SUSTAINING READING FIRST Sustainability Series Number 8 · September 2009 Reading Comprehension: Essential for Sustainability Welcome Sustainability Series Number 8

Reading Comprehension: Essential for Sustainability

he purpose of this brief is to establish a link between strong reading comprehension and the successful implementation and sustainability of a reading model that spans grades K-3 and Sustainability is Tbeyond. The document describes how teachers in grades K-3 can address the ability of a staff comprehension development earlier and more explicitly in the “learning to to maintain the read” stage than has typically been the case. It also discusses the need for core beliefs and values (culture) intermediate and secondary level teachers to teach reading comprehension of a program strategies related to the content in their academic disciplines. and use them to guide program This brief, eighth in addressing key aspects of sustainability, applies adaptations these concepts and strategies to the challenge of improving reading over time while comprehension outcomes. Other aspects of sustaining evidence-based maintaining practices are addressed in other briefs in this series. Please check the improved or Reading First Sustainability website at http://www.ed.gov/programs/ enhanced readingfirst/support/sustaining.html for other titles in this series. outcomes. -adapted from Century and Levy, 2002 This brief was written by Scott Baker, Director of the Pacific Institutes for Research, and Stan Paine, of the University of Oregon. Dr. Baker has done extensive work over the past 20 years in the areas of beginning reading, reading comprehension, reading assessment and school-wide models for improved reading outcomes. He also is Associate Director for Research in the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon. Dr. Paine directs professional development and outreach services to schools and districts to improve academic outcomes for students. Prior to joining the University, Dr. Paine was an elementary school principal for 22 years. Teaching with the Goal in Mind from Start to Finish 4 Sustaining the focus on reading outcomes K-12. Content Instruction in Kindergarten through Third Grade 6 Comprehension is at the center of instruction from kindergarten throughout all of schooling. When it comes to Extending Comprehension Instruction Across giving all students an the Grade Levels 8 What is the school’s responsibility for reading instruction in grades 4-12? opportunity for the Building the Link Between Comprehension success in life that is and Sustainability 10 Learn about school and district leadership strategies. made possible by the References 12 ability to read, achieving and sustaining improved outcomes in reading comprehension is the measure of success.

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Teaching with the Goal in Mind from Start to Finish

Much work has been done over the One way of reflecting is to look at the past decade to improve reading outcomes success of a reading improvement initiative in the primary grades. The fruit of these from the eyes of its stakeholders. What efforts is seen in state evaluations of the does success mean to them? To parents Reading First program and in some of and students, reading success is being able the findings of the national Reading First to derive meaning from books and other evaluation study (Gamse, Bloom, Kemple, forms of print and to use information Jacob, 2008). However, the success story is for the reader’s purposes. From the not complete. For example, one national point of view of school staff, success may evaluation of Reading First found no additionally consist of meeting state reading significant differences in comprehension proficiency targets, which are typically when looking at sites receiving Reading First measured by assessment of comprehension funding and schools not receiving Reading on state assessments. What do these First funding. We may debate these findings, views of success have in common? They but one thing is certain: they provide an are squarely focused on strong reading opportunity for reflection as we move into comprehension skills. the next reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the next reading improvement initiative.

