# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Padlet - Golden Lines  Secondary ELA Book Study Sp

# data[].attributes.body
Introduction to the text and the 9-week book study format

Educators in effective schools have a sense of urgency in their approach to reading intervention for students who are still behind when they reach middle school.

Key items: 3-Tier diagram (pg. 6), checklist on pg.11-13

Golden Lines Strategy

# data[].attributes.body
Pg. 16 – Guide to reading assessment for secondary students – shows the assessment types and the order to do them in (fig. 2.1)

Diagnostic assessments are key – we may already know who’s struggling but we need to know specifics of what supports they need (pg. 15)

Pg. 26 Caveats of ORF at the secondary level

Using assessment results for grouping students for instruction (chapter 4)

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapters 2-4 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapters 2-4 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.body
Author Sharon Vaughn talks about why it is important for schools to focus on intensive interventions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
National Center on Intensive Intervention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why is it important for schools to focus on intensive interventions?

# data[].attributes.body
Useful set of ground rules for discussing a text in a collaborative space.

# data[].attributes.body
The Strategy:

Golden lines are an opportunity for each reader to share their learning from the text. It allows readers to collaborate and share their own learning and knowledge.

A golden line can be a line from the text that:

•raises questions for you

•confirms what you already believe

•makes you say aha

•conflicts with your beliefs

•causes you to reconsider prior assumptions

We will use this strategy at the beginning of every book study session moving forward - sometimes we will do breakout rooms like we did this evening, sometimes we will use chat.

So come ready with 2 golden lines from the chapter each week!

# data[].attributes.body
In case you don't have your book yet.... The Amazon link for this book has a "Look Inside" feature and you can access chapter 1.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Deborah Reed (Author), Sharon Vaughn (Author), Jade Wexler (Author), Carolyn Denton (Author) & 1 more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: The Reading Teacher’s Sourcebook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amazon.com: Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: The Reading Teacher’s Sourcebook: 9781598572438: Deborah Reed, Sharon Vaughn, Jade Wexler, Carolyn Denton: Books

# data[].attributes.headline
Make sure you register for ALL of the sessions!

# data[].attributes.subject
Make sure you register for ALL of the sessions!

# data[].attributes.body
Each session is worth 2 hours of PD. Make sure you register for each session to get the credit.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Arizona Professional Learning and Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

# data[].attributes.body
Lauren Spenceley
Secondary ELA Specialist
Arizona Department of Education
lauren.spenceley@azed.gov

Thank you for joining us for this amazing book study! So excited to collaborate with you all!

# data[].attributes.body
You can purchase the book here (use 20% Discount Code: ADE2023), as well as find book information and free resources.

# data[].attributes.body
Please feel free to share with colleagues. It's not too late to join us!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Spring 2023 Effective Instruction Book Study Flyer

# data[].attributes.body
ADE's Secondary Literacy (Middle and High School) webpage.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Arizona Department of Education is focused on the importance of teaching children to read. It is important to continue this focus into the secondary classroom, including middle school and high school. In short, literacy instruction remains every bit as important in the older grades, as it is in grades K-3. The resources provided here are meant to assist secondary (6th-12th) ELA educators and parents in providing the best instruction for all Arizona students.

ELA Standards Grades 6-12

The Arizona English Language Arts Standards define the knowledge, understanding, and skills that need to be effectively taught and learned for all students to be ready to succeed in credit-bearing, college-entry courses, in the workplace, and/or in military service. The standards present a vision of what it means to be a literate person in the twenty-first century.

Grade-specific K-12 standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language translate the broad aims of The Arizona English Language Arts Anchor Standards into age- and attainment-appropriate terms. These standards allow for an integrated approach to literacy to help guide instruction.
You can access the Grade 6-12 ELA Standards, as well as the Vertical Articulation of Standards, Glossary, and other guidance materials on the Standards: English Language Arts webpage.
Interventions for Secondary/Adolescent Readers

This resource section is under construction, but a great place to start is:

IES Practice Guides - Institute of Education Sciences has provided a set of recommendations for evidence-based best practices to address challenges in classrooms and schools that serve the secondary grades.

Reading | Literature Resources

Achieve the Core - Text Complexity Toolkit

All About Adolescent Literacy - AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers.

AdLit Classroom Strategies - Before, During, and After Reading

CEEDAR - Disciplinary Literacy Course Enhancement Module

EdWeek - Spotlight on Adolescent Reading

GELN - Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom

IES Practice Guides - Institute of Education Sciences has provided a set of recommendations for evidence-based best practices to address challenges in classrooms and schools that serve the secondary grades.

Keys to Literacy Adolescent Literacy Resources - Joan Sedita of Keys to Literacy provides resources focused on adolescent literacy. Adolescent literacy encompasses the skills that must be taught to all students so they can meet increasingly challenging reading and writing demands as they move through the upper grades, as well as what needs to be done for those students who fall behind who may need intervention instruction in foundational literacy skills.

Meadows Center, Partner Reading Teachers' Guide - The purpose of this guide is to provide teachers a feasible partner reading procedure that can be used in middle school classrooms.

NCTE Bookstore, Adventurous Thinking: Fostering Students' Rights to Read and Write in Secondary ELA

NCTE Students' Right to Read - Plethora of resources for engaging students in literature.

ReadWriteThink - Powered by NCTE. ReadWriteThink is a teaching and learning community for English Language Arts teachers from K-12th grade with resources providing free access to the highest quality standards-based practices, lesson plans, videos, activities, and apps.

WestEd Publications, Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms

WestEd Reading Apprenticeship - What if instead of teaching around the text, lecturing, or summarizing for students, teachers engaged students in actually grappling with text - reading and talking about what it means and how they figured it out? WestEd has provided resources and materials to teach reading in a metacognitive way.

Writing | Grammar Resources
Writing Contests
JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest - The Profile in Courage Essay Contest opens for submissions in the Fall of each year.

National Novel Writing Month Young Writers' Program - National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) takes place in November. The Young Writers' Program supports under-18 writers and K-12 educators as they participate in the November event, and take part in smaller writing challenges year-round.

Pulitzer Center - Local Letters for Global Change: A Pulitzer Center Writing Contest, deadline is November 13, 2021
Grammar Resources
Heinemann Publishing, The Grammar Planbook

NCTE Bookstore, Grammar to Get Things Done: A Practical Guide for Teachers Anchored in Real-World Usage

Stenhouse Publishers, Revision Decisions: Talking Through Sentences and Beyond

Stenhouse Publishers, Everyday Editing: Inviting Students to Develop Skill and Craft in Writer's Workshop
Writing
Keys to Literacy, Keys to Content Writing Resources

IES Guide, Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively

Parent Resources

AdLit.org, "Organizations that Promote Adolescent Literacy" - From lesson plans and classroom tools to free books and opportunities to publish students' work, nonprofit organizations have a lot to offer parents, teachers, and struggling readers themselves. Learn about some nonprofits with a commitment to helping young people become better readers and writers.

AdLit.org, "Parent Engagement in Transitions to Middle and High School" - Using the 3A framework (Attendance, Achievement, and Attainment) for dropout prevention developed by the America's Promise Alliance and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this article highlights specific knowledge that parents need to support students' success, as well as ways that schools can engage parents as partners.

AdLit.org, "Engaging Parents to Support Academic Achievement" - Academic achievement is a strong predictor of high school graduation and is critical to long-term success in college, work, and life. A sixth grader who fails math or English, has unsatisfactory behavior, or poor attendance has a 75% likelihood of dropping out. Freshmen in Chicago public schools who earn a B average or better have an 80% chance of finishing high school with at least a 3.0 GPA.

IES, "Literacy Tips for Parents of Adolescents" - Based on common instructional elements , these are activities that parents can initiate at home to help ensure successful literacy outcomes for their adolescent students.

Meadows Center, "How Can I Help My Middle Schooler Read Multisyllabic Words? Five Helpful Steps" - This resource describes a simple strategy you and your child can use to help decode long words.

