The Reading Instruction Show

Yes, moral outrage over systemic racism is a wonderful thing. It is good that people are outraged (again) at the abuse and the murders at the hands of a police system that was originally designed to protect us. It is good as well that there is moral outrage over the continued disparities, the implicit bias, and the educational, political, social, and economic restrictions that advantage those in power (white privilege) while restricting and disadvantaging people of color. There should be outrage. We would lack humanity if we were not outraged. But how many times have we been outraged over the last 20, 30, 50, 400 years? Hell, how many times have we been morally outraged in the last year?

Academic writing involves saying something about something. You need information to convey, analyze, or use in some fashion. finding new information and taking careful notes is Step 1 of the academic writing process. You can’t get to Step 2 without doing Step 1.• Step 1. Research to gather data. Usually this means reading and taking careful notes. However, data can also be collected other ways.

Students of color are disproportionately represented in special education. This is most true of the three high incidence categories: learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disorders, and intellectual disorders. The short podcast describes some of the issues here.

The super-secret academic writing process involves six steps:1. Research to gather data. Usually this means finding sources, reading and taking careful notes. However, data can also be collected other ways.2. Pre-drafting. As the name implies, this is what is done before writing the first draft. This involves things such as planning, creating outlines, talking with others, generating ideas, or finding structure.3. First-draft. This is the first attempt to get ideas on the page.4. Revise. This is the heart of the writing process. Here the writer rereads, reshapes, gets feedback, and revises many times.5. Editing. Editing should occur only after a piece has been revised several times. Here the writer looks for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.6. Share. This is the very last step. This is where the paper is sent out into the world.

This is the first in series of podcasts that will provide a foundation and framework to enhance your understanding of the various processes involved in academic writing. The purpose of these podcasts is to enable you to be an effective writer and thinker in all contexts including your personal and professional lives (outside a college environment). Thus, while I will use the term ’academic writing’, it may be helpful to perceive academic writing in a larger sense as academic and professional writing and thinking.

The basic elements of direction instruction are: (a) a purpose statement; (b) input with modeling, examples, and demonstrations, (c) guided practice with a gradual release of responsibility, (d) independent practice, and (e) review

It is not the 'what' of phonics instruction in which there are varying ideas; it is the 'how' and the 'how much' of phonics instruction. Also, all teachers, especially whole language teachers, believe in very direct and explicit instruction.

Segregated instruction for students with special learning needs is that which occurs outside a general education setting. Inclusive instruction is that which occurs within a general education setting with teachers who have the knowledge and skills to differentiate the curriculum. Research has found that inclusive classrooms result in learning outcomes as good or better than segregated classrooms.

Segregated instruction is that which occurs outside a general education classroom classroom. Inclusive instruction is that which occurs within a general education classroom. Effective inclusive classrooms have educational, social, and emotional outcomes that are as good or better than segregated classrooms.

Disability and race are both social construction designed to put human beings into categories. This podcast examines two models of disability: the medical model and the social model. The medical model views disability as something that is ‘wrong’ with a person’s body or mind. There is something wrong with the person that needs to be fixed. Sadly, this is the model that predominates special education.

Children learn between 3,000 and 4,000 words a year. By the end of elementary school they know approximately 25,000 and by the end of high school approximately 50,000 to 80,000 words. The question is: How do they learn all these words? Do they learn them from vocabulary worksheets? Do they learn them by looking them up and writing down the definition? Do they learn them as a result of direct instruction? how do children learn new words? Why is word learning important? What can teachers do to enhance word learning?

There is a bit of racism in the special education silo. I used to describe special education as a field – as in “the field of special education.” And indeed, it did used to be a field. You can see this field when reading articles from the major special education academic journals in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was a field. Not a farmer’s field but a field in the wild. This kind of field is a beautiful place. It is an ecosystem, with birds, other animals, and a wide variety of plant life. And a field in the wild is not contained. It changes over time as new seeds, plant life, and animals interact with it. The edges of the field evolve and change over time.Education is a field. Literacy education is a field. But special education is not a field anymore; rather, it has become a silo.

