As your school district undertakes the process of evaluating its K-12 reading program, literacy curriculum, or literacy instructional practices, this book will be your go-to resource. Pennell offers a step-by-step guide for educators, school leaders, or professional learning communities to evaluate high-quality instructional materials and…

This paper presents the systems-level changes that were adopted by a school in Mumbai, India, to implement Tier 2 reading interventions. We specifically report on three areas at the micro level of change: universal screening for proactive support, systematic intervention for strategic support, and team collaboration for coordinated support; and…

The importance of adolescent literacy is well established, and the topic continues to be of both local and national interest. Practitioners need to know not only which programs and practices appear effective, but which have the scientific evidence to support that claim. To identify effective programs and practices for general education students in…

Children have a natural inclination to play and imagine themselves as characters. Research has supported theories that connect this pretend play and related theatrical play to the development of children's social and emotional skills, but the author contends we need further, more rigorous research on whether such play directly relates to such…

While literacy interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on prevention and intervention in kindergarten through grade 2 is optimal because reading difficulties become expensive and challenging to remediate as students become older. The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 allows districts to do just this, with 15 percent of…

This guide is designed to facilitate self-studies of planning and implementation of state-required summer reading camp programs for grade 3 students who scored at the lowest level on the state reading assessment. It provides a template for data collection and guiding questions for discussion that may improve instruction and increase the number of…

In school districts throughout the United States, at-risk students are receiving remedial instruction in learning centers outside the classroom. Because this separation increases the likelihood that students will receive a fragmented education, learning center staff should provide remedial students with "curricular congruence," or content and…

This handbook describes the procedures for implementing the Comprehensive Reading Program of the Chicago Public Schools, a reading program for all students in kindergarten through grade 8 which is consistent with the goals established by the Illinois State Board of Education. Intended as a guide for staff and as an aid in staff development…

Discusses the effects of a sustained silent reading (SSR) program on school administrators, teachers, librarians, and the students. Offers suggestions on setting up an SSR program. (SRT)

This book provides an explanation of sustained silent reading, why it is important, and how to implement it in school and classroom programs. The book presents an overview of underlying research and reviews eight essential factors ensuring a program's success, explicitly identifying them and explaining how they may be incorporated. The factors…

The development of the Alberta Diagnostic Reading Program (ADRP) was based on a current psycholinguistic theory that describes reading as a process in which the reader uses background information to communicate with the author. To ensure its usefulness and effectiveness, the developers of the ADRP sought the advice and direct involvement of many…

This book is designed to provide school library media specialists, teachers, parents, reading club organizers, and public librarians with structured reading programs that can be adapted to local needs. Reading incentive programs are explained along with the importance of collaboration and choice play in making them successful. The book is divided…

A 310 Project, Learn to Read, was conducted by Oakton Community College in suburban Chicago to teach reading to functionally illiterate and limited English speaking (LEP) adults using a variety of approaches. Participants included two groups. One group consisted of American-born adults who had basic oral competency but had failed to acquire…

This Project Information Package (PIP) has been designed to provide teachers with the information needed to teach in the Discovery through Reading Project, originally developed by the Clarkston School District in Michigan. The Project uses a modified tutorial approach for second- and third-grade students who encounter reading difficulties in their…

It has been documented that in children's learning to read, it is the teacher, not the method, that makes a difference. The South Carolina Reading Initiative (SCRI) invested in teachers' knowledge as the most effective way to impact children's reading achievement. This paper presents the findings after the first year of an intensive professional…