The
Windward
School
The
Beacon
The Windward School
Newsletter for Educators
and Parents
Fall 2015
In This Issue
Effective Writing Instruction
by Judith Hochman and
Betsy MacDermott-Duffy
Page 1
Head Lines
High Quality Teachers Matter Most
by Dr. John J. Russell,
Head of School
Page 8
Feature Article
Evolving Perspectives on
Child Discipline
by David Anderson, Ph.D.
Page 10
Faculty Essay
The Windward Vocabulary Program:
A Research-Based Approach
by Betsy MacDermott-Duffy
Page 12
WTTI Expands to Its
First-Ever Simulcast
Page 15
Alumni Profile:
Andrew Mollerus, Class of 2012:
A Scholar and a Sailor
By Bonni Brodnick
Page 16
This article was originally published in Perspectives on Language and Literacy,
vol. 41, No. 2, 2015 (spring), copyright by The International Dyslexia
Association, Inc. (www.eida.org). Used with permission.
Effective Writing
Instruction
Time for a Revolution
By Judith Hochman and Betsy MacDermott-Duffy
American education will never realize its potential
as an engine of opportunity and economic growth
until a writing revolution puts language and
communication in their proper place in the
classroom . . . . Of the three “Rs,” writing is
clearly the most neglected.
– National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges, 2003
The Impetus for Change in Writing Instruction
Why do so many English teachers, college professors, job recruiters, and
supervisors in the workplace believe that the writing aptitude of young people across
the United States is far below acceptable standards? The most common response is
that at every stage of student transition (elementary to middle school, middle to high
school, and college into the workplace), the foundational skills required to write well
are missing. Many students are unable to write a well-crafted sentence, much less
possess the tools to organize and draft a composition about an expository topic
(Eberhardt, 2013). According to the latest National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP; U.S. Department of Education, 2011), approximately 75% of
students in the United States are not at the “proficient level” in writing. These results
indicate that students have only partial mastery of the prerequisite knowledge and
skills required for competency at a given grade level. This problem is precisely what
the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (National Governors Association Center
for Best Practices, 2010), a set of national benchmarks to ensure college and career
readiness, attempted to address with increased rigor in writing.
Road to the Writing Revolution—A New Set of Standards
Though the CCSS are not perfect or all encompassing, they are based on sound
research and are internationally benchmarked using standards from top-performing
countries for their development. The intent is that CCSS will have a positive effect
on student preparation for college and careers. According to the expectations of the
anchor and grade-level standards, students should demonstrate increasing levels of
complexity each year in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and sentence
structure to the development and organization of compositions. Reading sources used
for research, and as a springboard for writing, should also become increasingly more
complex and demanding with each grade, according to the CCSS.
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Fall 2015 The Beacon
2
Cont’d from page 1
The Writing standards of the CCSS outline three major text
types for writing: 1) opinion/argumentative, 2) informational/
explanatory, and 3) narrative. Importantly, the narrative text
description does not include the creative writing exercises that
have dominated elementary school assignments for years.
Although the CCSS do not exclude such assignments, they leave
the inclusion and assessment of these types of tasks to teacher
discretion. However, it is clearly noted in Appendix A of the
CCSS that, although all three major text types are important, the
CCSS place a strong emphasis on students’ ability to critically
reason and write sound arguments on substantive topics and
issues.
After a half-century of advocacy associated
with instruction using minimal guidance, it
appears that there is no body of research
supporting the technique. Insofar as there is
any evidence from controlled studies, it almost
uniformly supports direct, strong instructional
guidance rather than constructivist-based
minimal guidance during the instruction of
novice to intermediate learners.
—Kirschner, Sweller, & Clark, 2006
A Bump in the Road
Although much about the standards for writing in the
CCSS is positive, many educators have concerns about the reality
of meeting the writing standards in their current form.
Unfortunately, the foundational skills required to meet many of
the writing standards are addressed in a fragmented manner. Just
as fluent and accurate decoding are required to comprehend text,
similarly, there are basic skills in writing required to compose
effectively. The Writing standards would greatly benefit from a
detailed section on the skills that underpin all good writing.
Explicit information about these fundamental skills can be found
in CCSS sections other than Writing. For example, a standard
under the foundational skills in the Reading standards requires
first grade students to demonstrate an understanding of the
organization and basic structures of print by recognizing the
distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., first word,
capitalization, and ending punctuation). In addition, consider
the language standard for grade 5 (CCSS.L.5.3a), which
indicates that students should expand, combine, and reduce
sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style. These
flaws in organization present artificial divisions among the CCSS
for Reading, Language, and Writing. Everything from spelling
conventions, grammar, syntax, figurative language, and
vocabulary to style, tone, editing, revising, paraphrasing,
summarizing, making claims, and acknowledging counterclaims
are examples from the CCSS that reinforce good writing as well
as reading, speaking, and listening. These skills appear
throughout the CCSS for English language arts (ELA), albeit in
different areas. So, to fully analyze the Writing standards,
educators must mine through all of the related ELA CCSS. Even
if they spend the time to do this, educators still might not
emerge with an understanding of the strategies, amount of
practice, and explicit instruction that it takes to teach writing to
students.
In addition to these organizational issues, a noticeable
omission in the Writing standards is the need to teach and use
handwriting beyond the primary grades. Although the Language
standards call for legible manuscript writing in grades K–1, the
focus shifts to keyboarding in subsequent grades and leaves
cursive handwriting as an instructional option left up to
individual states or school districts. “Handwriting in the 21st
Century? An Educational Summit” brought educators and
researchers together in Washington, D.C. in 2012. Experts at the
summit raised important questions regarding handwriting,
cognitive development, and overall academic achievement.
Virginia Berninger, a leading researcher on handwriting and the
brain and the genetic basis of writing, presented at the summit.
She spoke about the research revealing how cursive, in particular,
is linked with brain functions around self-regulation and mental
organization—the very cognitive tasks necessary to write well.
Additional research reveals that students write faster, compose
more, and express themselves more comprehensively when essays
are written by hand rather than typed on a keyboard. (Berninger,
2012; Graham, 2005; Harris, 2005; Graham; Harris; Fink,
2000).
Although the CCSS clearly pinpoint the important
relationship between oral and written language as underlying
skills for effective communication, they do not reflect the body
of research indicating that handwriting fluency is a critical
constituent in setting up brain systems for reading acquisition
(James, 2012) and is evidenced to improve oral language, writing
quality and quantity, planning, thinking, and learning
(Berninger, 2012; Graham & Santangelo, 2012; Peverly, 2012).
The evidence was so compelling that a number of state
administrators, who had dropped handwriting from their
programs based on the CCSS, returned handwriting cursive
instruction to their curriculum after attending the summit.
Meeting the CCSS—What will it take?
Given the combination of increased demands on writing in
the CCSS and the limited clarity of the skills that underpin good
writing within them, teachers’ knowledge and skills to teach
writing is of even greater importance. Research suggests that
being taught by a well-trained teacher matters most among all
school-related factors (Rand Corporation, 2012). Unfortunately,
most teacher prep programs ignore the fact that writing is a set of
skills that can be successfully taught and improved through
explicit instruction using research-based strategies.
In the publication Effective Writing Instruction for All
Students, Steve Graham (2008) reports that many teachers do
not feel adequately prepared to teach writing. In fact, almost
50% of the teachers reported that they received minimal to no
preparation to teach writing. Clearly, the knowledge of validated
writing strategies should be included in teacher preparation
programs, and teacher certification should require an assessment
for proficiency in the teaching of writing.
