Designing Meaning-Based Interventions for Struggling Readers

by Andrew P. Johnson PhD

Overview

This highly practical book helps K–8 teachers implement effective reading interventions that support meaningful comprehension and engage students with interesting, age-appropriate texts. Andrew P. Johnson presents a range of strategies for addressing difficulties in the core areas of word identification, fluency, and comprehension. Packed with illustrative figures, the book provides guidance and tools for assessing reading problems, combining and adapting interventions for particular students, planning writing activities to enhance reading, aligning efforts within a response-to-intervention framework, and designing individualized education programs. Informed by current research, Johnson candidly targets "educational malpractice” and helps readers puzzle through the controversies surrounding dyslexia diagnoses and special education decision making.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781462545797
Publisher:	Guilford Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	01/26/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	260
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	5 - 13 Years

About the Author

Andrew P. Johnson, PhD, is Professor of Literacy Instruction and Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He specializes in literacy instruction for students with intellectual and learning disabilities, response to intervention for reading and writing, strategies for the inclusive classroom, and advanced pedagogy. Prior to his university career, he taught in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms for 9 years. Dr. Johnson is the author of numerous academic articles, book chapters, and books related to literacy and learning, and hosts a podcast, The Reading Instruction Show.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

This Is Not Another RTI Book 1

A General Overview of RTI for Reading, Writing, and Math 1

Tier 1 2

Tier 2 3

Tier 3 4

Implementing RTI Flexibly 4

Organization of This Book 5

New Ideas 7

Part I Background Information

1 Instruction and Interventions 11

Defining Our Terms 11

Daily Reading Instruction 12

Effective Reading Interventions 14

They Already Know How to Read 15

Three Big Ideas 16

2 Educational Research and Theoretical Models 17

Theoretical Models 17

Research and Theoretical Models 20

3 Understanding the Reading Process 22

How the Brain Creates Meaning with Print 22

4 Coming to a Common Understanding 28

Eight Essential Literacy Terms 28

Methods, Strategies, and Direct Instruction 29

Direct Instruction In a Meaning-Based Approach 31

Part II Elements of a Meaning-Based Intervention for Reading

5 How a Meaning-Based Intervention for Reading Works 35

Interventions and Educational Malpractice 35

Intervention Sessions for Reading 37

Final Word 38

6 Language Experience Activities 39

An Experience with Language 39

Steps 39

Tips 42

7 Word Work 43

Phonics 43

How to Teach Phonics 52

Games 54

The Best Approach to Phonics Instruction 58

8 Sight Words and Scope and Sequence Charts 59

Sight Words 59

Scope and Nonsense Charts 63

Final Word 65

9 Word Identification Strategies 66

A Quick Review 66

Morphemic Analysis 66

Context Clues: The Semantic Cueing System 69

Analogy 70

Phonics 71

The Big Picture 71

10 Cloze and Maze Activities: Semantic Cueing 72

A Quick Review 72

Cloze and Maze 72

Pre- and Postreading Activities 75

Cloze for Small Groups 77

Tips for Using Maze and Cloze Activities 78

Final Word 79

11 Writing for Reading 80

Writing for Syntactic Cueing 80

Writing Activities 80

Final Word 88

12 Fluency 89

What It Is 89

Standardized Reading Rates 89

Reading with Expression and Prosody 91

No Round-Robin Reading 92

WPM versus WCPM: Accuracy 95

Fluency Strategies 96

Progress Monitoring 100

Final Word 101

13 Comprehension 102

Understanding Comprehension 102

Teach the Process to Develop the Skill 103

Comprehension Skill Activities 105

Three Big Ideas 116

14 Reading Practice (More, Please) 117

Reading Practice 117

Reading Practice as Part of an Intervention 120

Three Other Ideas 124

Final Word 126

Part III Diagnosing, Assessing, and Monitoring Progress

15 Standardized Tests 129

Standardized and Norm-Referenced Tests 129

An Educational Tool 130

Limitations of Standardized Tests 131

A Story about Validity 133

Final Word 134

16 Diagnosing the Problem 135