SUSTAINABILITY 4 SERIES In much of the recent work that improvement over high school years. If we limit with reading improvement time—must start early and our improvement focus initiatives, such as the Reading stay consistent in focusing too narrowly on beginning First program, we have placed on improved outcomes in reading instruction, our efforts considerable emphasis on the comprehension (National will eventually run into the skills of learning how to read, Research Council, 1998). We established boundaries of the especially on decoding and must teach to our goal from elementary school years or reading fluency. The National start to finish. simply run out of steam as Reading Panel’s (2000) focus One strategy is to increase staff leave, priorities shift, or on the five components of comprehension instruction in students move on to middle effective reading instruction kindergarten through grade 3. school. (phonemic awareness, While there is no doubt that If we seek support phonics, fluency, vocabulary, requisite reading skills must be and build collaboration and comprehension) is developed, it is also clear that across school levels for the appropriate and necessary to the reading skills measured larger mission—teaching developing strong readers, but on the third grade state comprehension (and its we have put only modest—and reading test likely focus in component skills) and perhaps insufficient—focus large part on comprehension. developing the reading fluency on actively developing Therefore, there must be a to support it—we might find reading comprehension systematic and explicit effort more support among our skills. If we are to improve to build comprehension skills constituents at all levels for a reading outcomes in schools beginning in kindergarten. strong district level reading and sustain them, we must Another strategy is to initiative and, as a result, continue to develop decoding ensure that our efforts to realize the possibility of and fluency skills while systematically improve reading improved outcomes at each simultaneously increasing our outcomes reach beyond the level. focus on improving reading skill building and fluency- Adopting a stronger comprehension outcomes building efforts of the primary comprehension focus for (Snow, 2002). In fact, doing years to include explicit our reading initiative and so might be the single best comprehension instruction extending it across all levels hope for garnering the support in the middle school and can help sustain reading needed to sustain recent improvement efforts and progress and to build improved outcomes. upon it over time. Similarly, adopting a Because district level systems comprehension focus for reading is the ultimate improvement can purpose of help us reach our reading, comprehension any effort goals at all to improve levels. reading outcomes— and to uphold

SUSTAINABILITY 5 SERIES Content Instruction in Kindergarten through Third Grade

A critical question in grades K-3 is whether Comprehension is the common thread in there is valuable content outside of explicitly instruction across all subject areas. In reading, teaching students how to read that may further it is what gives the words meaning. Moreover, prepare students for proficient reading. The words in different contexts or settings (e.g. answer suggested in this brief is yes. A broader genres of literature, informational text conceptualization of reading instruction is structures, etc.) must be understood differently. described below that could be beneficial to Hence, different types of comprehension students in measurable ways throughout their are required. In what we typically call educational careers. content areas (science, social studies, health,

SUSTAINABILITY 6 SERIES Table 1. Sample Washington State Grade Level Expectations for Reading Comprehension are less likely than other Component 3.1 Read to learn new information students to do well in 3.1.1 Understand that resources contain information needed to answer school. There questions and solve problems. are important Grade K •• Listen to and talk about information from a variety of types of informational/ expository text. differences in •• Participate in whole-group discussions to generate questions and listen to language and informational/expository text for answers to those questions. vocabulary 3.1.1 Understand how to select and use appropriate resources. knowledge (Hart & Risley, Grade 1 •• Identify print and non-print resource materials available to complete a task (with teacher assistance), such as informational text and/or illustrations and graphics. 1995), on early •• Identify one resource and use it to answer a question with teacher assistance. numeracy Grades 3.1.1 Understand how to select and use appropriate resources. skills (National 2-3 •• Identify two resources and use them to answer a question or solve a problem. Mathematics Advisory [The table above is offered as an example of how one state developed GLEs and does not represent Panel, 2008), an endorsement from the US Department of Education.] and on important cognitive etc.), comprehension is what allows us to processing understand information about a topic. Thus, skills such as working memory (Baker, comprehension is critical throughout the Kame’enui, Simmons, & Simonsen, 2006). curriculum. Because its variations are not Factors that strongly predict who these children intuitive, the forms of comprehension, as well will be have nothing to do with intrinsic talent as their application across types of reading or ability. They are factors like childhood material, must be taught explicitly. This puts poverty, race, and ethnicity that should have comprehension (including its component parts, nothing to do with whether or not students get such as vocabulary, strategies, genres, and text a quality education. Therefore, teachers need structures) squarely at the center of instruction to be intentional and explicit in addressing the from kindergarten (where we can begin with needs of each student in mastering the reading word meaning and oral comprehension) comprehension skills identified in state GLEs. throughout all of schooling. Table 2 suggests some strategies that might How is this reading content structured? be used to develop comprehension skills. The best answer comes from looking at state standards and grade level expectations (GLEs). Table 1 illustrates one of the comprehension Table 2: Key Instructional Strategies for related GLEs from the state of Washington. Comprehension Development in Grades K-3 Note how the expanding nature of the curriculum expectation calls for on-going •• Provide structured read alouds instruction across grade levels on component •• Develop knowledge of various text structures skills. Taken together, these GLEs, along with their component skills and sub-skills, form •• Use procedural facilitators such as story maps a content for reading instruction across the •• Review text organization prior to reading grade levels and emphasize the importance of •• Teach the key structural features of books continuity of instruction over time. We know that on just about every measure of school readiness, students who enter kindergarten at risk for academic difficulties SUSTAINABILITY 7 SERIES Extending Comprehension Instruction Across the Grade Levels

