To Richard Allington, I'd add Jeff McQuistan and Steven Krashen. Also, Elaine Garan has a great book out where she clarifies what the actual NRP report was and contrasts it to what is in the summary. It's especially interesting, I think, because she goes right into their own data to get her answers. It's Smart Answers to Tough Questions: What to Say When You're Asked About Fluency, Phonics, Grammar, Vocabulary, SSR, Tests, Support for ELLS, and More published by Scholastic. You might like her answer on p. 102 where she says, "In fact, research proves that too much training in fluency can actually *interfere* with comprehension." And a little later, "The federal government's research proves that when kids in first grade are just beginning to read, fluency does help comprehension--up to a point. After that, too much speed can be counterproductive. Faster in not always better. The research shows that for older students, or for students who are beyond a beginning read level, faster pronunciation of words doesn't help them become better readers." Or on page 103, "It's possible to read with fluency, even with correct phrasing, and have virtually no idea of the text's meaning. Often the disconnect between reading speed and the ability to comprehend is the result of too much focus on reading fast." Page 104: "When I first started teaching, I used to rush my students through reading, ;Faster, faster, faster." Then I studied the reserarch and discovered the harm that I was doing. My own experience confirms what the research shows. I have found that giving students more time for sustained silent reading--just the practice of "eyes on text" --actually helps them become more fluent than forcing them to read quickly. I also do lots of reading aloud and shared reading so that my students, especially the English language learners, become totally surrounded--*marinated*--in the sounds of language. Immersion in literacy is a brilliant way to help my class become better, more expressive readers at the same time they develop a love of literature. I believe--and research confirms--that speed-reading is a hindrance instead of a help to your child. It keeps him from reaching the goal we all share for his future as an intelligent, thoughtful, lifelong reader."
I'd also like to recommend Steven L. Layne's* Igniting a Passion for Reading *. I heard Timothy Ransinski speak a couple of years ago and he says he's absolutely mortified what some folk (especially in commercial publishing enterprises and tutoring systems) have done to distort his input on the NRP. He spoke again about the things we can do to increase fluency that have nothing to do with inauthentic actifvities. I hope anyone who is a reading specialist who gets lots of questions about how to help with fluency reads one of the practical books I cited in an earlier post. There are things we can do if we educate ourselves. And none of those cost money or take storage space such as kits or software. The teacher figures out what really helps and does it. Hmmm, what a revolutionary idea! On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 6:56 PM, <pknagle...@gmail.com> wrote: > Perhaps you can use some research by Richard Allington to support a stance > of a blend/balanced instruction which includes both reading (in school) and > explicit instruction. A cornerstone article of his that I use is The 6 T's > for Effective Instruction. You can find it through an internet search, > easily. > > -pauline > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry > > -----Original Message----- > From: rascal...@aol.com > Sender: mosaic-bounces+pknagle717=gmail....@literacyworkshop.org > Date: Fri, 25 May 2012 19:52:29 > To: <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Saddened by Administration Mandate: Students and > Choice Reading ... > > My point exactly! > Ali > > > In a message dated 5/25/2012 7:46:29 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > soozq55...@aol.com writes: > > I'm sure if they wanted better basketball players, they would have the > kids shoot a million baskets each day. What are people thinking? What > about > kids that have no support at home? And they will wonder why the gap keeps > getting bigger? Ugh! > > Sue Moore > > > On May 25, 2012, at 6:53 PM, rascal...@aol.com wrote: > > > I'm not sure why I'm posting this, other than I'm searching for some > > company in my despair. Or possibly you can lead me to some ways to deal > with > > this situation. > > > > Today, as we were closing up school for the year, we were discussing > next > > year's kids and administration wanted to know "how we were going to > group > > them." (That in and of itself always bothers me). However the > statement > > that truly sent me spinning, was in regard to giving the students > individual > > reading time within class. My administrator flat out told me (and my > team), > > " We do not give the students time to read in class. You must be > working > > with the students in small groups and they should be engaged in > 'targeted > > skills" not reading." Of course my response was, "How do we expect our > > > students to become better readers if we don't give them time to read > (of course > > teaching them "how" to read)?" She simply said, "They have to do that > at > > home." Close of discussion. > > No one else on my "team" said anything...they just agreed with her. > > My heart sank. I am so disappointed in the direction our education > system > > is taking us in my state and county. It's all about the pass rate on > the > > test and looking at data. My students are so much more than data! > > Ugh! I'm sure you can all relate and have stories very similar to > mine. > > I'm just disheartened. :-( > > > > Ali/FL > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > > -- "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." Henry David Thoreau _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
