Help For Struggling Readers

Presents a variety of of research-based instructional strategies for use with struggling readers in the grades three through eight.

Storybooks contain selections that are more than 95% decodable so students experience daily success and develop fluency quickly.

Authors Franki Sibberson and Karen Szymusiak are back with an updated version of Still Learning to Read: Teaching Students in Grades 3-6, 2nd Edition. In the years since the first edition, prevalence of testing and Common Core State Standards have redefined requirements and what is expected of both teachers and students.This new edition focuses on the needs of students in grades 3-6 in for the following areas: reading workshops, read-alouds, classroom design, digital tools, fiction and nonfiction, and close reading. The authors examine current trends in literacy and introduce a new section on intentional instructional planning, as well as a new chapter on scaffolding for reading nonfiction. Expanded examples of lessons and routines to promote deeper thinking about learning are also included.In Still Learning to Read, you'll also find online videos that provide insight into classrooms. Students make book choices, work in small groups, and discuss their reading notebooks. Finally, updated and expanded book lists, recommendations for digital tools, lesson cycles, and sections for school leaders round out this foundational resource.

Assessment is an integral part of instruction. For the past decade, the focus on assessment--particularly via high-stakes mandated tests--has shifted away from the classroom and left teachers feeling like they are drowning in data. Assessment is, and needs to be again, much more than a number. Assessment in Perspective is about moving beyond the numbers and using assessment to find the stories they tell. This book helps teachers sort through the myriad of available assessments and use each to understand different facets of their readers. It discusses how to use a range of assessment types--from reading conference notes and student work to running records and state tests--together to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of a reader. The authors share a framework for thinking about the purpose, method, and types of different assessments. They also address the questions they ask when choosing or analyzing assessments: - What type of tool do we need: diagnostic, formative, or summative; formal or informal; quantitative or qualitative? - How do we use multiple assessments together to provide an in-depth picture of a reader? - When and how are we giving the assessment? - Do we want to be able to compare our readers to a standard score, or do we need to diagnose a reader's needs? - Which area of reading does this tool assess? - How can we use the information from assessments to inform our instruction? - What information does a particular assessment tell us, and what doesn't it tell us? - What additional information do we need about a reader to understand his or her learning needs? The book emphasizes the importance of triangulating data by using varied sources, both formal and informal, and across multiple intervals. It explains the power of looking at different types of assessments side-by-side with displays to find patterns or inconsistencies. What's more, students are included as valuable sources of data. Letting students in on the process of assessment is key to helping them set goals, monitor their own progress, and celebrate growth. When assessment is viewed in this way, instruction can meet high standards and still be developmentally appropriate.

Provides 40 research-based methods with suggestions for easy implementation to help struggling readers, and features three tables of contents (traditional, topical, and problem-solving) formatted for quick reference.

Presents methods of helping third through sixth graders with literacy problems, covering such topics as motivation, small-group instruction, differentiated instruction, and standardized tests.

Would you want to be a student in your own classroom? In Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Students, author Pernille Ripp challenges both novice and seasoned teachers to create a positive, interactive learning environment where students drive their own academic achievement. You’ll discover how to make fundamental changes to your classroom so learning becomes an exciting challenge rather than a frustrating ordeal. Based on the author’s personal experience of transforming her approach to teaching, this book outlines how to: • Build a working relationship with your students based on mutual trust, respect, and appreciation • Be attentive to your students’ needs and share ownership of the classroom with them • Break out of the vicious cycle of punishment and reward to control student behaviour • Use innovative and creative lesson plans to get your students to become more engaged and intellectually-invested learners, while still meeting your state standards • Limit homework and abandon traditional grading so that your students can make the most of their learning experiences without unnecessary stress • And much more! New to the second edition, you’ll find practical tools, such as teacher and student reflection sheets, parent questionnaires, and parent conference tools, available in the book and as eResources on our website (http://www.routledge.com/9781138916920) to help you build your own classroom of passionate learners.