This is the first in a series of podcasts that will address racism as it pertains to special education and literacy instruction. In these podcasts I am addressing the special education system, which I refer to a silo. In this podcast, I define racism.A disclaimer: In these podcasts I am not referring to any particular school, school district, university, or teacher preparation program. I am addressing systemic racism in the larger special education silo.

The steps of the action research process are described below. Note that it is a recursive process that does not always proceed in a linear fashion (Johnson, 2012; Patterson & Shannon, 1993). Thus, some of these steps may need to be repeated several times, or they may have to be done in a different order. 1. Ask a question, identify a problem, or select a research topic. 2. Set the problem or research topic in a theoretical context. 3. Make a plan for data collection4. Begin to collect and analyze data. 5. If necessary, allow the question or problem to change as data are collected. 6. Analyze and organize the data. 7. Make conclusions and recommendations. 8. Create a plan of action. 9. Report your findings.

The following seven descriptors provide insight as to the nature of action research.1. Action research is systematic2. You do not start with an answer. 3. Action research projects vary in length. 4. The study must be adequately planned before beginning to collect data5. Observations should be regular, but they do not necessarily have to be long. 6. Action research is grounded in theory. 7. Action research is not an experimental study.

Teachers are the most significant variable in determining the quality of education students receive and the amount of learning that occurs. Yet, when it comes to discussions about how to enhance learning or improve the quality of education, this most significant variable is often ignored. To make this variable even more significant, there must be continued investment in teacher professional development.It is naïve to think that a finished teaching product can be created in four semesters of any teacher preparation program. These programs instead provide the knowledge and skills for pre-service teachers to begin their journey toward being and becoming skillful professionals and eventually, expert teachers. Toward this end, there are two necessary elements: developing knowledge and engaging in reflective analyses. This podcast will examine both of these.

A method in education usually refers to a defined process or specific set of techniques that are used exclusively in a prescribed fashion for instruction in a particular subject area. In contrast, a pedagogical strategy is a specific teaching technique that is used selectively in a variety of subject areas for a specific purpose. Direct instruction is one such pedagogical strategy. It should not be considered a method. There are instances when direct instruction is the most effective strategy to use. There are other instances when it is the least efficient strategy to use. Like any pedagogical strategy, its effectiveness is dependent on how it is used and for what purpose.

This podcast describes strategies for attending to sight words in a meaning-based approach to reading. It ends with an examination of scope and sequence charts.

There are eight terms related to reading instruction that are commonly misunderstood: (1) reading, (2) word recognition, (3) word identification, (4) decoding, (5) a strategy, (6) a skill, (7) systematic phonics instruction, and (8) a balanced approach. This podcast is to bring clarity to these commonly misunderstood terms.

Phonics is the ability to associate sounds with letters or letter patterns. Phonics is one of four ways used to identify individual words as we read. The other three are: (a) analogy [word families], (b) morphemic awareness [prefix, suffix, affix, root], and (c) context clues [semantics]. Phonics instruction is very important, but it should never be taught as the sole component in a reading program. If reading instruction consists only of phonics, the other word identification skills will not develop. Reading instruction that is effective simultaneously develops all four word identification skills.

In viewing online discussion groups and reading various articles related to reading instruction and struggling readers, it is clear that many believe that ‘whole language’ is a bad thing. All well and good, but one should understand exactly what whole language is before rejecting it.

After wide reading, writing is probably the next best thing you can use to help struggling readers. You can often hear beginning and emergent readers sounding out words as they listen to find the correct letter-sounds. This helps in the development of the phonetic cuing system. Writing also invites students to focus on word order, grammar, and the logical structure of the language. In this way it also develops the syntactical cuing system.

Standardized tests are effective for describing how far students are from a mythical average. They are very ineffective in diagnosing the cause of reading difficulties. This podcast explains.

