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Community Literacy Programs for Childen

Community Literacy Programs for Childen. Barbara Foorman, Ph.D. Stephanie Al Otaiba, Ph.D. Florida Center for Reading Research Florida State University. What is the Issue?.

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Community Literacy Programs for Childen

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  1. Community Literacy Programs for Childen Barbara Foorman, Ph.D. Stephanie Al Otaiba, Ph.D. Florida Center for Reading Research Florida State University

  2. What is the Issue? • The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires that students at-risk for reading disability receive individualized intensive instruction • Many schools lack the resources to hire reading specialists to provide expert tutoring • As a result, there has been increasing interest in tutoring models that utilize volunteers (community members, senior citizens, college students)

  3. What does the evidence say? • Overall mean effect size for tutoring in several large meta-analyses is .40 (Cohen, et al., 1982; Elbaum et al., 2000). • Average effect size for volunteers was .26; however, in studies describing tutors’ training, effect size was .59 (Elbaum et al.)

  4. Effect sizes on components of reading • Word identification: .42 (Baker et al., 2000) to 1.24 (Invernizzi et al., 1997) • Word attack: .32 (Vadasy et al., 1997) to 1.24 (Vadasy et al., 2000) • Fluency: .48 (Baker et al., 2000) to .53 (Baker et al., 2000) • Comprehension: .10 (Vadasy et al., 2002) to .32 (Baker et al., 2000), .90 (Al Otaiba et al., 2005)

  5. Design variations of….. • Student samples (age, SES, ethnicity) • Tutors used (amount of training & supervision) • Intensity of tutoring (# min. per week; # weeks • Measures used and components of reading assessed These variations complicate interpretation of effect sizes!

  6. Fidelity matters • A program is only as good as its implementation • Vadasy et al. (1997) reported higher effects for high-fidelity community tutors (.85) compared to low-fidelity tutors (.06).

  7. Support for community tutors (Wazik, 1998) • Certified reading specialist to supervise tutors • Ongoing training and feedback for tutors • Structured tutoring sessions that incorporate basic literacy elements • Consistent/intensive tutoring for struggling readers • Access to high quality materials • Ongoing assessment of student progress • Monitoring of attendance • Coordination of tutoring with classroom instruction

  8. Howard Street Tutoring Program (Morris, 1990) • Started in 1979; two 45 min. 1:1 tutoring for poor readers in grades 2-3 by nonpaid volunteers • On the job training (by paid reading specialist) -- Day 1: Supervisor teaches & tutor watches. Debriefing. -- Day 2: Tutor teachers; supervisor watches. Debriefing.

  9. Howard St.Tutoring (cont.) • Tutor comments daily on progress in: --Guided reading at child’s instructional level (18 min.) --Word study (10 min.) --Easy reading (10 min.) --Reading to the child (7 min.) • Assessment: Pre/posttests of word recognition and spelling on graded list; oral reading on graded passage

  10. Book Buddies(Invernizzi et al., 1997) • Started by Invernizzi in 1993 at UVA. • 1:1 tutoring 4 days per week by trained, supported, & supervised volunteer tutors for a minimum of 20 weeks. • Effect sizes of 1.24 for word recognition relative to Title 1 historical controls. Effects hold up over time (to Grade 3).

  11. Book Buddies (cont.) Tutoring box contains: • Lesson plan • Familiar book to be reread for fluency • Word bank cards and folder • Composition book for writing & recording word sorts • New book to be read that day • Record keeping lists

  12. Intensity matters…. Al Otaiba et al. (2005) studied effectiveness of TAILS (Tutor Assisted Intensive Learning strategies) delivered by community volunteers (paid $5/hr.) during the school day with at-risk kindergarteners and found that effect sizes were larger for 4 days of tutoring vs. 2 days per week (.79 for word id; .90 for passage comprehension; .83 for basic reading skills)

  13. But…when less may be more Start Making a Reader Today (SMART; Baker et al. 2000): • Adult volunteers tutor first and second graders in 30-min. 1:1 sessions two times per week during school year • Students selected by teachers to be in SMART • Tutors trained in 1-hr sessions or on the job • Each school has a half-time SMART coordinator who recruits volunteers, finds tutoring space in school, sets time, and locates books • Effect sizes of .44 (word ID), fluency(.48-.53), word comprehension (.43), passage comprehension (.32).

  14. SMART handbook Reading improves with: • Necessary background knowledge for story • Opportunities to hear different types of books • Learn letter-sound relations for unknown words • Making predictions about the story • Deriving meaning from illustrations

  15. SMART handbook (cont.) Four reading strategies a volunteer can use: • Volunteer reads to the child • Volunteer and child read together • Volunteer reads a section of text; child rereads • Volunteer asks the child questions during reading

  16. Keys to Success • Fidelity to program that includes alphabetic mastery and reading for meaning • knowledgeable reading expert to coordinate and supervise • Intensity of tutoring • selection, training and support for tutors

  17. For more information…. Reference list available in handout or email BFoorman@fcrr.org Thank you!

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