Critical Components of Successful
Reading: NJ Literacy Initiatives
Administrators’ Guide of What to Look
for in IEL classes
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Impact
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NJ Reading First: 82 schools and
20,400 students
IDEAL:31 districts, 46 schools
Intensive Early Literacy (Abbott
Districts): 305 schools and 120,000
students
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Philosophy/Principles
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SBRR (Scientifically Based Reading
Research) and the five essentials of
reading as per NRP and USDOE (NJ has
6)
Early Literacy Task Force Report
Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young
Children, Snow, Catherine et al.
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Critical Elements
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Motivation and Background
Knowledge
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Fluency
Writing
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Motivation and Background
knowledge
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Teachers preview readings by
accessing and/or building
background knowledge
Motivation:
• All primary students want to learn to
read
• Teachers make real life connections to
students and respect connections
students make
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Phonemic Awareness v Phonics
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Phonemic Awareness precedes
phonics instruction
What sound do you hear at the
beginning of these words? Boy, bag,
big (phonemic awareness)
What letter makes the /b/ sound?
(alphabetic principle)
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Vocabulary – I see
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Word walls everywhere
Word walls change over time
Types:
•
•
•
•
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Story word walls
Writing words
Content area word walls
Targeted word walls
Lesson plans include pre-reading
vocabulary and strategy for instruction
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Comprehension – I see
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Teacher sets guiding question (s) in
whole group (based on the picture,
what do you think this story is
about?)
Through guided reading at the
instructional level, comprehension
strategies are taught.
Teachers should have guided reading
groups based on data
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Comprehension – I see
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There is more to life than the “wh”
questions which usually require
literal/stated information response
Look for personalization, text-to-self type
questions for higher order thinking
• What would you do in that situation?
• How else could ______ resolve this situation?
• If _____, then how would it be different?
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Follow up in writing center
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Writing – I see
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Time dedicated to writing everyday
Evidence of process writing on the walls or
in the portfolio
Published work in the halls
Works in progress in the classroom
Quick writes, reader responses
Non-fiction writing
Writing in Spanish in bilingual classrooms
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Structure
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90 minute, uninterrupted block of
time
120 minute block for bilingual/ESL
students
Requires specific time to small
group instruction during reading
block. No Pull-outs.
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Structure
Reading First Districts;
IDEAL Initiative Districts
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Smaller class size
is recommended
Cites research of
fewer than 21
Intensive Early Literacy
Abbott Districts
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Class size provisions,
not to exceed the
following:
• Pre K, 15
• Grades K-3, 21
• Each Pre- and K must
have an aide
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Structure
Reading First Districts;
IDEAL Initiative Districts
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Classroom
library(IDEAL
requires 300 RF
recommends)
Recommends
literacy centers
Intensive Early Literacy
Abbott Districts
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Classroom library (300
titles)
Recommends literacy
centers, and further
mandates a
• reading center (Pre K-4),
• technology center (K-4) and
• writing center (Pre K-4)
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Classroom Libraries – I see
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Hundreds of titles aligned to the core
organized by _____ (levels, themes)
Titles for diversity, gender, language
pattern support ( decodables),
grammatical pattern support ( I see a
____ ), another guided reading system
other than the core
Story word walls in the classroom
Evidence in the writing portfolios of reader
responses and prompts based on
classroom library stories
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Core:
Tier 1
Guided Reading
Tier 2
Co-teaching
Tier 3
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Flexible Groups based on goal-specific, targeted instruction
Guided Reading Co-teacher Model
Grades 1-3 Learning Centers
(Students rotate every 20-25 min.)
Whole Class Area
Co-teacher
Guided Reading
Student Group
A
Writing
Center
Technology
Center
Student
Group B
Student
Group D
Reading
Center
Co-teacher
Guided
Reading
Student Group
C
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Structure - I see
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A clear block in the schedule
Co-teachers assigned with specific time for
small group instruction
Collaborative planning between homeroom
teacher and co-teachers
Teacher plans designate time for whole
group, small group, literacy centers and
small group intervention
Plans across the block make sense and are
not isolated lessons
Bilingual/ESL plans include oral ESL
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Curriculum
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6 Key areas that must be aligned
• NJCCCS
• Thematic organization
• CRP (Comprehensive Reading Program)
and other materials and supplies (e.g.,
classroom library) must be mapped
• Strategies and Techniques
• Assessment (benchmarks)
• Compensatory and Supplemental
programs
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Curriculum – I see
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Classroom library readings are coordinated with the theme, subskill lessons,
and/or NJCCCS
Read Aloud, shared reading,
comprehension activities, vocabulary
development
Example: Having been taught past tense
endings, students point out past tense
verbs in Little Red Riding Hood and create
a targeted word wall chart
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Curriculum (con’t)
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Requires differentiated materials, strategies
and techniques, and multiple entry points for
special populations and requires native language
and ESL reading as per state bilingual law
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Requires use of appropriate software
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For Abbott districts, must include Pre K
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Names specific reading strategies (Appendix C)
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Curriculum – I see
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Bilingual/ESL classes have appropriate
native language and ESL reading core
materials
Teachers have and utilize all components
of the core (flip charts, guided reading,
intervention kits)
Alternate guided reading materials exist
and are utilized for small group instruction
Struggling readers receive additional
instruction beyond the block
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Assessment and Testing
• Assessment of
Home Language
and
• English Language
Proficiency Pre K-3
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HLS and ELPT – I see
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Teachers have available the HLS and
know what languages and to what
extent they are spoken in the home
Teachers have available ELPT history
on the students and know how to
read the results
Teachers know the extent of native
language development and academic
skills in the native language
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Assessment and Testing
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Levels of Assessment
• Screening
• NJCCCS Benchmarks
• Diagnostic
• Annual testing
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(Nationally recognized normed or
criterion referenced test)
State mandated assessments (NJASK3)
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Assessment Level
Screening: An assessment
that is valid, reliable and
based on scientifically
based reading research.