The teacher is the most significant variable in determining how much learning takes place in any classroom. We must attend to this most significant variable. This occurs through professional develop that focuses on four kinds of knowledge: content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and knowledge of learners and learning.

This podcast explains and describes social cognitive learning theory and its applications. Social cognitive learning theory involves observing the behaviors of others and the resulting rewards and punishments. Future behaviors were then based on these observations. From the perspective of social cognitive learning theory, learning is a change in mental processes that creates the capacity to demonstrate different behaviors that occurs as a result of observing others.

This podcast describes efferent and aesthetic responses to text. It explains how we should approach and respond to expository (informational) and narrative text. It also explains why some of the Common Core State Standards related to literature are absurd, silly, and ridiculous,

This podcast describes how our brain creates meaning with text from a cognitive perspective. The information processing model, sometimes called the standard memory model, is used here. It depicts the process our brain uses to take in information as well as how we analyze, organize, store, and retrieve information. It also accounts for the two-way flow of information that occurs during the reading process.

Psychologists Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow are generally thought to be the founders of modern humanistic learning theory (DeCarvalho, 1991). Humanistic learning theory is not as easily defined as some learning theories. Indeed, there are differing views on what humanistic learning theory is or might be. And like other learning theories described in this book, they share common elements. However, all views on humanistic learning seem to share three overriding tenets: First, humans are by their very nature evolving, self-developing creatures. As such, we have a natural inclination to learn and develop fully. Second, learning is enhanced when educational experiences align with these natural desires. And third, the goal of education should be to enable each person to develop his or her full potential.

In this podcast I describe 11 attributes of what I believe to be teacher professionalism. They are based on the perspective I hold as a holistic educator. You will need to identify and define your own set of attributes

Affect in education usually refer to emotions and motivation. Since these do not show up on test scores, to the educational bureaucracy, they do not exist; however, they are, arguably, the most important components in teaching and learning, especially if you are a student with a special learning need. In this podcast we examine emotion, motivation, and learning to read, with a special focus on adolescents.

Psychometricians, educational psychologists, and the companies that publish standardized have convinced people that learning can be quantified and that the numbers generated on these standardized tests mean much more than they do. They promote the false idea that larger numbers mean more learning and more effective teaching, and lower numbers mean less learning and less effective teaching. Students are then sorted into high-numbered groups and low-numbered groups.

Educational research is used to create the theories upon we design educational policies and practices are designed. Theories help to organize relevant empirical facts (empirical means they can be observed or measured), in order to create a context for understanding phenomena. Put another way, a theory is a way to explain a set of facts. If reality were a dot-to-dot picture, a theory would be a way to connect a set of data dotsTheories are built, not on a single research study, but on a collection of data gleaned from a variety of different research studies. Good theories are well substantiated, connecting a wide variety of data dots, all of which have been confirmed through experiment and observation. Theoretical models of reading are used to understand the reading process as well as to design and evaluate instructional practices. As such, the theoretical model of reading one adheres to has tremendous impact on the type of reading instruction and interventions that are used. Described in this podcast are two common theoretical models of reading, each providing vastly different views of the reading process and struggling readers.

Some of the ideas about reading instruction that I have presented in various formats may be at odds with your previous ways of thinking about things. In fact, some of these ideas may directly conflict with what you believe to be true regarding how children learn to read and how you should teach them to read. This is good. Dissonance or disequilibrium is an important part of learning. I would invite you to neither accept nor reject these new ideas. Touch them. Carry them with you for a bit. Let them settle. See what sticks. Sort it out. This is how we grow, how we change, how we continue to evolve.

We want reading instruction for all students to be based on “scientifically based research”. In RTI students are identified for special education services based on how they respond to interventions that are supported by scientifically based research. As well, at our Universities, we are required to make sure preservice teachers receive instruction in reading methods that are supported by scientifically based research. It cannot be just any old kind of research; it must be scientifically based research. So, what exactly does this term mean? What does it take to be scientifically based research? Can only scientists do scientifically based research? Who decides what kind of research is scientifically based? What is science? What is research?Exploring and explaining these mysteries will be the focus of this podcast.