Scholastic, "17 Ways to Keep Your Middle Schooler Turning Pages" - As your kids get older, they may put reading on the back burner. Learn the best ways to keep them turning the pages with these helpful tips.

Assessment

ADE Assessment - Educator resources for the new Arizona state assessments. [ AASA (3rd-8th), ACT Aspire (9th), ACT (11th)]

Including:

Performance Level Descriptors and Item Specifications (AASA)

Arizona State Standards Alignment Guide (ACT and ACT Aspire)

Graduation Supports

High School Graduation - Information and Requirements

PostSecondary Resources - Resources and Events

OELAS Guidance - High School Credit for Integrated and Targeted ELD (August 2022) | Townhall Presentation 8.17.22 | OELAS Homepage

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Current Opportunities
Secondary ELA Quarterly Office Hours
Secondary ELA Quarterly Office Hours is a virtual opportunity to collaborate, share, and learn about secondary reading and literacy information from the AZ Department of Education with secondary ELA literacy educators and leaders from around the state. Register for the July 13, 2023 meeting!

Past Meetings:

Earn PD credit and collaborate with other secondary ELA teachers! A variety of topics including: reading comprehension, writing, secondary MTSS, collaboration with Social Studies, and more! - use search term "secondary ELA"

Register - use search term "secondary ela" to narrow down your search
ALL ELA Professional Learning Opportunities
Current PD from the whole ELA Team:

K-12 Literacy Office Hours once a month - come join us to hear the latest ELA news!

Arizona Reading Fundamentals OnDemand Academy - This academy offers schools a variety of free knowledge blocks on demand. Each knowledge block includes several different sessions. Each session includes three recorded presentations and pre- and post- activities. Districts and schools are encouraged to utilize these resources as a part of a comprehensive professional learning plan that is data-driven, sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded and instructionally focused.

Register - use search term "k12-AS-ELA" to narrow down your search

APLD Support:
For questions regarding registration, certificates, accessing courses, etc. please refer to our: APLD FAQs
Sign up for ELA Listserv:
To stay on top of the latest Arizona ELA news, join our listserv!

Secondary ELA Book Study

Fall 2023

Join the ADE English Language Arts Team for a FREE Secondary ELA Focused 8-week book study. Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 MST (9/7 through 10/26). Everyone is welcome!
Text: Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 3rd Edition by Cynthia Greenleaf, Ruth Schoenbach, Linda Friedrich, Lynn Murphy, and Nika Hogan
To order: Wiley Publishers

Improve student outcomes in reading and literacy with the latest edition of this bestselling text! The newly revised Third Edition of Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms is the latest iteration of the best-selling, landmark book in the field of adolescent literacy. The book contains strategies for boosting the reading independence of middle, secondary, and college students. Research conducted by NSF, IES, and OII has validated the model taught in Reading for Understanding, demonstrating its effectiveness in raising students' reading achievement levels. The authors teach a clear and concise instructional framework for students at all learning levels, from those with special learning needs to those taking honors and Advanced Placement courses. The book also includes:

A direct correlation to disciplinary literacy, making the book an even more valuable resource in a wide range of classrooms

Explanation of the social and personal dimensions for building a foundation for engaged learning

Discussions of the value of setting aside dedicated class time for independent, silent reading

With collaboration tips that go beyond the classroom and advice on building a cognitive "reading toolbox," Reading for Understanding is an indispensable resource for teachers at the Grade 6 and up, literacy coaches, reading teachers, community college instructors, and other school leaders.
Dates/Chapters:

9/7 Chapter 1 "Engaged Academic Literacy for All"

9/14 Chapter 2 "The Reading Apprenticeship Framework"

9/21 Chapter 3 "The Social and Personal Dimensions"

9/28 Chapter 4 "Metacognitive Conversation"

10/5 Chapter 5 "Extensive Academic Reading"

10/12 Chapter 6 "The Cognitive Dimension"

10/19 Chapter 7 "The Knowledge-Building Dimension"

10/26 Chapter 8 "Disciplinary Inquiry" and Epilogue

General Info for our book studies:

Virtual book chats take place via Zoom.

All participants must register in the APLD system to receive credit - each session is offered individually.

All participants who register in APLD, read their chapter(s), and attend the book study will be given 2-hours PD credit.

Please share with your colleagues!

Register - use search term "secondary ela book study" to narrow down your search

Archived Book Studies:

March-May 2023 Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading - Visit the Padlet!

January - March 2023 Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties - Visit the Padlet!

Fall 2022 Disciplinary Literacy Inquiry & Instruction - Visit the Padlet!

Summer 2022 The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades - Visit the Padlet!

April-May 2022 Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 2nd Edition - Visit the Padlet!

Early Spring 2022 Fundamentals of Literacy Instruction and Assessment, Grades 6-12 - Visit the Padlet!

Fall 2021 Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties

Spring 2021 Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 2nd Edition

Writing Professional Learning

FALL 2023

Arizona's 6-12th Grade Writing Standards: Model, Practice, Reflect, Assess - register for upcoming offerings on:

Previous Presentations - all materials archived here

11/9/22 Special Presentation - Arizona's 6-12th Grade Writing Standards: Model, Practice, Reflect, Assess - all materials archived here
Types of Writing Standards - Grades 6-12 Professional Learning Webinars
All materials from the webinars have been archived here:

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Argument Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Informative/Explanatory Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Narrative Writing | Padlet

Summer 2022
Thank you to all who joined in the Secondary ELA Summer of Writing Professional Learning Series!
All materials from the Summer Series have been archived here:

The Writing Revolution Book Study | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Argument Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Informative/Explanatory Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Narrative Writing | Padlet

Empowering Students through Grammar Instruction | Recording | Slide Deck

Writing for College, Career, and Beyond | Recording | Slide Deck

Reading Apprenticeship
Reading Apprenticeship from WestEd - ADE Cohort - SY23-24
Reading Apprenticeship is an evidence-based professional learning experience focused on disciplinary literacy in grades 6-12. Educators are engaged in a process to discover the tools and perspective to "apprentice" their students in any subject area. This assets-based approach helps teachers develop students' comprehension skills while also building subject-area knowledge, reader-identity, collaboration, and persistence. As part of a State Tutoring grant opportunity, ADE will be offering the opportunity for Arizona teachers to participate in an ADE cohort of the Reading Apprenticeship essentials course with little to no cost. Share this flyer with colleagues!

Informational Webinars: Register for an informational session to learn more about this ADE cohort opportunity!

Book Study: Access the materials from the Spring 2022 Professional Learning Book Study on the Reading Apprenticeship core text.

Updated Core Text: Third Edition - I will be offering a Professional Learning Book Study on this updated edition in Fall 2023! See book study blue bar above.

Recordings/Archived

Webinars

Special Presentation - "A Face Like Mine: Connecting Classic Literature to Modern YA Books" - On 2/11/21, a panel of high school librarians discussed ways to incorporate modern YA books in with teaching classic literature in the classroom. Click here to view the presentation

Building Background in the Virtual Secondary ELA Classroom - Building schema and background knowledge is one of the best ways to raise reading comprehension for our students. In this webinar, we explored some easy and fun ways to do this in the virtual/distance learning secondary ELA classroom. A better understanding of how building background and surfacing schema will help your students become better readers. Visit the Padlet with resources and slide deck.

