Many adolescent readers experience difficulties comprehending informational text, which may result from underlying difficulties with foundational skills (e.g., word recognition and fluency), knowledge demands (e.g., background, text structure, and vocabulary), and/or reading motivation. Supplemental interventions for adolescents targeting only…

In this commentary, drawing from reviews of research on literacy teacher preparation, the authors discuss points of leverage in preparation of literacy educators for deans and associate deans. Categories that leaders might attend to include: mediated field experiences, faculty development, and external reputation.

Grantmakers for Education's Principles for Effective Education Grantmaking identify "innovation" and "constant learning" as a core proposition for achieving results in education philanthropy. To illustrate this principle, "Learning by Doing" examines the Noyce Foundation's efforts to apply new information to its…

This article discusses the kinds of instructional activities that young children need to develop basic language and literacy skills based on recent research and program evaluations. This includes approaches to develop alphabetic understanding, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and oral language. Activities and materials from the Pre-kindergarten…

When students are taught to mastery, they become smarter, acquire information faster, and develop efficient strategies for learning. Teachers must have an understanding of what mastery is and how to achieve it in their students. However, teachers cannot teach to mastery without referencing the performance of their students. In addition, teachers…

Three facets of the state of Washington's Right to Read program are presented in this document. The facets include: "Guidelines for School-Based Component," which discusses goals and objectives, basic assumptions, role of the state education agency, role of the local education agency, role of the right to read consultants, role of the…

The reading program planning procedures presented in this manual are based upon material developed by the National Right to Read Program. The contents include: "Introduction"; "Step One: Right to Read Center Data," which discusses the establishment of baseline data for a particular school; "Step Two: Needs Assessment…

This design for the second year of a study of elementary school reading instruction conducted by the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools' Department of Educational Accountability is based on knowledge gained from the first year of the study which examined not only reading comprehension instruction in the elementary school, but also school…

The "Model Secondary (6-12) Plan for Reading Intervention and Development" has been designed to meet the cognitive needs of middle school through high school students whose reading performance ranges from those significantly below expectation through those reading at or above grade level. The reading needs of the population of students in need of…

The procedures used in planning and writing a primary reading program designed specifically for visually handicapped students who will use braille as their reading medium are described. The selection of a vocabulary, including a list of categories such as alphabet abbreviations, is discussed. Teaching methodology and the basis for the design of…

This article describes PHAST (for Phonological and Strategy Training), a research-based remedial reading program that focuses on the primary obstacles to word identification learning and independent decoding that most students with reading disabilities face and the steps necessary to help these children achieve independent reading skills.…

The purpose of the computerized Reading Program Management System is to assist reading specialists of the District Heights Elementary School (Maryland) to perform four specific reading program tasks: placement, grouping, monitoring, and materials supply. The system uses a general purpose, commercial data management software package called DB…

This book presents an organizational model for reading program development. Following an overview of the program-planning/needs-assessment design, two sections of the book explain the step-by-step procedures of the model, focusing first on program planning, then on needs assessment. The section on program planning discusses ways of identifying and…

This manual provides a common philosophy of preservice teacher preparation and a framework that can be utilized for the design of preservice teacher preparation programs in reading on the elementary school level to achieve the goals and objectives of the national Right to Read office. Discussion concerns (1) the establishment of a Right to Read…

This article outlines the Schoolwide Reading Improvement Model (SRIM), a model characterized by the strategic integration of research-based practices in assessment, instructional design, and beginning reading instruction. A description of each major stage of the SRIM is provided, along with an example of its application in an Oregon school…