Learning to read is a primary task of students at the beginning of their elementary years. For some students, learning to read is a struggle. Support for struggling students often comes from reading specialists who can provide further support beyond the classroom through Title I services. Support has not been consistent since March 2020, due to…

Providing appropriate reading interventions for older, adolescent students is a complex and multifaceted process. There are a multitude of factors that influence student reading outcomes and the researcher aimed to explore how awareness of morphological structures can facilitate reading growth in high school students who have reading disabilities…

Over the past 65 years, the roles of the reading specialist have continually evolved. Historically, reading specialists have been hired by schools to work predominantly with struggling readers (Bean, Cassidy, Grumet, Shelton & Wallis, 2002; Bean, Swan & Knaub, 2003). Reading specialists today serve in a variety of roles within their…

In 1 urban Tennessee school, students in Grades 3 through 5 had not met adequate yearly progress in reading for the past 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of current district-recommended teaching practice in reading. The research questions related to current instructional strategies, teaching practices,…

The Crumpton School District (CSD) is a high performing school district in suburban Philadelphia that has expended a great deal of energy and work to close gaps in the achievement of its Black students. Despite these efforts, 2016 standardized test data reflect a reading achievement gap of 28 percentage points for Black boys attending four of the…

Today's schools face complex and difficult challenges. Classrooms are diverse; they are filled with students who require differentiation, given their diverse backgrounds and needs (e.g., specific learning disabilities, autism, English learners, gifted/highly able). Further, with the challenges of the 21st century requiring students to be prepared…

The purpose of this project was to determine the relationship supplemental reading services had on first and second grade students who were identified in need of intervention services. Participants were from three elementary schools. Two of the schools received funding through Title I. The third school's supplemental reading services were funded…

Classroom teachers and reading specialists have attempted to determine the most effective ways of working with struggling readers. Early intervention and quality instruction are the keys to assisting these struggling readers; however, determining how and where intervention-based instruction should occur is still a concern. Struggling readers need…

The International Reading Association (2003) has recently established new guidelines for graduate students enrolled in reading and literacy programs. These guidelines require graduate students to maintain direct contact with students during their coursework for advanced degrees. Field experiences support best practices in bridging the gap between…

Reading skills are vital to student success, and those skills could be practiced with Shakespeare "if students are taught reading skills in the classroom." The problem is that many teachers of English do not consider themselves reading specialists and do not teach reading skills to their students. Fred L. Hamel notes that teachers in a recent…

As a foundational element of schooling, learning to read and reading to learn is every bit as important in the 21st century as it has ever been. Whether interacting online, doing assignments, taking tests, or social networking, the ability to read and read well affects every part of one's existence and often predicts success throughout life. In…

Early identification and intervention for students at risk for reading failure is essential to establish the foundational skills necessary for students to become skilled readers. The focus on evidence-based practices and data-driven decision making leads educators to consider additional instructional approaches, such as formative assessment (FA)…

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assesses the reading achievement of fourth-graders and collects data on their teachers' reading instruction practices and strategies. Presenting data from the United States and the 44 other jurisdictions that participated in PIRLS 2006, this Statistics in Brief describes international…

Bringing together leading experts, this book presents the principles of effective literacy leadership and describes proven methods for improving instruction, assessment, and schoolwide professional development. The book shows how all school staff--including reading specialists and coaches, administrators, teachers, and special educators--can play…

Professional development should be a career-long process in which teachers tweak their teaching methodology, practices, and style to meet student needs. Is there a better place to offer professional development opportunities than at "ground zero"? This paper outlines one school's attempt to bring quality professional development to the…