Summer Series - Spotlight on Media Literacy and Sourcing - In collaboration with our ADE Social Studies team - Join trainers from ADE, and master teachers from around the state to a webinar to teach and engage with media literacy at all grade levels. Recorded presentation

"What is Media Literacy and How Do I Teach It?" - This webinar will examine what media literacy means, how do we teach students to be responsible consumers and producers of media and examine some methods and lessons you can use in your classroom. Recorded presentation

Integrating Secondary Social Studies and ELA - In collaboration with our ADE Social Studies team - How do you integrate Social Studies and English Language Arts in a secondary setting? What are the benefits of collaboration between English and Social Studies educators? This webinar demonstrated best practices to integrate Social Studies and ELA efficiently and easily. This webinar also used texts with multiple perspectives to address new ways to create cross-curricular projects and lessons. Slide Deck

Professional Organizations

Contact Information: Lauren Spenceley, Secondary ELA Specialist, 602-364-2267
Visit the English Language Arts YouTube playlist!
**The views and opinions expressed in any third-party resource do not necessarily reflect those of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and do not imply an endorsement by ADE.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Secondary Literacy (Middle and High School) Secondary Logo 2023.png The Arizona Department of Education is focused on the importance of teaching children to read. It is important to continue this focus into the secondary classroom, including middle school and high school.

# data[].attributes.body
ADE APLD - http://azed.geniussis.com/Registration.aspx?CAT=%2032

Use search term "secondary ELA" to narrow down your search for Secondary ELA opportunities.

Use search term "K12-AS-ELA" to narrow down your search for all ELA opportunities.

# data[].attributes.body
Homepage for the Arizona English Language Arts Standards.

https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/k-12standards/english-language-arts-standards

# data[].attributes.body
**The views and opinions expressed in any third-party resource do not necessarily reflect those of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and do not imply an endorsement by ADE.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ch 2-4 Assessment at the Secondary Level - Google Jamboard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ch 2-4 Assessment at the Secondary Level

# data[].attributes.headline
Assessment Types and Purposes Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.subject
Assessment Types and Purposes Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.body
Credit and thanks to Sarah Bondy for these slides.

# data[].attributes.body
This document provides a great description of the different types of assessments and their purposes, as outlined in the MOWR legislation.

# data[].attributes.body
In case you don't have your book yet.... The Amazon link for this book has a "Look Inside" feature and you can access chapter 2. (it stops after that)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Deborah Reed (Author), Sharon Vaughn (Author), Jade Wexler (Author), Carolyn Denton (Author) & 1 more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: The Reading Teacher’s Sourcebook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amazon.com: Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: The Reading Teacher’s Sourcebook: 9781598572438: Deborah Reed, Sharon Vaughn, Jade Wexler, Carolyn Denton: Books

# data[].attributes.body
Features of Effective Instruction: Explicit instruction, systematic instruction with scaffolding, Multiple opportunities to practice/respond, feedback, progress monitoring.

Steps to Long-Term Retention: Extensive distributed practice --> Generalization --> Long-term retention

“Effective teachers understand that it is their job to find out what their students know, to teach them what they do not know, to guide them and support them as they learn, and to provide several opportunities for students to apply their newly learned skills or strategies.” (pg. 45)

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapters 5-6 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapters 5-6 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ch 5-6 Effective Instruction - Google Jamboard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Key Features of Effective Reading Instruction

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Key Features of Effective Reading Instruction

# data[].attributes.body
Teaching Struggling Readers: 8 Steps to Effective Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In your inclusive classroom, you probably have some students who are struggling with reading skills-and having trouble generalizing the skills they learn to settings outside the classroom. Whether they're English language learners, students with identified learning disabilities, or learners who just need extra help, the students in your class will need instruction that addresses their specific needs and supports their long-term success.

In their book Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties , Carolyn Denton et al. outline eight key lesson components that make a difference for struggling readers. Today's post presents and defines these eight essentials. See which ones you're already doing, and which steps you might need to strengthen.

State your objective (and stick to it). What do you want your students to learn? State the goal up front and then teach the class with that goal in mind. Give your students a step-by-step presentation of the new information you want them to learn. Teach only a few new ideas at once to ensure that struggling readers don't fall behind, and connect the new material with your students' prior knowledge.

Start with a daily review. Each day, quickly review the material you covered the day before. Not only will this give you a chance to see if all students have mastered the material, it will also give students a chance to "overlearn"-that is, learn to the point of automaticity, to ensure that they retain the material long-term. When you have your daily review, use visuals and teach explicitly so there's no doubt about what you want students to recall from the previous lesson.

Explicitly model and teach. Struggling learners-and all students, really-learn better when you show them what you want them to do. When you teach a new skill or strategy, model or demonstrate it form them clearly. You can model a strategy effectively through a "think-aloud" process: Demonstrate each step of the strategy for your class (visuals are especially important for struggling readers!) while talking through your own thought processes out loud. Make sure your English language learners and students with limited oral vocabularies are closely watching you as you model, not trying to write at the same time. [Note: The sample lesson plans in Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties give you many examples of think-aloud modeling.]

Give guided practice. Your students should have many opportunities to demonstrate what they learn (with guidance from you). Walk around and give guidance while students work on assignments-don't wait until they finish their work to check for accuracy. Giving helpful hints and clearing up misconceptions during classwork can help prevent mistakes from becoming bad habits that students will struggle with for years to come.

Before you move on to independent practice, make sure that all students have ample time-and scaffolding supports if needed-to understand new concepts. Some students might need multiple opportunities to practice with guidance from you before they can apply a new skill independently.

Set aside time for independent practice. Are your students consistently applying a skill or strategy correctly during guided practice? That means they're ready to apply their knowledge independently. Giving students time for independent practice will reinforce the concepts you teach, help students learn new information on their own, and develop students' automaticity, or mastery of a skill.

Teach for generalization. Once a new skill becomes a habit through independent practice, it will be easier for students to generalize their new knowledge to other contexts or settings. It's important to note that struggling readers usually have trouble generalizing automatically. To support their generalization:

Tell students explicitly that they should be applying their new reading skills and strategies outside the classroom. Ask questions like "Can you think of a time you might use this strategy outside of this class?"

Plan instruction so your students have plenty of time to practice applying their new skills to a variety of texts.

Include texts similar to the ones your students are reading in their language arts, math, social studies, and science classes.

Lead class discussions that encourage students to verbalize ways they can generalize the strategies they've learned.

Monitor student learning. Are your students making progress toward the goals you stated up front? Keep track of their learning by using assessments to gather information regularly. The data you collect should be directly connected to each student's specific instructional focus. If a student's diagnostic assessments indicate that he needs to work on fluency or word recognition, then you should monitor that student's growth through repeated assessments of oral reading fluency or word list reading. Establish a routine of regular progress monitoring, and use the data you gather to figure out when you need to reteach concepts or adapt your instruction.

Conduct periodic review. Quick daily reviews of what you taught the day before are important, but to ensure long-term retention of material, plan weekly and monthly cumulative reviews of key strategies and skills. Help students connect what they've learn in previous lessons to the information they're learning in each new unit of study.

To learn more about each component covered in today's post-and get more than 20 step-by-step sample lessons for strengthening fluency, comprehension, word recognition, and vocabulary-see Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties .

* This post was adapted from Chapter 5 of Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties, by Carolyn A. Denton, Ph.D., Sharon Vaughn, Ph.D., Jade Wexler, Ph.D., Deanna Bryan, & Deborah Reed, Ph.D. The chapter incorporates the research of:

Mastropieri, M.A., & Scruggs, T.E. (2002). Effective instruction for special education. Austin, TX: ProEd.

Swanson, H.L., & Deshler, D. (2003). Instructing adolescents with learning disabilities: Converting a metaanalysis to practice. Journal of Learning, 36, 124-135.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching Struggling Readers: 8 Steps to Effective Instruction - Brookes Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In your inclusive classroom, you probably have some students who are struggling with reading skills-and having trouble generalizing the skills they learn to settings outside the classroom. Whether they're English language learners, students with identified learning disabilities, or learners who just need extra help, the students in your class will need instruction that addresses their [...]

# data[].attributes.headline
Pinch Cards (increase student engagement)

# data[].attributes.subject
Pinch Cards (increase student engagement)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teachers are always looking for new ways to engage and educate students. Pinch cards offer simple, but powerful opportunities for students to respond to teacher questions or discussion points. As discussed in a previous blog post, the traditional model of one student responding at a time is ineffective and counterproductive.

