Creating Successful, Research-Based Reading Interventions for Struggling Readers that Work! #PA058 Elizabeth D. Palacios, Ph.D., LSSP [email protected].

Creating Successful, Research-Based

Reading Interventions for Struggling Readers—

that Work!#PA058

Elizabeth D. Palacios, Ph.D., [email protected]

Floyd Harrison, Graduate Student

School Psychology Graduate ProgramDepartment of Educational Psychology

Baylor University, Waco, Texas(254) 710-4683

NASP 2005 Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA

Definition of Reading Disabilities

Willcutt & Pennington (2000) define a reading disability as “a developmental disorder characterized by significant underachievement on standardized tests on single-word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension, usually resulting from impaired phonological processing”

Most reading experts agree…

that a reading disability:has a biological basis & is due to a congenital neurological conditionpersists into adolescents & adulthood (Richek, Caldwell, Jennings, & Lerner, 2002)

has perceptual, cognitive, & language dimensionsoften leads to difficulties in many areas of life as the individual matures (Hynd, 1992)

Common Practice

Reading disabilities are most often diagnosed on the basis of a significant discrepancy between a child’s learning potential (Intelligence Quotient score) and his/her reading achievement (reading achievement score)

Developmental Patterns

Children do not simply “grow out of it”

Research indicates that 74% of children significantly delayed in 3rd grade remain significantly delayed at the end of high school

(Shaywitz, et al., 2000)

grade 1 grade 4 grade 7 grade 10

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Proficient readers

Impaired readers

Grade levels of reading skills over time.

“children who get off to a poor start in reading rarely

catch up” (Torgesen, 1998)

Proficient ReadersImpaired Readers

By adolescence…

the primary indications of a reading disability are:

difficulty with fluency when reading aloud

a very slow reading rate

poor spelling (especially in the context of spontaneous writing, rather than on a spelling test)

Components of Reading

According to the National Institutes of Health & Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reading components include:

Phonological Awareness

Phonics Rules

Rate

Fluency

Comprehension

Reading Interventions

Torgesen proposes 3 general principles for reading interventions:

Instruction must be more explicit & comprehensive

Instruction must be more intensive

Instruction must be more supportive

Reading Interventions continued

Fletcher & Lyon describe the common components of effective intervention as:

Explicitly teaching how to articulate positions & mouth movements associated with each phoneme

Comprehensive & intensive instruction

Repetition

Experiences in different contexts

Individualized tutoring

High interest books for reading silently

Comprehension strategies

Vocabulary development

Practice for fluency & rate

Struggling Readers

There is an alarming rage of juvenile offenders with disabilities (an estimated 30%-50% of students in correctional system need special services)2% - 8% school-age children have reading disabilities compared to 30% - 60% of students involved with the juvenile justice systemThese figures are perhaps higher since many students in the juvenile justice system remain undiagnosed

Behavior Health Institute (BHI): Center for Learning &

DevelopmentBHI developed a reading intervention program for male adolescents placed in a long-term residential juvenile justice facility located in Central Texas.

Due to the high correlation of learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency, the juvenile detention center seemed the ideal place to pilot an innovative reading program.

BHI: Reading Intervention Program

PARTICIPANTS:

22 participants (ages 12 through 17)

Average age of group was 14 yrs., 9 mos.

Participants were Central Texas students in grades 5 through 11

PROCEDURE:

Students were referred to the program based upon low scores on a reading pronunciation test (WRAT-Reading)

BHI: Reading Intervention Program

PROCEDURE (CONTINUED)

A more comprehensive reading assessment was then administered:

Lindamood Auditory Conceptualization Test (LAC): determines the level of phonological awareness skills

Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT): measures the reading rate, reading fluency, & reading comprehension

BHI: Reading Intervention Program

The comprehensive reading program is approximately 12 weeks (120 hours)

The intensive program addresses phonological awareness, phonics skills, reading fluency, reading rate, & reading comprehension

Small groups of 4 to 5 students are each assigned a “station” where he interacts with the different components of the intensive program

BHI: Reading Intervention Program

These stations provide direct instruction by a:

reading specialist

interactive computer program

oral & silent reading

practice of newly acquired skills

The student works at each station for approximately 20 minutes and then rotates to the next station until all stations are completed

BHI: Reading Intervention Program

RESULTS:After 12 weeks of intensive reading intervention (2 hours per day for an average of 120 hours), the average grade level for:

