Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers - Second Edition

This second edition of the Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers professional development module is a revision of the 2008 version and presents information based on findings from Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta-Analysis with Implications for Practice (Scammacca et al., 2007) and recommendations discussed in Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices: A Practice Guide from IES (Kamil et al., 2008). This suite of resources developed by the Center on Instruction has two purposes. First, it is designed to guide the delivery of instruction for adolescent struggling readers, particularly secondary interventions in the general education context. Second, it seeks to deepen technical assistance providers’ knowledge of reading-related issues for adolescents with reading difficulties and learning disabilities and enrich providers’ work with SEAs and LEAs. Detailing selected research-based instructional practices associated with positive effects for adolescent struggling readers, the suite comprises (a) a meta-analysis, (b) a practice brief, (c) a professional development module, and (d) training of trainers materials.  (a) Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta-Analysis with Implications for Practice summarizes and synthesizes aspects of recent research on reading instruction for adolescent struggling readers to determine the relative effectiveness of interventions and outlines implications of these findings for practice. It focuses on interventions to improve students' reading vocabulary, accurate decoding of unfamiliar words in text, reading fluency and their use of reading comprehension strategies. A capacity building indicator (CBI) form is provided. (b) Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Practice Brief takes the meta-analysis a step further for educators and decision-makers working in the field. It addresses the five reading components, compares successful and struggling readers’ behaviors, and describes effective school-based instructional practices. A capacity building indicator (CBI) form is provided. c) Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers: Professional Development Module combines information from the meta-analysis and practice brief into an interactive presentation on effective, research-based instruction in secondary reading. It includes a PowerPoint presentation with speaker’s notes and a Facilitator’s Guide. NOTE: Depending on your Web browser, you may have to save the file to your computer in order to see the notes. (d) The Training of Trainers PD Module is designed to train others to facilitate presentations of the Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers: Professional Development Module. It contains all slides from the EIASR-PD Module, presentation guidelines, and suggestions for customizing the PD for different audiences. A handout on customizing the PD is also provided.     These resources align with Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction (Torgesen et al., 2007) also available in this section of the website.  They can facilitate the strengthening of reading and English/Language Arts instruction for implementation of the College & Career Ready Standards (including Common Core State Standards) and support broader school improvement efforts, including the implementation of School Improvement Grants (SIG), by facilitating the acceleration of reading instruction for adolescent struggling readers and students with disabilities.

Files available for this resource:

This resource pertains to the following topics:

• Literacy
• Special Education
• Struggling Readers
• Research: Meta-analyses and Summaries
• Practitioner Guides
• PD Modules and Training Materials
• Tools
• Instruction
• Adolescent Literacy
• SIG
• Reading Instruction and Interventions
• College & Career Ready Standards (including Common Core State Standards)

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