Holly B. Lane

Effects of a Reading Fluency Intervention for Middle Schoolers With Specific Learning Disabilities

A fluency-reading intervention was developed and used to supplement reading instruction of middle school students with learning disabilities (LD). The daily 5- to 6-min fluency intervention focused on phonics, sight phrases, and oral reading. Repeated readings were used in each area until the student achieved mastery on each respective task. The students were divided in three groups according to the length of the intervention (6-9 months, 10-18 months, and 19-25 months). Dependent t tests were used to test the effects of the intervention. A pretest and posttest curriculum-based assessment (CBA) measure was used for each group to determine progress in reading rate. In addition, progress within the intervention was measured using comparisons of beginning and ending reading levels. Significant growth in reading level and reading rate was found. Implications of these results for students with LD are discussed.

Evaluating Video Models of Evidence-Based Instructional Practices to Enhance Teacher Learning.

A process was developed to create Web-based video models of effective instructional practices for use in teacher education settings. Three video models, created at three university sites, demonstrated exemplary implementation of specific, evidence-based strategies in reading, math, and science. Video models of strategies were field tested with preservice and practicing teachers working with diverse student populations. The authors provide an explanation of the video development process and present field-test data that demonstrate the influence of video modeling on teacher learning.

Preventing Reading Failure: Phonological Awareness Assessment and Instruction

Abstract The article addresses translating phonological awareness research for classroom reading instruction. It presents a practical overview of phonological awareness development and its relationship to beginning reading, including a synopsis of findings of recent research and an explanation of the development of phonological skills. It presents methods for formal and informal assessment of childrens phonological awareness and describes strategies for classroom-based instruction in phonological skills with emergent readers.

Empowering Teachers and Students with Instructional Choices in Inclusive Settings

APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION IN CLASSROOMS WITH DIVERSE LEARNERS REQUIRES A VARIETY OF INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS TO ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. MANY EDUCATORS, HOWEVER, FIND THEMSELVES PHILOSOPHICALLY TIED TO ONE INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH FOR EVERY LEARNER TO THE EXCLUSION OF OTHER APPROACHES. THIS ALLEGIANCE TO ONE METHOD OF TEACHING REDUCES CHOICES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. STRICT ADHERENCE TO A LIMITED VIEW OF LEARNING CAN ALSO HINDER INCLUSION EFFORTS BY DENYING SOME STUDENTS APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION. A CONTINUUM OF TEACHING METHODS THAT INCLUDES “EXPLICIT” AND “IMPLICIT” INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES IS PROPOSED AS A MORE INCLUSIVE ALTERNATIVE. RESEARCH THAT SUPPORTS A CONTINUUM OF APPROACHES IS REPORTED ALONG WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND TEACHER EDUCATION.

Identifying Essential Instructional Components of Literacy Tutoring for Struggling Beginning Readers

This study examined the components of a one-on-one literacy tutoring model to identify the necessary and sufficient elements for helping struggling beginning readers. The tutoring components of interest included word work using manipulative letters, written word work, and a generalization component. Reading assessment data from 100 first-grade students, randomly assigned to four tutoring conditions and a control group, were analyzed. Following the treatment period, groups were evaluated on phonological awareness, sight word knowledge, decoding, and word attack. Results indicated that children who received all of the tutoring components performed better than those in the control condition across all four reading performance indicators under consideration.

When Reading Gets Ruff: Canine‐Assisted Reading Programs

Canine-assisted reading programs show promise as an innovative method for engaging reluctant readers and motivating them to practice. In such programs, specially trained dogs visit classrooms and libraries, and children read to them. Children who struggle with reading may be motivated to read more because they find dogs to be calming and non-judgmental. This paper outlines the research that supports the use of canine-assisted reading programs and provides examples of successful implementation in schools and public libraries. Steps for implementing a canine-assisted reading program are provided, along with resources for teachers or others who are interested in starting their own program.