There are a number of technology-based response platforms like Kahoot or Mentimeter that are fun and engaging, but require students to have devices. Pinch card responses require nothing but an index card.

Students use the cards by pinching a portion of the card that represents their response and holding it up for the teacher to see. This can be done in face-to-face classrooms or virtually, provided cameras are turned on. The most important component of this response type is ensuring that all students have identical cards. For example, if you are using a multiple choice pinch card, all of the A's must be in the same corner, all of the B's must be in the same corner, etc. As the teacher, you will quickly scan the audience and looking for finger placement.

Multiple Choice

Give each student an index card and ask them to label it with A, B, C, D as in the image. It is VERY IMPORTANT that everybody's card has each letter in the exact same location on the card. Students answer a multiple choice item by pinching the corresponding letter on their card and holding them up for you to see. Simply ask a question, allow thinking/processing time, and prompt the class to all respond together. As the teacher, you know which corner is the correct answer, so you will be able to quickly scan the room and get a feel for how many students are correct.

Agree/Disagree

This is done the same way as the Multiple Choice Response Cards, so I won't beat a dead horse here. I will point out that I prefer Agree/Disagree to True/False. True/False insinuates that there is one correct answer to a closed-ended question. Agree/Disagree allows students to give educated opinions to open-ended questions and offers great opportunities for follow-up discussions. Consider how each option might engage your students.

Emojis

This is my favorite of the response cards and based on years of using them in live presentations, they tend to be favored by a lot of teachers. Students respond to an open-ended question by pinching the corresponding Emoji. You can select the specific Emojis that you want to use. Here are some great questions/prompts to use:

How much do you already know about (today's topic)?

How do you feel about what you have learned so far?

Summarize your opinion of ___________.

Make sure to follow-up with students. You might quickly call on a few students and ask them to explain why they chose the Emoji that they pinched. Better yet, you can ask students to get in groups with others who selected the same Emoji and have robust discussions.

Using Pinch Cards

If you regularly use one or more of the pinch cards during lessons, you will be able to engage students for longer periods of time. You will also find that they benefit from maximum opportunities to interact with the content and with each other.

A word about processing time...

Please remember that these responses are not intended to be a race. You will always have a couple of students who can respond more quickly than others. We are not assessing processing time here. As such, it is a good idea to teach your students that the entire class will pinch their cards and reveal their responses in unison. Providing adequate processing time has been linked to deeper levels of learning.

After giving adequate time for all students to consider how they respond, I like to do countdown. I might say, "Alight everyone, we are all going to reveal our responses by pinching our cards and holding them up in 3, 2, 1....reveal!"
Here is a video recap of this post that is housed on the Visionary Teaching YouTube channel. Happy Teaching!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Engage All of Your Students with Pinch Cards - Visionary Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers are always looking for new ways to engage and educate students. Pinch cards offer simple, but powerful opportunities for students to respond to teacher questions or discussion points. As discussed in a previous blog post, the traditional model of one student responding at a time is ineffective and counterproductive.

# data[].attributes.body
ADE's Science of Reading webpage.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Infographics

ADE The Science of Reading Infoguide (Dr. Amy Boza, 2021) [ PDF]

Breaking the Code - Typical Literacy vs. Structured Literacy Infoguide [ PDF]

Please email [email protected] for accessible versions of any infographic.

**The views and opinions expressed in any third-party resource do not necessarily reflect those of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and do not imply an endorsement by ADE.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How we teach in all grades:What we teach in all grades:Explicit instruction with modelingSystematic, simple to complex (scope and sequence)Cumulative (new concepts linked to previously learned, review)Diagnostic (differentiate based on student need)MultisensoryPhonologySound-symbolSyllablesMorphologySyntaxSemanticsInfographicsADE The Science of Reading Infoguide (Dr. Amy Boza, 2021) [PDF]Breaking the Code - Typical Literacy vs.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 7 Part 1 (pg. 55-86) Highlights:

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 7 Part 1 (pg. 55-86) Highlights:

# data[].attributes.body
Comprehension - the ability to gain meaning from text, the ultimate goal of reading

Comprehension strategies are employed before, during, and after reading

Struggling readers need explicit instruction on how to use strategies to assist them in understanding as well as ample practice with a variety of texts (pg. 59) - helpful chart for struggling vs. effective readers

2/8 session - we will dig into the 4 lessons that fall under "Before, During, and After Reading"

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 7 Part 1 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 7 Part 1 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.headline
Jamboard: Reading Comprehension Lessons (1st four - pg. 61-85)

# data[].attributes.subject
Jamboard: Reading Comprehension Lessons (1st four - pg. 61-85)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ch 7 Reading Comprehension Lessons - Part 1 - Google Jamboard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

# data[].attributes.body
PDF copy of the cards described on pages 71 to 73. Can also be found in the appendix in the back of the book. Credit to The Meadows Center (https://www.meadowscenter.org/).

# data[].attributes.headline
Scarborough's Reading Rope and Adolescent Reading Models

# data[].attributes.subject
Scarborough's Reading Rope and Adolescent Reading Models

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.body
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 7 Part 2 (pg. 86-121) Highlights:

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 7 Part 2 (pg. 86-121) Highlights:

# data[].attributes.body
Comprehension - the ability to gain meaning from text, the ultimate goal of reading

Comprehension strategies are employed before, during, and after reading

Struggling readers need explicit instruction on how to use strategies to assist them in understanding as well as ample practice with a variety of texts (pg. 59) - helpful chart for struggling vs. effective readers

2/16 session - we will dig into the 5 lessons that fall under "During Reading" and "After Reading"

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 7 Part 2 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 7 Part 2 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.headline
Jamboard: Reading Comprehension Lessons (2nd four - pg. 86-121)

# data[].attributes.subject
Jamboard: Reading Comprehension Lessons (2nd four - pg. 86-121)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ch 7 Reading Comprehension Lessons - Part 2 - Google Jamboard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

# data[].attributes.body
All of the resources from this chapter are available in the back of the book. Graphic organizers are very helpful to all our readers, but especially struggling readers. (pgs. 257-278)

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.body
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 8 Part 1 (pg. 123-157) Highlights:

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 8 Part 1 (pg. 123-157) Highlights:

# data[].attributes.body
Vocabulary – the goal of vocabulary instruction is to improve reading comprehension

Reading vocabulary is words in print that a student recognizes and understands

In order to design effective vocabulary instruction for all students, it is important to know the following: how to identify word types/tiers, how to choose words to teach, and how to plan for instruction

2/23 session - we will dig into the first 4 lessons that fall under “Word Knowledge” and “Word Consciousness”

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 8 Part 1 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 8 Part 1 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.headline
Jamboard: Vocabulary Lessons - 1st half (pg. 130-157)

# data[].attributes.subject
Jamboard: Vocabulary Lessons - 1st half (pg. 130-157)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ch 8 Vocabulary Lessons - Part 1 - Google Jamboard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This was taken from Dr. Averil Coxhead's work on Vocabulary at the following link: Vocabulary Tiers and Samples Common Core Vocabul...

# data[].attributes.body
A fun way to review vocabulary tiers with your students or even with your school teams! To ensure understanding, facilitate a discussion of why it falls under that tier, after each word.

# data[].attributes.headline
Resources: Semantic Feature and Frayer Model

# data[].attributes.subject
Resources: Semantic Feature and Frayer Model

# data[].attributes.body
All of the resources from this chapter are available in the back of the book. Semantic Feature Analysis Grid on pg. 279 and Frayer Model on pg. 280.

# data[].attributes.body
This chapter mentioned some helpful texts on vocabulary instruction:

Bringing Words to Life: Second Edition by Beck, McKeown, and Kucan - https://www.guilford.com/books/Bringing-Words-to-Life/Beck-McKeown-Kucan/9781462508167/audience (this website includes a study guide!)

