Reading Remediation

Question: How can teachers help students with correctible difficulties in reading?

Answer/Quote: “Children with specific correctible difficulties will show very substantial gains in score when the teacher ‘reinforces’ the pupil’s reading by reading aloud while the child reads silently.” P. 313.

Comment: Worth a try. In addition, may affect student’s fluency in reading. RayS.

Title: “Cross-Validation of a Method for Selecting Children Requiring Special Services in Reading.” HL Crowly and B Ellis. Reading Teacher (January 1971), 312-319.

January 1971: Standardized Tests

Question: What information can be gained from standardized tests beyond the score?

Answer/Quotes: “There is more information in the results of standardized tests than is ordinarily used.” P. 305.

“Much diagnostic information can be gained through analysis of the correct responses and errors produced by students.” P. 306.

Title: “More Than Scores From Tests.” Eleanor M Ladd. Reading teacher (January 1971), 305-311.

February 1971: Essential Elements of Reading Instruction

Question: What should every reading lesson include?

Answer/Quote: “Define in precise terms what it is that children are to learn in each lesson and teach to accomplish these objectives…. Evaluate the lesson, to determine what each child has learned, not just what the ‘answering’ students’ know.” P. 416.

Comment: I think it’s about time we emphasize again our objectives in teaching. Let the students know what our objectives are. In all of the years that I observed teachers teaching, I rarely was aware of the teachers’ objectives in teaching the lessons. Of course, the students did not know either. Objectives are a vital part of learning. We need to answer the unasked question, “Why do I need to know this stuff?” RayS.

Title: “Five Steps to Effective Reading Instruction.” William L. Rutherford. Reading Teacher (February 1971), pp. 416-421, 424.

February 1971: The Search for Panaceas in Reading Instruction

Question: What are some approaches to reading instruction that have been tried?

Answer/Quote: “In recent years it seems that there has been a continuous search for programs or materials that would offer the solution to reading problems. There have been modified alphabets, programmed materials, multi-ethnic texts, linguistic readers, reading series stressing the synthetic phonic approach, those presenting an analytic approach to phonics instruction…. Still, there are children who cannot read satisfactorily. “ p. 416.

Comment: So it goes. And still goes on. In 2011, it’s a search for “research-based” solutions to reading teaching and problems. No one bothers to ask, “What about the quality of that research which is being cited as supportive of the approach being championed at the time.” And so it goes. RayS.

Title: “Five Steps to Effective Reading Instruction.” William L. Rutherford. Reading Teacher (February 1971), pp. 416-421, 424.

April 1990: Idiomatic Language

Question: How can teachers help children understand idiomatic language?

Answer: Read Amelia Bedlia books. For example, when told to “hit the road,” Amelia Bedelia takes a stick and whacks the street in front of her house.

Teacher makes up a test with, for example, three choices for the meaning of “get it off your chest.” A. Remove dirt from your chest. B. Play a game of chess. C. To talk about something that’s been on your mind.”

Comment: Idioms are hard to explain and to understand. Idioms are very difficult for students whose primary language is not English. This technique might take some time for preparation, but may be very helpful. And even older students will enjoy reading Amelia Bedelia books. RayS.

Title: Interpreting Idioms.” Carol Wolechick. Reading Teacher (April 1990), 614-615.

April 1990: Experts, Vocabulary and Tic-Tac-Toe

Question: How can students increase their vocabulary?

Answer: Students decide on a topic they know a lot about. They list words that are related to that topic. Each student prepares a tic-tac-toe board consisting of black construction paper as the background and white writing paper with the tic-tac-toe design. Two students play tic-tac-toe by trying to guess the related words to the topic. The student who prepared the chart with the related words says if the answer from the list is correct.

Example of a topic and its related words: Topic is Football. Related words are player, pads, jersey, stadium, helmet, uniform, goal, flag, coach, game, tackle, fumble.

Title: “The Expert’s Tic-Tac-Toe.” Caroline McKinney. Reading Teacher (April 1990), 613-614.