Teaching IS rocket science--and you are the pilot! Teach Reading, Not Testingreinforces what teachers already know--test preparation worksheets and drill-and-kill activities do not make children into lifelong readers. The authors′ conscientious approach to reading instruction combines an insider perspective on the development of high-stakes tests with classroom experience in achieving successful reading outcomes at the elementary and secondary levels. Their research-based methodology, building on teachers′ expertise about best practice, is based on five key components: Aligning instruction to the state or national core standards Using formative assessment Connecting units to real-world contexts Motivating students effectively Holding on to best practice in literacy instruction Included are end-of-chapter quizzes and real-life scenarios, plus a full chapter on teaching literacy with special populations. Readers will find helpful solutions for teaching children to love reading in the midst of the accountability movement, and an approach to test preparation that doesn′t require teachers to sacrifice everything they already know about teaching kids to read.
Reading instruction is too often grounded in a narrowly defined "science of reading" that focuses exclusively on cognitive skills and strategies. Yet cognition is just one aspect of reading development. This book guides K–8 educators to understand and address other scientifically supported factors that influence each student's literacy learning, including metacognition, motivation and engagement, social–emotional learning, self-efficacy, and more. Peter Afflerbach uses classroom vignettes to illustrate the broad-based nature of student readers’ growth, and provides concrete suggestions for instruction and assessment. The book's utility is enhanced by end-of-chapter review questions and activities and a reproducible tool, the Healthy Readers Profile, which can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.
The authors provide a reasonable and even-handed methodology for teaching reading to K-12 students. Instead of focusing on worksheets and drills, their research-based approach shows teachers how to align instruction with standards, use formative assessment, motivate students, and use best practices in literacy instruction.
Reading methods instructors, preservice and practicing teachers must meet the challenges of cultivating a solid understanding of effective literacy practices to get ready to teach in classrooms across the country. If necessary-depending on the state you live in-you must pass the required foundational reading tests and student teacher performance assessments. Policies and mandates come and go, but meeting the challenge of understanding and implementing effective literacy practices never fades. This book is organized into five sections with 14 chapters. Features include more than 70 chapter questions (similar to those found on literacy exams for teacher certification), teacher performance assessment support, a delightful cast of animated characters, graphic organizers at the end of each chapter, and QR code links to a custom website. Section I: Preparing to Teach nurtures the heart and mind of preservice teachers and educators alike. The content commits to a comprehensive view of mindful, responsive, and effective teaching and learning. It provides instructors, preservice and practicing teachers a welcoming place to return, tracking their connections as they explore the other chapters. It celebrates community, conversation, and a commitment to the students we teach. Like starting a garden from scratch or improving the soil of an existing one, we begin with a deeper, more fertile view of literacy, so in turn, all learners thrive. Section II: Literacy-Rich Environment examines how literacy behaviors intertwine and grow through each developmental stage. From the beginning, young children need quality literacy instruction and authentic reading and writing tasks. Whether a student is producing or receiving language, proficiency in the written, oral and visual skills of the language arts is critical. Like the master gardener, the most fertile literacy conditions nourish our students' minds and hearts. Section III: Essential Components is devoted to teaching practices that support knowing how words work and their meanings, fluency, comprehension, and assessment. These essential components are highlighted in their respective chapters; however, they are also dispersed throughout all our chapters. Suggestions are also offered for working with English language learners as well as reluctant and struggling learners. Section IV: Cultivating Knowledge waters the seeds of learning from each chapter to pass reading tests and educational teacher performance assessments. It is vital to share with readers the vision of effective and responsive literacy practices while still recognizing the gravity of initial teacher assessments. The authors share variegated voices, strategies, and tips to successfully answer multiple-choice questions, open response essays, and written commentaries. Section V: Literacy Supplies farms our favorite teaching methods and strategies that instructors use in their methods courses. Know and Grow words in each chapter are presented through a manipulative, engaging vocabulary strategy. This activity is an effective way to learn words in the context before and after reading. The Flashcard Glossary chapter puts a unique twist on learning words, as words are organized into flashcard format. The editors and contributors are a diverse village of concerned literacy experts, educators, preservice teachers, and friends. With determination, they mindfully plow these assessments within responsive literacy practices in preparation to teach and if necessary pass specific assessments that many states have mandated for initial teaching and reading licensure. In doing so, our practices match our beliefs about teaching and learning.
