We just returned from Boston and the 2016 Continuums of Service (Service Learning, Community Engagement) National Conference. The Keynote speaker was Robert Putnam, speaking about the data in his new forthcoming book "Our Kids" talking about the general changes in society, families, education levels, over the last 30 years (since late 1980's). The data is quite striking. More family breakdown, more family poverty, more illiteracy, more gaps between "have's" and "have-nots."

Vernette Doty (Associate Director of Student Life at UC Merced) and I made a presentation on creating and implementing a learning rubric for first generation college students related to participating in a literacy-tutoring program. We have two groups of college students working as volunteers for an hour each day, Mondays and Fridays at two very low SES elementary schools in Merced CA. As we develop the rubric and begin its active implementation we find our students are growing in confidence, literacy knowledge and tutoring skills, as the children are progressing in the 5 levels of literacy. Most of the youngsters at 1.5 to 2 grades below reading level. Core materials my training consists of are research-based tutoring and instructional strategies, with insights from the National Reading Panel (2000) and their "five pillars of literacy," along with Book Buddies material out of the University of Virginia, and literacy texts such as Lipson and Wixson, Vacca and Vacca, and Marzano.

Meanwhile I've just come across another ally in literacy and here's a blog post on vocabulary development that's pretty helpful: 

5 Simple Steps for Effective Vocabulary Instruction

http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2013/07/5-steps-vocabulary-instruction/ 

from Dr. Kimberly Tyson:

These 5 simple steps will make selecting and teaching vocabulary easier than you might think.




Understanding the key characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction is important for K-12 educators. Why? Because they serve as the foundation for selecting instructional strategies and digital tools to support word learning.
“Top 10” Characteristics of Effective Vocabulary Instruction include:

1. Multiple Exposures: Word learning is shaped through multiple exposures is varied contexts. (Probably THE MOST important idea when it comes to learning new words.
2. Frontload Key Vocabulary: Before reading text or learning new content, introduce key vocabulary that is critical to understanding. Elicit background knowledge, create conversation and connections, and display or point out the words so that students will recognize them.
3. Nonlinguistic Representations: When learning new vocabulary, have students create pictographs, mental images, and pantomime word meanings in order to increase the likelihood of remembering new words.

Check out 7 more key characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction here.




Tiered vocabulary, put simply, is an organizational framework for categorizing words. The Common Core State Standards use the 3-tier vocabulary framework for sorting academic vocabulary. Understanding tiered vocabulary has practical applications for implementing the Common Core and classroom instruction.
The Three Vocabulary Tiers

Tier 1: Common, Known Words

Examples: big, small, house, table, family

In other words, Tier I words are basic, everyday words found frequently in conversation and are part of most children’s vocabulary.

Tier 2: High-Frequency Words or Cross-Curricular Vocabulary

Examples:  justify, explain, expand, predict, summarize, maintain

Tier 2 words are made up of are general academic words and have utility across a wide range of topics. Another way to think of Tier 2 vocabulary is as cross-curricular terms. For example, the term “justify” and “predict” frequently appear in Science, Social Studies, and English texts. It is important to keep in mind that Tier 2 words are learned primarily through reading and explicit instruction and are key to building a strong academic vocabulary

Tier 3: Low-Frequency, Domain-Specific words

Examples: isotope, tectonic plates, carcinogens, mitosis, lithosphere

Tier 3 words are domain specific vocabulary. Words in this category are low-frequency, specialized words that appear in specific fields or content areas. We anticipate that students will be unfamiliar with Tier 3 words. Beck suggests teaching these words as the need arises for comprehension in specific content areas.

The more you understand and sort vocabulary into the Tier 2 and Tier 3 words, the more instructional implications you’ll find. For example, the tiers will help you create content vocabulary lists. In addition, they’ll provide a focus for instruction and specific words to focus on during instruction.




Many teachers and principals tell me they believe vocabulary and word learning are key to supporting student’s academic growth. I don’t doubt their sincerity; however, when many classrooms are void of word walls, classroom libraries, posters, and newspapers, I can’t help but believe they’ve missed a great opportunity for supporting vocabulary growth.
You see, a print-rich environment is not only important for early literacy development but supports word learning as well. Students not only learn words through direct instruction, but also develop their knowledge and exposure to new words indirectly through independent reading, word walls, and exposure to print across the school day. 

Key elements of a literacy-rich environment include:

• classroom libraries that include a variety of genres and text types,
• content posters,
• anchor charts – teacher-made and co-created with students,
• word walls,
• labels,
• literacy workstations,
• writing centers,
• computers,
• display of student work,
• displays of books & information,
• bulletin boards, and
• plenty of opportunity to read, write, listen, and speak.