For the past eight years, the National Council on Teacher
Quality (NCTQ) has conducted studies on the quality of teacher
Cont’d on page 3
3
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Cont’d from page 2
preparation programs. The NCTQ modeled their studies after
the Flexner report, a 1910 evaluation of medical training
programs conducted by the Carnegie Corporation. The Flexner
report issued a call to action for American medical schools to
require higher admission and graduation standards and to adhere
to research-based scientific protocols in their training. The result
of that effort was a revolution in the medical field that
transformed sub-standard doctor preparation programs into the
premier system for medical training in the world. Teacher prep
programs must have a similar revolution.
The NCTQ report has focused national attention on
teacher preparation. Arne Duncan (U.S. Department of
Education, 2011), United States Secretary of Education,
reported that 62% of all new teachers felt unprepared for the
realities of their classroom. He also equated this statistic to the
practice of medicine: “Imagine what our country would do if 62
percent of our doctors felt unprepared to practice medicine—
you would have a revolution in our medical schools.” Clearly this
level of unpreparedness serves as a call to action.
Since the 1970s and 1980s, teachers have encouraged
students to write without specific strategies and without explicit
feedback. This approach causes deficits, not only in writing, but
also in clarity of thought and the empathy required to
communicate effectively with a reader. If young students are
encouraged to focus primarily on their own experiences, they are
not going to build the background knowledge, vocabulary, and
understanding necessary to write effectively about expository and
argumentative topics. To close the achievement gap and meet
the needs of all learners, the philosophy that all children will
discover how to read and write “naturally” must be dispelled.
Beginning with the youngest students through those attending
high schools and college, writing assignments need to be focused
on a reader—the teacher, other students, or a designated
audience—rather than oneself.
National scores, school reports, and amount of remediation
necessary for most students to achieve success in college and the
workplace make it abundantly clear that a major paradigm shift
from the writing instruction typical in schools today is required.
Although grammar and spelling are important components of
writing, effective writing must also include skills necessary for
accuracy, precision, summarization, content, and structure. In
almost every type of coursework or career, people have to inform,
explain, and provide their reasoning in writing. Regardless of a
student’s major in school or future occupation, the ability to
think clearly and organize information in writing are the key
elements to successful communication. And, it is for that reason
the CCSS placed considerable emphasis on writing in the ELA
standards and as a means of demonstrating learning in other
subject areas.
Knowledge of Validated Writing Strategies Can
Change the Trajectory
Given the expectations for writing outlined in the CCSS,
the connection between research and practice becomes even
more important for educators. As a nation, we are losing ground
because of the ever-widening achievement gap among
socioeconomic groups. The gap begins in infancy and lasts
through a student’s academic lifetime and beyond. Informed
Judith C. Hochman, Ed.D. and Betsy MacDermott-Duffy, M.S. Ed.
teaching of writing, beginning with specific oral language
activities that are embedded in a child’s earliest learning and
school experiences, could change this trajectory. The rich
language exchanges that so many low-income students are not
exposed to in their early years can be addressed by enhancing the
syntax, vocabulary, and background knowledge of reading and
writing activities that students encounter as they proceed
through the grades.
High quality professional development in proven writing
strategies needs to be a top priority of school administrators for
their teachers. Researchers Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock
(2001) have employed scientific methods to measure the average
effects of specific instructional strategies used by teachers. Some
of these strategies can be directly applied to writing instruction.
For example, strategies such as analyzing complex problems by
comparing, contrasting, and organizing information using
outlines or graphic organizers greatly facilitate comprehension.
Taught correctly, summarizing and note taking can result in
large gains in student achievement in both reading and writing.
In the meta-analysis Writing Next (Graham & Perin, 2007),
a considerable number of studies focused on explicitly teaching
skills, processes, and knowledge, and all of these studies involved
sustained, direct and systematic instruction designed to facilitate
student mastery. Summarization skills, specific strategy
instruction, and sentence combining yielded positive and reliable
results. Sentence combining is supported as a highly effective
alternative approach to more traditional grammar instruction,
which produced a slight negative effect on student writing.
In the Carnegie Corporation’s press release for the 2010
report Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve
Reading, authored by Steve Graham and Michael Hebert (2010),
it is stated “though reading and writing are skills closely related,
writing is an often-overlooked tool for improving reading skills
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Fall 2015 The Beacon
Cont’d from page 3
and content learning.” This report provides teachers with
research-based information on how writing improves reading
and presents proof positive of the essential need for a greater
emphasis on writing instruction as an integral part of school
instruction.
The report (see pp. 11–21) identifies three closely related
writing practices to improve students’ reading:
1. Have Students Write About the Texts They Read.
Writing about a text enhances comprehension because it
provides students with a tool to visibly and permanently
record, connect, analyze, personalize, and manipulate key
ideas in text. Students’ comprehension of science, social
studies, and language arts is improved specifically when they
• Respond to a text in writing;
• Write summaries of a text;
• Write notes about a text;
• Answer questions about a text in writing, or create and
answer written questions about a text.
2. Teach Students the Writing Skills and Processes
That Go into Creating Text. Students’ reading skills and
comprehension are improved by learning the skills and
processes that go into creating text specifically when teachers
• Teach the process of writing, text structures for writing,
paragraph or sentence construction skills;
• Teach spelling and sentence construction skills; and
• Teach spelling skills.
3. Increase How Much Students Write. Students’ reading
comprehension is improved by having them increase how
often they produce their own text. The process of creating a
text prompts students to be more thoughtful and engaged
when reading text produced by others. The act of writing also
teaches students about the importance of stating assumptions
and premises clearly and observing the rules of logic. Students
also benefit from using experience and knowledge to create a
text as well as building relationships among words, sentences,
and paragraphs.
Writing to Read informs educators about the importance of
the reading and writing connection. When students are taught
how to take notes from a text, annotate text with questions and
connections, summarize important information and then
communicate that information to a reader, they process the
content on a deeper level. Thus, reading comprehension is
enhanced along with writing competence on both the sentence
and essay levels.
The Importance of the Sentence
One of the drawbacks of the CCSS is that they set
unrealistic expectations for students who have not mastered the
fundamentals of writing. One of the most fundamental skills a
good writer should have, an essential element of writing, is the
ability to develop a good sentence. Before students can make
meaning from complex text, they must be able to decipher
complex sentences (Eberhardt, 2013). Students are being pushed
to write paragraphs and multi-paragraph compositions before
they can produce a well-crafted sentence.
Cheryl Scott (2009), whose research interests include oral
and written language in school-age children and adolescents and
discourse analysis techniques, supports the concept that teaching
children to write more complex sentences may be an effective
way to improve sentence-level comprehension in reading. If
students are directly taught how to write linguistically complex
sentence forms and are provided practice with these forms, it is
reasonable to expect that when they encounter the same
structures in written text they will be better equipped to
comprehend that sentence type (Hochman, 2009). Moreover,
analytical thinking can and should begin at the sentence level.
Even if students master writing a simple sentence,
comprehending and incorporating expanded sentences into their
writing can be challenging. Students often assume that readers
possess the same amount of background knowledge they
themselves bring to a writing task. In a sentence expansion
activity, the essential message to students is placed on the
importance of providing more information to the reader.