Phonological awareness increased by 2.9 grade levels

Fluency increased 1.7 grade level

Rate increased 1.8 grade level

Comprehension increased 2.3 grade levels

BHI: 12-Week Intensive Reading Intervention Results

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Gra

de L

evel

s

Pretest

Postest

First Station: LiPsLindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program for Reading, Spelling, & Speech (LiPS)

Program:Only a small portion of the program is utilizedStudents manipulate blocks to match nonsense wordsThe instructor works through many lists of wordsThe words become longer & more complex as the student progresses

LiPS Program (continued)

Benefits:Develops phonological processing skills

Stimulates phonemic awareness

Enables students to become self-correcting in reading, spelling, & speech

Drawbacks:Requires one-on-one attention

Requires the instructor to have precise speech patterns

Second Station: Earobics

Program: teaches more advanced phonological awareness, auditory processing, phonics, & cognitive skills, as well as language skills required for comprehension

Third Station: Lexia Reading S.O.S.

(Strategies for Older Students)

Program:Computer-based phonemic awareness & decoding programWide selection of game-like sections teach a variety of phonics & decoding skillsLesson content builds with each of five levelsAutomatic branching to specific skill areas lets the students practice the unit they needProgress can be monitored easily by student & teacher

Lexia Reading S.O.S (continued)

Benefits:Students develop automatic word recognition skills

Activities build phonemic awareness, sound-symbol correspondence, decoding skills, & comprehension skills

Can be used with a wide range of students 4th through 12th grade

Drawbacks:No grades are provided by the program (only units completed or passed)

Fourth Station: Read Naturally

Program:Audio tape reading programStudent is allowed one minute to read a selection coldStudent places a mark where he/she had to stop after one minuteStudent graphs the number of words read in one minuteStudent listens repeatedly to an audio tape of a person reading slowly

Fourth Station: Read Naturally

(continued)

Student answers comprehension questions over reading material

Student practices reading the selection alone

Teacher retimes the student as he/she attempts to increase the number of words read in one minute

Student graphs the final number of words read

Fourth Station: Read Naturally

(continued)

Benefits:Partner reading with tape builds fluency & vocabularyComprehension skills are developed by questioningGraphing provides progress monitoringStudents like the challenging “race like” nature of the program

Drawbacks:Difficult for teacher to know if students are listening to the tapesMixed levels are sometimes embarrassing for students

Fifth Station: PLATO/AEC A+ Learning Programs

Plato Program:Focuses on reading comprehension skillsComputer-based curriculum takes each student through a series of lessons addressing informational text, expository texts, & literature

American Education Corp. A+dvanced Learning SystemComputer-based Language Arts & Reading programTeaches skills from 1st to the 5th grade levelStudent takes practice test then real test over lessonAll tests are 10 multiple choice questionsLessons build on each other

Benefits:

Student is able to practice, learn, and test his ability in the area of vocabulary & reading comprehension

Sixth Station: Don Johnston’s Books

Program:High-interest, controlled-vocabulary reading seriesNarrated computer books on CD’sIncludes CD, paperback book, & audiocassetteStudents read a chapter one page at a timeStudents answer quizzes (cloze passage or multiple choice) after each chapter Quizzes are graded immediately & the student receives instant feedback

Sixth Station: Don Johnston’s Books (continued)

Benefits:Large choice of mature titles

Students like the choices available

Real number grades are provided

Build fluency through more reading experience

Drawbacks:Limited number of levels 2/3 and 4/5

Under-motivated students may just listen to the CD & not read the text

BHI: Reading Intervention Program

DISCUSSION:Through intense, direct, and interactive reading instruction older students are able to improve their reading skills that most children learn at an early age

Those students who have already suffered through years of humiliation & discouragement are able to experience school success

Further research is needed to determine if this reading program can produce even a larger gain if delivered over a longer period of time for a greater number of hours

Contact InformationLindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS):800-554-1819; www.lindamoodbell.com

Earobics: -www.enablemart.com/products_detail.asp?id=451

Lexia Learning Systems Reading S.O.S: School Version - 800-435-3942; www.lexialearning.com

Read Naturally:800-788-4085, www.readnaturally.com

Plato: $1,000 – 1 station

American Education Corporation A+dvanced Learning System: 800-34A-PLUS; www.amered.com

Don Johnston’s Start-to-Finish books:800-999-4660; www.donjohnston.com

BHI: Center for Learning & Development

[email protected](254) 751-0922