Narrowing the Language Gap: The Case for Explicit Vocabulary Instruction - http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/authors/pdfs/Narrowing_the_Gap.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bringing Words to Life: Second Edition: Robust Vocabulary Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hundreds of thousands of teachers have used this highly practical guide to help K–12 students enlarge their vocabulary and get involved in noticing, understanding, and using new words. Grounded in research, the book explains how to select words for instruction, introduce their meanings, and create e…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching vocabulary is complex. What words are important for a child to know and in what context? In this excerpt from Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction, the authors consider what principles might be used for selecting which words to explicitly teach.

# data[].attributes.body
Dr. Anita Archer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Grade Level: Sixth Grade - Middle School

School: Fees Middle School

Location: Tempe, Arizona

Videographer: Dima Yaremenko

Elapsed Time: 09:36

Introduction: Dr. Archer is preparing students to read a biography of Harriet Tubman including the following activities: a) teaching background knowledge, b) introducing the pronunciation of multi-syllabic words, and c) teaching critical vocabulary words. In this video segment, Dr. Archer is introducing two vocabulary terms: elude and intention.

To see the entire passage reading preparation, see the following videos:

Pronunciation of Multi-syllabic Words - Sixth Grade Language Arts

Background Knowledge Instruction - Sixth Grade Language Arts

Focus: As you watch this video, think about the following questions:

1) What steps were used in the vocabulary instructional routine to introduce each of the vocabulary terms?

2) What other procedures were used to extend vocabulary instruction?

3) What delivery skills were used?
Feedback: What steps were used in the vocabulary instructional routine to introduce each of the vocabulary terms?
The instructional routine included the following steps:

1) Introduce the pronunciation of the word.
In order to attachment meaning to the vocabulary term and to retrieve that meaning, students must pronounce the word correctly. If the word is one that students have neither heard or said OR is difficult to pronounce, have the students pronounce the word a number of times.

2) Provide a student-friendly explanation of the word's meaning. The next step is to present the meaning of the word using a definition/explanation that is easy to understand and only includes known words. In this case, the definition was presented in a written form within the power-point. Presentation of the definition within a sentence makes it easier to process the definition.

3) Illustrate with examples.
Dr. Archer presented a number of examples to illustrate the vocabulary term/concept. Some of the examples related to the students' own experiences while other examples related directly to the use of the word in the passage, thus bridging vocabulary instruction and passage comprehension.

4) Check understanding by asking questions.
Dr. Archer asked students questions to determine their understanding. In this lesson, students were asked to discern between examples and non-examples of 'elude' and later examples and non-examples of 'intention.'

Missed Opportunity: It would have been helpful to ask students how they knew that the exemplar was an example or non-example. This would have deepened students' thinking in regards to the word's meaning.
What other procedures were used to extend the vocabulary instruction?
Word Use - Students were asked to anticipate how the word 'elude' might be used in the passage. Not only did this require deeper knowledge of the word's meaning, but served to bridge vocabulary instruction and passage comprehension.
Teacher Use of Word - After 'elude' had been introduced, Dr. Archer immediately used the word within her own language ("Did he want to elude us?") Given that it takes multiple exposures to a word before a word's meaning is mastered, it is important that the teacher use the word as often as possible. This is one of the reasons for having a "Word Wall". You will have a visual reminder of the words that were recently taught.

Part of Speech - With older students, especially ELL's, it is helpful to introduce the part of speech. Of course, it would first be necessary that students understand the terms noun, verb, adjective, and adverb.
Logs - Students in every class should maintain a vocabulary log that includes at a minimum the vocabulary term and a definition. Students could also add an original sentence, an illustration, synonyms, etc. Vocabulary logs can be used for self-study, class review, and partner-study.

Word Relatives - The most expedient procedure for expanding students vocabulary is to introduce students to "word relatives" (intend, intention, intentional, intentional). The word relatives for intention were listed on the screen and a connected story was used to introduce the words. This practice illustrates the transparent morphemic nature of English and is especially important if the pronunciation of the relatives is altered (e.g., reform and reformation; wild and wilderness; protest and protestant) so that students can transfer the meaning from one word to the relatives.

Embedded Study Skills: One of the goals of Middle School is to teach the study skills that will support students academically in secondary schools and in higher education. Note-taking skills were reinforced as students wrote in their logs.
What delivery skills were used?
Active Participation: Dr. Archer requested continuous responses from the students to ascertain their learning and to increase on-task behavior. Those responses included:

a) Choral Responses. When the answers were short and the same, choral responses were requested.

b) Partner Responses. When the answers were long and different, Dr. Archer had students share their answers with their partners.

c) Written Responses. Students recorded entries in their logs.

Monitoring: When the students were sharing answers with their partners or writing in their logs, Dr. Archer circulated in the room and gave feedback including praise, encouragement, and corrections.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Explicit Instructions | Effective and Efficient Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Grade Level: Sixth Grade - Middle School School: Fees Middle School Location: Tempe, Arizona Videographer: Dima Yaremenko Elapsed Time: 09:36 Introduction: Dr. Archer is preparing students to read a biography of Harriet Tubman including the following activities: a) teaching background knowledge, b) introducing the pronunciation of multi-syllabic words, and c) teaching critical vocabulary words.

# data[].attributes.body
This activity is called a Dale Scale.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.body
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 8 Part 2 (pg. 158-189) Highlights:

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 8 Part 2 (pg. 158-189) Highlights:

# data[].attributes.body
Vocabulary – the goal of vocabulary instruction is to improve reading comprehension

Reading vocabulary is words in print that a student recognizes and understands

In order to design effective vocabulary instruction for all students, it is important to know the following: how to identify word types, how to choose words to teach, and how to plan for instruction

3/2 session - we will dig into the second 4 lessons that fall under “Word Consciousness” and “Word Learning”

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 8 Part 2 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 8 Part 2 Virtual Book Chat Slide Deck

# data[].attributes.headline
Jamboard: Vocabulary Lessons - 2nd half (pg.158-189)

# data[].attributes.subject
Jamboard: Vocabulary Lessons - 2nd half (pg.158-189)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ch 8 Vocabulary Lessons - Part 2 - Google Jamboard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

# data[].attributes.body
All of the resources from this chapter are available in the back of the book, pg. 281-291

Common Prefixes/Suffixes

Common Latin and Greek Roots

Origins of English

Word-Part Clue Evaluation Chart

Context Clue Strategy

Types of Context Clues

Guide for Context Clues Practice

The Outside-In Strategy and worksheet

# data[].attributes.body
When you are teaching word parts, it can be valuable to build some background for your students on the origins of the English language. The book has a great article to share on pg. 282. I also have done some fun mini-lessons on this topic using TED Ed videos (great videos to use in the classroom!).

TED Ed Videos:

Where Did English Come From?https://ed.ted.com/lessons/where-did-english-come-from-claire-bowern

How Did English Evolve?https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-did-english-evolve-kate-gardoqui

All TED Ed videos: https://ed.ted.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.body
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.body
Fluency – the ability to read text quickly, accurately, and with expression; The bridge between word recognition and comprehension

The goal of fluency instruction is to facilitate the ability to read words with little conscious effort – leaves students free to focus on comprehending text

Instruction to support reading fluency: Select appropriate text, Model fluent reading, Repeated reading with corrective feedback

3/9 session - we will dig into the 3 Fluency lessons

# data[].attributes.headline
Resource from this chapter - Fluency Chart

# data[].attributes.subject
Resource from this chapter - Fluency Chart

# data[].attributes.body
The Fluency Chart can be found in the back of the book on pg. 292.

# data[].attributes.body
Helpful info and infographic from National Center on Improving Literacy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is fluency?

Fluency is the ability to read words, phrases, sentences, and stories accurately, with enough speed, and expression.

Fluency with text is reading words with no noticeable cognitive effort. It is having mastered word recognition skills to the point of becoming so "automatic" that they do not require conscious attention.

Why is fluency important?

It is important to remember that fluency is not an end in itself but a critical gateway to comprehension. Fluent reading frees cognitive resources to process meaning.

