Finding the Sweet Spot: The Intersection of Interests and Meaningful Challenges

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1 Finding the Sweet Spot: The Intersection of Interests and Meaningful Challenges Rebecca Eckert, PhD University of Connecticut

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3 It s not an easy time to be a teacher. but there are lots of great opportunities for creativity!

4 Shared Wisdom... Dad always says, It has to be about the kids. That s why we re here. Grandma taught me that the best way to connect is to tell a story. (She ll be 99 in December.)

5 Essential Questions 1. What are the elements of reading instruction that will allow you to provide meaningful, engaging challenges for all of your students including talented readers? 2. How might you and your students benefit from incorporating some or all of the SEM-R into your classroom practices?

6 Turn and Talk 1. Introduce yourself. 2. Share how the students in your world respond to books and reading.

7 Dakota and Charlotte Skillful reading is the gateway to academic success, particularly as students progress through middle school. Reading improves with practice and challenge. and enjoyment is important as well.

8 At-Risk Readers The Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children identified four risk factors: Attendance at a chronically low-achieving school Low English proficiency (or limited prior academic literacy experiences) Unfamiliarity with standard English dialect Living in a community of poverty (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999)

9 Reading is the new civil right. Gateway to academic success (Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990; Moats, 1999; NRP, 2000; Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998) According to OECD s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), students enjoyment of reading is one of the most important individual characteristics that predict higher achievement. (More so than family socio-economic status!) Enjoyment of reading is also a predictor of student success in science and math.

10 The Current Crisis Approximately eight million young people between fourth and twelfth grade struggle to read at grade level. Some 70 percent of older readers require some form of remediation. Very few of these older struggling readers need help to read the words on a page; their most common problem is that they are not able to comprehend what they read. Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy (Biancarosa & Snow, 2006)

11 Dramatic Decline in Literary Reading The findings in Reading at Risk, a report published in 2004 by the National Endowment for the Arts show a steady drop in the percentage of Americans who read books of any sort! Only 56.6 % of respondents reported reading any type of book in 2002, a decline of 7% from the previous decade. But for the age 18-to-24 cohort, the drop has been faster, sinking from 59.8% to 32.8%.

12 A Canadian Trend Each year, as part of their province-wide standardized educational measures, Ontario s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) surveys all students in grades 3 and 6 on a wide range of questions, including whether students like to read.

13 Fewer students today are reading for pleasure, even though daily reading for pleasure is associated with better performance in school and with adult reading proficiency. The challenge for parents and educators is to instill a sense of pleasure in reading by providing reading materials that students find interesting and relevant. PISA in Focus 2011 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). (2009). Learning to learn: Student engagement, strategies and practices (Volume III). Paris, France: OECD.

14 Good News! According to the 2 nd Annual National Book Count, Canada is a nation of readers: Every second, 5 books are sold or circulated in Canada. 3,405,687 books were sold or circulated in 1 week in Canada. Canadian libraries saw an eight percent increase in print circulation and a 50 % increase in digital circulation for an overall increase of 9% total circulation for libraries that participated in 2011 and 2012

15 Jasmina, eighth grade Skillful reading is more than just the ability to read fluently. All readers, including talented readers, deserve to be challenged and engaged.

16 (Reis, et al., 2004) Classroom Observations in 12 Classrooms (Grades 3 & 7) Prepared comparative case studies with 7-10 days of visitation over the course of the year Targeted academically talented readers also identified as academically gifted Compared the instructional and reading experiences of talented readers with those of other students Teachers knew what to do They just could not find the time, the help, or the materials to do it well.

17 Zone of Proximal Development If the environment presents no such [challenging] tasks to the adolescent, makes no new demands on him, and does not stimulate his intellect by providing a sequence of new goals, his thinking fails to reach the highest stages, or reaches them with great delay. ~ Vygotsky

18 Three Goals of SEM-R To increase enjoyment in reading To improve reading fluency, comprehension, and increase reading achievement To encourage students to pursue challenging independent reading

