There are concerns regarding the transparency of their evaluation methods, and it has been noted that some discredited instructional techniques received favorable reviews.
Impact of EdReports on Schools: Legal mandates in certain states pushed schools to favor products aligned with EdReports, which might not necessarily be evidence-based.
Effect of Socioeconomic Factors on Reading
Case Study: Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville has notably high reading scores when compared with similar U.S. districts. This can be attributed to various socioeconomic factors such as:
Subsidized Preschool Programs: Affordable preschool options provide children early exposure to oral language and correction of grammar.
Attendance Incentives: Schools in Steubenville actively promote high attendance through competition, and they employ home visits for absent students, ensuring higher attendance rates (7% missed school versus the national average of 23%).
Small Class Sizes: The approach includes maintaining small reading groups which allows for personalized instruction.
Peer Mentoring Programs: More experienced peers assist struggling readers, cultivating both academic and social skills.
Consistency in Programs: Schools have utilized the same educational strategies for over 25 years to maximize effectiveness.
Criticism of EdReports' Reviews
The EdReports organization has chosen not to review certain efficacious programs like the one in Steubenville, highlighting a gap in the evaluation of evidence-based interventions.
Success for All Program
Overview
Approach: An evidence-based reading program that incorporates cooperative learning strategies and has demonstrated effectiveness in various districts across multiple states.
Research Foundation: Emphasizes evaluation and research beginning from implementation, involving a matching approach of intervention and control schools based on similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
Effectiveness Data
The program has produced positive effect sizes across grades, demonstrating measurable benefits in reading outcomes:
Grade 1 to 5 Improvements: Evaluation data shows a consistent upward trend in mean reading scores over the years.
Strength in Language Learning: Success for All has proven to benefit English learners, showing more substantial gains compared to control groups, even providing additional support for Spanish-speaking students.
Bureaucratic Challenges
The program sometimes faces exclusion from official approval lists due to its broader educational changes, despite strong empirical support for its effectiveness in improving reading skills. This reflects a disconnect between bureaucratic processes and educational efficacy.
Conclusion
These notes encapsulate valuable insights into reading instruction methodologies, the dynamics of educational evaluations such as EdReports, and the implications of socioeconomic factors and evidence-based programs like Reading Recovery and Success for All. Understanding these components is critical for educators and policy-makers striving to enhance reading outcomes in diverse educational contexts.