Expansion activities start with an unelaborated sentence kernel
(e.g., subject + verb), which is expanded by answering questions.
Examples follow:
Example for Developing Writers
Kernel sentence: They study.
Who? students
When? before tests
Why? because they want good grades
How? hard
Expanded sentence: Before tests, students study hard because
they want good grades.
Example for Proficient Writers
Kernel sentence: He ordered secret bombing raids.
Who? Richard Nixon
Where? Cambodia
When? 1969
Why? to stop movement of North Vietnamese troops and
supplies
Expanded sentence: In 1969, President Nixon ordered secret
bombing raids in Cambodia to stop the movement of North
Vietnamese troops and supplies.
The CCSS Writing standards reinforce the importance of
conjunctions and transitions in developing more complex
sentences and connecting ideas. (See Figure 1.) Analyzing the
actions of an important figure in history, the impact of a current
event, or the influence of a scientific discovery, can reinforce
higher-level thinking and writing skills and can be introduced in
the elementary grades. For example, conjunctions (e.g., because,
but, and so) can be used as sentence starters or sentence
completers to support critical thinking and analytical skills
(Hochman, 2009).
Examples for Developing Writers
• George Washington is remembered because he was the first
president of the United States.
• George Washington is remembered, but he lost many
battles.
• George Washington is remembered, so we celebrate him as
“the father of our country.”
Examples for Proficient Writers
• The GI bill was eventually passed because legislators agreed
that something had to be done to help veterans assimilate
4
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Figure 1. Developing complex sentences
Figure 1. Developing complex sentences
Figure 2. Example of a sentence frame
Figure 2. Example of a sentence frame
into civilian life.
Examples
• The GIfor
billDeveloping
was eventually
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Writers
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• Congress
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he GI bill
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ders two countries.
Graphic organizers that provide a sentence frame scaffold
Examples
for Proficient
can
help developing
writersWriters
use conjunctions in their writing. See
• The2 and
Etruscans,
Rome’s early ruling people, were eventuFigures
3.
ally overthrown
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• The Romans
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left-branching
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the grades, the expectation for
Examples
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the quality
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• After my class planted the seeds,
green plants started to
Sentence
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be
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improve
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are also
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research-based
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Since the
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to lean toward the sun.
(Hochman, 2009). Their communication often exhibits
Examples for Proficient Writers
enhanced complexity and coherence, and their reading com • Even though cells appear to be very small compartments,
prehension will show improvement (Tierney & Shanahan,
they hold all of the biological constituents necessary to keep
1991; Fitzgerald & Shanahan, 2000; Moats, 2006; Graham &
themselves alive.
Hebert, 2010). The ability to write effective sentences forms the
• While the outer membrane of mitochondrion is smooth, the
foundation for writing expository and argumentative essays.
inner one is folded into tubule structures called cristae.
• If cells are not actively dividing, they are said to be in
The Importance
interphase. of an Organizational Frame—
Outline
to Essay in the use of appositive phrases (i.e., those in
Instruction
As
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thatparaphrasing,
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5
Figure 3. Examples of sentence frames
Figure 3. Examples of sentence frames
Examples for Developing Writers
argumentative
• New York City,
an urban
community,
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andemphasis
busy.
writing.
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CCSS, the
should
• Niagara
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research-based
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Since presenting
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enhanced
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1991;
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foundation
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ten from outlines assist the writer in avoiding tangential information
and underdeveloped
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The
Importance
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paragraph
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Outline
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maps
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placetheinparaphrasing,
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Figurenarrative,
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be effective
A good
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depends
upon
abilityshould
to write
forming
a
solid
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the
writing
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most
often
sentences, but a novice writer also needs direct instruction to
organize information and develop an expository composition or
Cont’d
on page 6
argument. Thought and organization are the
characteristics
Continued on page 36
6
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Cont’d from page 5
required for school assignments, which are expository and
argumentative. Writing and thinking are closely linked, and so
instruction should, above all, help students enhance clarity and
precision to structure their ideas. Writing should not be taught
in isolation from content, though some teachers object because
they think that writing will slow down their ability to cover the
material in their subjects. To the contrary, writing will enhance
their students’ ability to understand subject matter (Graham &
Hebert, 2010). Students, particularly those who struggle in
school, should be taught how to write about the content that
they are learning so they can comprehend and retain important
information. Writing is the final, common pathway of cognition
and language (Scott, 1999; 2005). Scott describes the command
of linguistic knowledge, world knowledge, and social cognition
(i.e., understanding another’s point of view) that a proficient
writer must bring to the task.
Since presenting expository information to a reader should
be done in an ordered, sequential, linear form, outlining a paper
as an initial exercise is key. A linear outline helps ensure a clear
overall structure, supports analytical thinking, and provides
support to the writer in linking related ideas. Essays written from
outlines assist the writer in avoiding tangential information and
underdeveloped paragraphs and ensure that each paragraph
contains sufficient factual support. Although concept maps have
a place in vocabulary relationships or concept building, their
designs do not convert well into the type of written expression
that is needed to effectively organize or convey information
about a topic and provide key evidence to support facts or
present counterpoints in argumentative writing. See Figure 4.
A good essay depends upon the ability to write effective
sentences, but a novice writer also needs direct instruction to
organize information and develop an expository composition or
argument. Thought and organization are the characteristics that
separate strong expository writing from weak. Good writing is as
much about the organization of a writer’s thinking as it is about
writing itself (Hochman, 2009).
Writing is how students connect the dots in
their knowledge. Although many models of
effective ways to teach writing exist, both the
teaching and practice of writing are increasingly
shortchanged throughout the school and
college years . . .
–National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges,
2003
A Successful Revolution Brings About Reform—
Call to Action
Although the NAEP results report that approximately three
quarters of the nation’s students are not at the “proficient level”
in writing, research identifying evidence-based strategies in
writing instruction gives much cause for hope that this dire
statistic can be drastically reduced. The amount of writing
research available compared to that on reading is miniscule, but
effective practices for the teaching of writing have now been
identified through several comprehensive meta-analyses of
writing interventions noted in this article. Meeting the standards
Effective Writing Instruction
Figure 4. Concept Map
Figure 4. Concept map.
continued from page 35
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set forth by the CCSS must begin with teacher preparation
that separate strong expository writing from weak. Good writing
programs grounded in these research-based writing strategies.
is as much about the organization of a writer’s thinking as it is
Explicit
instruction in expository writing should commence in
about writing itself (Hochman, 2009).
the earliest grades and continue through high school to produce
young people who are adequately prepared for college and the
workforce. Teachers must be cognizant of the demands the
Referen
Writing is how students connect the dots in their
Berninger,
writing process places on students and the amount of direct
skills K–
knowledge.
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models
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to teach
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good writers.
Handwr
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recent
meta-analyses
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research is needed on the effects of integrating reading, content, Carnegie C
the school and college years . . .
powerfu
and writing instruction. Using effective writing strategies will
carnegie
—National
Commission
Writing
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America’s
Schools
help
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and on
writing
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improve
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that-wri
and Colleges,
2003
comprehension
in all
content areas. A combination of evidence- Eberhardt,
Languag
based sentence strategies to build linguistic complexity in writing
Fitzgerald,
and the use of linear outlines to develop well-structured
ment. Ed
A Successful Revolution Brings About Reform—
paragraphs, summaries, and expository and argumentative essays
Call to Action
Graham, S
will enable
students
to master
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skillsthat
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close
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Although
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quarters
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students are
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“proficient level”
gling w
advance
analytical
thinking.
