Climbing the Literacy Ladder

Small-Group Instruction to Support All Readers and Writers, PreK-5

Beverly Tyner

• Publisher: ASCD
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781416628439
• Topic: Pedagogía
• Subtopic: Enseñanza de idiomas

Literacy skills are the cornerstone upon which students' knowledge, self-esteem, and future educational opportunities are built. But far too many teachers lack the time, materials, and specialized knowledge required to address these skills adequately. To that end, Climbing the Literacy Ladder is a one-stop shop to help teachers plan and differentiate literacy instruction for all students from prekindergarten through 5th grade.

Literacy educator Beverly Tyner presents plans for small-group instruction that addresses elementary students' six developmental stages of reading and writing: emergent, beginning, fledgling, transitional, fluent, and independent. To help teachers support students' literacy development, this book also provides - Characteristics of readers and writers at each stage.
- Lesson plans that target each of the research-based instructional components (fluency, word study, vocabulary, and comprehension).
- Authentic classroom scenarios and conversations.
- Practical classroom strategies and activities.
- Advice for when to move students to the next stage.

If students cannot read with comprehension by 3rd grade, then their educational future is cast in doubt. Climbing the Literacy Ladder will not only help you grow as a competent and empowered literacy teacher but also ensure that your students continue to travel a clear and unobstructed educational road.

This book is a co-publication of ASCD and ILA.

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Chapter 1

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Small-Group Differentiated Reading and Writing

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Introduction

After I finished writing this book, I asked myself, "How much of this information is truly necessary to give teachers the tools they need to be effective literacy teachers for all students?" With that guideline in mind, I proceeded to reexamine each chapter and take out all of the "fluff"—the material that's nice to know but not necessary for busy teachers to wade through. And here we are.

But more important, here you are, starting another book about literacy instruction. What knowledge do you hope to gain from this book? What are you looking to learn? Let me be frank. If you're looking for a book that reviews research in painstaking detail, this may not be the book for you. Research is important, but there are many high-quality resources already available that support the strategies presented in this book. If you're looking for theory or pedagogy that you must translate into practical classroom practice, then I suggest you choose a book written by "experts" who have never darkened the door of the classroom (or haven't in a very long time).

This book is intended to be a "one-stop shop" for teachers in need of a plan, rationale, and materials to differentiate literacy instruction for all students in prekindergarten through 5th grade. You will gain knowledge of the six stages of reading and writing development along with the research that supports the models. You will also find lesson plans, strategies, and activities that support each stage of development, and you will be given access to all of the materials through my website so you can save time and energy. First and foremost, though, my hope is that this book will continue to grow you as a competent and empowered literacy teacher.

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing emphasis on elementary literacy instruction focused on struggling readers and writers. I think it's safe to say that educators have made some accomplishments with our ability to target and teach to our most struggling readers and writers, and that's certainly a fantastic achievement. All too often, however, on- and above-level students have often been sidelined or neglected in the process. Unfortunately, the gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers has continued to be stubbornly wide and stagnant over the last 10 years (NAEP, 2017). It's clear there is still much to be accomplished for all of our students.

So many books have been written about struggling readers that I want to make it clear that this is a book about all students and their growth in literacy. Today's standards and assessments hold teachers accountable for growth in every student: students with special needs, English language learners, "gifted" students who are above grade level, and every child in between. Most teachers work hard because they are passionate and want to focus intentionally on instructional practices that support below-, on-, and above-level readers and writers. In my many years of experience in schools across the country, I have found that there is generally a four- to six-year range in proficiency levels among readers and writers in any given elementary classroom. So many teachers walk into their classrooms every day faced with the daunting task of meeting the needs of this incredibly diverse range of students—while also teaching grade-level standards. No wonder teachers are burning out!

