Leading literacy learning: Research, collaboration and new knowledge

1. Leading literacy learning:Research, collaboration and new knowledge  Northern Adelaide Region May 19, 2010 anne.bayetto@flinders.edu.au

2. Leading literacy by example Credibility is enhanced when leaders can talk about what commentary and research has to say about literacy curriculum and pedagogy Leading is a performance profession. It involves coordinating mind, body, and heart in sometimes intricate ways (Donaldson, 2009)

3. OECD: McKinsey ReportHow the world�s best performing school systems come out on top The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers The only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction High performance requires every child to succeed http://www.mckinsey.com/App_Media/Reports/SSO/Worlds_School_Systems_Final.pdf

4. UK: High challenge and high support Ambitious standards Good data and clear targets Intervention in inverse proportion to success Accountability Access to best practice and quality professional development Some Teaching Assistants are asked to do too much e.g. teach reading and they hamper children's progress Rose

5. Assisting students struggling with reading Screen all students at beginning and middle of year Provide differentiated instruction for all students based on assessments of students� current reading levels (Tier 1) Intensive, systematic group instruction (3-5 times a week) for students below benchmark on universal screening (Tier 2) Monitor Tier 2 students at least once a month Intensive daily instruction for students who show minimal progress after reasonable time in Tier 2 (Tier 3) http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/rti_reading_pg_021809.pdf

6. Improving adolescent literacy:Effective classroom and intervention practices Explicit vocabulary instruction Direct and explicit comprehension strategy instruction Opportunities for extended discussion of text meaning and interpretation Increase student motivation and engagement Intensive and individualized interventions for struggling readers provided by trained specialists http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/adlit_pg_082608.pdf

7. Using student achievement data to support instructional decision-making Make data part of an ongoing cycle of instructional improvement Teach students to examine their own data and set learning goals Establish a clear vision for schoolwide data use Provide supports that foster a data-driven culture within the school Develop and maintain a district-wide data system http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/dddm_pg_092909.pdf

8. Effective reading programs for elementary grades: A best-evidence synthesis One-to-one tutoring works Teachers are more effective as tutors than teaching assistants or volunteers Emphasis on phonics improves outcomes Effects of phonics tutoring lasts into higher grades only if classroom interventions continue Cooperative learning and structured phonics have strong effects for low-achievers (as well as other students) Traditional instructional technology programs have little impact on reading http://www.bestevidence.org/word/strug_read_Jan_05_2010_guide.pdf

9. Literacy: National Inquiries USA: National Reading Panel UK: Rose Report Australia: National Inquiry into Teaching of Literacy (aka reading) Key components: Phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency Teachers must use practices based on rigorous evidence-based research (empirically-valid research) Systematic and synthetic phonics instruction Comprehensive, ongoing, assessment of all students Whole school planning, monitoring and reviewing

10. Plus� Classroom organisation Balance of whole group, small group, and one-to-one instruction Matching students and texts Making a Difference Means Making it Different (IRA, 2000) Access to interesting texts, choice, and collaboration Students need to feel confident and engaged, while learning good reasoning over correct responses (Corcoran & Mamalakis, 2009) Making links between writing and reading Expert teaching (Allington, 2005)

11. Four ResourcesFreebody & Luke (1990, 1999)

12. Emergent literacy Oral language Phonological awareness Print knowledge Alphabet knowledge Writing

13. Code-breaker Vocabulary divides us economically, linguistically, semiotically, academically (Pearson, 2009) Intentionally teach new words Beck, I. et al. (2002). Bringing words to life Bear, D.R. et al. (2003). Words their way Baumann, J.F., & Kameenui, E.J. (2004). Vocabulary instruction Intentionally teach highly occurring words (sight words) that can be understood, read, and written

14. Code-breaker Phonological awareness is understanding the smallest units of sound that make up the speech stream: phonemes Rhyme Alliteration Segmentation Blending Isolation Exchanging Syllables Onset-rimes Must be taught early with multiple opportunities for application Phonological checklist for usPhonological checklist for us

15. Alphabet recognition Capital and lower case Name and sound Vowels (V) and consonants (C) Range of fonts a/A/a/a/A Alphabetical order Alphabet production Capital and lower case Directionality of letters Teaching one letter a week is way too slow