MODUL WRITING II

1. Description
What We Know About Adolescent Reading
Reading proficiency has historically been valued as the fundamental enabling
competency in public education in the minds of parents, educators, and the general public.
The study of reading instruction and literacy has been exhaustive, so we will focus on a few
broad themes that we have frequently observed in the course of our research and during our
school improvement efforts with some of America’s most inspiring and promising high
schools and middle schools.
The school improvement process approach that the International Center for Leadership in
Education has
advocated and helped institute is based on three questions:
What?
The second question allows us to suggest a plan based on data, research-based models, and
successful
practices.
How?
This final question addresses solutions by looking at proven and reliable models.
What for?
The purpose for reading also determines the appropriate approach to reading comprehension.

WHAT?
The next steps in reading and literacy instruction involve planning.
1. Develop a shared, conceptual model of reading and literacy.
The International Center has a conceptual model of knowledge and application called
the Rigor/Relevance Framework. TM The framework maps learning and instruction onto a
simple grid that consists of Quadrants A, B, C, and D. Quadrant A is awareness level of
knowledge. Quadrant D is the highest levels of knowledge, blended with the most complex
levels of application of that knowledge to solve interdisciplinary, real world problems in
which the outcome or solution is not predictable. Reading ability also follows a hierarchy of
processes and abilities. These range from letter and sound awareness, vocabulary, and
simple comprehension in the early years to fluent applications of comprehension that
culminate in analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, and applying what is read across
disciplines to create new understandings and to solve problems as a mature, capable reader.
2. Expand the reading curriculum to reflect today’s broad text sources.
An "on-demand" information environment requires that we deal with a blizzard of
information, knowing quickly what is important and what is background noise. Students still
need to learn basic grammar. However, they now need to know the timing, purpose, and
context of the information to analyze and apply processed information efficiently. We
continue to look at where we have been to decide where to go. We must alter that approach
and also look to the future to see what students will need to know and be able to do. We
need to think beyond prose literacy to include document, technological, and quantitative
literacy’s. Document literacy is the ability to access, synthesize, evaluate, and use
information in a diverse array of forms and formats, from driver’s license application forms,
newspapers, and legal documents to online research and manufacturer disclaimers on
 consumer products. Technological literacy includes the ability to comprehend, use, and
create interactive Web pages with multi-dimensional, multimedia, layering, links, and
animations that replace conventional sequential print. Quantitative literacy is the ability to
access, synthesize, evaluate and use information that is numerical, diagrammatic, or
statistical. Reading and filling out an order form is an example of a task that requires
document literacy.
3. Use proven, research-based instructional technology tools based on sound pedagogy.
Studies have confirmed the efficacy of digital technologies to improve and enhance
classroom instruction and learning. Researchers have also reported on the effectiveness of
technology for improving reading in at-risk students and students with special needs, in part
because of the ever-improving capacity of instructional technology tools to individualize,
customize, adapt, monitor, and engage. One source that has paved the way to advancing
instructional technology is the Peabody Literacy Lab, developed at Peabody College of
Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Its program provides instruction in phonics, word
recognition, spelling, and comprehension using video-based contextual “anchors” that
provide background knowledge to allow learners to establish “mental models” these anchors
become focal points for a subsequent series of computer-managed labs. Research, classroom
testing, and validation of this model have taken place from 1985 to 1999 at numerous
schools in Florida and Tennessee. Results have consistently demonstrated that the Peabody
system yields significant growth on multiple measures of student reading comprehension.
Such proven and research-based instructional technology, grounded in sound pedagogy and
classroom practice, offers solutions to improving reading and literacy skills and should be
embraced.
4. Help all teachers in all subjects assist their students to become competent readers.
If a student cannot read the information pertinent to the subject being taught, can any
teacher really claim that he or she is teaching that student? Consider the following:
• Most subject-area teachers have not taken coursework in reading theory or reading
instruction.
• Subject-area teachers use academic vocabulary in their content areas. This vocabulary
needs to be
targeted explicitly.
• Subject-area teachers can reinforce key reading strategies and comprehension in their
classrooms,
including separating fact from fiction, making inferences, and making critical judgments.
They
need support from coaches or other staff developers so that these strategies are taught
explicitly
for their content areas.
• Reading is only one aspect of literacy and is closely connected to writing, listening,
speaking,
observing, and presenting. All subject-area teachers are engaged in these expressive literacy
skills, but they need support to provide for a coordinated, focused effort so these literacy’s
are
taught in a more systematic way.
HOW?
 Reading and literacy improvement requires individualized solutions for schools and
districts. However, administrators and teachers do not have to invent it from scratch or
manage the process single-handedly. Research-based reading intervention models, tools, and
metrics are available. Most of these resources have data-based, quantified, and proof
statements that attest to their effectiveness.
1. Examine Successful Models.
For 15 years, the International Center has sought out and shared models and best
practices from the schools with which the International Center has partnered. The
International Center has been particularly impressed by the efficacy (research bases, results,
ease-of implementation and usage, and successful practices) demonstrated by a number of
schools in the
International Center’s Successful Practices Network. The International Center also has been
impressed by the schools involved in its ongoing study of successful high schools
undertaken with the Council of Chief State School Officers and with the support of the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation. There are other notable model schools that share their stories
and best practices at our annual Model Schools Conference and annual symposium.