It has been somewhat of a tradition in education Table 3: Washington State GLEs Component 3.1. Read to Learn to assume that reading is New Information. taught primarily in the early grades and that by the end of elementary school students 3.1.1 Understand that resources contain information needed to answer questions and solve problems. would be able to apply their developed reading skills 3.1.1 Analyze appropriateness of a variety of resources independently to important and use them to perform a specific task or investigate a topic. content in middle school and •• Locate, select, and use a variety of library and internet high school. Content teachers Grade 5 materials appropriate to a task or best suited to in middle and high school investigate a topic. have not traditionally thought •• Follow multi-step written directions (e.g., explain the of themselves as “reading process for becoming a U.S. citizen, follow a recipe, build teachers.” This is changing a model, complete a project). for at least two reasons. 3.1.1 Analyze web-based and other resource materials First, we are developing (including primary sources and secondary sources) a better understanding of for relevance in answering research questions. how reading skills develop Grade 8 •• Examine resource materials to determine appropriate primary sources and secondary sources to use for from kindergarten through investigating a question, topic, or issue (e.g., encyclopedia grade 12. Second, as our and other reference materials, pamphlets, book excerpts, world becomes increasingly newspaper and magazine articles, letters to an editor). complicated, increasingly 3.1.1 Analyze web-based and other resource materials competitive, and increasingly (including primary sources and secondary sources) information dependent, we are for relevance in answering research questions. setting higher standards for Grades •• Examine materials to determine appropriate primary defining proficient reading. 9-10 sources and secondary sources to use for investigating Let’s go back to the sample a question, topic, or issue (e.g., encyclopedia and other comprehension GLE we reference materials, pamphlets, book excerpts, newspaper and magazine articles, letters to an editor, oral records, looked at in Table 1 and see research summaries, scientific and trade journals). how it evolves after grade 3 (See Table 3).

SUSTAINABILITY 8 SERIES Note how far the expected The connection to many Second, instruction in skill has been extended from recent reading improvement grades 4-12 must address the the elementary school grades initiatives is also clear in the needs of students who need to middle school and high content of the Practice Guide, assistance with foundational school levels. We can’t simply where the thread of explicit skills. For these students assume that kids will “get it” by instruction runs throughout. who are not reading at grade grade 3, then be able to extend The Practice Guide makes level, instruction in grades the skill to a far higher level two fundamental points. 4-12 should include reading without further instruction, The first is that content- interventions that occur practice and feedback over area teachers in grades 4-12 outside of content-area time (numerous occasions should be responsible for instruction. These reading and multiple examples). These explicitly teaching students interventions should focus on curriculum details are not how to read proficiently explicitly teaching essential merely what we are hoping for in their discipline. History elements of reading. The at each grade level. They are teachers should provide direct connection to essential expectations that the state and explicit instruction in how to reading content is reminiscent its stakeholders—students, read history textbooks and of recent reading improvement parents, and the general historical documents, as well initiatives, and with struggling public—hold for our students. as how to reason and think as readers throughout 4-12, the We must continually work a historian. It’s not enough to primary objective is to provide to develop these skills across teach students about events students with the instruction grade levels so that each in history, or even how events they need to proficiently read student can master the skills are connected to central the texts used in their science, and meet the Grade Level historical themes, such as the mathematics, history, and Expectations by the time s/he struggle for independence. literature classes. exits the public school system. Even students with “strong The Institute of Education basic reading skills” should Sciences (IES) has issued a be taught explicitly how to Practice Guide on Reading read texts in history with Content area teachers Instruction in grades 4-12 deep understanding. And in grade 4-12 should be (Kamil, et. al. 2008). By we should not assume that responsible for explicitly addressing these specific because students are able to teaching students how to grades, the intention is to read history texts with deep read proficiently in their build on the efforts of many understanding they will discipline. early reading reforms that are automatically be able to read focused on getting students science or other content texts off to a good start in reading. with the same level of depth. SUSTAINABILITY 9 SERIES Building the Link Between Comprehension and Sustainability

