Reading First and Interventions Stuart Greenberg Georgia Reading First Conference

Acknowledgements ERRFTAC/FCRR CRRFTAC WRRFTAC

Today’s Presentation Two Parts 1.What’s possible in our schools 2. Facilitators and Barriers

Current Understanding High quality classroom instruction can significantly reduce the numbers of children who struggle with reading Intervention in addition to classroom instruction is very effective.

Reading Comprehension One Model: A Thought To Ponder Fundamental Skills (phonological awareness, Alphabetic Principal) Word Reading Reading Comprehension Listening Comprehension Verbal Language Skills (Receptive & Expressive) Fluency

Intervention: A School Wide Focus Step 1: Quality Core Enhanced general education classroom instruction. Step 2 : Supportive Instruction Child receives more intense intervention in general education, presumably in small groups. Step 3 : Intensive Intervention Intervention increases in intensity and duration. Support typically needed across years.

Evidence from one school that we can do substantially better than ever before School Characteristics: 70% Free and Reduced Lunch (going up each year) 65% minority (mostly African-American) Elements of Curriculum Change: Movement to a more balanced reading curriculum beginning in school year (incomplete implementation) for K-2 Improved implementation in Implementation in Fall of 1996 of screening and more intensive small group instruction for at-risk students

Proportion falling below the 25th percentile in word reading ability at the end of first grade Average Percentile for entire grade (n=105) Hartsfield Elementary Progress over five years Screening at beginning of first grade, with extra instruction for those in bottom 30-40%

Proportion falling below the 25th Percentile Proportion falling below the 25th Percentile Average Percentile Average Percentile Hartsfield Elementary Progress over five years

Hartsfield Elem.State Average Level 2 Level 1 FCAT Performance in Spring, 2003

Assumptions The numbers of children who appear to be struggling is related to the quality and intensity of instruction. Some children will require more high quality instruction in smaller groups in order to respond well. Some children will not respond adequately, even with the best intervention.

1.Difficulty learning to read words accurately and fluently 2. Insufficient vocabulary, general knowledge, and reasoning skills to support comprehension of written language 3. Absence or loss of initial motivation to read, or failure to develop a mature appreciation of the rewards of reading. Potential Stumbling Blocks to Becoming a Good Reader (NRC Report, 1998)

High Quality Instruction Study Hours of Instruction Student/ Teacher Ratio Reading %tile for Identification of Risk Status % of Students Still At-Risk at End of Study Foorman et al., classroom18 5% Mathes et al., Classroom (peer tutoring) 257% Allor et al, Classroom (peer tutoring) 256% Mathes et al, in press 35 Classroom (peer tutoring or small group) 255%

The Impact of Intervention Only Study Hours of Instruction Student/Teacher Ratio Reading %tile for Identification of Risk Status % of Students Still At- Risk at End of Study Felton, :8163.8% Vellutino et al., :1154.5% Torgesen et al., :3181.4%

Instruction + Intervention in First Grade Study Hours of Instruction Student/Teacher Ratio Reading %tile for Identification of Risk Status % of Students Still At- Risk at End of Study Mathes et al., 2005 (Responsive Intervention) 120 1:3181.7% Mathes et al., 2005 (Proactive Intervention) 120 1:318.02% Torgesen et al., :318.8%

Double Dose Reading Core Reading Instruction Intervention Very small groups

Looking Inside The Brain Imaging

5 Year Olds Before Learning To Read Right Left

After Intervention Left Right normalized Good Intervention Normalizes Brain Activation Patterns Before Intervention

Answers – In a perfect world What percentage of children require secondary intervention? 7% or less What percentage of children don’t respond adequately to quality instruction and supportive intervention? 2% or less How much time is need to determine if intensive intervention is warranted? Around 30 weeks

The Real World What are the barriers to getting these results?

Barrier 1: Expertise Teaching reading is a job for an expert.

Barrier 2: Infrastructure Teaching students in very small groups is more beneficial than in medium or whole groups. An intervention teacher can only work with 3 to 5 children during each instructional session. Children need to be grouped according to shared needs and groupings should be modified across the year. School leadership has to support small group intervention.

Infrastructure Effective Model Intervention teacher(s) provides small group in addition to core through-out the day. Special education, Title1, and general education work together seamlessly.

Barrier 3:Time Use time wisely, because every minute counts This means carefully choosing instructional materials based on what research suggests is most effective. reducing downtime. Arranging instruction that increases each individual child’s time actively engaged in reading and reading related activities.

Every Minute Counts This means carefully choosing instructional materials based on what research suggests is most effective. reducing down time. using strategies that increase each individual child’s time actively engaged in reading and reading related activities.

The consensus view of most important instructional features for interventions Provide ample opportunities for guided practice of new skills Provide a significant increase in intensity of instruction Provide systematic cueing of appropriate strategies in context Provide systematic and explicit instruction on whatever component skills are deficient: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension strategies Interventions are more effective when they: Provide appropriate levels of scaffolding as children learn to apply new skills

Each year skills and knowledge required to meet standards increases 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th 9 th 10 th 11 th 12 th Must learn to recognize many new words accurately and automatically Must acquire many new vocabulary words Must learn to deal with longer sentences and more complex ideas Must be able to draw upon more extensive background knowledge

Anything you’d like to add?

That’s it – enjoy the rest of your day!