What Struggling Readers Need For Success

Keith Pruitt, Ed.S.Keith Pruitt, Ed.S.Words of WisdomWords of Wisdom

Educational ConsultingEducational Consulting

www.woweducationalconsulting.comwww.myspace.com/wowedu

Two Little Boys Look At The Mountain.

One says “I can’t.”

The other says, “I will.”

What Is A Struggling Reader?

Good Readers At-Risk Readers

•Independent

•Likes to Read

•Strategic

•Strong Comprehension

•Prior Knowledge

•Good Vocabulary

•Passive in Learning

•Talks Negatively about Reading

•Few Strategies

•Poor Comprehension

•Limited Prior Knowledge

•Limited Vocabulary

•Learned Helplessness

What Struggling Readers Don’t Need

Textbooks that are too hard to read To Just be sat in front of a computer More of the same as what caused the failure Social promotion Drill and kill and more worksheets (Worksheets Don’t

Build Dendrites, Marcia Tate)

Continuous testing Special education (perhaps)

Where Do We Find Best Practices?Where Do We Find Best Practices?

National Reading Panel ReportNational Reading Panel Report Reading Next ReportReading Next Report

Theoretical FrameworksTheoretical Frameworks Some efficacy studiesSome efficacy studies

What Works ClearinghouseWhat Works Clearinghouse

The Reading ProcessThe Reading Process

The Boat in the Basement

A woman was building a boat in

her basement. When it was

finished she couldn’t get the

the boot out of the basement

because it was too wide to go

though the door. So she had

to take the boat a part to

get it out. Perhaps he should

of planned ahead. Andrea Butler

The Reading Process

Meaning Visual

Structure

Three Cues Used in Reading

Structure

It __________________across the grass.

Three Cues Used in ReadingThree Cues Used in Reading

MeaningMeaning

John let his pet rabbit go.John let his pet rabbit go.

It __________________across the grass.It __________________across the grass.

Three Cues Used in ReadingThree Cues Used in Reading

VisualVisual

It hopped across the grass.It hopped across the grass.

Three Cues Used in ReadingThree Cues Used in Reading

VisualVisual

It hopped across the grass.It hopped across the grass.

#1- Students Must Break The Code#1- Students Must Break The Code

Foundational phonics is essential, but by Foundational phonics is essential, but by itself is not enough.itself is not enough.

Can I build a house with just a hammer?Can I build a house with just a hammer?

Does the foundation alone constitute a Does the foundation alone constitute a house?house?

#2-Children Need to Read, Read, Read!!!

What Really Matters for Struggling Readers, Richard Allington, 2001

#3-Students Need Books At Instructional Levels

Lev Vygotsky, Marie Clay, etc.

#4-Need to hear language

Stephen Krashen, Linda Hoyt

#5- Practice#5- Practice

According to Lucy Calkins and Richard According to Lucy Calkins and Richard Allington, the average amount of time Allington, the average amount of time children spend actually reading during a 90 children spend actually reading during a 90 minute block is less than _ minutes (range is minute block is less than _ minutes (range is _____)_____)

#5- Practice#5- Practice

According to Lucy Calkins and Richard According to Lucy Calkins and Richard Allington, the average amount of time Allington, the average amount of time children spend actually reading during a 90 children spend actually reading during a 90 minute block is less than 4 minutes (range is minute block is less than 4 minutes (range is 4-10)4-10)

#6-Students Need

Words

Beck, McKeown, Kucan, Marzano, Nagy

Welfare13 M words

Working26 M words

Professional45 M words

Derived from Hart & Risley, 1995, pp 197-198

From Pruitt, dissertation, 2009

Summary of the Hart and Risley Demographic Study

Chart 1

#7- Books That

Interest Students

#8-Students Need Strategies

Ask

Questions

Make Connections Synthesize

Visualization

Determining

Importance

Inferring

#9- Students Need Exposure to New #9- Students Need Exposure to New ExperiencesExperiences

Reading Virtual Tours (

www.woweducationalconsulting.com and www.myspace.com/wowedu)

Field Trips Guest Speakers Living Museum History and Science Workshop

#10- Students Need to Hear Fluent #10- Students Need to Hear Fluent ReadingReading

Books on TapeBooks on Tape

Partner ReadsPartner Reads

Teacher ReadsTeacher Reads

Fluent Reader Audio programsFluent Reader Audio programs

Small Group choral readingSmall Group choral reading

Conclusion

This is merely a summary of best practices.

Remember, we teach children not programs.

These children depend on us to help them be successful.

Teach them what you know, they pass a test.

Teach them how to learn, they pass a lifetime.

WE

WILL!

Thank You

Keith Pruitt

Words of Wisdom

Educational

Consultingwww.woweducationalconsulting.com