EDU 501: Teacher as Researcher by Sean Jacobson

Comfy Chairs for reading

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My Focus:

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I want to investigate how effective a reader’s workshop model is with 7^th and 8^th graders as far as their reading skills and interest. I plan to focus on my weekly SSR time (sustained silent reading) where students get to choose their own independent reading books (in accordance with the reader’s workshop model) and write based on their individual books.

Comfy Chairs for Partner Reading

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Awesome SSR Examples

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SSR Log (Reading Strategies)

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SSR Log (Visible Thinking Routines) FRONT

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SSR Log (Visible Thinking Routines) BACK

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SSR Log (Visible Thinking Routines) FINDING NEMO EXAMPLES

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Atwell, 1998, "In the middle: New understandings about writing, reading, and learning" p. 36

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-18 03:40:22 UTC

"If we want our students to grow to appreciate literature, we need to give them a say in

decisions about the literature they will read."

Stairs & Burgos, 2010, "The power of independent, self-selected reading in the middle grades" p. 43

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-18 03:42:06 UTC

"It is clear that independent, self-selected reading is a research-based practice beneficial for all students."

Stairs & Burgos, 2010, "The power of independent, self-selected reading in the middle grades" p. 46

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-18 03:43:31 UTC

"When students were provided time in school to choose books, read them, and reflect on them they became more interested in reading and connected characters and themes in their favorite texts to their own lives in meaningful ways."

SSR Music

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Creating a relaxed reading environment

Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) Assessment

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Pre & Post Assessment

"Level It Books" App for iPad

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App to scan book's ISBN & view the Guided Reading, Grade level, DRA, and Lexile levels for the book.

Well-Stocked Library

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A wide variety of genres, reading levels, and interests

Haling, 2013, "How effective is independent reading time as an RtI intervention tool?"

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Sanden, 2013, "How do effective teachers successfully implement independent reading practices?"

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Article #1 (Cullinan, 2006)

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Article #2 (Gewertz, 2011)

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Article #3 (Knoester, 2010)

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Article #4 (Lewis & Samuels, n.d.)

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Article #5 (Rich, 2007)

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Article #6 (Oczkus, 2010)

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Article #7 (Pennington, 2011)

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Article #8 (Samuels & Wu, n.d.)

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Article #9 (Stairs & Burgos, 2010)

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Article #10 (Tavolino, 2013)

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References

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Article #6 Literature Review

2014-01-24 17:40:22 UTC

In the article “Super Practical Ways to Build an Independent Reading Program in Your Classroom: Guidelines and TOP 5 Independent Reading Strategies,” Lori Oczkus gives tips on how to set up a daily independent reading time in the classroom. Research shows that one of the best indicators of reading achievement and writing skills is the amount of time spent independently reading. In order to set up an effective independent reading time, it is important to display books with their covers facing out as decorations around the room. These displays should also be changed up every few weeks. Also, time during reading can be used to conference with students and time after reading can be used to share with peers. The teacher should model reading strategies before students read, and teachers should also read themselves in order to model that to the students. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I am going to buy more display cases for my books and start conferencing with my students during independent reading time.

Article #5 Literature Review

2014-01-24 17:43:36 UTC

In the article “Study Links Drop in Test Scores to a Decline in Time Spent Reading,” Motoko Rich examines the results of a recent study which found a correlation between a drop in test scores to a drop in daily pleasure reading. The decrease in reading has led to decreases in test scores in not just reading comprehension, but other subjects like math and science as well. Rich points out that the media doesn’t celebrate reading and that the culture does not support daily reading habits. The study found that the number of books in a household is related to school achievement, and households with a lower income that have a higher amount of books have better students than houses with a higher income and a lower amount of books. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I need to create a culture of daily reading habits that supports reading outside of the classroom and offer extra reading to students of all economic statuses in order to lessen the achievement gap.

Article #4 Literature Review

2014-01-24 17:47:22 UTC

In the article “Read More – Read Better? A Meta-Analysis of the Literature on the Relationship Between Exposure to Reading and Reading Achievement,” Lewis and Samuels investigate the assumption that students who read more are better readers. While the evidence is not conclusive, Lewis and Samuels argue that more reading does increase reading achievement. They note that it is important to teach and practice the skills first before extended amounts of independent reading in order for it to be effective. Teachers must also monitor and adjust instruction based the strengths and weaknesses of individual readers. It was noted that having time to read independently is even more critical for lower level readers than higher level readers. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I can see how more time dedicated to reading and less time dedicated to instruction can help lessen the achievement gap between lower and higher level readers as long as skills are taught and practiced first.

Article #3 Literature Review

2014-01-24 17:48:45 UTC

In the article “Independent Reading and the ‘Social Turn’: How Adolescent Reading Habits and Motivation Relate to Cultivating Social Relationships,” Matthew Knoester notes how across research the students who read independently outside of class consistently do better on reading assessments. The problem is that the amount of recreational reading decreases significantly throughout the middle school years. Therefore, it is important to motivate students to read independently. Knoester found through his study that a big factor in motivating students to read is allowing them to choose their books. Another factor is using independent reading as a social practice in order to cultivate relationships. For example, students can share their stories with their peers and parents, discuss the themes and connections, and also make recommendations. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I should not view independent reading as just a solitary activity, but also as a social activity where students share and cultivate relationships through their books in order to motivate them.