19 SEM-R Components Phase 1 - Exposure High-interest books to read aloud and expose students to a variety of topics and genres Modeling responses to higher-order thinking questions & discussions about literature Bookmarks for teachers with questions about literary devices, reading strategies, and other topics relevant to the exploration of literature Phase 2 - Training & Self- Selected Reading Discussions about book selection and selfregulation Supported Independent Reading One-on-one teacher conferences providing differentiated reading instruction Bookmarks for students posing higher-order questions regarding character, plot, setting, genre, and other topics for examining texts in a scholarly manner. Phase 3 - Interest & Choice Components Introducing creative thinking Exploring the Internet Genre studies Literary exploration Investigation centers Book Clubs Buddy reading Books on tape/cd Literature circles Creative or expository writing Type III investigations Increasing degree of student selection Type I Activities Type II Activities Type II & Type III Investigations

20 Differences between SEM-R and other Reading Programs Focus on the joy found in reading Increasing levels of challenge in reading Increased self-regulation in reading Acknowledging and celebrating students interests Deeper more complex conversations about reading Higher level thinking skills and questioning Individualized instruction on a regular basis during Phase 2

21 Peter, 5 th Grade Opportunities for a wide variety of texts and tapping into student interests and preferences can have powerful effects on learning and motivation. Enjoyment matters!

22 Perceptions are Important In the 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report sponsored by Scholastic, 55 percent of the children surveyed agreed with the statement, There aren t enough really good books for boys/girls my age. According to the Book Industry Study Group, 21,878 children s books were published in Scholastic & Yankelovich. (2008). Kids and family reading report: Reading in the 21 st century: Turning the page with technology. New York: Scholastic. (p. 47)

23 Motivation to Read Interest in the topics Connections to the topics Quality of the books Sources for recommendations for books Choice (Ivey & Broaddus, 2001; Pitcher, 2007)

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25 The E s of Phase 1 Entice with Book Hooks Expose Students to a Wide Range of Books Engage in Questioning with Book Marks Employ and Model Skills and Strategies Explore Connections

26 Student Preferences for Reading Activities in MS Classrooms Ivey & Broaddus, 2001, p. 360

27 Maddie, first grade All students crave adult attention and want to fit in. Talented readers also benefit from one-on-one time with their teachers.

28 Key Elements of Student Engagement in Middle School Literacy Instruction NCREL Quick Key Action Guide: Using Student Engagement to Improve Adolescent Literacy

29 The individual conferences were so helpful. My average to above average readers really surprised me. They went beyond what I ever thought they could do with advanced thinking skills and questioning skills. ~ Treatment Teacher

30 Individualizing and Differentiating Conferences It is important to remember that not all students will need the same strategy instruction at the very same time, but that all students need some instruction if they are reading a book that is adequately challenging. For that reason, be sure that strategy instruction is integrated throughout conferences and differentiated to meet the needs of individual students.

31 Interesting advice Stop telling students that reading is fun. Reading can be fun, but constant declarations about it put books in competition with video games and other activities that students find easier and more obviously appealing. - Carol Jago (Opening the Literature Window, p. 42)

32 Assessing Challenge Levels Text & Vocabulary Concepts & Ideas Interest

33 Zach, Third Grade Differentiation and scaffolding allow students to develop higher order thinking skills and selfregulation strategies. Being creative has many benefits!

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35 Even on Crazy Hair Day books on tape helped students to focus!)

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39 The thing I m taking away from this is that as a child I was an avid reader, and some of these kids are, and we re not really supporting that in schools. I feel more prepared to support that for those kids. ~ Treatment Teacher

40 The ultimate goal of the National Reading Campaign is to create a strategy that will promote reading amongst all Canadians; Reflecting the value of reading as a tool for democracy and civic engagement, as a means to equalize the playing field for all Canadians, as a way for Canadians to learn about themselves, and as a vehicle for joy.

41 What stories or ideas will you share with the National Reading Campaign?

42 Thank you and Happy Reading!

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49 Context of Middle School Reading Evidence suggests that secondary literacy instruction does not fully prepare students for the demands of interpreting and analyzing literature in college courses (Eckert, 2008) Surveys of middle school readers indicate Limited connections between perceptions of academic reading and pleasure reading (Pitcher et al., 2007) Limited recognition in classroom activities of what is most important to and preferred by students (Ivey & Broaddus, 2001)

50 But it is possible that in our drive to improve the mechanical aspects of literacy, we have turned reading at home into an extension of school work. This is not necessarily the best way to increase student s motivation to read. (p. 3). People for Education. (2011). Reading for Joy. Toronto, Ontario: Author.