Margie McGlinchey, Ph.DAssistant Superintendent of InstructionKalamazoo RESA

Strengthening Early Reading Instruction through Evidence-Based Strategies

Debbie Boersma. M.A.Literacy Consultant and Instructional CoachKalamazoo RESA

Learning Objectives▪ Participants will:9Enhance current knowledge base on the most current research and evidence-based strategies

9Discuss the relationship between the foundational reading skills and becoming a reader

9Learn and practice instructional routines that support the foundational reading skills

9Deepen understanding of the instructional shifts of the Common Core State Standards

Discussion Partners Step 1: Find a discussion partner.

Step 2: Find a location on the perimeter of the room that will be your “discussion zone.”

Step 3: Practice: ▪ Introduce yourself▪ Role/years in education▪ Hopes for this session▪ Current educational read▪ Success/Challenge

Why focus on the foundational reading skills?

1.Setting the Stage

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Print Concept

Phonological Awareness

Phonics and Word Recognition

Reading Fluency

The Essential Goal is….

Comprehension

(Willingham, 2007)

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Critical Foundational SkillsPrint Concepts (RF.K-1.1)• Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print

Phonological Awareness (RF.K-1.2)• Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes)

Phonics and Word Recognition (RF.K-5.3)• Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words

Fluency (RF.K-5.4)• K – Read emergent-reader text with purpose and understanding• 1-5 – Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension

Foundational Skills Goal is to develop proficient readers who are able to:

• Decode regularly spelled words accurately without conscious effort

• Accurately read irregularly spelled high frequency words without conscious effort

• Understand how basic word parts (prefixes, suffixes, roots, base words) work in the English writing system

• Read connected text with near perfect accuracy and sufficient rate in order to comprehend text

Foundational Skills

Students who learn the alphabetic system and can decode effortlessly reap many benefits including:

• Focus mental energy on comprehension

• Experience joy of engagement with text

• Access a wide range of texts

• Increase vocabulary and knowledge

(Brady, 2012)

Simple View of Reading Two Domains and Five Essential Components of Reading

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Decoding Language Comprehension

Phonemic Awareness

PhonicsVocabulary Receptive

Comprehension

Fluency

X = Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension

Decoding▪ Ability to accurately

read familiar words automatically (sight words) and decode unfamiliar words out of context

▪ Dependent on:– Phonemic Awareness– Phonics

Language Comprehension

▪ Ability to understand oral language

▪ Dependent on:– Background Knowledge

– Social context– Vocabulary– Story Structure– Verbal Reasoning

Fluency• Ability to

read text accurately, at an appropriate rate, with suitable prosody

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Teaching these skills improve outcomes: ▪ If established in PSF at the end of Kindergarten, then a 75% chance of meeting the benchmark in ORF at the end of 1st

grade. However, if deficit then only a 19% chance.▪ If established in CLS in the middle of 1st grade, then an 89% chance of meeting the benchmark in ORF at the end of 1st

grade. However, if deficit then only a 19% chance.▪ If benchmark in ORF at the end of 1st grade, then an 87% chance of meeting the benchmark in ORF at the end of 4th

grade. However, if deficit then only a 12% chance. ▪ If behind in first grade, the gap appears to grow as evidenced by the increase in students with intensive needs in grades 2-5.

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The Reading Process

Dr. Reid Lyon: Unpacking the Reading Process

Discussion Partners:

Step 1: Find your partner and go to your designated “discussion zone”. Step 2: Discuss the following questions: Why are the foundational skills important in the k-3rd classroom? Which foundational skills are your students showing proficiency with?Which skills are they not? If needed use these language starters: The foundation skills are important in the k-3 classroom because…On Monday, I will start doing…

IES Practice Guide:

Recommendation 2: Teach students to recognize and manipulate segments of sound in speech.

