Re-Conceptualizing Literacy Instruction to Accelerate

Abstract

Purpose: To describe how an approach to instruction that intentionally considers elements of motivation and engagement, intensity of instruction, and cognitive challenge can accelerate the reading achievement of lower-performing readers by giving them access to and support to meet reading and knowledge building with success.

Design: The authors discuss a set of high-leverage practices squarely under the teacher’s control. Grounded in longstanding and rigorous research, the integrated set of practices have been shown time and time again to accelerate achievement beyond typical growth while also intentionally considering the experiences, cultures, and linguistic knowledge students bring to the classroom. The re-conceptualized approach forefronts student agency and engages students in meaningful interactions with text to build knowledge of the world they live in.

Findings: The authors illustrate the comprehensive approach through a composite vignette drawn from work with teachers and students in school and clinical contexts. The focus of the vignette is on the actions of the classroom teacher who is working to meet the needs of three struggling readers within the broader context of her 5th-grade classroom, while also establishing a coherent instructional approach with fellow teachers.

Practical Implications: By re-conceptualizing their approaches to working with struggling readers, teachers increase the likelihood that students will not only develop component skills related to reading but also integrate these components and develop the conceptual expertise that anchors future reading and learning.

Citation

Robertson, D.A., Ford-Connors, E., Dougherty, S. and Paratore, J.R. (2020), "Re-Conceptualizing Literacy Instruction to Accelerate", Ortlieb, E., Grote-Garcia, S., Cassidy, J. and Cheek, E.H. (Ed.) What’s Hot in Literacy: Exemplar Models of Effective Practice (Literacy Research, Practice and Evaluation, Vol. 11), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 141-157. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2048-045820200000011012