Article #2 Literature Review

2014-01-24 17:50:17 UTC

In the article “Teachers Tackle Text Complexity,” Catherine Gewertz looks at 18 schools in NYC that are working together to align their reading instruction with the common core by increasing their text complexity and their literacy instruction. Many kids these days are graduating high school unable to keep up with the complexity levels of reading and writing required in college and good jobs. Therefore, the teachers are looking to introduce more challenging texts to their curriculum. They are also looking to put less of a focus on narrative texts and more of a focus on informational and expository texts. Reading these kinds of texts requires different kinds of strategies that will help kids effectively read in subjects like science, math, and social studies. There is also a greater focus on “close reading” of the text. This requires students to do multiple readings of a text and dig deeper into the themes. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I will need to continue to increase the complexities of my students’ texts in order to effectively align my curriculum with the common core.

Article #7 Literature Review

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-24 19:05:49 UTC

In the article “Why Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) Doesn’t Work,” Mark Pennington argues against relying on independent reading as reading instruction. Studies have not shown a clear increase in performance with SSR, while other forms of instruction have been proven to be effective. Pennington also argues that there is not enough time in the day for SSR to be effectively implemented, many students are not held accountable by it, and there is not enough opportunity for reader response. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I will make sure to give kids opportunities to respond to their text and I need to focus on teaching reading strategies so that kids aren’t just reading without a purpose.

Article #1 Literature Review

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-24 19:40:28 UTC

In the article “Independent Reading and School Achievement,” Bernice Cullinan argues for the importance of independent reading in the classroom. She takes the stance that independent reading should be given without expecting any reports or checks for comprehension. This will help kids enjoy reading more which is important for their futures in a democratic society and with jobs that require reading. It is noted that students’ desire to read decreases significantly in the middle school grades, so independent reading can help to counteract this trend. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I need to make sure that I am making independent reading time fun and something kids look forward to, not just another chore that they need to complete.

Article #8 Literature Review

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-24 19:42:47 UTC

In the article “How the Amount of Time Spent on Independent Reading Affects Reading Achievement: A Response to the National Reading Panel,” S. Jay Samuels and Yi-Chen Wu conducted a study on the correlation between time reading during school and academic achievement. This study was done in response to a lack of strong evidence supporting the notion that more time spent reading results in better academic achievement. Their data shows that more time spent reading does increase achievement regarding reading comprehension and vocabulary, but the impact is different for students reading at higher levels versus students reading at lower levels. The findings suggest that 15 minutes of independent reading is more beneficial for lower readers for improving reading skills, while up to 40 minutes of independent reading is more beneficial for higher readers for improving comprehension and acquiring new vocabulary. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I will consider giving different amounts of independent reading time for different levels of readers.

Article #9 Literature Review

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-24 19:43:01 UTC

In the article “The Power of Independent, Self-Selected Reading in the Middle School Grades,” Andrea Stairs and Sara Burgos argue for the effectiveness of independent reading where students get to choose their books on an individual basis. Implementing independent reading in the classroom will help develop “lifelong readers,” but it will also boost academic performance, despite the inclination that it takes too much time away from the curriculum. The common core standards can be covered through independent reading by teaching and modeling, then allowing practice and reflection. It is important to gather the kinds of books that students enjoy in building a literacy-rich classroom. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I will stress the value of creating “lifelong readers” in my classroom through my independent reading time.

Article #10 Literature Review

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-24 19:43:15 UTC

In the article “Cultivating Reading Motivation in a Middle School Classroom Using Independent Reading,” Nicole Tavolino stresses the importance of developing a culture where reading is desired and appreciated. Once this culture is in place, then increases in comprehension will result naturally. Tavolino conducted an action research study where she piloted an independent reading program. The main result was that her kids were more interested in reading and more motivated to read. There was no quantitative data collected, so she was not able to see if any improvement was made in reading comprehension. This article contributes to my focus on independent reading because I will focus on creating a reading culture first where students are interested and motivated to read before focusing on specific teaching practices.

BOTTOM OF PAGE

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Integrated Literature Review

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Frey & Fischer, 2013, "Rigorous Reading" p. 104

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“A large-scale study based on national testing results suggested that students who had positive attitudes toward reading (described as engaged readers) outperformed older, disengaged readers (Campbell, Voekl, & Donahue, 1997). An analysis of fourth graders’ results on the same test revealed that engaged readers from low-income backgrounds outperformed disengaged readers from higher socioeconomic backgrounds (Guthrie, Schafer, & Huang, 2001).”

Frey & Fischer, 2013, "Rigorous Reading" p. 105-6

sjacobson1 — 2014-01-28 17:33:30 UTC

Positive attitudes toward reading are developed through

-clear learning goals;

-texts that relate to a student's personal experiences;

-support from the teacher on making choices;

-texts with interesting topics;

-instruction in reading strategies;

-opportunities to collaborate with other students;

-a positive environment that is not driven by extrinsic rewards;

-evaluation that provides feedback on progress, rather than tests of knowledge;

-personal connections to the teacher; and

-cohesive instruction. (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000)