2. Establish a School or District wide Literacy Plan.
Many successful schools start with a commitment to literacy and then create a school
wide literacy plan. Most of these schools have discovered that a systematic and inclusive
approach to developing a comprehensive literacy plan works best. In addition, these schools
have realized that certain key steps in devising and implementing such a strategy improve
the odds for success.
3. Define Specific Steps in the Literacy Plan.
Specifics of the literacy plan will vary from situation to situation as will the order of
implementation, but the planning process typically requires leaders to do the following:
• Confront the issue and reach consensus that there is a need for change, which requires a
collaborative effort.
• Be inclusive in seeking input. Involve teachers, administrators, parents, students, and
community partners in the process.
• Don’t expect every participant to be committed 100 percent. Some participants will
embrace and champion the issue, some will help, and others will resist.
• Research and study relevant tools, resources, models, and best practices.
• Use data to define the problem and to set measurable goals to help participants picture
what
success will look like.
• Adopt common language, assessments, and rubrics.
• Brainstorm solutions, select strategies that will guide the planning process, and devise
specific
plans that can be implemented.
• Be flexible regarding changes that may need to be made to the master schedule, the school
day,
length of classes, and use of time during, before, and after school.
• Seek solutions that address all aspects of reading and literacy – phonics, word recognition,
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension – and offer individualized learning tools that
employ the
 latest instructional technologies to engage students. Two research-based and proven
commercial
tools, the Lexile Framework for Reading and Scholastic’s READ 180 are discussed in
sections 4
and 5.
• Use a common measurement tool, such as the Lexile Framework for Reading, to establish
a
quantifiable yardstick to talk about readability and reading ability.
• Document plans and integrate them into existing curriculum, instruction, and assessment
guidelines. Assign responsibilities and establish timeframes.
• Launch the initiative with fanfare. Include a communications plan and a timeframe. Keep
the
initiative front-and-center in the minds of staff and students.
• Review progress regularly. A manageable, teacher-friendly, real-time tracking and student
progress management component is essential. Share successes and measure progress with
supportive data.
• Adjust the plan as needed and recognize that success will not happen overnight.
• Provide ongoing professional development to support the teaching staff. Consider using a
provider of instructional resources and tools to do professional development. Some
providers
offer online training and time-of-use assistance for teachers.
4. Adopt the Lexile Framework.
The Lexile Framework for Reading allows schools and teachers to match any reader
with reading material of an appropriate readability level. The framework also provides a
common rubric for assessing, discussing, comparing, and forecasting reading ability and
readability. Many states use the Lexile Framework to evaluate commercially published
instructional materials. Most of the major commercial assessment and testing services
publishers can provide student data measured in Lexiles. Many schools have successfully
adopted the Lexile Framework; Plant City High School in Florida and Graves County High
School in Kentucky are just two examples of effective deployment of the framework in
curriculum and instruction. Visit www.lexile.com for more information.
5. Implement a Research-based Intervention Program.
Scholastic’s READ 180 is the third generation successor of the previously described
Peabody Literacy Lab. It is a comprehensive reading intervention program that directly
addresses individual needs through adaptive and instructional software, high-interest leveled
literature, and direct instruction in reading and writing skills. READ 180 incorporates six
crucial elements of reading intervention, including:
• Scientific Research Base –Dr. Hassel ring’s research around anchored instruction and
fluency
form the backbone for the instructional software and ensure that each student navigates a
unique
path through the software based on his or her own strengths and weaknesses.
• Proven Results – Students who enter READ 180 unable to read proficiently experience
success
and become readers. In 36 separate studies, measurable gains in reading comprehension
have
 been shown with English language learners, students with special needs, and at-risk general
education students in elementary, middle, and high schools and with adult students in Job
Corps,
community college, and alternative/corrections settings.
• Comprehensive Instruction - READ 180 includes a teaching system that equips – and trains
–
educators to deliver effective reading, writing, and vocabulary instruction to struggling
readers.
Teachers receive a rich and engaging curriculum of skills instruction, point-of-use
professional
development, a variety of assessment tools, and reports that link to resources for
differentiating
instruction.
• Purposeful Assessment – A variety of instruments, both explicit and embedded in the
software,
accurately assess students to identify their most urgent needs, enabling the program and
teacher to
adjust instruction accordingly.
• Data-Driven Instruction: A computer-managed student assessment and record-keeping
system
pinpoints the placement and progress of every student with on-demand reports that allow
teachers
to adjust instruction and monitor growth.
• Professional Development – Scholastic has designed comprehensive implementation
training,
online professional development and teaching materials that integrate professional
development
into daily instruction. This comprehensive professional development provides educators
with the
background, teaching routines, and instructional support they need, when they need it.
WHAT FOR?
Reading is an activity with a purpose. A person may read in order to gain
information or verify existing knowledge, or in order to critique a writer's ideas or writing
style. A person may also read for enjoyment, or to enhance knowledge of the language being
read. The purpose(s) for reading guide the reader's selection of texts.
The purpose for reading also determines the appropriate approach to reading
comprehension. A person who needs to know whether she can afford to eat at a particular
restaurant needs to comprehend the pricing information provided on the menu, but does not
need to recognize the name of every appetizer listed. A person reading poetry for enjoyment
needs to recognize the words the poet uses and the ways they are put together, but does not
need to identify main idea and supporting details. However, a person using a scientific
article to support an opinion needs to know the vocabulary that is used, understand the facts
and cause-effect sequences that are presented, and recognize ideas that are presented as
hypotheses and givens.

