Heidi Anne E. Mesmer

Upping the Ante of Text Complexity in the Common Core State Standards: Examining Its Potential Impact on Young Readers

The Common Core Standards for the English Language Arts (CCSS) provide explicit guidelines matching grade-level bands (e.g., 2–3, 4–5) with targeted text complexity levels. The CCSS staircase accelerates text expectations for students across Grades 2–12 in order to close a gap in the complexity of texts typically used in high school and those of college and career. The first step of the band at second and third grades is examined because it marks the entry into the staircase and a critical developmental juncture. In this article, we examine the theoretical and empirical support for three assumptions that underlie the acceleration of text complexity in Grades 2–3. Then we identify patterns in American reading achievement and instruction to illustrate the potential and far-reaching consequences of an increase in the first step of the CCSS staircase.

Response to Intervention (RTI): What Teachers of Reading Need to Know

Since the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (2004), the use of Response to Intervention (RTI) in the identification of students suspected of having learning disabilities has been legitimized. Several professional organizations, including the International Reading Association (IRA), have recognized the importance of RTI. Reading teachers need to understand RTI because it has implications for their work with struggling readers. The purpose of this article is to provide readers with an overview of the RTI process, including the background and rationale, the law, and one process for implementing RTI. A case study illustrates this procedure and both the strengths of and unanswered questions about RTI are discussed. n nمنذ إعادة اعتماد قرار تعليم المعوقين (2004) فقد تم تشريع استخدام رد فعل للتدخل في تحديد الطلاب ذوي الصعوبات التعلمية. وقد اعترف بعض المنظمات الحرفية بما فيها رابطة القراءة الدولية أهمية رد فعل للتدخل. ويحتاج أساتذة القراءة إلى فهم رد فعل للتدخل لأن لديه عواقب في عملهم مع القراء المواجهين صعوبة في القراءة. لذا تهدف هذه المقالة إلى توفير القراء بصورة عملية رد فعل للتدخل العامة تشمل فيها الخلفية والعقلانية والقانون وعملية معينة لتنفيذ رد فعل للتدخل. وعليه فإن حالة دراسية تبين هذه العملية وقد تم نقاش كلتا الإيجابيات والأسئلة غير المجاوب عليها بشأن رد فعل للتدخل. n n自从美国在2004年通过了《残障人士教育法修正案》，介入反应效果模式已成为官方认可有关鉴定学生是否有学习障碍的方法。介入反应效果模式的重要性已为若干个专业团体，包括「际阅读协会」所确认。教授阅读的教师需要对介入反应效果模式有所认识，因为这个模式对教授阅读有困难的学生所采用的方法有启示意义。本文目的是为读者提供有关使用介入反应效果模式程序的概要，包括其背景与理论基础、法例，以及实施程序。本文更以一项个案研究来说明这个模式的程序，并讨论有关这个模式的优点以及几个仍然未能解答的有关问题。 n nDepuis la reautorisation de «Acte “Personnes ayant des difficultes dapprentissage» (2004), lutilisation du dispositif «Reponse a lintervention» (RTI) pour lidentification des eleves susceptibles davoir des difficultes dapprentissage est devenue legitime. Plusieurs organisations professionnelles, y inclus lAssociation internationale de lecture (IRA), ont reconnu limportance de RTI. Les professeurs de lecture ont besoin de comprendre RTI parce quil a des implications pour leur travail avec les eleves en difficulte. Cet article a pour but de fournir aux lecteurs une vue densemble du processus de RTI, y conclus son arriere-plan et sa logique, la loi, et un processus pour implanter le RTI. Une etude de cas illustre cette procedure, et on discute a la fois les points forts et les questions qui demeurent au sujet de RTI. n nПосле повторного введения в действие Акта о лицах, испытывающих трудности в обучении (2004) для определения тех, кто относится к данной категории, начали официально использовать метод Реакции на вмешательство (RTI). Несколько профессиональных организаций, включая Международную ассоциацию чтения (IRA), признают значимость этого метода. Учителя чтения должны понимать и уметь пользоваться RTI, поскольку этот метод важен для работы с детьми, которым плохо дается чтение. Статья знакомит читателей с самим процессом RTI и с научными обоснованиями этого метода, а также предлагает пример его применения, который хорошо иллюстрирует все достоинства RTI и вновь поднимает связанные с ним и пока не решенные вопросы. n nDesde que se volvio a autorizar el Acta de Educacion de Individuos Minusvalidos (2004), se ha considerado legitimo el uso de Respuesta a la Intervencion (RTI por sus siglas en ingles) para tratar de identificar a estudiantes que podrian tener problemas con el aprendizaje. Varias organizaciones profesionales, entre ellas la Asociacion Internacional de Lectura (IRA por sus siglas en ingles), se han dado cuenta del valor de la RTI. Es necesario que los maestros de lectura entiendan la RTI porque tiene consecuencias para su trabajo con estudiantes que leen con dificultad. El proposito de este articulo es proveer a los lectores con una vision general del proceso de RTI, inclusive su trasfondo y sus bases, la ley, y un proceso para implementar la RTI. El estudio de un caso ilustra este procedimiento y se discuten tanto los puntos fuertes como las preguntas que quedan por contestar sobre la RTI.