Fluency in oral reading includes:

1. Accuracy, which is reading with few errors.

2. Reading speed is the rate at which a student reads.

3. Prosody is the skill of reading aloud with proper intonation, phrasing, and expression (Harn & Chard, 2008).

To be a fluent reader, all three of these components must be in place.

Fluency research says that successful readers ...

rely primarily on the letters in the word rather than context or pictures to identify familiar and unfamiliar words.

process every letter.

use letter-sound correspondences to identify words.

have a reliable strategy for decoding words.

read words a sufficient number of times for them to become automatic. (Hasbrouck, 1998)

When should teachers focus on fluency with connected text?

Fluency develops through plentiful opportunities for practice in which the task can be performed with a high rate of success.

For students to develop fluency with connected text, they must first be able to decode words accurately. They must also be able to decode words quickly and effortlessly.

Why focus on fluency?

To gain meaning from text, students must read fluently. Proficient readers are so automatic with each component reading skill ( phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary) that they focus their attention on constructing meaning from the print (Kuhn & Stahl, 2000). These component reading skills need to be well developed to support understanding. It is not enough to be simply accurate; the skills must be automatic.

Infographic

Enlarge Infographic

Suggested Citation

National Center on Improving Literacy (2020). Fluency with text. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Center on Improving Literacy. Retrieved from http://improvingliteracy.org.

References

Harn, B., & Chard, D. (2008). Teaching tutorial 6: Repeated readings to promote fluency. Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD).

Hasbrouck (1998). Reading fluency: Principles for instruction and progress monitoring. Professional Development Guide. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, University of Texas at Austin.

Kuhn, M.R. & Stahl, S.A. (2000). CIERA Report #2-008. Fluency: A review of developmental and remedial practices. Washington, DC: US Department of Education.

University of Oregon, Center on Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Big Ideas in Beginning Reading. Retrieved April 15, 2020, from http://reading.uoregon.edu/.

Abstract

Fluency is the ability to read words, phrases, sentences, and stories accurately, with enough speed, and expression. It is important to remember that fluency is not an end in itself but a critical gateway to comprehension.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fluency is the ability to read words, phrases, sentences, and stories accurately, with enough speed, and expression. Fluency with text is reading words with no noticeable cognitive effort. It is having mastered word recognition skills to the point of becoming so "automatic" that they do not require conscious attention.

# data[].attributes.body
These are the Arizona Approved Universal Literacy and Dyslexia Screeners, which include CBM/ORF measures. If you are at a campus or in a district that has K-3 students, these screeners would most likely be available to you. Check with administration to find out. Don't forget that Chapter 3 has more information on administering these types of assessments.

# data[].attributes.body
This article has great resources. The great thing about secondary ELA is that there is a wealth of drama and plays that you may already be using in your classroom (for example, the adapted play version of The Diary of Anne Frank, Shakespeare plays, The Crucible, etc). You can also let your students' take ownership and write their own plays to use for Readers' Theater, based on topics or texts you are studying.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Language Arts

Reader's theater lesson plans (with scripts):

Reader's theater scripts:

Math

Teachers can use reader's theater as an instructional technique for mathematical word problems. This example could be used for a reader's theater about 100's day and the concept of 100 .

Social Studies

Here are reader's theater scripts about America in varying reading levels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reader's theater is a strategy for developing reading fluency. It involves children in oral reading through reading parts in scripts. In using this strategy, students do not need to memorize their part; they need only to reread it several times, thus developing their fluency skills. The best reader's theater scripts include lots of dialogue.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.body
Try out one of the lesson plans in your classroom and share out at our next meeting!

# data[].attributes.body
Decoding - Using sound-symbol relationships to read words

Some students have difficulty with quickly and accurately recognizing the words on the page; other students recognize short words easily but are inaccurate when they try to decode words with more than one or two syllables

Designing effective word-recognition instruction:

how to teach students to recognize different syllable patterns

a strategy for reading multisyllable words

how to plan and implement

how to select a scientific research-based word recognition program

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ch 10 Word Recognition Lessons - Google Jamboard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

# data[].attributes.body
All of the resources from this chapter are available in the back of the book, pg. 293-302

Vowel Sounds in Syllable Patterns

Syllable Types Chart

Guidelines for Reviewing a Reading Program

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Moats, L, & Tolman, C (2009). Excerpted from Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS): Spellography for Teachers: How English Spelling Works (Module 3). Boston: Sopris West.

For more information on Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) visit Voyager Sopris .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn the six types of syllables found in English orthography, why it's important to teach syllables, and the sequence in which students learn about both spoken and written syllables.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Replace ineffective drills with easy-to-do games and activities that fit into any teacher's busy day and help striving adolescent readers achieve automaticity in decoding the six basic English syllable patterns. Carver and Pantoja's flexible approach can be used with intensive and regular reading classes, as well as language arts classes at intermediate, middle-school, or high-school levels. Teaching Syllable Patterns meets your Response-to-Intervention goals while engaging learners: Use brief, skill-targeted lesson openers to get an initial Tier 1 assessment of students' needs; Continue with mini-lessons, games, and activities for individual student support at Tier 2 and 3 interventional levels; and Monitor progress with end-of-chapter tests, and determine success after individualized instruction with the final assessment. Easily differentiate instruction in any classroom where literacy is the goal and time is short. The included CD saves on prep time by providing all of the reproduci

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching Syllable Patterns: Shortcut to Fluency and Comprehension for Striving Adolescent Readers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Replace ineffective drills with easy-to-do games and activities that fit into any teacher's busy day and help striving adolescent readers achieve automaticity in decoding the six basic English syllable patterns. Carver and Pantoja's flexible approach can be used with intensive and regular reading classes, as well as language arts classes at intermediate, middle-school, or high-school levels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Description

Many words that students read in middle school have two or more syllables. These are called multisyllabic words. As children progress through school, the number of multisyllabic words they encounter in texts increases. When struggling readers are confronted with long words in their school texts, they often give up or read the words incorrectly, not understanding that some simple steps and strategies make reading long words easier.

How will you know whether your child struggles with multisyllabic words? When helping your child with an assignment, have your child read aloud. Only by listening to your child read aloud can you determine which words are difficult to decode. By recognizing that long words are made up of familiar units (syllables, root words, prefixes, and suffixes), students can gain confidence in multisyllabic word reading.

This resource describes a simple strategy you and your child can use to help decode long words.

Citation

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. (2020). How can I help my middle schooler read multisyllabic words? Five helpful steps. Austin, TX: Author.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Can I Help My Middle Schooler Read Multisyllabic Words? Five Helpful Steps - The Meadows Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Description Many words that students read in middle school have two or more syllables. These are called multisyllabic words. As children progress through school, the number of multisyllabic words they encounter in texts increases. When struggling readers are confronted with long words in their school texts, they often give up or read the words incorrectly, [...]