1.1. Background
 Reading comprehension is essentially the ability to understand what has been read. There
is little point in being able to pronounce the words on a page if the words mean nothing to
you. You can probably read "Snip tops are fin bugle" because you can decode the sounds in
the words, but you can't comprehend it because two of the words are nonsense. People with
good reading comprehension use several strategies that help them understand the text.

1.2. Goals
Before planning instruction, I need to set expectations for my students. I expect that they
will all read. I believe that my attitude and knowledge of assessments will help them get
there. But in order to plan specific instruction, I need to develop goals that I expect my
children will achieve. Clarifying what my goals are will better inform my instruction.

By the end of the school year, my students will:

1. enjoy reading.
2. exhibit ownership and independence in reading.
3. gain and employ skills and strategies to decode words.
a. phonemic understanding
b. phonics
c. sight word knowledge
d. context clues
4. gain fluency in reading.
5. use comprehension strategies.

1.3. Materials
1. Active Reading

Reading, at first, may appear to be a routin actifity in which individualwords are

combined to produce meaning. Consequently, may collage students approach reding as a single
step procces. They open the book, read, and close the book. Research reveals that effective
reading is not a single step procces. But a complex set of skills involving actifities before,
during, and after reading. Here is a partial list of some of those skills.

Before reading:

1. determining the subject of the material

2. determining how the material is organized
3. deciding what you need to remember from material
4. defining tour purpose of reading

During reading

1. identifying what is infortant

2. determining how key ideas are supported
3. identifying patterns of thought
4. drawing connection among ideas
 5. anticipating what is to come next
6. relating ideas to whatyou already know

During and After reading

1. identifying the author’s purpose for writing

2. analyzing the writers technique and language
3. evaluating the writers competence or authority
4. asking critical question
5. evaluating the nature and type of supporting evidence
2. intensive reading
in order to get student to read enthusiastically in class, we need to make the student
become fun with the materials that teach.
 The roles we need to adopt when asking student to read intensively
 Organiser
 Observe
 Feedback organiser
 Prompter
 Intensive reading: the vocabulary question
3. Extensive reading
 We have discussed the importance of extensive readingfor develop our student
 Extensive reading materials
 Setting up a library
 The role of the teacher in extensive reading programme
 We can accusionally read aloud from books.
4. Skimming and skanning
 Skimming
Is used to quickly identify the main ideas of a text. When you read the
newspaper, you're probably not reading it word-by-word, instead you're scanning
the text. Skimming is done at a speed three to four times faster than normal
reading. People often skim when they have lots of material to read in a limited
amount of time. Use skimming when you want to see if an article may be of
interest in your research. 
There are many strategies that can be used when skimming. Some people
read the first and last paragraphs using headings, summarizes and other organizers
as they move down the page or screen. You might read the title, subtitles,
subheading, and illustrations. Consider reading the first sentence of each
paragraph. This technique is useful when you're seeking specific information
rather than reading for comprehension. Skimming works well to find dates,
names, and places. It might be used to review graphs, tables, and charts.
 
  Scanning
Is a technique you often use when looking up a word in the telephone
book or dictionary. You search for key words or ideas. In most cases, you know
what you're looking for, so you're concentrating on finding a particular answer.
Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific
words and phrases. Scanning is also used when you first find a resource to
determine whether it will answer your questions. Once you've scanned the
document, you might go back and skim it.
When scanning, look for the author's use of organizers such as numbers,
letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold
faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color. Sometimes the author will
put key ideas in the margin.
 
Reading off a computer screen has become a growing concern. Research shows
that people have more difficulty reading off a computer screen than off paper.
Although they can read and comprehend at the same rate as paper, skimming on
the computer is much slower than on paper.
5. Text

http://www.ehow.com/about_6593485_definition-reading-comprehension.