Students
who have learned
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in writing,
research
identifying
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Accelera
skills
will have
the ability
use writing
classroom
discourse
writing
instruction
givestomuch
cause and
for hope
that this
dire
Graham, S
to statistic
deeply internalize
content area
concepts,
on to make
can be drastically
reduced.
The go
amount
of writing
to write
connections
to new understandings,
and
convey
research available
compared to that
onsuccessfully
reading is miniscule,
Educatio
information to others as mandated by the CCSS in literacy.
36 Perspectives
on Language
and Literacy
Springin2015
Indeed,
these new standards
are an impetus
for change
writing
instruction. However, the CCSS provide a set of goals without a
detailed map showing teachers how to reform their practices to
achieve these goals. To truly succeed in revolutionizing writing
instruction, every teacher in every grade and content area must
endeavor to become writing teachers.
Fall 2015 The Beacon
References
Berninger, V. (2012, January). Evidence-based, developmentally appropriate writing skills
K–5: Teaching the orthographic loop of working memory to write letters so developing
writers can spell words and express ideas. Paper presented at Handwriting in the 21st
Century? An Educational Summit, co-sponsored by American Association of School
Administrators and Zaner Bloser, Washington, DC.
Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2010). New report finds that writing can be powerful
driver for improving reading skills [Press release]. Retrieved from http:// carnegie.org/
news/press-releases/story/news-action/single/view/new-report-findsthat- writing-can-bepowerful-driver-for-improving-reading-skills
Eberhardt, N. (2013). Syntax: Somewhere between words and text. Perspectives on Language
and Literacy, 39(3), 43–48.
Fitzgerald, J., & Shanahan, T. (2000). Reading and writing relations and their development.
Educational Psychologist, 35, 39–50.
Graham, S. (2008). Effective writing instruction for all students. Retrieved from http:// doc.
renlearn.com/KMNet/R004250923GJCF33.pdf
Graham, S., & Harris, K. (2005). Improving the writing performance of young struggling
writers: Theoretical and programmatic research from the Center on Accelerating Student
Learning. Journal of Special Education 39(10), 19–33.
Graham, S., Harris, K., & Fink, B. (2000). Is handwriting causally related to learning to
write? Treatment of handwriting problems in beginning writers. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 92, 620–633.
Graham, S., & Hebert, M. A. (2010). Writing to read: Evidence for how writing can
improve reading. A Carnegie Corporation Time to Act Report. Washington, DC:
Alliance for Excellent Education.
Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of
adolescents in middle and high schools – A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
Graham, S., & Santangelo, T. (2012, January). A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of
teaching handwriting. Paper presented at Handwriting in the 21st Century? An
Educational Summit, co-sponsored by American Association of School Administrators
and Zaner Bloser, Washington, DC.
Hochman, J. (2009). Teaching basic writing skills: Strategies for effective expository writing
instruction. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.
James, K. H. (2012, January). How printing practice affects letter perception: An
educational cognitive neuroscience perspective. Paper presented at Handwriting in the
21st Century? An Educational Summit, co-sponsored by American Association of School
Administrators and Zaner Bloser, Washington, DC.
Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during
instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery,
problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2),
75–86.
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works:
Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Moats, L. (Winter 2005/06). How spelling supports reading—and why it is more regular
and predictable than you may think. American Educator, 12–22, 42–43.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). The nation’s report card: Writing 2011
(NCES 2012–470). Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education,
Washington, D.C.
National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges. (2003). The neglected
“R”: The need for a writing revolution. New York, NY: College Board.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School
Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards. Washington, DC: Author. Peverly, S.
(2012, January). The relationship of transcription speed and other cognitive variables to
note-taking and test performance. Paper presented at Handwriting in the 21st Century?
An Educational Summit, co-sponsored by American Association of School Administrators
and Zaner Bloser, Washington, DC.
Rand Corporation. (2012). Teachers matter: Understanding teachers’ impact on student
achievement. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/ corporate_
pubs/2012/RAND_CP693z1-2012-09.pdf
Scott, C. M. (1999). Learning to write. In A. G. Kamhi & H. W. Catts (Eds.), Language
and reading disabilities (pp. 224–258). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Scott, C. M. (2005). Learning to write. In A. G. Kamhi & H. W. Catts (Eds.), Language
and reading disabilities (pp. 233–273). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Scott, C. M. (2009). A case for the sentence in reading comprehension. Language, Speech,
and Hearing Services in Schools, 40, 184–191.
Tierney, R. J., & Shanahan, T. (1991). Research on the reading-writing relationship:
Interactions, transactions and outcomes. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, & P. D.
Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research: Volume II (pp. 246–280). Hillsdale, NJ:
Erlbaum.
U.S. Department of Education. (2011). Secretary Arne Duncan’s remarks at the Education
Sector Forum. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/ new-approach-teachereducation-reform-and-improvement
Judith Hochman, Ed.D., is the author of Teaching Basic Writing
Skills: Strategies for Effective Expository Writing Instruction. She is
the former Superintendent of the Greenburgh Graham Union
Free School District and former Head of The Windward School
in New York. Dr. Hochman is the founder and senior faculty
member of the Windward Teacher Training Institute. She
established The Writing Revolution, a national not-for-profit
organization dedicated to teaching students from underserved
school districts to think clearly and reflect that thinking in their
writing. You can write to Dr. Hochman at jhochman@
thewritingrevolution.org
Betsy MacDermott-Duffy, M.S.Ed., is the Director of Language
Arts at The Windward School and former Director of
Curriculum Instruction at The Graham School. She presents at
conferences throughout the United States on reading, writing,
vocabulary strategies and the CCSS, and serves as a consultant
for several online educational companies. Ms. MacDermottDuffy is the author of the Teaching Basic Writing Skills Activity
Templates. In addition to holding a master’s degree in learning
disabilities, Ms. MacDermott-Duffy is certificated in advanced
graduate study of staff development and holds a master’s degree
in school administration and supervision. n
Read Annals of Dyslexia Online!
Volume 65, Issue 1, April 2015
IDA members can access the following articles from the April
2015 issue of Annals of Dyslexia with all the benefits of
electronic access:
• Greater functional connectivity between reading and
error-detection regions following training with the reading
acceleration program in children with reading difficulties
Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus & Scott K. Holland
• Evaluation of ocular movements in patients with dyslexia
Aldo Vagge, Margherita Cavanna, Carlo Enrico Traverso, &
Michele Iester
• Reading difficulties in Spanish adults with dyslexia Paz
Suárez-Coalla & Fernando Cuetos
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8
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Head Lines
High Quality Teachers Matter Most
By Dr. John J. Russell, Head of School
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
~Henry Brooks Adams
T
he quality of teachers has long been identified as the
most significant influence on student achievement.
Acknowledging the importance of teacher quality, the
federal No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110,
2002) required that by 2005-06 all children should be taught by
“highly qualified” teachers in the core academic subjects (Palmer,
2015). Unfortunately this ambitious goal is not close to being
achieved.