2. Phonological Awareness

Let’s Make the Connection: Common Core Foundational Standard:

Phonological Awareness (RF.K-1.2)• Demonstrate understanding of

spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

IES Recommendation #2

▪ Develop an understanding of segments of sounds and how they link to letters: 1. Teach students to recognize and manipulate segments of sounds in speech.2. Teach students letter-sound relationship.3. Use word-building and other activities to link students knowledge of letter/sounds relationships to phonemic awareness.

Learning Map: Highlight Big Ideas Effective Literacy

Instruction

IES Practice Guide

Recommendation 2

Detail Detail

Check for Understanding: True or False

• Teaching students to recognize and manipulate the segments of sound in words and to link those sounds to letters is necessary to prepare students to read and comprehend text.

• The system for linking sounds to letters is referred to as the alphabetic principle.

• To effectively decode and encode words students must be able to sing the alphabet song.

Tip to Remember:▪Phonological

Bigger word=

Bigger parts

▪ Phonemic

Smaller word=

Smaller parts

Phonemic Awareness is NOT PhonicsPhonemic awareness - understanding that the phonemes of spoken language work together to make words

Phonics - understanding there is a predictable relationship between phonemes and graphemes, the letters that represent those sounds in written language, in order to read words

mat

Phonemic Awareness ¾Children who cannot hear and work with the phonemes of spoken words will have a difficult time learning how to relate these phonemes to the graphemes (letters) when they learn to read and spell words

¾Studies show that 80% - 90% of students who struggle learning to read have weaknesses in phonemic awareness

¾Phoneme awareness performance is a strong predictor of long-term reading and spelling success and can predict literacy performance more accurately than variables such as intelligence, vocabulary knowledge, and socioeconomic status (Gillon, 2004)

Phonemic Awareness – When?

Also…• In beginning reading programs for students of any age• As a warm-up before phonics instruction• Incorporated into daily spelling instruction K-5• Targeted intervention for students who have not yet demonstrated mastery of the skills

Kindergarten

10-15 minutes daily

Sept – June

First Grade

10 minutes daily

Sept – Nov

Phonemic Awareness ▪ Phonemic awareness activities should be:

1. Few in number2. Explicitly and systematically taught3. Supported by concrete materials or gestures4. Teach blending before segmenting5. Connected to phonics6. Designed to include all students7. Reinforced in small groups

Phonemic Awareness

Blending and segmenting activities have the greatest benefit to reading acquisition.

(National Reading Panel, 2000; Snider, 1995)

Continuous Sounds Stop Soundsaefilmnorsuvwyz

aaaaeeeeffffiiiillll

mmmmnnnnoooorrrrssssuuuuvvvvwwwwyyyyzzzz

fatbetfillsitletmadnutnotratsellcutvetwetyeszoo

bcdghjk pq (kw)tx (ks)

bigcandidgothisjetkisspetquittopfox

Blending Sounds into Words

1. We’re going to play a say-the-word game. I’ll say the sounds slowly, then you say the word fast.

2. (hold hand up) Listen. ssssaaaat3. What word? (drop hand) sat 4. (Repeat with 3-4 more words.)5. (Repeat until firm.)6. (Give individual turns.)

* Remember to hold each continuous sound for one full second and do notstop between the sounds

Segmenting Words into SoundsSmooth Segmenting -- Scaffold1. We’re going to say words slowly. Put your fists together.2. Get ready to stretch the word.3. The word is sat. What word? sat4. Stretch it. ssssaaaat 5. Shrink it. Sat6. Repeat with 3-4 more words.7. (Repeat until firm.)8. (Give individual turns.)

Segmenting Words into SoundsSeparate Segmenting 1. We’re going to say the sounds in a word.2. Fist in the air. Put up one finger for each sound.3. The word is sat. What word? sat4. First sound? /sss/ Next sound? /aaa/ Last sound? /t/

(Hold up one finger as you say each sound.)5. What word? sat6. Repeat with 3-4 more words. (slip, flat, chat)7. (Repeat until firm.)8. (Give individual turns.)

Discussion Partners Step 1: Find your partner and go to your designated “discussion zone”.