Federal guidelines related to IEPs for reading state that special education services (instruction and interventions), should be based on “peer-reviewed research.” This podcast explores the mystery of peer-reviewed research and the National Reading Panel. There are four things to take from this podcast related to peer-reviewed research and reading instruction:(1) It is not a perfect process, but it is a process and this process is important.(2) The process is not without bias or flaws. Peer review does not magically make research unbiased or pure. It is not possible for human beings to have a completely objective, unbiased view of anything. Peer-review is simply another filter to try to remove some of the impurities related to bias, methodology, theoretical context, applications, and conclusions.(3) You are the ultimate filter. You are the most important peer-reviewer. In this respect, you must always ask: Does the strategy or approach work with the students in front of you? Does it enhance their ability to create meaning with print? Does it move them forward, unimpeded, in their journey to achieve their full literacy potential? It does not matter if a strategy or approach demonstrates significant results with a large sample size if it does not work with your sample size.(4) Federal government has many significant roles to play in enhancing the betterment of our society and improving the lives of all people. However, identifying effective reading instruction is not one of them.

If the only tool you have is a hammer all the world becomes a nail. If the only tool you have to teach reading is phonics all the world becomes a phonics worksheet. This podcast describes (a) problems with phonics-only reading programs, (b) three tips for developing phonetic cueing systems, (c) systematic phonics instruction and (d) three approaches to phonics instruction

The purpose of a shared reading lesson is to enable the whole class to share insights or have a common discussion around a book or text. Here students of varying ability levels interact with concepts, vocabulary, and ideas in authentic contexts in creative and engaging ways. And while shared reading is designed around a common text; it is not, nor should it ever become a venue for round robin reading.

There is both a science and an art to creating effective writing prompts for post-reading activities.

This study examines four interconnecting elements within Special Ed World: (a) reading instruction, (b) data-resistant theoretical constructs, (c) paradigmatic parochialism regarding what is considered “scientifically-based” research, and (d) manipulative approaches to teaching.

.An individual Orton-Gillingham course costs over $2,000 and associate level training costs $4,000 plus $250 for materials. There are various levels of training and certification that can be purchased. What you get for your money is an expensive, Humpty-Dumptian approach to reading instruction where children are taught a specified list of reading subskills in a predetermined order and in a specified way. the Orton-Gillingham magic ingredient is “multisensory” instruction. This means it uses visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities when teaching. In other words, as children are learning, they see things, hear things, and do things.This is called multimodal instruction. Elementary teachers have been using it for years. But an effective meaning-based approach to reading instruction is even more multimodal in its multimodality. It includes imagination, emotion, and social interaction as well as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities. So effective meaning-based reading instruction would have children see things, hear things, do things, imagine things, emote things, and say things. In this podcast I describe 21 multimodal instructional strategies. And I will not charge you $4,000 plus $250 for materials.

Fidelity is a term often misused by the designers of commercially-prepared reading interventions and by decision-makers outside the classroom. Teachers are told they must implement an evidence-based program with “fidelity”. This term has been misinterpreted in an educational setting to mean following the instructional recipe exactly as written. In other words, fidelity means that teachers are required to follow the directions and do exactly what the program designers tell them to do without question or variation when implementing a reading intervention.