In July 2014, The New York Times published an insightful
article written by Elizabeth Green that reinforces Adams’s thesis
regarding the profound effect that teachers have on their
students and underscores the necessity of highly qualified
teachers. In her piece, Ms. Green identifies the poor quality of
teacher preparation programs as one of the root causes of
American students’ poor math performance. Tragically, lack of
adequate training is not limited to the preparation of math
teachers. Also in 2014, the National Council on Teacher Quality
(NCTQ) released its annual review of teacher preparation
programs in the United States, Teacher Prep Review 2014. As
was the case in previous studies, colleges and universities were
once again cited for their substandard preparation of teachers.
As Ms. Green noted, and the NCTQ report confirms, there
remains a significant disconnect between the preparation
teachers need in order to be successful, and the preparation they
actually receive in their pre-service and graduate education
courses.
Teacher preparation programs simply do not sufficiently
prepare new teachers for the classroom, and state licensing
examinations are not rigorous enough to protect students from
teachers who are ill-equipped to teach not only math but also
reading, writing, science, and social studies. As part of its 2014
review, NCTQ evaluated 687 college and university pre-service
teacher education programs that claim to prepare teachers to
teach students who are identified as “struggling readers” and
found that 75% of these programs did not meet the basic
standards set by NCTQ. Further buttressing the link between
the poor quality of preparation of reading teachers and future
student performance, Joshi and his colleagues (2009) found that
only 2% of the students who receive remedial instruction for
reading difficulties complete a 4-year post-high school degree.
In order to teach reading effectively, teachers must be
knowledgeable of oral and written language concepts as well as
the most effective research-based instructional practices (Budin,
Mather, & Cheesman, 2010). Unfortunately, undergraduate and
graduate education programs are not providing teachers with
this knowledge. Writing in the Journal of Learning Disabilities
(2009), Louisa Moats cites research by Walsh, Glaser, & DunneWilcox (2006) that states, “courses provided in teacher licensing
programs are often insufficient in content and design to enable
the students to learn the subject matter and apply it to the
teaching of reading.” An earlier study (Moats & Lyon, 1996) also
demonstrated that teachers have “insufficiently developed concepts
about language and pervasive conceptual weaknesses in the very
skills that are needed for direct, systematic, language-focused
reading instruction, such as the abilities to count phonemes and
to identify phonic relationships.” Moats and Lyon’s findings have
been confirmed by Cheesman et al. (2009) who found that only
18 percent of first-year teachers could distinguish between
phonemic awareness and phonics instruction.
In public and independent schools across the nation, there
has been a very slow but increasing awareness of the inadequacy
of teacher preparation programs. At The Windward School, we
have long recognized the deficits that smart, conscientious
teachers bring with them simply because they did not receive
proper training at their colleges and universities to effectively
teach reading and writing. Recognizing that all of its teachers
would benefit from a comprehensive research-based professional
development program, the School created the Windward
Teacher Training Institute (WTTI) in 1988. The WTTI is
dedicated to providing the type of training that enables
Fall 2015 The Beacon
professionals to acquire the expertise needed to teach children of This mentoring is the second critical reason that Windward
all abilities in both mainstream and remedial classrooms. It offers
teachers become such high-quality teachers capable of delivering
professional development based on the most current, scientifically
a research-based program in the most effective manner.
validated research in reading and writing instruction as well as
Windward teachers’ passion for providing high-quality
child development, learning theory, and pedagogy. WTTI courses, instruction is clearly evident in their commitment to
workshops, and lectures translate this research into practical
professional development that continues unabated for their
classroom applications.
entire career at Windward. For example, last year Windward’s
Every new Windward faculty member—those with teaching faculty collectively participated in over 10,000 hours of
experience as well as those just starting their teaching career—
professional development.
enter a two-year professional development program at WTTI.
Given the dedication of Windward teachers and the high
This teacher-training program is demanding and intensive. It is
quality of the instruction they deliver, it is not surprising that
one of the reasons our teachers are incredibly knowledgeable of
they have a profound effect on the success that their students
the language concepts that are essential for teaching children to
achieve. Over the last 10 years, 98% of the students who left
read with confidence, write with purpose, and
achieve the skills necessary to lead a life of
fulfillment and accomplishment.
“Windward teachers’ passion for providing high-quality
Knowledge of research-based curriculums in
instruction is clearly evident in their commitment to
reading and writing is absolutely necessary, but
professional development that continues unabated for
not sufficient to insure high quality teaching.
their entire career at Windward.”
Teachers must also be able to effectively deliver
instruction. Typically, teachers are expected to
learn how to deliver instruction in methods
Windward were reading in the average to above average range,
classes and during their time as student-teachers. Most preand contrary to Joshi’s findings, Windward’s once “struggling
service teacher education programs require only 12 weeks of
readers” go on to success in colleges and universities (see our
field work as student-teachers. Only recently has there been a
profile of alumnus Andrew Mollerus on page 12 in this edition
somewhat muted call to extend this period of instructional skill
of The Beacon).
development (Education Week, July 28, 2015).
Windward students’ academic performance and the
Since the inception of Windward’s professional development
testimonials of countless Windward alumni and their parents
programs, all teachers new to the School have been required to
confirm the profound immediate and long-term effects that
work in the classrooms of a master teacher for extended periods
Windward’s dedicated, highly qualified teachers have on their
of time – minimally one year, more often two or three years. In
students. As Head of School, I am motivated every day by my
addition to the invaluable learning experience of seeing master
agreement with Henry Brooks Adams and by my conviction
teachers expertly deliver our research-based language program,
that every Windward teacher “affects eternity.” We will never be
new teachers receive continuous coaching and mentoring from
able to tell where our influence stops; I suspect it never does. n
the master teachers, curriculum coordinators, and administrators.
9
10
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Evolving Perspectives on Child Discipline:
The Intersection of Social Trends and Science
By David Anderson, Ph.D.
I
t’s the small stuff—the everyday
rituals—that can sometimes lead to
the most predictable and stressful
patterns of parent-child interaction.
Morning, homework, mealtime, and
bedtime routines are often paired with
significant time pressure, conflicting needs,
and thoughts about what has to get done
in order to be ready for the following day.
For busy families, there may only be rare,
fleeting moments to really think through
and strategize around the cycles of family
interactions that happen day in and day
out. And when children misbehave, even
the most capable, loving, and devoted
parents can find themselves at a loss when
it comes to handling the situation
effectively.
... over 30 countries have banned the use of corporal
punishment altogether, while 19 U.S. states still allow
corporal punishment of children in schools.
On the subject of child discipline and
behavior management, there is a lot of
help, advice, and information out there.
However, it can be extremely difficult for
parents to sift through it all, especially
amidst so much pressure to get it right and
to do so right away. The New York Times
bestsellers [photo at right] highlight a
number of trends at work in the pressurecooker of modern parenting, promising to
help parents to promote their child’s
success in life, foster grit and resilience,
build character, and solve problems in
communication with children. Much of
the material in these resources is drawn
from research, but it can be hard to see
how the research translates into everyday
life. In fact, to illustrate the contrast
between understanding behavior
management conceptually and actually
becoming adept at applying these
strategies, the book, How To Talk So Kids
Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk,
begins with a particularly brilliant
witticism, “I was a wonderful parent before
I had children,” (Faber & Mazlish, 2012,
p.1).