Step 2: Choose a routine(s) and teach your partner the following words:

mad slip cat

math broom menu

trip queen gooseStep 3: Discuss which routines you will use to enhance the phonemic awareness instruction in your classroom/school.

Link Knowledge of Letter-Sound Relationship with Phonemic Awareness

Letter-Sound Correspondence

f1. When I touch under the letter, you say the sound. Keep saying the

sound as long as I touch it. 2. My turn (Point to letter, pause 1-2 seconds. Slide finger under

letter. Hold for 1-2 seconds if a continuous sound or for an instant if it is a stop sound.) ffff (remove finger then repeat)

3. Your turn. (Point to letter.) What sound? (Slide finger under the letter. Hold for 1-2 seconds if a continuous sound or for an instant if it is a stop sound.) ffff

4. (Correct errors immediately and repeat until firm.)5. (Give individual turns.)

Discrimination Format for Letter-Sound Correspondencea f a d fs f m t

1. When I touch under a letter, you say the sound. Keep saying the sound as long as I touch it.

2. (Point to the first letter, pause 1-2 seconds.) What sound? (Slide finger under letter. Hold for 1-2 seconds if a continuous sound or for an instant if it is a stop sound.) ffff

3. (Teacher either corrects immediately or points to the next letter.)4. (Repeat until firm.)5. (Give individual turns.)

Letter-Sound Introduction • Utilize a well-organized, systematic sequence to introduce the most common letter-sound associations. • Easy to difficult. (Example: single vowel letters before digraphs)

• High frequency before low frequency letter-sound associations. (Example: m, a, f before j, x and z)

• Separate easily confused letter-sound associations. (Example: e and i, n and m, b and d)

Discussion Partners Step 1: Find your partner and go to your designated “discussion zone”. Step 2: Discuss the following questions: Which routine will you incorporate into your instruction?Which routines and key points will you take back to your staff?

If needed use these language starters: I will incorporate the _______________ routine because…On Monday, I will start doing…

Recommendation 3: Teach students to decode words, analyze word parts, and write and recognize words.

3. Phonics/Alphabetic Principle

Let’s Make the Connection: Common Core Foundational Standard:

▪ Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

▪ Please see your grade-level standards and specific skills.

IES Recommendation #3

▪ Teach students to decode words, analyze word parts, and write and recognize words. – Teach students to blend letters

sounds and sound-spelling patterns within a word to produce a recognizable pronunciation.

– Instruct students in common sound-spelling patterns.

– Teach students to recognize common word parts.

– Have students read decodable words in isolation and in text.

– Introduce non-decodable words that are essential to the meaning of the text as whole words.

Learning Map: Highlight Big Ideas Effective Literacy

Instruction

IES Practice Guide

Recommendation 2

Detail Detail

Recommendation 3

Detail Detail

Check for Understanding: True or False

• Once students know a few consonants and vowels, they can begin to apply their letter-sound knowledge to decode and read words.

• Morphology refers to the knowledge of the meaningful word parts in the language.

• Chunking is a type of blending in which students read the sounds from left to right but add each sound to the previous sound before going on to the next sound in the word.

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• Direct instruction in the alphabetic principle facilitates early reading acquisition. (Stanovich, 1994)

• Phonics instruction also improves students’ fluency, spelling and reading comprehension. (National Reading Panel, 2000)

• First graders’ decoding ability continues to be a major factor in comprehension as students progress through the grades. (The Connecticut Longitudinal Study)

• The ability to decode long words increases the qualitative differences between good and poor readers. (Perfetti, 1986)

Phonics Research

Alphabetic PrincipleAlphabetic

Understanding

• Written letters represent spoken sounds in words (aka: letter-sound correspondence)

• “m” says /mmm/ • “a” says /aaa/ • “t” says /t/

Phonological Recoding

• Letter sounds can be blended together to make words (decoding) and segmented to spell words (encoding)

