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Is your child in remedial reading but not making progress?
Or perhaps she spent a year in remedial reading but only made three months progress. This means she actually fell further behind her peers.
The fact that most schools fail to use research based reading programs that are implemented by trained teachers is the main reason why only 32 percent of children are proficient readers by the end of 3rd grade.
It makes you wonder about the kind of remedial program the school is using and how effective it is.
So what ARE the criteria for remedial reading programs?
In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate Sue Whitney, Research Editor at Wrightslaw, explains the reasons for reading failure and the requirement for research based programs that are implemented by "trained" teachers.
Please don't hesitate to forward this issue of the Special Ed Advocate to other families, friends, and colleagues.
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Three Reasons for Reading Failure |
Tragically, 75 percent of children who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade will never be proficient readers.
In What are the Criteria for Remedial Reading Programs, Sue Whitney says:
"I am not aware of any research showing that a research based program will work if it is used by a teacher who is not properly trained, if the teacher-student ratio is wrong, if the required hours per day and week are wrong, or if the program is wrong for the child's stage of reading development."
Reading programs will not teach your child to read proficiently if:
1.
The program is not appropriate for the child,
2. There are too many students in the reading class,
3. The pace of the instruction is too rapid for children to achieve
mastery of skills presented.
Stages of Reading Development
If the reading program is not matched to your child's stage of reading development and is not sufficiently intense to bring his skills to where they need to be for his age and grade, it is worthless for your child.
If the program is not appropriate for your child's reading stage, it will be ineffective for him, even if it works for other children his age.
For more information about the stages of reading development, read the complete text of the article, What are the Criteria for Remedial Reading Programs. |
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| Six Qualities of Effective Reading Programs |
1. Effective programs are driven by reading research, not ideology.
2. Effective programs emphasize direct, systematic, intensive, and sustained reading.
3. Effective programs require school-wide buy-in before they are adopted.
4. Effective programs are supported by initial professional development and extended follow-up training throughout the school year.
5. When implementing an effective program, the school needs to be committed to the integrity of the program's instructional approach and materials.
6. Effective programs make effective use of instructional time, provide multiple reading opportunities, and employ a variety of reading assessments.
Source: Considerations
When Selecting a Reading Program. |
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A Model Reading Program: Reading First |
Reading First, a
model program from the U.S. Department of Education calls for 90 minutes of instruction per day, 5 days a week,
from kindergarten through grade 3.
Children who are not making sufficient
progress receive additional instruction.
This model assumes that reading
instruction takes place in general education classrooms. Children
are not allowed to fall behind. They are given the instruction they
need when they need it.
"A high-quality reading program that is based on scientifically based research must include instructional content based on the five essential components of reading instruction integrated into a coherent instructional design.
"The design should also consider the allocation of time, including a protected, uninterrupted block of time for reading instruction of more than 90 minutes per day. "
 Read more about the Guidance for the Reading First Program, from the U.S. Department of Education in the article, What are the Criteria for Remedial Reading Programs.
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11 Questions to Ask About Your Childs' Reading Program |
Here are some questions you need to ask about your child's reading
program:
1.
What is the name of my child's reading program?
2. Is the reading program researched-based? Does the program include
the five essential elements identified by the National Reading Panel and required by No Child Left Behind?
3. How many children will be in my child's reading group?
4. How have the children in this group been selected?
5. Has the teacher been trained in direct, systematic, multisensory
reading instruction?
6. Is the teacher certified in this particular program?
7. Has the teacher completed a supervised practicum in this program?
8. How many hours of instruction per week will my child receive?
9. How will the pace of the instruction be determined?
10. What criteria will be used to determine mastery?
11. How will I be informed about my child's progress?
More information about Reading and Research Based Reading Programs.
Learn
more about teaching
children to read. |
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