Textual Scaffolds for Developing Fluency in Beginning Readers: Accuracy and Reading Rate in Qualitatively Leveled and Decodable Text

This study examined first graders accuracy and reading rate in highly decodable and qualitatively leveled texts. The study inspected accuracy and rate by different levels of practice (practiced vs. unpracticed) and at different times of the year (October, January, and May). Seventy-four first graders read both leveled and decodable texts with and without practice and then reread the same texts throughout the year. The accuracy results were inconclusive, favoring decodable texts in one analysis and leveled texts in another analysis. However, participants were significantly more fluent (words per minute) in practiced readings of leveled texts. Across the first-grade year, first graders were also more fluent in leveled texts although differences diminished throughout the year. Specific text features that facilitated fluency in leveled texts are discussed.

Quantitative Measurement of Text Difficulty

Common Core Reading Standard 10 not only prescribes the difficulty of texts students should become able to read, but also the difficulty diet of texts schools should ask their students to read across the school year. The use of quantitative text-assessment tools in the implementation of this standard warrants an examination into the validity of that use. To do so, we concentrate entirely on the criterion variable that ultimately is the goal of reading instruction and learning: reading comprehension performance. We examine whether the comprehension criterion variables for today’s quantitative tools validate how their text-difficulty estimates are being used. We conclude that the Common Core State Standards’ new text-difficulty grade bands are inadequate to serve as a criterion variable for quantitative text tools because the data on which these bands are based did not compare comprehension growth for various groups of students reading different difficulty diets over a school year.

The Role of Syllable Awareness and Syllable-Controlled Text in the Development of Finger-Point Reading

Concept of word is a pivotal developmental insight that is reflected when preliterate learners are able to repeat a line of print and accurately point to the words while saying them (finger-point reading) and relocate a specific word within that line (word finding). Several studies have shown that letter knowledge, phonemic skills, one-to-one correspondence, and spelling relate to finger-point reading. However, no studies have examined the relationship between syllable awareness and finger-point reading despite the fact that finger-point reading requires learners to handle multisyllabic words. With a group of young children this study examined: (a) the influence of syllable-controlled text on learning finger-point reading and (b) the degree to which syllable awareness would contribute to the prediction of finger-point reading above letter naming and initial sound awareness. Syllable-controlled text did not influence finger-point reading but syllable awareness did predict a significant proportion of the variance in finger-point reading over and above letter knowledge and initial sound awareness. Implications of the interactive nature of phonological and print knowledge are discussed as well as capacity of young children to learn about print.

Books, Read-Alouds, and Voluntary Book Interactions: What Do We Know About Centers Serving Three-Year-Olds?

ABSTRACT This study examined the quality of books, the quality of read-alouds, and children’s voluntary interactions with books in childcare centers serving low-income 3-year-olds (N = 30). Although a large percentage of centers had book areas, the features of book areas differed. The highest percentage of books was highly recommended and appropriate (39%) but about 14% was completely inappropriate. Childcare personnel managed read-alouds well and involved children. The bulk of naturally occurring talk focused on reviewing story content (39.78%) with management/task organization following (27%). Three-year-olds did not voluntary interact with books at very high levels. Comparisons of the findings to existing studies suggest trends.

Third Graders' Reading Proficiency Reading Texts Varying in Complexity and Length: Responses of Students in an Urban, High-Needs School.

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS/ELA) focus on building student capacity to read complex texts. The Standards provide an explicit text complexity staircase that maps text levels to grade levels. Furthermore, the Standards articulate a rationale to accelerate text levels across grades to ensure students are able to read texts in college and the workplace on high school graduation. This study empirically examined how third graders at two reading proficiency levels performed with texts of differing degrees of complexity identified as the Grades 2 to 3 band within the CCSS. The study also investigated the influence on comprehension of two text lengths. Results suggest that the compounding effects of text complexity and length uniformly affected reading proficiency of third graders. Typically, when presented with two texts of the same complexity level, readers had lower comprehension in the lengthier version of the text than the shorter version. Features of the single level where performances on texts of different lengths were not statistically significant are described, as are implications for educational practice and future research.

Modeling First Grade Reading Development

This study tested a hypothesized model examining reading proficiency across first grade. It addressed how alphabetics at the beginning of the year were mediated by applied and automated skills at the middle of the year to explain actualized reading at the end of the year. The alphabetic skills of 102 first graders were measured in October and the applied and automated skills measured in January. In May, actualized reading was measured. Using structural equation modeling, the model produced acceptable levels of model-fit across all indices. Reading fluency is an important developmental step in first grade that mediates foundational alphabetic skills.