Literacy skills are the cornerstone upon which knowledge, self-esteem, and future educational opportunities are built. In my opinion, the biggest obstacle teachers face in advancing literacy skills is addressing this range of readers and writers without the time, materials, or specialized knowledge required to address all students' needs. Research tells us that if students cannot read with comprehension by 3rd grade, then the instructional road in front of them is cast in doubt (Hernandez, 2011). Beginning in 3rd grade, the content standards become so dense that teachers have little time to address literacy deficits or challenge students who already meet the standards. Literacy skills are truly an "open sesame" for acquiring knowledge to read and write about almost anything!

If you've ever been an intermediate grade teacher, you know exactly what I'm talking about. No matter what content is covered on high-stakes assessments, students who can read and comprehend will score higher than struggling readers. As teachers, we often spend countless hours on test prep in hopes that it will benefit our students. I am often asked, "What is the best way to prepare my students for the state assessments?" Although I do believe that some moderate test prep is appropriate, especially as it relates to test formats, a majority of classroom time must be spent advancing reading and writing skills in a variety of subject areas that support grade-level standards. In other words, differentiating reading and writing instruction while still addressing grade-level standards is essential.

Many grade-level skills can be easily taught at a variety of text levels. Teachers can be confident that while their students are expanding their reading and writing abilities, they're also addressing grade-level standards. With this in mind, teachers need a strong voice in making recommendations concerning school purchases, including leveled texts that address those standards. In short, students won't get better at reading unless they read a lot! Our students' futures are all but determined by how well they learn to read and write.

Although teachers know a great deal about reading and writing processes, they often still have many questions about the most effective methods to use when addressing various students' needs. I have encountered far too many teachers who are frustrated and feel they have been led astray by basal textbook programs and boxed materials that claim to differentiate instruction for all students—but fail to meet those promises. Moreover, many teachers often claim they were poorly prepared to meet the needs of a wide range of readers and writers.

The truth is, if teachers have the correct training—along with a wide variety of leveled texts—they truly have all they need to be effective literacy teachers. Too often, I feel we make things too complicated. In this book, I want to strip down the process and look at the basic knowledge upon which teachers can continually build throughout their careers. A teacher who was trained in and used the models in this book once said to me, "Why didn't someone tell me how it worked before?" My goal is to share this information with you.

Let's be honest: I do not have all the answers. Instead, what I offer in this book are two things. First, I want to show you how a reader and writer develops from a nonreader to a late 5th grade level so you understand the "why" behind the lesson plan models I present. Second, I want to provide you with all the strategies and materials you will need to implement the models effectively. As busy teachers, we want to be confident about the instructional models we are using and have the required materials at our fingertips.

My interest in developing these models was a result of my work with Dr. Darrell Morris, professor of reading at Appalachian State University. Using a one-on-one intervention model with 1st graders (known as Early Steps: Learning from a Reader), research in both rural and urban settings showed great success (Morris, Tyner, & Perney, 2000; Santa & Hoien, 1999). My thought was that if this model showed success in intervention, then why wouldn't it also work for small groups in the classroom? I have since published five books centered on small-group differentiated reading for students from kindergarten through middle school, but I wanted to create one book for elementary teachers that addresses not only reading but also writing as it relates to reading comprehension (see Tyner, 2004, 2009; Tyner & Green, 2009). My apologies for not including middle school teachers, but if we can meet the literacy needs of all elementary students and help them reach their highest capabilities in reading and writing, then I count that as a success for both elementary and middle school teachers.

Allow me to share how this book is different from my previous books. This book encompasses PreK through 5th grade. In retrospect, I think it was a mistake to split the prior books as K–2 and 3–8. Elementary teachers need all the materials in one book so they can accommodate all levels of literacy they will encounter with their students. You will also notice that I have created a writing component in this book as it relates to reading comprehension. Writing is a natural extension of reading because, developmentally, the two are very similar. We can't expect students to write about things they can't read. Additionally, the lesson plans are more detailed and include suggested activities for students to complete during independent practice. Finally, all the support materials discussed in this book are easily downloadable from my website for free!