• /mmmaaat/ = mat

• mat = /mmm/ /aaa/ /t/

Phonics Memorizing & Guessing• Some children, especially those with strong language skills,

can memorize words and use context clues when “reading”

• When in fact their phonics skills are weak and they are merely “guessing” their way through the text

• Reading difficulties may not be apparent until the later primary grades

Phonics - Types of WordsRegular words

• A word in which all letters represent their most common sounds (e.g., mad, slump, trust)

Irregular words

• A word in which one or more letters does not represent the most common sound (e.g., was, of)

High frequency words (can be regular or irregular)

• Only 13 words (a, and, for, he, is, in, it, of, that, the, to, was, you) account for 25% of print (Johns, 1980)

Sight words

• Any word read at a regular rate without subvocalizing the individual sounds in the word

Phonics and Word Recognition • Decoding is necessary though not sufficient for comprehension

• “There is no comprehension strategy powerful enough to compensate for the fact you can’t read the words” (Archer, 2008)

• Ability to blend individual sounds into recognizable words is a critical component of reading (Beck, 2006)

• Diverse learners must be encouraged to look carefully at spelling and sounds and to repeatedly sound out and blend words (Reitsma, 1983)

• Phonics instruction improves students’ fluency, spelling, and reading comprehension

The Matthew Effect“The rich get richer

and the poor get poorer”

▪ Children who can decode CAN and DO read more words, develop a larger vocabulary, are better “comprehenders,” enjoy reading, and thus read MORE…

Phonics Instructional Routines

1. Associate letters and sounds 2. Blend sounds/parts to read words3. Read words to build automaticity4. Segment and spell words (dictation)5. Read decodable text

Sound-by-Sound Blending-Chunkingmat

1. (Write the first letter on the board.) What sound? (Signal) /mmm/2. (Write the second letter on the board.) What sound? (Signal) /aaa/3. (Move your finger under the two letters.) Blend it. (Signal) /mmmaaa/4. (Write the third letter.) What sound? (Signal) /t/5. (Move your finger under the letters.) Blend it. (Signal) /mmmaaat/6. What word? (Signal) mat7. (Repeat with remaining words until firm.)8. (Give individual turns.)

Continuous Blending-Sounding Out

fit1. (Model) I’m going to sound out this word. When I touch a letter, I’ll say its

sound. I’ll keep saying the sound until I touch the next letter. I won’t stop between the sounds. (Slowly slide finger under each letter.) /ffffiiiit/

2. (Lead & Test) When I touch a letter, say its sound. Keep saying the sound until I touch the next letter. Don’t stop between the sounds. Get ready. (Slowly slide your finger under each letter.) /ffffiiiit/ What word? fit

3. (Repeat with remaining words until firm.)

4. (Give individual turns.)

Spelling-Focused Blendingrain

1. (Underline the letter(s) that make the sound being taught.)

2. (Point to the underlined letters.) What sound? (Signal). /āāā/

3. (Point to the word.) What word? (Signal) rain4. (Repeat with remaining words until firm.)5. (Have students reread the list without the pre-correction.)6. (Give individual turns.)

Loop Loop forest

1. (Draw loops to segment the multisyllabic word into decodable chunks and underline the new letter-sound association.)

2. (Point your finger under the first part.) What sound? (Signal). /or/ What part? (Signal). /for/

3. What part? (Signal.) /est/4. (Loop the whole word.) What word? forest5. Make it a real word. forest6. (Repeat with remaining words.)

7. (Give individual turns.)

Discussion Partners Step 1: Find your partner and go to your designated “discussion zone”.

Step 2: Choose a routine(s) and teach your partner the following words:

K: pot, top, not, sad, mat, can1st: huge, rule, June, flute, use, rude2nd: misbehave, mislead, mistake, misplace, midweek3rd: nephew, pitcher, established, challenge, athlete

Step 3: Discuss which routines you will use to enhance phonics instruction in your classroom/school.

Word Building Routine

Decodable Text Routine-High Scaffolding1. We are going to read the story together. Touch the first word in the

sentence. 2. Move your finger under the sounds and say the sounds to yourself.

