Effective Instruction for Middle School Students

with Reading Difficulties

The Reading Teacher’s Sourcebook

by

Carolyn A. Denton, Ph.D.
Children’s Learning Institute University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Sharon Vaughn, Ph.D.
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk University of Texas at Austin

Jade Wexler, Ph.D.
University of Maryland, College Park

Deanna Bryan

and

Deborah Reed, Ph.D.
University of Texas at El Paso

Contents

1. Introduction
2. I Assessing Struggling Readers at the Secondary Level
   • Terms to Know
   • 1 A Schoolwide Approach to Reading Intervention
   • 2 Overview of Assessment at the Secondary Level
   • 3 Selecting and Administering Assessments
   • 4 Using Assessment Results to Plan Instruction
3. II Effective Instruction for Struggling Readers
   • 5 Components of Effective Instruction
   • 6 Delivering Effective Instruction
4. III Research-Supported Instructional Practices
   • 7 Comprehension
   • 8 Vocabulary
   • 9 Fluency
   • 10 Word Recognition
5. References
6. Appendix
7. Index
8. Permissions

About the Authors

Carolyn A. Denton, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Children’s Learning Institute, part of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. A former teacher, she conducts research in schools focused on reading intervention, response to intervention models, coaching as a form of professional development, and reading comprehension.

Sharon Vaughn, Ph.D., holds the H.E. Hartfelder/Southland Corp. Regents Chair in Human Development and is Executive Director of the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin. She has authored numerous books and research articles addressing the reading and social outcomes of students with learning difficulties.

Jade Wexler, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research focuses on effective practices for adolescents with reading difficulties.

Deanna Bryan began her teaching career working with children with severe disabilities and soon found her passion in teaching reading to middle school students.

Deborah Reed, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Texas at El Paso. She has rich experience in addressing adolescent literacy issues.

Chapter 6: Delivering Effective Instruction

Effective Instruction for Struggling Readers

Teachers who possess a repertoire of certain teaching behaviors are more effective than those who are unaware of these practices. Key elements include:

• Explicit instruction
• Targeted instruction
• Time on task
• Quick pacing of lessons
• Positive feedback
• Corrective feedback
• Student motivation

TERMS TO KNOW

• explicit instruction: Instruction that is clear and obvious so that students do not have to guess what they are expected to learn.
• targeted instruction: Instruction based on assessments that targets student weaknesses and builds on strengths.
• time on task: Time students are actively engaged in learning.
• positive feedback: Specific praise to reinforce correct responses and encourage effort.

ENGAGED READING PRACTICE

Students must be given ample time every day to actively engage in reading texts that interest them and are at an appropriate level. Techniques include partner reading and small group guided reading to foster engagement and understanding.

ADDRESS STUDENT MOTIVATION

To motivate students, teachers should encourage autonomy, show relevance in the material, and help students develop self-regulation. A classroom library filled with various genres can support autonomy, while discussions can help connect course content to students’ interests.