Assisting Struggling Readers and Writers: Using Evidence-Based Resources to Support Adult Learners

Michigan Conference 2014Kathy Houghton-- LINCS

Purpose

The purpose of this resource is to introduce teachers, program directors, and professional developers to LINCS and other evidence-based resources that instructors of adult learners can use to inform their classroom practices with struggling readers and writers.

Agenda

Session 1: Introduction to Reading Instruction

Session 2: Introduction to Writing Instruction

Session 3: Overview of Reading and Writing Instruction for Struggling Adults

Session 4: Tour of LINCS Website and Resource Collection

Session 5: Resources for Reading Instruction

Session 6: Resources for Writing Instruction

Session 7: Additional Web Resources

Session 8: Closing

Learning Objectives

After participating in this training, participants will be able to: Summarize major findings of recent research about the

challenges that instructors face while teaching reading and writing skills to struggling adult learners

Identify research-based strategies that may prove effective in helping struggling adult readers and writers in developing skills

Navigate the LINCS collections to find resources that support reading and writing activities for low-literacy-skilled adults

Apply reading and writing strategies to text-based materials

Register for the LINCS communities of practice, create a profile, and join a community

SESSION 1:

Introduction to Reading Instruction

1.1. Evidence-Based Reading Instruction

“Evidence-based” refers to practices that have been shown to be successful in improving reading achievement. The success of these practices is demonstrated in two ways: by research study data collected according to rigorous design, and by consensus among expert practitioners who monitor outcomes as part of their practice.

For more information on what evidence-based instruction is and what it looks like, refer to the U.S. Department of Education’s (2012) report, What Is Evidence-Based Reading Instruction and How Do You Know It When You See It?.

1.2. Core Components of Reading Instruction

Decoding Fluency Vocabulary Reading Comprehension

1.3. General Principles of Reading Instruction

Use explicit and systematic instruction to develop the major components of reading (decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) according to the assessed needs of individual learners.

Combine explicit and systematic instruction with extended reading practice to promote acquisition and transfer of component reading skills.

Motivate engagement with the literacy tasks used for instruction and extensive reading practice.

National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-2]

1.3. General Principles of Reading Instruction (continued)

Develop reading fluency as needed to facilitate efficiency in the reading of words and longer text.

Explicitly teach the structure of written language to facilitate decoding and comprehension.

To develop vocabulary, use a mixture of instructional approaches combined with extensive reading of texts to create “an enriched verbal environment.”

National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-2]

1.3. General Principles of Reading Instruction

To develop comprehension, teach varied goals and purposes for reading; encourage learners to state their own reading goals, predictions, questions, and reactions to material; encourage extensive reading practice with varied forms of text; teach and model the use of multiple comprehension strategies, teach self-regulation in the monitoring of strategy use.

National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-2]

What is evidence-based reading instruction and how do you know it

when you see it?

SESSION #1 ACTIVITY

SESSION 2:

Introduction to Writing Instruction

2.1. General Principles of Writing Instruction

Explicitly and systematically teach the strategies, skills and knowledge of proficient writing

Connect explicit instruction with extended and varied opportunities of purpose-driven writing

Explicitly teach foundational skills

2.1 General Principles of Writing Instruction

Model writing strategies and support students’ self-regulation of the writing process

Make explicit the reading-writing connections Create classroom environments and protocols

that support learner motivation and persistence

2.2. Effective Practices in Writing Instruction

Strategy instruction for planning, revising, and/or editing compositions.

Summarizing reading passages in writing. Peer assistance in planning, drafting, and

revising compositions. Setting clear, specific goals for purposes or

characteristics of the writing. Using word processing regularly.

National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-5]

2.2. Effective Practices in Writing Instruction (continued)

Sentence-combining instruction (instruction in combining short sentences into more complex sentences, usually including exercises and application to real writing).

Process approach to writing with professional development.

Inquiry approach (including clear goals, analysis of data, using specified strategies, and applying the analysis to writing).

National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-5]

2.2. Effective Practices in Writing Instruction (continued)

Prewriting activities (teaching students activities to generate content prior to writing).

Analyzing models of good writing (discussing the features of good essays and learning to imitate those features).

National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-5]

How can you incorporate writing strategies into your instruction?

SESSION #2 ACTIVITY

SESSION 3:

Overview of Reading and Writing Instruction for Struggling Adults

3.1. Principles of Instruction for Struggling Learners

Individualize approaches to intervention by targeting specific literacy difficulties through explicit reading and writing instruction

Struggling learners must have more explicit instruction with more intensity and greater opportunities to practice developing skills

Struggling learners need additional support to transfer new literacy skills into contexts different from those in which they learned them

3.1. Principles of Instruction for Struggling Learners (continued)

Instructors need to identify, understand, and address maladaptive attributions, beliefs and motivations with targeted instruction

Instruction should be differentiated to scaffold learning and meet individual needs and learning goals

What experiences have you had working with struggling readers and

writers?

SESSION #3 ACTIVITY

SESSION 4:

Tour of LINCS Websiteand Resource Collection

4.1. LINCS Website

4.2. LINCS Communities of Practice

SESSION 5:

Resources forReading Instruction

5.1. Types of Resources Available

Research on adult reading instruction Research-based products Professional Development Opportunities

5.2. Research on Adult Reading Instruction

5.2.a. Synthesis of Research on Adult Reading Instruction

In 2012, the National Research Council released Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research. This 500-page document synthesizes the research on literacy and learning instruction in the United States, focusing on individuals ages 16 and older who are not in the K-12 education system. The full report can be accessed here.

Take a look at the research to get an idea of what is available

SESSION #5 ACTIVITY

5.2.b. Practitioner-Friendly Research

In addition to the full report, the NRC has released two practitioner-friendly booklets that summarize the results of the report and provide information that is relevant to curriculum developers, literacy program administrators, teachers, and tutors. Both booklets can be accessed here.

5.3. Products for Practitioners

The LINCS network offers a number of texts and websites for instructors. Two will be described in the following slides: Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles

5.3.a. Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults

This document was developed by the National Center for Family Literacy in 2005 and written by Susan McShane. It aims to build instructors’ background knowledge about reading and scientifically-based reading instruction.

5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles – Step 1

5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles – Step 2

5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles – Step 3

5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles – Step 4

5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles – Step 5