Tests require a special kind of savvy, a kind of critical thinking and knowledge application that is not always a part of classroom reading experiences. Who better to teach you how to prepare your students for reading tests than someone who has written them? Charles Fuhrken has spent years working with several major testing companies and contributing to the reading assessments of various testing programs. What he' s learned about testing can help teachers who are interested in teaching effective reading strategies as well as preparing students for reading tests. What Every Middle School Teacher Needs to Know About Reading Tests (From Someone Who Has Written Them)' offers extensive, practical strategies to help students perform well on test day. This ready-to-use, easy-to-understand resource provides a wealth of information about reading tests, including high-quality preparation materials, samples of the most frequently assessed reading standards, and engaging core-reading activities. Charles takes the mystery out of reading tests; he explains how students can learn the language of tests and apply their knowledge of reading to standardized tests. In addition to providing information about reading tests that will help students feel prepared and confident on test day,' What Every Middle School Teacher Needs to Know About Reading Tests' provides a wealth of resources that can be incorporated into a teacher' s everyday reading work, including vocabulary development, literary techniques, interpretation, comprehension, and more.
Pass the FTCE Reading K-12 Test Are you working on your reading endorsement? The NavaED FTCE Reading K-12 study guide with practice tests is fully aligned to the skills and competencies assessed on the exam. The study guide has content and test questions that cover everything assessed on the FTCE Reading K-12, so you can pass your exam the first time you take it. The study guide includes: Detailed content sections for all competencies of the test, so you understand everything covered on the exam. 10 practice test questions after each competency, so you can practice the specific skills for each type of question you'll see on the test. Detailed answer explanations for every test question in the study guide, so you know exactly why you answered correctly or incorrectly. Multiple teaching scenarios and assessment questions, so you are prepared for complex situational questions on the test. Test tips and strategies specific to the FTCE Reading K-12 Test, so you can think like a test maker and not a test taker. A full 120-question practice test with detailed answer explanations, so you can practice your skills. A list of "good words" to look for in the answer choices, so you can identify the correct answers and eliminate incorrect answers quickly. The 9 competencies covered in this study guide are: Knowledge of research and theories of reading processes Knowledge of text types and structures Knowledge of reading assessment and evaluation Knowledge of learning environments and procedures that support reading Knowledge of oral and written language acquisition and beginning reading Knowledge of phonics and word recognition Knowledge of vocabulary acquisition and use Knowledge of reading fluency and reading comprehension Knowledge of reading program development, implementation, and coordination
This book provides a research-based framework for making differentiated instruction work in the primary grades. It includes scientifically validated techniques for teaching each component of the beginning reading program. The authors describe how to use assessment to form differentiated small groups and monitor student progress; plan which skills to target and when; and implement carefully selected instructional strategies. Vivid classroom examples illustrate what differentiated instruction looks like in action in each of the primary grades. For additional helpful resources, including classroom-ready lesson plans, teachers can purchase the complementary volume, How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3.
Practical, effective, evidence-based reading interventions that change students' lives Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties is a practical, accessible, in-depth guide to reading assessment and intervention. It provides a detailed discussion of the nature and causes of reading difficulties, which will help develop the knowledge and confidence needed to accurately assess why a student is struggling. Readers will learn a framework for organizing testing results from current assessment batteries such as the WJ-IV, KTEA-3, and CTOPP-2. Case studies illustrate each of the concepts covered. A thorough discussion is provided on the assessment of phonics skills, phonological awareness, word recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Formatted for easy reading as well as quick reference, the text includes bullet points, icons, callout boxes, and other design elements to call attention to important information. Although a substantial amount of research has shown that most reading difficulties can be prevented or corrected, standard reading remediation efforts have proven largely ineffective. School psychologists are routinely called upon to evaluate students with reading difficulties and to make recommendations to address such difficulties. This book provides an overview of the best assessment and intervention techniques, backed by the most current research findings. Bridge the gap between research and practice Accurately assess the reason(s) why a student struggles in reading Improve reading skills using the most highly effective evidence-based techniques Reading may well be the most important thing students are taught during their school careers. It is a skill they will use every day of their lives; one that will dictate, in part, later life success. Struggling students need help now, and Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties shows how to get these students on track.
The Science of Reading: A Handbook brings together state-of-the-art reviews of reading research from leading names in the field, to create a highly authoritative, multidisciplinary overview of contemporary knowledge about reading and related skills. Provides comprehensive coverage of the subject, including theoretical approaches, reading processes, stage models of reading, cross-linguistic studies of reading, reading difficulties, the biology of reading, and reading instruction Divided into seven sections:Word Recognition Processes in Reading; Learning to Read and Spell; Reading Comprehension; Reading in Different Languages; Disorders of Reading and Spelling; Biological Bases of Reading; Teaching Reading Edited by well-respected senior figures in the field