Building a toolbox of effective instructional strategies is essential for creating a language-rich environment that fosters and supports word learning for every student. Many strategies are highlighted in journals and across the web. The best vocabulary strategies engage students in learning words through a variety of strategies that include personalization, visualizing and creating other nonlinguistic representations, identifying synonyms and antonyms, verbalizing, writing in notebooks and journals, and playing with words through game-like activities.
Previously on this blog, I’ve highlighted and summarized numerous evidence-based vocabulary strategies. Most posts include downloadable templates to support your instructional efforts.





Digital tools have proven quite promising to support word learning. Compared to their more traditional counterparts, online tools  provide a broader array of information about words and word meanings. In addition, some tools allow teachers to easily customize words so that students can practice, review, and play games with content or unit-specific words.
Digital tools allows students to:

• hear pronunciations
• read words in a variety of authentic examples
• view photos and images related to words
• reinforce word learning through interactive games
• play with and manipulate language
• discover rhyming words, and
• collaborate with classmates to create virtual words walls.

I’ve previously reviewed “21 Digital Tools to Support Word Learning” which has become a “most-read” post. The online tools are grouped into 4 categories: reference tools, word clouds, games and review, and word walls and virtual field trips. Review these tools and select a few that best support your instructional goals.

Final Thoughts

Five simple steps. Don’t make vocabulary instruction more overwhelming than it needs to be.
Start simply by getting familiar with the key characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction (Step 1). Then, identify core vocabulary and sort  words into Tier 2 and Tier 3 academic vocabulary (Step 2). Don’t forget to have fun creating a print-rich environment that supports word learning (Step 3). Finally, identify and master several evidence-based instructional strategies (Step 4), and choose a few digital tools to provide support and practice for students (Step 5).
I’ve found that when teachers become intentional in their vocabulary instruction, they become excited about word learning and regularly identify, instruct, and have conversations around words with their students.
The best part is that teachers soon begin to observe measurable growth in their students.

Merced Sun Star September 10, 2015

The first round of testing is in and students and educators are adjusting to new formats and criteria for what is replacing the "STAR" tests. Reading appears to be up, mathematics is much lower. See article for details. As "I Can Read" Literacy Initiative reaches out with UCMerced to include Wright Elementary as well as Franklin Elementary, we appreciate the dedicated staff and volunteers who make our supplemental efforts in literacy successful.

Below is the Sun Star article on testing:

BY NAN AUSTIN

naustin@modbee.com

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California released student scores from new computerized tests done last spring, giving the public the first glimpse at how districts are meeting Common Core State Standards. Scores for Merced County show most students falling short of expectations in math and English.

Countywide in Merced, 81 percent of tested students failed to meet minimum standards in mathematics, according to the statewide database. About 68 percent of students tested in all of Merced County did not meet the English literacy standard.

In this first year of testing, districts are unlikely to face sanctions for falling short of goals. Federal assessment of their academic progress is expected to be announced in October. Virtually all schools have failed to meet rising standards of the expired No Child Left Behind Act, which now requires 100 percent of students to be at or above grade level. A remake of the law is being considered in Congress.

The computerized tests, which followed earlier paper exams, were given to students in third through eighth grades and 11th grade. About 30 percent of students tested in the Merced City School District performed at or above their grade level overall, Superintendent RoseMary Parga Duran confirmed.

“At first, people might look at that and say 30 percent is nothing and we obviously do have work to do,” Parga Duran said. “But for us, 30 percent is more than 2,000 students, and that’s a very good baseline to start on and to build from.”

Parga Duran noted that nearly 30 percent of students in her district do not speak English as their first language, a significant disadvantage while testing.

“The math test is not just finding the answer, it’s critical thinking and analysis of word problems,” she said.

The computer-adapted test threw a curve to many students, said Winton Superintendent Randy Heller.

“With this test, you’re not sure what you’re going to get. It’s not the same every year,” he said Wednesday. “There’s just such uncertainty, so much unknown, for our profession, really.”

But his district, like the rest, will focus on going forward, using this first year as a guidepost.

“It’s not about hope, it’s about good teaching,” he said. “When the rubber meets the road, when the teacher’s got it flowing in the classroom, it gels and success happens.”

For high school students, the English scores were better than under the old standards and paper tests, said Scott Weimer, head of curriculum and instruction for Merced Union High School District.