Differentiating Reading and Writing Instruction

As many schools continue to adapt to an increasingly broad range of learners, it has become more important than ever to develop instruction that responds to these academically diverse students. Differentiating reading and writing instruction for elementary students is a critical step to appropriately address the academic diversity that exists in virtually every classroom. In other words, we need to modify our instruction based on our students' readiness. Whole-group instruction is not enough to meet the needs of this wide range of readers and writers; differentiated small-group instruction enables teachers to plan strategically and meet the needs of students at both ends of the spectrum (and everyone in between). Think of differentiated instruction as the individual steps necessary to reach successively higher levels of literacy development. With this in mind, differentiated reading and writing instruction in small groups gives every student the opportunity for literacy growth.

The research-based Small-Group Differentiated Reading and Writing Models presented in this book were created with students' individual developmental literacy needs in mind. Teachers are presented with easy-to-implement lesson plan models that support any student in any given elementary classroom—including special education students and English language learners (ELLs).

Differentiated instruction begins when children first enter school, whether that's in a prekindergarten or kindergarten program. Beginning this journey requires teachers to assess each student's literacy knowledge and provide instruction that will appropriately advance the child's literacy learning. Students enter a typical prekindergarten or kindergarten classroom with very different levels of printed-language knowledge, and instruction must be adapted for these differences. Some educators feel that small-group reading and writing instruction is inappropriate for young children. On the contrary, I firmly believe that young children deserve the same literacy opportunities as older children.

For example, students entering school with solid alphabet and letter-sound knowledge should progress to the next logical instructional step—which would typically target standards addressed in late kindergarten or 1st grade. On the other hand, numerous young children are often left behind when they fail to acquire foundational skills and knowledge critical to literacy development, such as alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, and the ability to track print. We need to simultaneously meet the needs of these two very different groups of students. This is the essence of differentiated instruction.

Low- and high-performing students in the upper elementary grades face an even greater gap. Many teachers are frustrated by the conflict of teaching specific skills to small groups versus grade-level standards in whole-group instruction. This is not an either-or scenario. Standards can be taught in whole groups using modeled and shared reading and writing strategies and then applied in small groups with leveled materials that students are capable of reading and understanding. Small-group differentiated literacy instruction builds foundational skills students may be lacking, or it may accelerate growth for students who already meet grade-level standards.

This book, then, provides concrete examples that address grade-level standards with materials that are appropriate for below-, on-, and above-level students, including special needs students and ELLs.

The Development of Small-Group Differentiated Reading and Writing Models

So now we come to the nuts and bolts of the models. Teachers are often told to do specific things in the classroom, but they typically aren't given the why behind those directives. I'm probably not going to buy into something unless it makes sense to me, and I'm sure many of you are the same way. So follow along while I try to show you why these models work.

At their core, the models presented in this book use research-based components and strategies embedded in developmental frameworks that recognize the stages through which readers and writers naturally progress. Reading and writing are not all-or-nothing skills; alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, phonics, print-related knowledge, word recognition, fluency, and comprehension are all integral parts. This, then, is the basis for the small-group differentiated reading and writing models presented in this book. As students are assessed to determine their literacy strengths and weaknesses, teachers will group students strategically and deliver instructional strategies to accommodate for these differences. As a result, all students will move forward in their literacy journeys.

The models include a variety of reading and writing strategies and activities that are based on the developmental needs of individual readers and writers—not on students' age or grade level. Although accommodating for differences might be difficult at times, they must be recognized and addressed. If we are sincere about having students achieve at their highest literacy potential, and if we have our students' best interests at heart, then we must differentiate literacy instruction. Students have different starting points, and we must provide the most appropriate level of challenge to increase their literacy learning.

Few educators would argue that effective reading and writing instruction includes a combination of strategies to teach all children to become proficient readers and writers. A differentiated approach that includes the best research practices will more likely meet a much wider range of learners (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000). The models in this book attempt to capture the best instructional practices for elementary readers and writers through the integration of carefully differentiated instructional strategies at each stage of development. Rather than relying on one approach or another, each strategy has been carefully weighed in relation to research and its importance to the reading and writing processes.