During the most challenging
moments of child and adolescent behavior,
a good book about parenting strategies
might not be as prominent in a parent’s
mind as the wish for a quick solution,
something that will immediately stop the
behavior that is occurring at that very
moment. Certain techniques, such as
yelling or lecturing the child about why
their behavior was wrong, might appear to
work for a brief period, but soon enough,
the behaviors return. Especially with young
children, parent surveys suggest that a
significant majority of parents will
eventually utilize some form of physical
punishment like spanking (McKee et al.,
2007). The practice persists even when a
wealth of research has strongly indicated
that these interventions do not increase
long-term compliance or decrease
Fall 2015 The Beacon
aggression (Gershoff, 2013), may lead to
increased problems in the parent-child
relationship, and contribute to higher risk
for anxiety disorders, depression, and
substance use over the course of the child’s
development (Gershoff & Bitensky, 2007).
Moreover, just the addition of positive
parenting practices and increased parental
warmth does not effectively buffer against
the developmental effects of harsh verbal
or physical discipline (McKee et al., 2007).
Instead, evidence-based intervention for
behavioral problems requires replacing
harsh discipline with a package of
strategies involving reinforcing positive
behavior, withdrawing attention from
minor misbehavior, sparingly but
consistently applying punishment, and
developing valuable cognitive-behavioral
and problem-solving skills (Eyberg,
Nelson, & Boggs, 2008).
Even in light of this abundance of
clear scientific evidence related to child
discipline, the interplay of sociopolitical
forces and societal attitudes is much more
complex and nuanced on this topic.
Forehand and McKinney (1993) have
traced how movements in child discipline
have evolved over the past few centuries,
highlighting how social trends have
vacillated back and forth between
recommendations for strict or lax child
discipline while also noting the only very
recent transition of authority on discipline
from religious to psychological experts.
Furthermore, the recent coverage of Adrian
Peterson’s NFL suspension powerfully
illustrated a wide range of media and press
viewpoints on child discipline. And finally,
certain issues illuminate stark disparities on
international and national levels: over 30
countries have banned the use of corporal
punishment altogether, while 19 U.S.
states still allow corporal punishment of
children in schools (Gershoff, 2013).
At times, it can feel like there are an
overwhelming number of persuasive and
ever-evolving viewpoints to consider. In
my upcoming Fall Community Lecture at
the Windward School, I will provide a
framework for vibrant discussion of
perspectives on child discipline,
incorporating videos and visual aids to
contextualize and blend these issues with
the most up-to-date psychological research.
For more information, please visit https://
www.thewindwardschool.org/lecture.
11
Eyberg, S.M., Nelson, M.N., & Boggs, S.R.
(2008). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments
for children and adolescents with disruptive
behavior. Journal of Clinical Child and
Adolescent Psychology, 37(1), 215-237.
Faber, A. & Mazlish, E. (2012). How to talk
so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk. New
York: Avon Books.
Forehand, R.F., & McKinney, B. (1993).
Historical overview of child discipline in the
United States: Implications for mental health
clinicians and researchers. Journal of Child and
Family Studies, 2(3), 221-228.
Gershoff, E.T. (2013). Spanking and child
development: We know enough now to stop
hitting our children. Child Development
Perspectives, 7(3), 133-137.
Gershoff, E.T., & Bitensky, S.H. (2007). The
case against corporal punishment of children:
Converging evidence from social science
research and international human rights law and
implications for U.S. public policy. Psychology,
Public Policy, and Law, 13(4), 231-272.
McKee, L., Roland, E., Coffelt, N., Olson,
A.L., Forehand, R., Massari, C., Jones, D.,
Gaffney, C.A., & Zens, M.S. (2007). Harsh
discipline and child problem behaviors: The roles
of positive parenting and gender. Journal of
Family Violence, 22, 187-196. n
12
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Faculty Essay
The Windward School Vocabulary Program:
A Research-Based Approach
By Betsy MacDermott-Duffy, M.S. Ed.
Director of Language Arts and Instruction
“The more words you know, the more clearly and powerfully you will think ... and
the more ideas you will invite into your mind.”
~Wilfred Funk, President of Funk & Wagnalls
J
ust as there is a need for a
revolution instruction, there is
urgent need for more systematic,
intensive, and effective vocabulary
in research-based strategies. The American
Educator (2003) published the article “The
Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word
Gap by Age 3.” This summary of research
by University of Kansas scientists Betty
Hart and Todd R. Risley alerted
professionals to the fact that early language
experiences in low socioeconomic
environments can have lasting effects on a
child’s academic performance later in life.
Students who enter school with language
impairments are also known to be at high
risk for literacy deficits. A strong, positive,
reciprocal relationship between word
knowledge and reading comprehension is
indicated in the research on reading and
vocabulary. The National Reading Panel
identifies vocabulary as one of five major
components of reading and links its
importance specifically to reading
comprehension and to overall school
success. Additionally, the Common Core
State Standards (CCSS), a set of national
benchmarks to ensure college and career
readiness, places an emphasis on
vocabulary throughout the reading,
writing, language, speaking and listening
strands.
In order to address vocabulary growth
in schools, it is necessary to understand
how to create effective word learning
environments. Early word learning takes
place through oral contexts, and languagerich environments clearly play a role in
vocabulary development throughout life.
However, the research indicates that once
children learn to decode, most words are
learned indirectly through wide reading,
i.e., reading that exposes students to a
variety of topics, vocabulary, and concepts
(Cunningham & Stanovich, 2001; Stahl,
1999; Nagy & Herman, 1985). In a later
work by Ann E. Cunningham (2005), it
was further noted that structured readalouds, discussion sessions, and
independent reading experiences, both at
school and home, encourage vocabulary
growth in students. Just as important,
however, is the fact that explicitly teaching
certain words, morphology, and word
origins should be an essential part of any
vocabulary program (Beck, McKeown &
Kucan, 2002; Blachowicz & Fisher; Juel &
Deffes, 2004). The Windward School
vocabulary program incorporates all these
important research-based features for
robust vocabulary learning through multifaceted instruction.
The language-based curriculum at
The Windward School provides carefully
planned content information presented to
facilitate learning and enrich the language
experiences of the students through
reading, writing, and discussions. Teachers
examine every lesson in order to identify
hidden language demands that may pose
challenges for students. Teachers annotate
text and designate a range of questions and
comments to be used during the lesson,
identifying crucial vocabulary. For readings,
teachers plan and provide student-friendly
definitions for unfamiliar words that may
present comprehension difficulties for
students. Research studies have shown
significant student vocabulary gains from
readings with brief teacher explanations of
words; therefore, providing a quick
explanation of unknown terms is important
(Johnson & Yeates, 2007). Teachers also
utilize a planning tool called a 4-square to
carefully create a balance of simple to
complex comments and questions based
on Bloom’s Taxonomy, a hierarchy of
question terms that teachers use to guide
students through a learning process. Then,
teachers present content starting with a
review of prior knowledge of skills and
concepts in an organized and sequential
manner while continually assessing
understanding. This approach to planning
and teaching promotes language engagement
and comprehension of important
vocabulary words and concepts during
lessons.
Another integral part of The
Windward School curriculum is ReadAlouds, which serve multiple purposes. In
grades one through four a designated
15-minute Read-Aloud period is scheduled
four times per week. In addition both
fiction and non-fiction Read-Alouds are
incorporated in the language arts classes as
well as science, math, social studies, and
library periods. As students advance to
middle school, teachers continue to use a
wide range of Read-Aloud materials. Books
and articles are read to students in classes
as stimuli for discussion and writing
assignments. Reading aloud to students
also helps develop thinking skills,
vocabulary, a love of reading, and background knowledge, in addition to providing
motivation for curriculum topics.