Diagnostic Reading Assessment 135

Miscue Analyses 137

Comprehension 142

Fluency 145

Final Word 147

Appendix: Report 147

17 Progress Monitoring 150

What It Is 150

Word Identification 150

Comprehension 154

Fluency 155

Student Perception/Attitude 156

Final Word 157

Part IV Individualized Education Programs

18 Individualized Education Programs for Reading 161

Individualized Education Programs 161

Present Level of Performance 163

Measurable Annual Goals 164

Benchmarks and Assessment 170

Special Education and Related Services 172

Eight Tips for Designing Effective IEPs 173

19 Peer-Reviewed Research 174

Blind Peer Review 174

Implications 177

Part V Designing Reading Interventions

20 Response-to-intervention Particuiars 181

Assessment and Intervention 181

Tier 1 181

Tier 2 184

Tier 3 185

Final Word 186

21 Scientifically Based Research 187

Research, Science, and Methodology 188

The Gold Standard 189

Instructional Practices 193

Educational Wonderland 193

22 When the Gold Standard is Un-Golden: A Review of Torgesen et al. (2009) 195

Un-Golden Goldenality 195

The Illusion of Objectivity 195

The Abstract 197

The Research Questions 198

Preventing Early Reading Difficulties in Students at Risk for Dyslexia 199

Equivalency and Validity 202

Results 205

23 Evaluating Research 208

Five General Points Related to Research in Education 208

Evaluating Research 210

Quantitative Research 211

Qualitative Research 214

Final Word 215

24 Students with Dyslexia 216

Reading Instruction for Students with Dyslexia 216

Defining Dyslexia 219

Seven Things We Know about Dyslexia 222

Interventions for Students with Dyslexia 224

Final Word 228

Part VI Issues in Special Education

25 Problems in the Special Education World 233

The System Is Broken 233

The Answer 235

Epilogue 237

References 241

Index 254

Editorial Reviews

"Johnson's presentation of a meaning-based approach in the design of interventions for all struggling readers is well written and convincingly argued. This instructional plan is appropriate for any child experiencing difficulties acquiring reading proficiencies, including those labeled as dyslexics. Johnson's approach shares little with traditional methods for teaching struggling readers—and I hope it will initiate needed changes in remedial and special education. If only every teacher preparing to become a reading specialist or special educator could read this book before they began their student teaching apprenticeship!"—Richard L. Allington, PhD, College of Education (Emeritus), The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

"This book masterfully synthesizes the latest literacy acquisition research and provides critical pedagogical practices for targeting each student’s learning needs. It is an essential resource for preservice teachers, classroom teachers, reading interventionists, and special education teachers interested in capitalizing on responsive decision making. Johnson presents interventions that are cleverly designed to support accelerative progress, ensuring all students learn to read."—Mary R. Van Etten, MEd, district literacy specialist/Reading Recovery coordinator, Muskogee Public Schools, Oklahoma

"During my time as a special educator and instructional coach, I longed for a framework that operationalized a meaning-based approach to reading interventions. Johnson lays out the rationale for such an approach and follows it up with a practical process. This book is a 'must read' for every special educator and for any educator who wants a solid resource for designing reading instruction that meets the needs of today's diverse classrooms."—Staci Gilpin, MSEd, former teacher and instructional coach; doctoral student in Educational Foundations and Research, University of North Dakota

"Johnson provides a refreshing look at interventions for struggling readers and the need to focus on making meaning from text. He reinforces the idea that a majority of our students know how to read, but lack the skills necessary to make meaning. I appreciate this book's frank discussions of intervention fidelity, direct instruction, and the need to recognize the nuances each of our students bring with them. Johnson shares a concrete process for designing meaning-based interventions that I look forward to bringing to our special education licensure program!"—Amy Murzyn, EdD, School of Education and Social Work, College of St. Scholastica

From the Publisher