“In previous years, the California State University system used the (state test) to determine if students were ready for college-level course work. Students who did not score ‘ready’ or ‘conditionally ready’ were required to take a placement test or remedial courses,” Weimer explained.

For the class of 2014, 26 percent of MUHSD students were ready for college-level coursework in English and 28 percent were ready in math. This year, with the new testing, 40 percent of MUHSD students met this standard in English and 20 percent in math, he said.

WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS READY FOR COLLEGE-LEVEL WORK IN ENGLISH.Scott Weimer, Merced Union High School District

“The results show our starting point as a state, a window into where California students are in meeting tougher academic standards that emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical writing,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

The state as a whole did better than almost every district in this region, with 44 percent of students overall meeting English standards and 33 percent hitting the mark in math.

“California’s new standards and tests are challenging for schools to teach and for students to learn, so I am encouraged that many students are at or near achievement standards. However, just as we expected, many students need to make more progress. Our job is to support students, teachers and schools as they do,” Torlakson said in releasing the scores Wednesday morning.

It is also an important time for parents to stay informed, said California State PTA President Justine Fischer.

“Today’s assessment-scores release serves as the back-to-school signal for parents to get engaged in their child’s education as they are learning new, more rigorous academic standards,” Fischer said in a statement Wednesday.

“Decades of research show what we know: Family engagement is key to student success,” she said. “Parents’ engagement in children’s education matters more than their own education, income or ZIP code. Use your child’s assessment scores as an opportunity to get engaged and chart the course for student success this school year.”

The scores mean there is more work to do, especially for poor kids and English learners, said Debra Brown, director of education policy for the nonprofit advocacy group Children Now.

“These tests will serve as a gauge for schools and parents on where kids are excelling and where they may be struggling, as we have raised the bar on what we expect our kids to know,” Brown said. The higher standards will help close the achievement gap, she said. “We must not lose our momentum.”

Parga Duran said schools in Merced would improve upon their test scores in the future.

“It’s important to remember this is the first time we’ve tested this way. I’m very proud of our teachers and students,” she said. “I’m looking forward to testing again (after spring break). That will, I think, give us a much better idea of how things are going and how we’re performing.”

Find complete test result listings at http://caaspp.cde.ca.gov.

TOP TESTERS

Read more here: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/education/article34618755.html#emlnl=Up_with_The_Sun-Star#storylink=cpy

Today's post by Shanahan on getting your children to read is helpful across the elementary and pre-school spectrum:  I especially like the "take dictation" part of the recommendations. I.E. #5 "Have them tell you a story."

 I think I will use it in developing "stories" as a kind of game in my 6th grade after school extended education classroom. jhd

Shanahan on Literacy	11:45 PM (7 hours ago)
to johndoty---a good one for “I Can Read” Literacy project, families, etc. 9-9-2015
Shanahan on Literacy