# data[].attributes.body
Starts March 30th!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Teacher Professional Learning | Literacy, Math | MTSS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Curriculum Implementation

Literacy Coaching & Site Implementation Support

Early Literacy Planning & Implementation Collaboration

Publisher Approved Professional Learning

Online Elementary Reading Academy

Adolescent Literacy Solutions

Curriculum Implementation

Rise in Math

Math Coaching

Online Math Academy

Onsite Math Academy

Teaching Reading Sourcebook 3rd Edition

Curriculum Implementation

Literacy Coaching & Site Implementation Support

Early Literacy Planning & Implementation Collaboration

Publisher Approved Professional Learning

Online Elementary Reading Academy

Adolescent Literacy Solutions

Curriculum Implementation

Rise in Math

Math Coaching

Online Math Academy

Onsite Math Academy

Teaching Reading Sourcebook 3rd Edition

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Aligning and Embedding: Critical Factors for Improving Outcomes for Older Students with Reading Difficulties - Teacher Professional Learning | Literacy, Math | MTSS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Curriculum Implementation Literacy Coaching & Site Implementation Support Early Literacy Planning & Implementation Collaboration Publisher Approved Professional Learning Online Elementary Reading Academy Adolescent Literacy Solutions Curriculum Implementation Rise in Math Math Coaching Online Math Academy Onsite Math Academy Teaching Reading Sourcebook 3rd Edition Curriculum Implementation Literacy Coaching & Site Implementation Support Early Literacy Planning & Implementation Collaboration Publisher Approved Professional Learning Online Elementary Reading Academy Adolescent Literacy Solutions Curriculum Implementation Rise in Math Math Coaching Online Math Academy Onsite Math Academy Teaching Reading Sourcebook 3rd Edition

# data[].attributes.headline
IES Practice Guide - "Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9"

# data[].attributes.subject
IES Practice Guide - "Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Routinely use a set of comprehension-building practices to help students make sense of the text

Part 3A. Build students' world and word knowledge so they can make sense of the text

Part 3B. Consistently provide students with opportunities to ask and answer questions to better understand the text they read

Part 3C. Teach students a routine for determining the gist of a short section of text

Part 3D. Teach students to monitor their comprehension as they read

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
reading intervention; reading instruction; literacy; reading difficulties; reading disabilities; comprehension; fluency; decoding; comprehension monitoring; world knowledge; word knowledge; vocabulary; stretch text; grade 4; grade 5; grade 6; grade 7; grade 8; grade 9

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WWC | Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Routinely use a set of comprehension-building practices to help students make sense of the text Part 3A. Build students' world and word knowledge so they can make sense of the text Part 3B. Consistently provide students with opportunities to ask and answer questions to better understand the text they read Part 3C.

# data[].attributes.body
Please bookmark this page for upcoming professional learning opportunities and guidance for all secondary ELA educators!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Arizona Department of Education is focused on the importance of teaching children to read. It is important to continue this focus into the secondary classroom, including middle school and high school. In short, literacy instruction remains every bit as important in the older grades, as it is in grades K-3. The resources provided here are meant to assist secondary (6th-12th) ELA educators and parents in providing the best instruction for all Arizona students.

ELA Standards Grades 6-12

The Arizona English Language Arts Standards define the knowledge, understanding, and skills that need to be effectively taught and learned for all students to be ready to succeed in credit-bearing, college-entry courses, in the workplace, and/or in military service. The standards present a vision of what it means to be a literate person in the twenty-first century.

Grade-specific K-12 standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language translate the broad aims of The Arizona English Language Arts Anchor Standards into age- and attainment-appropriate terms. These standards allow for an integrated approach to literacy to help guide instruction.
You can access the Grade 6-12 ELA Standards, as well as the Vertical Articulation of Standards, Glossary, and other guidance materials on the Standards: English Language Arts webpage.
Interventions for Secondary/Adolescent Readers

This resource section is under construction, but a great place to start is:

IES Practice Guides - Institute of Education Sciences has provided a set of recommendations for evidence-based best practices to address challenges in classrooms and schools that serve the secondary grades.

Reading | Literature Resources

Achieve the Core - Text Complexity Toolkit

All About Adolescent Literacy - AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers.

AdLit Classroom Strategies - Before, During, and After Reading

CEEDAR - Disciplinary Literacy Course Enhancement Module

EdWeek - Spotlight on Adolescent Reading

GELN - Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom

IES Practice Guides - Institute of Education Sciences has provided a set of recommendations for evidence-based best practices to address challenges in classrooms and schools that serve the secondary grades.

Keys to Literacy Adolescent Literacy Resources - Joan Sedita of Keys to Literacy provides resources focused on adolescent literacy. Adolescent literacy encompasses the skills that must be taught to all students so they can meet increasingly challenging reading and writing demands as they move through the upper grades, as well as what needs to be done for those students who fall behind who may need intervention instruction in foundational literacy skills.

Meadows Center, Partner Reading Teachers' Guide - The purpose of this guide is to provide teachers a feasible partner reading procedure that can be used in middle school classrooms.

NCTE Bookstore, Adventurous Thinking: Fostering Students' Rights to Read and Write in Secondary ELA

NCTE Students' Right to Read - Plethora of resources for engaging students in literature.

ReadWriteThink - Powered by NCTE. ReadWriteThink is a teaching and learning community for English Language Arts teachers from K-12th grade with resources providing free access to the highest quality standards-based practices, lesson plans, videos, activities, and apps.

WestEd Publications, Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms

WestEd Reading Apprenticeship - What if instead of teaching around the text, lecturing, or summarizing for students, teachers engaged students in actually grappling with text - reading and talking about what it means and how they figured it out? WestEd has provided resources and materials to teach reading in a metacognitive way.

Writing | Grammar Resources
Writing Contests
JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest - The Profile in Courage Essay Contest opens for submissions in the Fall of each year.

National Novel Writing Month Young Writers' Program - National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) takes place in November. The Young Writers' Program supports under-18 writers and K-12 educators as they participate in the November event, and take part in smaller writing challenges year-round.

Pulitzer Center - Local Letters for Global Change: A Pulitzer Center Writing Contest, deadline is November 13, 2021
Grammar Resources
Heinemann Publishing, The Grammar Planbook

NCTE Bookstore, Grammar to Get Things Done: A Practical Guide for Teachers Anchored in Real-World Usage

Stenhouse Publishers, Revision Decisions: Talking Through Sentences and Beyond

Stenhouse Publishers, Everyday Editing: Inviting Students to Develop Skill and Craft in Writer's Workshop
Writing
Keys to Literacy, Keys to Content Writing Resources

IES Guide, Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively

Parent Resources

AdLit.org, "Organizations that Promote Adolescent Literacy" - From lesson plans and classroom tools to free books and opportunities to publish students' work, nonprofit organizations have a lot to offer parents, teachers, and struggling readers themselves. Learn about some nonprofits with a commitment to helping young people become better readers and writers.

AdLit.org, "Parent Engagement in Transitions to Middle and High School" - Using the 3A framework (Attendance, Achievement, and Attainment) for dropout prevention developed by the America's Promise Alliance and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this article highlights specific knowledge that parents need to support students' success, as well as ways that schools can engage parents as partners.

AdLit.org, "Engaging Parents to Support Academic Achievement" - Academic achievement is a strong predictor of high school graduation and is critical to long-term success in college, work, and life. A sixth grader who fails math or English, has unsatisfactory behavior, or poor attendance has a 75% likelihood of dropping out. Freshmen in Chicago public schools who earn a B average or better have an 80% chance of finishing high school with at least a 3.0 GPA.

IES, "Literacy Tips for Parents of Adolescents" - Based on common instructional elements , these are activities that parents can initiate at home to help ensure successful literacy outcomes for their adolescent students.

Meadows Center, "How Can I Help My Middle Schooler Read Multisyllabic Words? Five Helpful Steps" - This resource describes a simple strategy you and your child can use to help decode long words.

Scholastic, "17 Ways to Keep Your Middle Schooler Turning Pages" - As your kids get older, they may put reading on the back burner. Learn the best ways to keep them turning the pages with these helpful tips.

Assessment

ADE Assessment - Educator resources for the new Arizona state assessments. [ AASA (3rd-8th), ACT Aspire (9th), ACT (11th)]

Including:

Performance Level Descriptors and Item Specifications (AASA)

Arizona State Standards Alignment Guide (ACT and ACT Aspire)

Graduation Supports

High School Graduation - Information and Requirements

PostSecondary Resources - Resources and Events

OELAS Guidance - High School Credit for Integrated and Targeted ELD (August 2022) | Townhall Presentation 8.17.22 | OELAS Homepage

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Current Opportunities
Secondary ELA Quarterly Office Hours
Secondary ELA Quarterly Office Hours is a virtual opportunity to collaborate, share, and learn about secondary reading and literacy information from the AZ Department of Education with secondary ELA literacy educators and leaders from around the state. Register for the July 13, 2023 meeting!