Providing sufficient emphasis on reading will be in place. See the list on the next comprehension skills in the early grades and page for some specific strategies to build the then continuing to teach comprehension in link between comprehension and sustainability. grades 4-12 will help ensure that all students Comprehension is the key to long-term become proficient readers. This success is in reading success. When it comes to giving and of itself a foundation for sustainability. all students an opportunity for the success Why would we continue practices that do not in life that is made possible by the ability produce the results that are intended? to read, achieving and sustaining improved Further, this success will help create outcomes in reading comprehension is the a unified culture across the district with essential component. When we have strong regard to achieving reading comprehension comprehension outcomes, we are much more goals. Leadership will begin to play different likely to sustain the evidence-based approach roles, and the building blocks for sustaining to teaching reading. the districtwide approach to teaching

SUSTAINABILITY 10 SERIES School and District Leadership Strategies to Extend the Focus on Reading Comprehension Across the Grades

View reading as a K-12 responsibility and have this notion communicated clearly and consistently by district leaders. Structure reading-related training, planning, collaborating, and communication across grade levels and across school levels (primary to intermediate grades; elementary school to middle school; middle school to high school). Develop and promote a “culture of comprehension” in a district by: •• using the same comprehension strategies and the same instructional vocabulary (adapted to the age of the students) across grade levels and school levels. •• engaging teachers and administrators in cross-level walk- throughs, with customized “look fors,” structured debriefing and subsequent planning to enhance understanding of the structure, goals, and importance of reading instruction at each level. Develop district level leadership for reading instruction to provide support, assure adequate planning, structure alignment of instructional practices, and use common supervision procedures across grade levels. Use reading assessments to guide instruction in comprehension and fluency at each grade level and each school level. Engage stakeholders (parents and others) at each school level in promoting the focus on comprehension and supporting efforts to improve comprehension outcomes.

SUSTAINABILITY 11 SERIES References Baker, S., Kame’enui, E., Simmons, D., & Simonsen, B. (2006). National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Final report of Characteristics of students with learning and curricular the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: needs. In M. Coyne, E. Kame’enui & D. Carnine (Eds.), U.S. Department of Education. Effective teaching strategies that accommodate diverse National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: learners (3rd ed., pp. 23-43). Upper Saddle River, NJ: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research Pearson. literature on reading and its implications for reading Gamse, B. C., Bloom, H. S., Kemple, J. J., & Jacob, R. T. (2008). instruction (NIH Publication No. 00-4769). Washington, DC: Reading First impact study: Interim report (NCEE 2008-4016). National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute National Research Council. (1998). Preventing reading of Education Sciences, National Center for Education difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Academy Press. Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful Snow, C. E. (2002). Reading for understanding: differences in the everyday experience of Toward an R&D program in reading young American children. Maryland: comprehension. Santa Monica, CA: Brookes Publishing Company, Inc. RAND. Kamil, M. L., Borman, G., Dole, J., Kral, C. C., Salinger, T., & Torgesen, J. K. (2008). Improving adolescent literacy: Effective classroom and intervention practices: A Practice Guide (Report No. NCEE #2008-4027). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation & Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, US Dept. of Education.

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