Rosalie Fink (Fink, 1996; Fink, 1998) Interviewed successful men and women with dyslexia to see why they were able to be so successful despite their profound “disability”. She discovered that all these successful adults were all allowed to immerse themselves and read in areas of interest as children. Here, they developed expertise, built conceptual and vocabulary knowledge and became familiar with the schemes and structures of the types of texts found in their field. This background knowledge was more important for facilitating reading accuracy and comprehension than letter clues. That is, marginal decoders used context to create meaning with print. Low-level skill mastery was not a prerequisite for higher-level thinking and skill construction.https://www.rosaliefink.com/successfulcareers

Intervention sessions for students with dyslexia should occur no less than four days a week and should include variations of seven elements: (1) word work, (2) word identification, (3) maze and cloze work, (4) comprehension, (5) reading practice, (6) fluency work, and (7) writing.Classroom resources and supports for students who dyslexia should include variation of nine elements: (1) emotional support, (2) audio books, (3) speech-to-text programs, (4) instruction in smaller parts, (5) pause and process time, (6) simplify homework assignments, (7) guided notes or outlines for lectures and reading assignments, (8) assistive technology, (9) peer mediated learning activities

As you read sentences on a page your eyeballs do not move from left to right, letter-to-letter, word-to-word in a straight, steady line. If you were able to attach little lasers to your eyeballs you would see that your eyes are actually hovering and jumping about like a hummingbird. They move unevenly, go back occasionally, skip some words, and fixate on others. These small, rapid, jerky movements that your eyes make are called saccades. It only appears that you are moving them from left to right in a straight line because your brain is doing what human brains naturally do: they create order out of chaos.Your brain tricks you into thinking that you process every word when in fact you do not. Instead your eyeballs fixate on only about 60% of the words you read. With unfamiliar material you fixate on more words; with more familiar material you fixate on fewer words. This means your eyes dance right over 40% of the words without stopping. That’s what you do when you read. It only appears as if you are reading every word because your brain is filling in the blanks.

This is my 3rd podcast related to dyslexia. It addresses the International Dyslexia Association and Orton-Gillingham reading "instruction" and state laws requiring a certain type of reading instruction for struggling readers.

Language experience activities are an effective strategy to use with beginning level readers. Here students dictate an experience or story to the teacher. The teacher then records what students say. I strongly recommended that you use this activity with each intervention session for two reasons: First on an interpersonal level, language experience activities enable you to make personal connections with your students. You can find out what is going on in their lives as well as what they find interesting or significant. It also creates conversation around these events. This enhances your ability to relate to your students. Relationships are important in any kind of teaching, but especially so when dealing with struggling readers, as self-efficacy and motivation are often low with.Second on an instructional level, language experience activities enable students to practice reading using words that are in their lexicon as well as their experiences and ideas. This make learning to read easier. Analytic phonics (modeled below) can then be used to develop letter-sound relationships with these familiar words and experiences.Language experience activities can be used with large groups, small groups, pairs, or individual students.

Reading practice is incredibly important. Extensive reading has been linked to improvement in general knowledge, vocabulary, spelling, verbal fluency, and reading comprehension. Also, the amount of reading students do is positively correlated with word identification skills, academic achievement, comprehension, reading fluency, and writing. Finally, increasing the time spent reading independently has been shown to be an effective way to reduce the gap between high and low achieving readers.

Students with dyslexia need more intense versions of the types of reading instruction that occurs within a general education setting. Intensity here refers to (a) more time, (b) more time-on-task, (c) more time engaged in authentic literacy activities [reading and writing], and (d) smaller instructional groups (3 to 7 students). It should include variations of the following seven elements:1. Word work.2. Word identification.3. Maze and cloze work.4. Comprehension.5. Reading practice.6. Fluency work.7. Writing

Depending on what study is cited and what definition of reading and reading deficiency is used, anywhere from 6% to 20% of students are what might be called “struggling readers”. Also depending on studies and definitions, anywhere from 3% to 5% of students are severely struggling readers. Terms like “reading disability”, “severe reading disability” and even “dyslexia: have been used with this group. This is the focus of this podcast

When assessment looks different from instruction and practice, you will often get results that under-represent students’ actual ability. Removing a reading event from its meaningful context during assessment creates an artificial, non-reading event. A valid assessment for reading should look, to the greatest extent possible, like real reading