Past Meetings:

Earn PD credit and collaborate with other secondary ELA teachers! A variety of topics including: reading comprehension, writing, secondary MTSS, collaboration with Social Studies, and more! - use search term "secondary ELA"

Register - use search term "secondary ela" to narrow down your search
ALL ELA Professional Learning Opportunities
Current PD from the whole ELA Team:

K-12 Literacy Office Hours once a month - come join us to hear the latest ELA news!

Arizona Reading Fundamentals OnDemand Academy - This academy offers schools a variety of free knowledge blocks on demand. Each knowledge block includes several different sessions. Each session includes three recorded presentations and pre- and post- activities. Districts and schools are encouraged to utilize these resources as a part of a comprehensive professional learning plan that is data-driven, sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded and instructionally focused.

Register - use search term "k12-AS-ELA" to narrow down your search

APLD Support:
For questions regarding registration, certificates, accessing courses, etc. please refer to our: APLD FAQs
Sign up for ELA Listserv:
To stay on top of the latest Arizona ELA news, join our listserv!

Secondary ELA Book Study

Fall 2023

Join the ADE English Language Arts Team for a FREE Secondary ELA Focused 8-week book study. Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 MST (9/7 through 10/26). Everyone is welcome!
Text: Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 3rd Edition by Cynthia Greenleaf, Ruth Schoenbach, Linda Friedrich, Lynn Murphy, and Nika Hogan
To order: Wiley Publishers

Improve student outcomes in reading and literacy with the latest edition of this bestselling text! The newly revised Third Edition of Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms is the latest iteration of the best-selling, landmark book in the field of adolescent literacy. The book contains strategies for boosting the reading independence of middle, secondary, and college students. Research conducted by NSF, IES, and OII has validated the model taught in Reading for Understanding, demonstrating its effectiveness in raising students' reading achievement levels. The authors teach a clear and concise instructional framework for students at all learning levels, from those with special learning needs to those taking honors and Advanced Placement courses. The book also includes:

A direct correlation to disciplinary literacy, making the book an even more valuable resource in a wide range of classrooms

Explanation of the social and personal dimensions for building a foundation for engaged learning

Discussions of the value of setting aside dedicated class time for independent, silent reading

With collaboration tips that go beyond the classroom and advice on building a cognitive "reading toolbox," Reading for Understanding is an indispensable resource for teachers at the Grade 6 and up, literacy coaches, reading teachers, community college instructors, and other school leaders.
Dates/Chapters:

9/7 Chapter 1 "Engaged Academic Literacy for All"

9/14 Chapter 2 "The Reading Apprenticeship Framework"

9/21 Chapter 3 "The Social and Personal Dimensions"

9/28 Chapter 4 "Metacognitive Conversation"

10/5 Chapter 5 "Extensive Academic Reading"

10/12 Chapter 6 "The Cognitive Dimension"

10/19 Chapter 7 "The Knowledge-Building Dimension"

10/26 Chapter 8 "Disciplinary Inquiry" and Epilogue

General Info for our book studies:

Virtual book chats take place via Zoom.

All participants must register in the APLD system to receive credit - each session is offered individually.

All participants who register in APLD, read their chapter(s), and attend the book study will be given 2-hours PD credit.

Please share with your colleagues!

Register - use search term "secondary ela book study" to narrow down your search

Archived Book Studies:

March-May 2023 Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading - Visit the Padlet!

January - March 2023 Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties - Visit the Padlet!

Fall 2022 Disciplinary Literacy Inquiry & Instruction - Visit the Padlet!

Summer 2022 The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades - Visit the Padlet!

April-May 2022 Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 2nd Edition - Visit the Padlet!

Early Spring 2022 Fundamentals of Literacy Instruction and Assessment, Grades 6-12 - Visit the Padlet!

Fall 2021 Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties

Spring 2021 Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 2nd Edition

Writing Professional Learning

FALL 2023

Arizona's 6-12th Grade Writing Standards: Model, Practice, Reflect, Assess - register for upcoming offerings on:

Previous Presentations - all materials archived here

11/9/22 Special Presentation - Arizona's 6-12th Grade Writing Standards: Model, Practice, Reflect, Assess - all materials archived here
Types of Writing Standards - Grades 6-12 Professional Learning Webinars
All materials from the webinars have been archived here:

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Argument Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Informative/Explanatory Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Narrative Writing | Padlet

Summer 2022
Thank you to all who joined in the Secondary ELA Summer of Writing Professional Learning Series!
All materials from the Summer Series have been archived here:

The Writing Revolution Book Study | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Argument Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Informative/Explanatory Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Narrative Writing | Padlet

Empowering Students through Grammar Instruction | Recording | Slide Deck

Writing for College, Career, and Beyond | Recording | Slide Deck

Reading Apprenticeship
Reading Apprenticeship from WestEd - ADE Cohort - SY23-24
Reading Apprenticeship is an evidence-based professional learning experience focused on disciplinary literacy in grades 6-12. Educators are engaged in a process to discover the tools and perspective to "apprentice" their students in any subject area. This assets-based approach helps teachers develop students' comprehension skills while also building subject-area knowledge, reader-identity, collaboration, and persistence. As part of a State Tutoring grant opportunity, ADE will be offering the opportunity for Arizona teachers to participate in an ADE cohort of the Reading Apprenticeship essentials course with little to no cost. Share this flyer with colleagues!

Informational Webinars: Register for an informational session to learn more about this ADE cohort opportunity!

Book Study: Access the materials from the Spring 2022 Professional Learning Book Study on the Reading Apprenticeship core text.

Updated Core Text: Third Edition - I will be offering a Professional Learning Book Study on this updated edition in Fall 2023! See book study blue bar above.

Recordings/Archived

Webinars

Special Presentation - "A Face Like Mine: Connecting Classic Literature to Modern YA Books" - On 2/11/21, a panel of high school librarians discussed ways to incorporate modern YA books in with teaching classic literature in the classroom. Click here to view the presentation

Building Background in the Virtual Secondary ELA Classroom - Building schema and background knowledge is one of the best ways to raise reading comprehension for our students. In this webinar, we explored some easy and fun ways to do this in the virtual/distance learning secondary ELA classroom. A better understanding of how building background and surfacing schema will help your students become better readers. Visit the Padlet with resources and slide deck.

Summer Series - Spotlight on Media Literacy and Sourcing - In collaboration with our ADE Social Studies team - Join trainers from ADE, and master teachers from around the state to a webinar to teach and engage with media literacy at all grade levels. Recorded presentation

"What is Media Literacy and How Do I Teach It?" - This webinar will examine what media literacy means, how do we teach students to be responsible consumers and producers of media and examine some methods and lessons you can use in your classroom. Recorded presentation

Integrating Secondary Social Studies and ELA - In collaboration with our ADE Social Studies team - How do you integrate Social Studies and English Language Arts in a secondary setting? What are the benefits of collaboration between English and Social Studies educators? This webinar demonstrated best practices to integrate Social Studies and ELA efficiently and easily. This webinar also used texts with multiple perspectives to address new ways to create cross-curricular projects and lessons. Slide Deck

Professional Organizations

Contact Information: Lauren Spenceley, Secondary ELA Specialist, 602-364-2267
Visit the English Language Arts YouTube playlist!
**The views and opinions expressed in any third-party resource do not necessarily reflect those of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and do not imply an endorsement by ADE.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Secondary Literacy (Middle and High School) Secondary Logo 2023.png The Arizona Department of Education is focused on the importance of teaching children to read. It is important to continue this focus into the secondary classroom, including middle school and high school.

# data[].attributes.headline
Arizona Reading Fundamentals OnDemand Academy

# data[].attributes.subject
Arizona Reading Fundamentals OnDemand Academy

# data[].attributes.body
The Arizona Department of Education’s English Language Art’s Team has created the Arizona Reading Fundamentals OnDemand Academy. This academy offers schools a variety of free knowledge blocks on demand. Each knowledge block includes several different sessions. Each session includes three recorded presentations and pre- and post- activities.

https://www.azed.gov/mowr/mowr-professional-development