Teacher-Directed Decoding Practice with Manipulative Letters and Word Reading Skill Development of Struggling First Grade Students

We compared the effects of two approaches to decoding on the word reading skills of struggling first-grade students: decontextualized, teacher directed decoding practice with manipulative letters and embedded, incidental decoding practice. Participants were 98 students at risk for reading disability. We randomly assigned participants to three groups: (1) treatment, (2) comparison, and (3) control. The treatment group received 30 sessions of small-group instruction using manipulative letters to practice decoding skills. The comparison group received the same small-group reading instruction without the additional decoding practice. The control group did not receive supplemental small-group instruction. Analyses indicated that students who received the additional decoding practice with manipulative letters scored significantly better on phonological awareness, decoding, and word recognition skills than students who received incidental decoding practice.

Reading Instruction for Students With High-Incidence Disabilities in Juvenile Corrections

This study was designed to obtain (a) a national picture of the characteristics of special educators who provide reading or English instruction in juvenile corrections facilities and (b) characteristics of the schools in which they work and the students who they serve. In addition, the study was designed to gather information on teacher use of specific reading instructional strategies. A national random sample of 108 (28.6%) reading or English teachers responded to a mail and online survey. No statistically significant differences existed between responsive and nonresponsive schools. Results indicated that teachers commonly hold bachelors degrees and have an average of 10.9 years teaching experience. Teachers reported using some research-based instructional approaches to comprehension instruction, but they rarely integrate technology or peer-mediated instructional strategies into their instruction. A majority of teachers reported that at least 50% of their students with high-incidence disabilities could not read well enough to gain basic information from text. Additional results and implications are provided.

Tutoring Opened My Eyes: Tutor Experiences in the America Reads Challenge

The America Reads Challenge offers colleges and universities an opportunity to make a contribution to the community while enhancing the education of their students, employing tutoring as a service learning experience. At the same time, their efforts will help the institution develop and sustain community partnerships. This paper reports an analysis of America Reads tutors’ reactions to their experiences working with struggling readers. Tutors’ comments were collected from reaction papers written during a course associated with the program and from other sources. Tutors reported numerous benefits, including new knowledge about children and schools, new appreciation for teachers, new awareness of teaching as a potential profession, and preparation for important aspects of parenthood. Some tutors elected to change their major as a result of their experience, and others reported a greater commitment to community service and mentoring. The potential for America Reads is yet untapped.

Introduction: Understanding Theory and Practice in Reading Fluency Instruction

Fluency is gaining new recognition as an essential element of every reading program, especially for students who struggle in reading. Reading fluency is one of the defining characteristics of good readers, and a lack of fluency is a common characteristic of poor readers. Differences in reading fluency not only distinguish good readers from poor, but a lack of reading fluency is a reliable predictor of reading comprehension problems (Stanovich, 1991). Once struggling readers learn sound-symbol relationships through intervention and become accurate decoders, their lack of reading fluency emerges as the next hurdle they face on their way to reading proficiency (Torgesen et al., 2001; Torgesen, Rashotte, Alexander, Alexander, & McPhee, 2003). This lack of fluent reading is a problem for poor readers because they tend to read in a labored, disconnected fashion with a focus on decoding at the word level that makes comprehension of the text difficult, if not impossible. Despite the importance of reading fluency and its role as a sign of proficient reading, it remains largely unexamined. It has been seven years since a ground-breaking special issue of Scientific Studies in Reading explained the ‘‘DNA of Reading Fluency’’ (Kame’enui & Simmons, 2001), and we are still puzzling over the complex nature of reading fluency. While listening to a reader read expressively to convey the author’s message through accurate and quick reading, it appears that reading fluency is a simple thing, something that any reader can accomplish. However, not every reader becomes fluent, and in our search for better and more effective reading interventions, it behooves us to stop and delve deeply into what it is that we want our students to develop. Once we understand the multidimensional nature of