(Pause up to 3 seconds) What word? (Signal) (Repeat for remaining words in sentence.)

3. (If students need more wait time than allowed or make an error, go back to the beginning of the sentence.)

4. (Repeat with remaining words/sentences.)5. (Reread the story and ask a couple of text dependent questions. If in a

small-group, call on individual students to read. If in a large group, reread chorally at a moderate rate.)

6. (Have students partner read one page at a time. As they read, walk around and listen to individuals.)

Spelling Dictation Routine-Word Level1. (Say the word.) bright

2. (Say the word in a sentence.) The sun is bright.

3. What word? bright4. Fist in the air. Put up one finger for each sound. First sound? /b/ Next sound?

/rrrr/ Next sound? /īii/ Last sound? /t/ (Put up a finger as you say each sound.)

5. Now say each sound to yourself as you write the word. Go.

6. Look at your word. Does it look like the word, “bright”?

7. (Write the word on the board or overhead when the majority of students are finished writing the word.)

8. If your word does not match mine, cross it out and rewrite it correctly.

9. (Repeat with remaining words.)

Discussion Partners Step 1: Find your partner and go to your designated “discussion zone”. Step 2: Practice the spelling dictation routine with the following words:

K: pot, top, not, sad, mat, can1st: huge, rule, June, flute, use, rude2nd: misbehave, mislead, mistake, misplace, midweek3rd: nephew, pitcher, established, challenge, athlete

Step 3: Discuss the benefits of using this routine to enhance spelling instruction in your classroom/school

4. Becoming a Fluent Reader

www.corestandards.org

Let’s Make the Connection: Common Core Foundational Standard:

K-Read emergent level text with purpose and understanding.

1st -5th: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

IES Recommendation #

Ensure that each student reads connected text every day to support reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.

-As students read orally, model strategies, scaffold, and provide feedback to support accurate and efficient word identification.

-Teach students to self-monitor their understanding of the text and to self-correct word-reading errors.

-Provide opportunities for oral reading practice with feedback to develop fluent and accurate reading with expression.

Learning Map: Highlight Big Ideas Effective Literacy

Instruction

IES Practice Guide

Recommendation 2

Detail Detail

Recommendation 3

Detail Detail

Recommendation 4

Fluency

Reasonably accurate reading at an appropriate rate

with suitable prosody that leads to accurate

and deep comprehension and motivation to read (Hasbrouk & Glaser, 2012)

Fluency – Why is Accuracy Important?• An early emphasis on accuracy will enable students to develop the

concentration to read accurately without great effort

• The need for accuracy becomes increasingly observable when students encounter more complex text, like scientific reading materials, where misreading one word can change the meaning of the sentence

Accuracy is First, Foremost, and Forever the Foundation of Fluency

(Jan Hasbrouck)

Reasonably Accurate▪ In the beginning reading stage, typically K-1, students should be 97% -98% accurate on unpracticed, grade-level text

▪ In grades 2-12, aim for at least 95% accuracy on unpracticed, grade-level text

National Oral Reading Fluency Norms 50th Percentiles Hasbrouck and Tindal (2006)

Grade Fall Winter Spring1 23 532 51 72 893 71 92 1074 94 112 1235 110 127 1396 127 140 1507 128 136 1508 133 146 151

Fluency and Instruction• Explicit - Highly interactive lessons in which the teacher has students

engage in a variety of oral reading practice with guidance and feedback

• Systematic - Fluency instruction should be planned for and purposely embedded throughout the school day