It is a brief procedure
designed as a first step in
identifying children who
may be a high risk for
delayed development or
academic failure and in
need of further diagnosis
of their need for special
services or additional
reading instruction.
Tool
Grade
Levels(s)
Given
Area of Reading Assessed
Phonemic
Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
DIBELS
K-3
F W S
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DRA2
K-3
F
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S
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Screening – I see
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Screening results are current and history
is readily available
Screening results inform guided reading
and intervention strategies
Teachers understand the developmental
sequence and grade level expectations
Bilingual/ESL teachers understand late
acquisition English sounds and impact on
DIBELS
Children learning to read in Spanish are
screened in Spanish
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Assessment Level
Ongoing: An assessment
that evaluates
children’s learning
based on systematic
observations by
teachers of children
performing academic
tasks that are part of
their daily classroom
experience and is used
to improve instruction
in reading, including
classroom instruction.
This assessment is
aligned to the
curriculum (which is
aligned to the
NJCCCS).
Tool
Grade
Level(s)
Given
Area of Reading Assessed
Phonemic
Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
ELAS
Prek,K
F W S
Evaluation
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Locally
Devised
K-4
Quarterly
Evaluation
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Ongoing – Student Performance
Based Assessment
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Competency Based
Pick the word that has the same
initial sound as in the word “top”.
• A. pot
• B. cop
• C. tip
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Ongoing – Student Performance
Based Assessment
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Performance Based
Make as many words as you can with
this family ending _an
• A. pan
• B. can
• C. tan
D. ran
E. zan*
F. han*
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Assessment Level
identifying a child’s specific areas
of strengths and weaknesses so
that the child has learned to read
by the end of grade 3
2.determining any difficulties that a
child may have in learning to read
and the potential cause of such
difficulties
3.helping to determine the possible
reading intervention strategies and
related special needs
1.
Grade
Level(s)
K-4
see Oregon List at:
http://www.nj.gov/njded/grants/docs/AppendixD.pdf
Diagnostic: An assessment
that is valid, reliable and
based on scientifically based
reading research. It is used
for students below reading
level as identified by the
district-approved reading
program and/or the school
level WSR model and serves
the following purposes:
Tool
Given
as needed
Area of Reading Assessed
Phonemic
Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
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Assessment Level
Tool
Grade
Level(s)
Given
Area of Reading Assessed
Phonemic
Awareness
Summative: An outcome
assessment that is Stateapproved, normreferenced and/or
criterion-referenced and
is independent of the
Comprehensive Reading
Program.
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
NJASK3
3
S
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NJASK4
4
S
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Terra Nova
2nd ed.
K-2
S
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Assessment – I see
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Complete assessment portfolios on
all students
Pre-referral practices include all
language, screening, and
standardized tests on students
Intervention strategies have been
spelled out and tried in the general
education program
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Compensatory and Supplemental
Services
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Provision of supplemental services for
children reading below grade level in
accordance with NCLB
•In-class co-teaching
•After the block, one-to-one
targeted assistance
•After school
•Summer, etc.
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Professional Development
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Professional development in areas:
• SBRR and six components of
Reading
• Curriculum mapping
• Approved strategies and
techniques
• Assessment
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Professional Development – I
have
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A school plan based on the
IEL/IDEAL/Reading First models that
include:
• Knowledge based workshops
• Strategies and techniques for classroom
practices
• Process writing
• Data analysis and student assessment
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Populations Served
Impacts all populations including:
General Education, English
Language Learners and Special
Education students
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Special Education Students
Special education students are not a monolithic
group. There is no single “supplemental”
and/or reading intervention program ideal for
all special education students.
Access to the chronological and/or cognitively
appropriate core
Participate in all aspects and components of
literacy program:
block of time
3 tiered instructional approach
extra time and additional instruction
response to intervention
IEP is the priority document
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Reading Programs: What we
Know:
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Native Language Instruction is preferred
(especially grades k and 1)
Second Language only programs can be
successful, but they carry a higher risk of reading
problems
Programs designed for English Language
Background students have high risk for Second
Language Learners
Key to transfer and ESL only is background
knowledge and vocabulary in English
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Additional Personnel
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Reading First - Reading
Coordinator and Literacy Coaches
are required
Abbott – Literacy Coach at the
school level is recommended and
an allowable Abbott position and
expense
IDEAL – Literacy Specialist
assigned to districts; some
districts to receive special
education literacy resources
coaches
SELRC Specialist
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Personnel – I see
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Specialists and Coaches meet with
teachers at school level to present
workshops
Specialists and Coaches meet with
teachers at grade level to present
workshops and discuss data analysis
Coaches provide in-class modeling
for teachers
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New Jersey Reading
Initiatives Contacts:

Fred Carrigg
Special Assistant to the
Commissioner for Literacy
(609) 633 - 1726
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Mary Ann Capetola
Director – Reading First
(609) 633 – 0285
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Linda Dold-Collins
Office of Literacy
(609)-633-1726
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