Since the research supports some
explicit instruction of vocabulary words,
stressing the importance of repetition and
multiple exposures to words, the School
uses a carefully designed vocabulary model
based on the work of Isabel Beck (2002).
Fall 2015 The Beacon
13
3-Tier Model for Choosing Vocabulary
Words from Text
Low-frequency words
peninsula/ metamorphosis/oligarchy
Tier 3
Beck’s work is widely cited throughout
years of research on vocabulary acquisition,
specifically in the National Reading Panel
Report and in the appendices of the
CCSS. Beck and her colleagues created a
three-tiered system for selecting target
words to deep teach. Tier 1 words include
basic, concrete words that children
generally know and don’t have to be
taught, unless they are English language
learners. These include words such as walk,
store, and baby.
Tier 2 words are more abstract,
general academic words that can be used
across content areas. They are often
encountered in written language more
than in oral language and have high utility
for usage. Tier 2 words are generally taught
within the language arts lessons. These
include words such as ludicrous, neutral,
and critical. Consider the word critical,
and think about its high utility usage in
various contexts. Examples would be a
critical debate, critical mass in physics,
critical thinking, critical care, critical
Tier 2
Words to Teach
neutral/revolution/Compound
melancholy/sinister/ludicrous
Tier 1
Basic Words
baby/walk/happy/house
acclaim, critical wartime specialties, to be
critical. Although the model calls for brief
lessons in direct vocabulary instruction,
the lessons are well-designed, embedded in
rich contexts, and highly engaging. Using
the Beck Model, teachers carefully choose
Tier 2 words, and the students are provided
multiple opportunities to practice the
specialized, content-specific words with
precise meanings such as colonists, isotope,
and peninsula. These words are
comprehensively taught in the content
areas. If the word peninsula were to appear
in a current events article read in a
language arts class, the teacher would
quickly define it as “a piece of land that is
Reading widely, writing about expository topics, and
explicitly teaching carefully selected words, word learning
strategies, morphology, and word origins are all important
components in any vocabulary learning program.
words from many perspectives. This
strategy affords students chances to learn
new vocabulary, practice pronouncing the
words, generalize word learning strategies,
and develop an interest in and an
appreciation for words. Students at The
Windward School truly enjoy learning
vocabulary by participating in this very
interactive group experience.
In contrast, Tier 3 words are highly
bordered by water on three sides” and
possibly point to Florida on a map for
clarification. This would not be an
example of deep teaching a word, but
rather a carefully constructed first exposure
to the term. In order to deep teach Tier 3
words in social studies and science classes,
teachers guide students in the creation of
concept cards that go beyond the simple
Cont’d on page 14
14
Fall 2015 The Beacon
The Windward School Vocabulary Program: A Research-Based Approach
Cont’d from page 13
definitional knowledge of flashcards.
Students create their own concept
sentences by answering question words,
using phonological and morphological
information about the word, and deciding
on related terms. (See Figure 1.) This
strategic model helps students focus on key
components of the concept term, use
individually designed drawings to represent
the concept, and associate related words
and prior knowledge. The model for the
card is based on 25 years of research that
came out of The University of Kansas
Center for Research on Learning and
research from best practices in language
development. Beyond careful lesson
planning, the Beck Model and concept
cards, vocabulary development is enhanced
through advanced work in multisyllable
words, spelling patterns, a study of Greek
and Latin roots, and higher level work in
morphology.
The vocabulary program at The
Windward School has continued to
develop over the past several years. From
testing results on the vocabulary subtest of
the Stanford 10 Achievement Test, the
trend since 2010 has been a statistically
significant increase in the average mean of
students’ vocabulary scores. This appears
to be a direct result of the program’s
impact and the manner in which faculty
and students embrace it as an important
component of the curriculum.
Reading widely, writing about
expository topics, and explicitly teaching
carefully selected words, word learning
strategies, morphology, and word origins
are all important components in any
vocabulary learning program (See figure
2.) These are the constituents of The
Windward School vocabulary program
that improve students’ vocabulary, develop
word consciousness, provide rich and
varied language experiences and, most
importantly, foster a love of learning
words!
References
Figure 1. Concept Card
Figure 2. Concept Sentence and Related Terms
Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan,
L. (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust
vocabulary instruction. New York: Guilford Press
Blachowicz, Camille L. Z., and Peter
Fisher. “Vocabulary Lessons.” Educational
Leadership (March 2004): 66-69.
Cunningham, A. E. (2005). Vocabulary
growth through independent reading and
reading aloud to children. In E.H. Hiebert &
M. Kamil (Eds.), Bringing Scientific Research to
Practice: Vocabulary (pp. 45-68). Mahwah, N.J.:
Erlbaum.
Cunningham, A., & Stanovich, K. (2001).
What reading does for the mind. Journal of
Direct Instruction, 1(2), 137–149.
Hart, B. & Risley, T.R. “The Early
Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age
3.” (2003, spring). American Educator, pp.4-9
Johnson, C. J., & Yeates, E. (2007).
Evidence-Based Vocabulary Instruction for
Elementary Students Via Storybook Reading. EBP
Briefs, 1, 25-40
Juel, C. & Deffes, R. (2004). Making
words stick. Educational Leadership: What
Research Says about Reading. 61 (6), 30-34.
Nagy, W., Herman, P., and Anderson, R.
1985. Learning words from context. Reading
Research Quarterly 17: 233-255.
Stahl, S.A. (1999). Vocabulary development.
Cambridge, MA: Brookline. n
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Windward Teacher Training Institute
WTTI Expands to its First-Ever Simulcast
The summer 2015 program at Windward Teacher Training Institute (WTTI) hosted over 400
teachers from The Windward School and public and independent schools worldwide. Courses
included Expository Writing Instruction, Meaningful Math, Improving Math Competence,
Multisensory Reading Instruction, Multisensory Reading Practicum, and Language, Learning and
Literacy: Foundations of Academic Success.
During the Multisensory Reading course, presented by Phyllis Bertin, M.S., co-author of
Preventing Academic Failure (PAF), more than 50 educators from the El Dorado School District
in Arkansas joined via teleconferencing the 75 local teachers who were in attendance at WTTI for
Windward’s first-ever simulcast of a full-length course.
The event was a seminal moment in WTTI’s efforts to expand the reach and impact of the
professional development offerings based on scientifically validated research in child development,
learning theory and pedagogy.
Go to thewindwardschool.org for more information. n
After the simulcast, Phyllis Bertin, M.S., answered participants’ questions about the Multisensory Reading course.
15
16
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Alumnus Profile
Andrew Mollerus, Class of 2012:
A Scholar and a Sailor
By Bonni Brodnick
W
hen Andrew Mollerus ’12
speaks, one is immediately
struck by his congenial and
modest eloquence. He
downplays his meteoric academic success,
his accomplishments and awards in math
and the sciences, and his distinguished
career as a competitive sailor who has raced
competitively in more than 15 countries.
It is hard to believe that this
remarkably gifted young man with so
many triumphs once struggled both
academically and personally. By the time
Andrew was in second grade at Rye
Country Day School, he was frustrated
Clearly, Windward and Andrew thought
otherwise,” writes Mrs. Mollerus, Andrew’s
mother, in a recent note to Head of
School, Dr. Russell.
