There’s no denying that reading is the foundation for all academic achievement (paths, whether they lead you down the road of a doctoral degree or to the door of parenting). It reinforces language and communication, without it you cannot read a menu, bus schedule, recipe, street sign, bank statement or loved ones letter, not to mention phone texts or discovering a favorite book. Reading navigates us through our day-to-day life and fuels our imagination (and opens up worlds of possibilities: new countries, new cultures, and your own history). However, the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), aka “Nation’s Report Card”, revealed 34% of fourth grade students in public schools fell below the basic reading level and one in six students not reading proficiently in the third grade do not graduate high school on time. These staggering statistics along with the accountability reforms of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have led scholars and educators to look for more effective means of reading instruction and have contributed to the development of alternative, supplemental reading activities and programs to support/bolster literacy improvement. Research shows that the level of reading fluency in third grade is a predictor of future academic achievement. Third grade is when reading transitions from decoding to comprehension of text (Stevens, 2006). These key literacy skills build students’ capacity to learn independently, from all academic fields and social environments (Shanahan, 2010). It is no surprise that reading instruction is such a strong focus of curriculum in pre and early elementary education. Educational trends regarding reading instruction have vacillated between traditional phonics and holistic langu... ... middle of paper ... ...2007). Tips for teaching: Using partners to build reading fluency. Preventing School Failure, 51(2), 52-55. National Center for Education Statistics (2011). The Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2011(NCES 2012–457). Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2011/2012457.pdf Shanahan, T. (2010). Improving reading comprehension in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Smith, M. K. (2004). Nel Noddings, the ethics of care and education. The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/thinkers/noddings.htm Stevens, R. J. (2006). Developing reading fluency: What does the research say? Catalyst For Change, 34(1), 37-44.
With such high numbers of adolescents falling below basic in reading, illiteracy is a battle that must be fought head on. The largest dilemma with the struggle is the number of variations that cause adolescents to become reluctant, unmotivated or struggling readers. Fortunately, a large number of strategies exist to encourage and strengthen readers of all ages, proving that adolescence is not a time to give up on faltering students. Rather, it is a time to evaluate and intervene in an effort to turn a reluctant reader into an avid one (or near enough). Ultimately, educators must learn to properly assess a student’s strengths and weaknesses (Curtis, 2009) and pair them with the proper intervention techniques. If one method does not work, countless others exist to take its place.
Long-Term Trends in Student Reading Performance. Jan. 1, 1998. Web. The Web. The Web.
Additional studies could determine if students of different ethnic groups, various economic backgrounds, and homogeneous or heterogeneous populations continue to see an increase in the area of reading fluency when using partnership groups or to determine if partnership groups continue to have an same effect on the increase. Evaluating these additional elements in the search to explore if partnerships do enhance student motivation in the area of reading fluency will assist others in improving student growth.
In Cynthia M. Leary’s article, “Why Reading Counts,” the author discusses reading problems in America. Once people leave school, many of them stop reading. In the article, Leary stresses the many excuses people use for not reading. First, people claim they don’t have the time to read. Second, others argue that reading is “too hard.” Finally, some believe that reading is a waste of time.
United States. Reading to Achieve: A Governor's Guide to Adolescent Literacy. Washington: National Governors Association, 2005. Print.
Hanzal, A. (2013). Closing the reading fluency gap in six minutes. Masters of Arts in
The program works with more than 100 schools in seven states. The program is geared toward students from low-income families. The statistics for children’s literacy in the United States are astonishing. “In 2011, just thirty-four percent of the nation’s fourth graders in public school could read proficiently” (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). The program itself has had exponential success.
...ding Panel. Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction(NIH Publication No. 00-4769). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
Scott, T. M., & Shearer-Lingo, A. (2002). The effects of reading fluency instruction on the academic and behavioral success of middle school students in a self-contained E/BD classroom. Preventing School Failure, 46, 167-173.
When the question arouse about the various ways to help improve reading in an African American classroom, many parents started to become more and more concerned. Students’ progress in reading is arguably the largest concern compared to any other subject taught in school, and rightfully so. Nothing is more important to academic success than being an adequate reader. Current research in reading attests that children who read extensively become better readers and writers over time. In order for a student to achieve in English, math, science, history, geography, and other subjects, appropriate reading skills must be developed to the point that most of them come natural. A substantial amount of students should not be struggling with recognizing
Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. (5th ed., pp. 12-286). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Reading Framework defined reading as a dynamic cognitive process that allows the reader to understand written text, interpret meaning, and use meaning according to the type and purpose of the text (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). The NAEP report revealed “The Condition of Education 2011, in 1992, 29% of fourth graders, 29% of eighth graders, and 40% of twelfth graders were reading at proficient or above proficient levels (Aud, Hussar, Kena, Bianco, Frohlich, Kemp, & Tahan, 2011). To address this problem, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) stipulates that each child should receive a quality public school education and holds each state
While I believe every child is a reader, I do not believe every child will be enthralled with reading all the time. All students have the capability to read and enjoy reading, but just like any other hobby, interest will vary from student to student. The students in my classroom will be encouraged in their reading, be provided with choice, taught how books can take you into another world but, my students will not be forced to read. This paper will illustrate my philosophy of reading through the theories I relate to, the way I want to implement reading and writing curriculum, and the methods I will use motivate my students to read and help them become literate.
She envisions success and moves our low achieving intermediate school forward beginning with improving students’ reading comprehension and demonstrating proficiency in all core subjects. Every staff members is paired with a third grade student to help improve reading comprehension skills. We were able to work on the following: decoding skills, vocabulary, word knowledge,
In this information–driven age, preparing students to read a variety of texts with complete understanding should likely be one of our educational system’s highest priorities. Understanding is more than just the ability to produce information on demand (knowledge) or the ability to perform learned routines (skills). “Understanding is the ability to think and act flexibly with what one knows.” (Active Learning Practice for Schools, n. d.) A review of the literature in the area of reading comprehension of elementary-age students shows two principle areas of focus. There is a body of literature that examines the development of proficient vs. struggling comprehenders and another body of literature that compares methodologies for teaching reading comprehension.