Independent silent reading is NOT sufficient to improve fluency

Ways to “Practice”: Reader Leader Routine• Repeated Reading

• Buddy Reading

• Choral Reading

• Echo Reading for Expression

• Cloze Reading or Drop Reading

• Augmented Silent Reading

Fluent vs. Nonfluent Readers

Fluent Readers

Focus attention on understanding the text

Synchronize decoding, vocab & comp

Read with ease, accuracy, & prosody

Comprehend and make connections in the text

Nonfluent Readers

Focus attention on decoding words

Difficulty accessing meaning of words

Reading is laborious with errors

Few cognitive resources left to comprehend

Let us not forget…

Comprehension is built on the foundation skills of decoding and fluency

Common Core State Standards: The Instructional Shifts

Build Knowledge Through Content Rich Nonfiction-50/50 Balance

Reading, Writing and Speaking Grounded in Evidence from Text, both Literary and Informational

Regular Practice with Complex text and it’s Academic Vocabulary

Instructional Shifts of the CCSS

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Shift #1: Building Knowledge Through Content-Rich Nonfiction

7070

Nonfiction and Informational Reading

Grade Level Literary Informational

4th 50% 50%

8th 45% 55%

12th 30% 70%

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Teach the Critical Features

Cutting to the Common Core: Analyzing Informational Text-Kate Kinsella

Teaching With Informational Text

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Informational Reading Strategy ▪ Read ▪ Stop ▪ Respond –Reread– Identify Unknown Words

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Shift #2: Reading, Writing and Speaking Grounded in Evidence from Text, both Literary and Informational

▪ Reading and Speaking with Textual Evidence ▪ Writing to Sources

▪ 2nd Grade Example

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▪ Most college and workplace writing requires evidence.▪ Ability to cite evidence differentiates strong from weak student performance on NAEP.

▪ Evidence is a major emphasis of the ELA Standards: Reading Standard 1, Writing Standard 9, Speaking and Listening standards 2, 3, and 4, all focus on the gathering, evaluating and presenting of evidence from text.

▪ Being able to locate and deploy evidence are hallmarks of strong readers and writers.

(Achieve the Core)

Take-Home Points

Shift #3: Regular Practice with Complex Text and Its Academic Language

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Common Core Grade Band The Lexile Framework

2nd-3rd 420-8204th-5th 740-10106th-8th 925-11859th-10th 1050-133511th-CCR 1185-1385

Text Complexity

(CCSS, 2013)

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◦ Levels of meaning◦ Text structure◦ Language conventionality and clarity◦ Knowledge demands

◦ Readability measures using word length or frequency, sentence length, text cohesion (for example, Lexiles)

◦ Reader variables (motivation, knowledge, experiences)◦ Task variables (purpose, complexity of the task assigned)

Text Complexity Components

Lexile.com

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• Text complexity is relevant to all students, all teachers.

• Text complexity is never determined by a single characteristic.

• Teachers must make purposeful matches between text, task, and the reader.

Text Complexity-Key Points

Learning Objectives▪ Did you…9Enhance current knowledge base on the most current research and evidence-based strategies

9Discuss the relationship between the foundational reading skills and becoming a reader

9Learn and practice Instructional routines that support the foundational reading skills

9Deepen understanding of the instructional shifts of the Common Core State Standards

We would appreciate your feedback

Please take a moment to complete a brief survey using the following link:

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Thank you for your time.▪ Please feel free to contact us with any additional questions!

Margie McGlinchey

margaret.mcglinchey@kresa.org

Debbie Boersma

deborah.boersma@kresa.org

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Key ReferencesArcher, A., & Hughes, C. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. New York: Guilford Press

Carnine, D.W., Silbert, J., Kame’ enui, E.J., & Tarver, S.G. (2004). Direct instruction reading (4th

Ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson

Hattie. J., (2009). Visible Learning. London & NY: Routledge

Honig, B., Diamond, L., & Gutlohn, L. (2008). Teaching reading sourcebook -2nd Edition. Novato, CA: Arena Press

Kosanovich, M., & Verhagen, C. (2012). Building the foundation: A suggested progression of sub-skills to achieve the reading standards: Foundational skills in the common core state standards. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction

National Reading Panel Report (2000)

The ELA Common Core State Standards

DMG (dibels.org), FCRR (www.fcrr.org), & Readsters (www.readsters.com) 83