As a third grader, Andrew came to the
Lower School where Windward’s classroom
size and instructional style immediately
addressed his learning differences. “The
teaching was far beyond anything I had
ever seen. You get to the School, and you
can see results within a month, which was
just incredible,” Andrew recalls.
Soon, he was volunteering to answer
questions in class and reading voraciously.
His self-confidence soared, and he
“Once I started at Windward, both my sailing and my studies
improved. I don’t really know why, but they fed off of each
other. While the skill sets are different, there’s an overlap
with respect to being highly attentive and highly organized.”
that he wasn’t keeping up with his
classmates. “I was the one kid in class who
couldn’t read and didn’t want to learn
how,” he says.
In recollecting how difficult it was to
complete assignments, Andrew remembers
one day when he was doing homework in
the back of the car. “I took the homework
and threw it at the front windshield.”
Shortly thereafter, his family sought
out The Windward School.
“I recall very clearly the day Andrew
met with the psychologist who conducted
the first testing. He thought it unlikely
that Andrew would ever attend college.
embraced his newly discovered reading
skills, going through “maybe 100 books”
within six months.
“The summer before I came to
Windward, I also took my first sailing
class. Once I started at Windward, both
my sailing and my studies improved. I
don’t really know why, but they fed off of
each other. While the skill sets are
different, there’s an overlap with respect to
being highly attentive and highly
organized. It was really refreshing to start
being decent at something.”
Andrew remained at Windward for
three years and competed in his first
national sailing championship the summer
before returning to Rye Country Day
School in sixth grade.
When he reached high school, his
course load included honors English,
physics, and other math and science
classes. He was recognized with numerous
academic awards, including the Rensselaer
Award from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, which honors those high school
students who excel in math and science. At
the conclusion of Andrew’s sophomore
year, he was invited to join his school’s
physics team, which went on to win the
United States Association for Young
Physicists Tournament at the Institute for
Science Education in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
He was a founding member of SCOPE, a
program that offers after-school tutoring to
underserved children in the local area. The
self-proclaimed “dyslexic scholar” went on
to receive the George Washington
University Medal for Excellence in Math
and Science, presented to the junior with
the highest average in mathematics. All the
while, Andrew applied the same focus and
drive in the classroom as he did at the
helm of a sailboat.
“To really push hard at anything,
whether it’s school or athletics, you need to
be ready to commit and give it your all,”
he says. “I was able to directly see the
results from applying these skills at
Windward. The School allowed me to
enter every future endeavor I encountered
knowing that if you put in the time and
work hard, you will be successful and see
the results and rewards. I was lucky to get
to Windward as early as I did. It’s a place
Fall 2015 The Beacon
Andrew Mollerus ’12 and his college crew, Sydney Karnovsky, at the 2015 collegiate nationals in Newport, Rhode Island.
that can turn your life around.”
Andrew’s steadfast determination paid
off. Upon graduation from Rye Country
Day School in 2012, he was accepted to
Harvard University, where he is now a
senior. Last spring he was elected to the
Junior 24, one of 24 juniors at Harvard
honored with admission to Phi Beta
Kappa, the oldest undergraduate honors
society in the United States. To be eligible
for the Phi Beta Kappa 24, a student must
have one of the 48 highest GPAs in their
class. This record of outstanding scholarly
achievement must show both depth of
study and breadth of intellectual interest.
From those 48 juniors, the election
committee then chooses the 24 who most
fit their criteria.
Along with excelling in his studies and
being a select member of the Junior 24,
Andrew continues to make a major
commitment of his time and energies to
sailing. September through November, and
February through June, he competes for
the Harvard Sailing Team. His rigorous
sailing schedule includes three 3-hour long
practices during the week and from 9 a.m.5 p.m. on weekends. He takes December
off, and in January begins training in
Florida. From June through August,
Andrew and his brother Matthew race in
the 49er Class in Europe or California
where they practice with hopes of
qualifying for the Olympics one day.
“Harvard is like Windward,” Andrew
says. “There are a lot of people pushing
very hard at what they do. The focus that
many apply to their studies at Harvard
epitomizes the qualities that Windward
imbues.”
“Every piece of the Windward
education is very purposeful and carefully
designed. The teaching staff is remarkably
driven, dedicated and capable,” he
continues. “Unknowingly, students absorb
a lot of that energy.”
“Windward also fosters a community
of students. And though they may be too
young to totally understand their learning
differences, they embrace the fact that
education is really important. From the
day you step in there, you know that
everything you do helps you overcome
your challenges.”
In the past, Andrew has praised
Windward for providing “… the best
systematic, executed education I’ve seen at
any level.” When asked if he still believed
this, he responded, “I absolutely still think
that’s true.”
“One thing that was emphasized at
Windward, and that I apply every day, is
‘Learn how you learn.’ You consistently
have to evaluate the process of learning so
that you can best tackle a problem. If you
get really good at teaching yourself how to
learn, you will get far.”
In her note to Dr. Russell, Mrs.
Mollerus writes, “Over the years we have
had moments to renew our gratitude for
Andrew’s time at Windward – successful
report cards, high school graduation and
college admission all come to mind. The
School gave him the skills he needed to
work to the best of his ability in any setting,
and we are deeply grateful that Andrew had
the opportunity to attend Windward. All of
us are thankful that the School set Andrew
on a very successful path.”
Andrew continues to raise the bar
high. He sets his sights on being an
economist either in industry, in academia,
or in the government. He also hopes to go
to the Olympics and win a medal for the
United States.
When asked by The Beacon if he had
any inspiring words he would like to share
with current Windward students who have
learning differences, Andrew responds,
“Dive in and commit to what is laid before
you. Confront what challenges you. You
definitely have the ability. It just takes faith
and hard work to get you there.” n
17
The
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Permit No. 16
The Windward School
Newsletter for Educators
and Parents
Fall 2015
Dr. John J. Russell
Head of School
Jonathan Rosenshine
Associate Head of School
Board of Trustees 2015–16
Thomas E. Flanagan
President
Michael R. Salzer
1st Vice President
Timothy M. Jones
2nd Vice President
Mark A. Ellman
Treasurer
Susan C. Salice
Secretary
Ellen Bowman
Fredrick J. Chapey, Jr.
Thomas J. Coleman
Elizabeth A. Crain
Amy Jo Dowd
Alexander A. Gendzier
Mark Goldberg
Arthur A. Gosnell
John K. Halvey
Craig M. Hatkoff
Mitchell J. Katz
Gregory D. Kennedy
Stacy S. Kuhn
Christine LaSala
Janice Meyer
Katie J. Robinson
Eric Schwartz
Ann F. Sullivan
Robert J. Sweeney
Lou Switzer
Patricia L. Wolff
Devon S. Fredericks, Trustee Emerita
Editor
Bonni Brodnick
Director of Publications
Design
Design for Business
Visit The Windward School website:
thewindwardschool.org
BE INFORMED. BE INSPIRED. TRANSFORM LIVES.
Windward Teacher Training Institute (WTTI), a division of
The Windward School, provides professional development based on
scientifically validated research in child development, learning theory
and pedagogy.
WTTI offers national certification for its Teaching and Instructor
of Teaching levels in Multisensory Structured Language Education.
WTTI offers more than 35 classes throughout the year.
For further information:
www.thewindwardschool.org/tti
[email protected]
(914) 949-6968, ext. 1270
WindwardTTI
WINDWARD TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE