Reading Phonemic Awareness Phonics Print Concepts Fluency Comprehension Vocabulary Writing Speaking and ListeningLanguage

 The National Reading Panel concluded its research in the year 2000 on what works in teaching children to read.  Their task:  Specifically, Congress asked the Panel to:  Review all the research available (more than 100,000 reading studies) on how children learn to read.  Determine the most effective evidence-based methods for teaching children to read.  Describe which methods of reading instruction are ready for use in the classroom and recommend ways of getting this information into schools.  Suggest a plan for additional research in reading development and instruction.

 The Panel found that a combination of techniques is effective for teaching children to read:  Phonemic awareness—the knowledge that spoken words can be broken apart into smaller segments of sound known as phonemes. Children who are read to at home— especially material that rhymes—often develop the basis of phonemic awareness. Children who are not read to will probably need to be taught that words can be broken apart into smaller sounds.  Phonics—the knowledge that letters of the alphabet represent phonemes, and that these sounds are blended together to form written words. Readers who are skilled in phonics can sound out words they haven't seen before, without first having to memorize them.  Fluency—the ability to recognize words easily, read with greater speed, accuracy, and expression, and to better understand what is read. Children gain fluency by practicing reading until the process becomes automatic; guided oral repeated reading is one approach to helping children become fluent readers.  Guided oral reading—reading out loud while getting guidance and feedback from skilled readers. The combination of practice and feedback promotes reading fluency.  Teaching vocabulary words—teaching new words, either as they appear in text, or by introducing new words separately. This type of instruction also aids reading ability.  Reading comprehension strategies—techniques for helping individuals to understand what they read. Such techniques involve having students summarize what they've read, to gain a better understanding of the material.

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 In your grade levels, look at the 5 main elements of reading. On the chart paper, list the main activities that your grade level uses to teach each element and how it is assessed. If you are not sure how it is assessed, list “not sure.”  The 5 elements:  Phonemic Awareness  Phonics  Fluency  Comprehension  Vocabulary

Example: Phonemic Awareness ActivitiesAssessments

 Discuss the assessments and their uses:  How do you use the data? To provide extra support? To change groups? To move toward SST? Other uses?  With whom do you share the data? In PLCs? Does it generate conversation about effective strategies?  Where is the data housed?  Look for ways to bridge gaps.  Chart this information on all 5 elements. Be prepared to share out on at least one element.

 DIBELS  Rigby  Multiple Measures  Question: Which elements do each of these assessments measure?  Going forward, we need to closely monitor to see which instructional practices work best to help our students grow in the areas that are measured by these assessments. This is different from helping them to score high on the trimester assessments.