Most literacy researchers and practitioners acknowledge that the teaching of reading and writing is multifaceted; there are no quick or easy fixes. There is, however, a recognized set of components that is imperative to reading and writing instruction. The most current and comprehensive examination of these was completed by the National Reading Panel (NICHD, 2000). The panel reviewed the reading research for the foundational years of kindergarten through 8th grade to identify the components that consistently relate to reading and writing success. These five components were identified as (1) phonemic awareness, (2) phonics, (3) fluency, (4) vocabulary, and (5) comprehension. These components are, therefore, included in the lesson plan models.

The small-group differentiated literacy models presented in this book are differentiated in two important ways. First, through the six stages of developmental reading and writing: Emergent, Beginning, Fledgling, Transitional, Fluent, and Independent levels are clearly differentiated as students progress toward increased independence. Second, the research-based instructional components—fluency, word study (including phonemic awareness and phonics), vocabulary, and comprehension (expressed through both speaking and writing)—are differentiated according to each student's stage of development. In the following section, we look at each of these components and their place in small-group instruction.

Research-Based Lesson Plan Components

Each of the instructional components is discussed below, along with the rationale for including it in the small-group models.

Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read quickly, accurately, and with enough expression to understand the text's message. In other words, it means reading comfortably and without struggle. In my opinion, accuracy is the most critical part of reading fluency. The ultimate purpose of reading is to understand a text. If students truly understand what a text means, it must be read at a high degree of accuracy. So it makes sense that speed would follow when students can accurately recognize the words.

I have begged teachers to put the stopwatches down and stop grading the speed part of fluency! Unfortunately, the response is usually "We are required to." I have also come to believe that expression is not necessary to understand text. Think about those 4th grade students who read like robots and have the highest comprehension scores in the class. Perhaps expression belongs more in the realm of "drama"! Without question, fluency is an important gateway to reading comprehension; when students struggle to read words correctly, it is difficult for them to focus on comprehension.

The differentiated models in this book will ensure that all students practice fluency at levels that appropriately support growth in this essential process. Knowing that fluency must be supported by appropriately leveled text, it is therefore best developed during small-group time or independent practice. By design, texts read in small groups should be at an appropriate instructional level—neither too easy nor too hard. With teacher support, students can read and comprehend the text successfully. As students reread, it should be at an independent level that builds fluency. As students enter the independent stage, fluency is generally discontinued in small groups because these students are fluent readers and can maintain this skill in independent practice.

Word Study

The study of words included in this book includes phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, phonics, word features, prefixes and suffixes, syllabication, multisyllabic words, and Greek and Latin roots. Students learn that spelling patterns are recognizable and help them decode unfamiliar words and unlock meaning. Word study provides students with the opportunity to investigate and understand patterns in words and how word parts affect meaning. Traditionally thought of as spelling, word study is a different concept and does not support the type of drill and practice that leads to random memorization and a weekly spelling assessment.

Word study develops hand in hand with reading and writing, and there are opportunities in both the whole group and small groups to address these important skills. Research supports the idea that the study of words increases comprehension as it supports decoding and increased vocabulary k...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• Chapter 1. Small-Group Differentiated Reading and Writing
• Chapter 2. Research-Based Components, Strategies, and Activities
• Chapter 3. Assessments
• Chapter 4. The Emergent Reader and Writer
• Chapter 5. The Beginning Reader and Writer
• Chapter 6. The Fledgling Reader and Writer
• Chapter 7. The Transitional Reader and Writer
• Chapter 8. The Fluent Reader and Writer
• Chapter 9. The Independent Reader and Writer
• Conclusion: Building a Framework for Reading and Writing Success
• Appendixes List
• Appendix A. Emergent Reader and Writer, Stages 1A/B
• Appendix B. Beginning Reader and Writer, Stages 2A/B
• Appendix C. Fledgling Reader and Writer, Stages 3A/B
• Appendix D. Transitional Reader and Writer, Stages 4A/B
• Appendix E. Fluent Reader and Writer, Stages 5A/B
• Appendix F. Independent Reader and Writer, Stages 6A/B/C
• References
• Study Guide
• Related ASCD Resources
• About the Author
• Copyright