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How Parents Can Instill Reading Posted: 08 Sep 2015 11:22 AM PDT Parents often ask how they can help their children learn to read; and it’s no wonder that they’re interested in this essential skill. Reading plays an important role in later school success. One study even demonstrates that how well 7-year-olds read predicts their income 35 years later! This article provides 11 practical recommendations for helping preschoolers and school-age students learn to read. 1. Teaching reading will only help. Sometimes, parents are told early teaching is harmful, but it isn’t true. You simply can’t introduce literacy too early. I started reading to my own children on the days they were each born! The “dangers of early teaching” has been a topic of study for more than 100 years, and no one has ever found any convincing evidence of harm. Moreover, there are hundreds of studies showing the benefits of reading to your children when they are young. 2. Teaching literacy isn’t different than teaching other skills. You don’t need a Ph.D. to raise a happy, healthy, smart child. Parents have been doing it for thousands of years. Mothers and fathers successfully teach their kids to eat with a spoon, use a potty, keep their fingers out of their noses, and say “please.” These things can be taught pleasantly, or they can be made into a painful chore. Being unpleasant (e.g. yelling, punishing, pressuring) doesn’t work, and it can be frustrating for everyone. This notion applies to teaching literacy, too. If you show your 18-month-old a book and she shows no interest, then put it away and come back to it later. If your child tries to write her name and ends up with a backwards “D,” no problem. No pressure. No hassle. You should enjoy the journey, and so should your child. 3. Talk to your kids (a lot). Last year, I spent lots of time with our brand new granddaughter, Emily. I drowned her in language. Although “just a baby,” I talked — and sang — to her about everything. I talked about her eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and fingers. I told her all about her family — her mom, dad, and older brother. I talked to her about whatever she did (yawning, sleeping, eating, burping). I talked to her so much that her parents thought I was nuts; she couldn’t possibly understand me yet. But reading is a language activity, and if you want to learn language, you’d better hear it, and eventually, speak it. Too many moms and dads feel a bit dopey talking to a baby or young child, but studies have shown that exposing your child to a variety of words helps in her development of literacy skills. 4. Read to your kids. I know everyone says this, but it really is a good idea — at least with preschoolers. One of my colleagues refers to this advice as the “chicken soup” of reading education. We prescribe it for everything. (Does it help? It couldn’t hurt.) If a parent or caregiver can’t read or can’t read English, there are alternatives, such as using audiobooks; but for those who can, reading a book or story to a child is a great, easy way to advance literacy skills. Research shows benefits for kids as young as 9-months-old, and it could be effective even earlier than that. Reading to kids exposes them to richer vocabulary than they usually hear from the adults who speak to them, and can have positive impacts on their language, intelligence, and later literacy achievement. What should you read to them? There are so many wonderful children’s books. Visit your local library, and you can get an armful of adventure. You can find recommendations from kids at the Children’s Book Council website or at the International Literacy Association Children's Choices site, as well as free books online at other websites like Search Lit or Unite for Literacy. è5. Have them tell you a “story.”---I like this one…jhd J One great way to introduce kids to literacy is to take their dictation. Have them recount an experience or make up a story. We’re not talking “Moby Dick” here. A typical first story may be something like, “I like fish. I like my sister. I like grandpa.” Write it as it is being told, and then read it aloud. Point at the words when you read them, or point at them when your child is trying to read the story. Over time, with lots of rereading, don’t be surprised if your child starts to recognize words such as “I” or “like.” (As children learn some of the words, you can write them on cards and keep them in a “word bank” for your child, using them to review later.) 6. Teach phonemic awareness. Young children don’t hear the sounds within words. Thus, they hear “dog,” but not the “duh”-“aw”- “guh.” To become readers, they have to learn to hear these sounds (or phonemes). Play language games with your child. For instance, say a word, perhaps her name, and then change it by one phoneme: Jen-Pen, Jen-Hen, Jen-Men. Or, just break a word apart: chair… ch-ch-ch-air. Follow this link to learn more about language development milestones in children. 7. Teach phonics (letter names and their sounds). You can’t sound out words or write them without knowing the letter sounds. Most kindergartens teach the letters, and parents can teach them, too. I just checked a toy store website and found 282 products based on letter names and another 88 on letter sounds, including ABC books, charts, cards, blocks, magnet letters, floor mats, puzzles, lampshades, bed sheets, and programs for tablets and computers. You don’t need all of that (a pencil and paper are sufficient), but there is lots of support out there for parents to help kids learn these skills. Keep the lessons brief and fun, no more than 5–10 minutes for young’uns. Understanding the different developmental stages of reading and writing skills will help to guide your lessons and expectations. 8. Listen to your child read. When your child starts bringing books home from school, have her read to you. If it doesn’t sound good (mistakes, choppy reading), have her read it again. Or read it to her, and then have her try to read it herself. Studies show that this kind of repeated oral reading makes students better readers, even when it is done at home. 9. Promote writing. Literacy involves reading and writing. Having books and magazines available for your child is a good idea, but it’s also helpful to have pencils, crayons, markers, and paper. Encourage your child to write. One way to do this is to write notes or short letters to her. It won’t be long before she is trying to write back to you. 10. Ask questions. When your child reads, get her to retell the story or information. If it’s a story, ask who it was about and what happened. If it’s an informational text, have your child explain what it was about and how it worked, or what its parts were. Reading involves not just sounding out words, but thinking about and remembering ideas and events. Improving reading comprehension skills early will prepare her for subsequent success in more difficult texts. 11. Make reading a regular activity in your home. Make reading a part of your daily life, and kids will learn to love it. When I was nine years old, my mom made me stay in for a half-hour after lunch to read. She took me to the library to get books to kick off this new part of my life. It made me a lifelong reader. Set aside some time when everyone turns off the TV and the web and does nothing but read. Make it fun, too. When my children finished reading a book that had been made into a film, we’d make popcorn and watch the movie together. The point is to make reading a regular enjoyable part of your family routine.  Happy reading. Sources: Ritchie, S.J., & Bates, T.C. (2013). Enduring links from childhood mathematics and reading achievement to adult socioeconomic status. Psychological Science, 24, 1301-1308.Karass J., & Braungart-Rieker J. (2005). Effects of shared parent-infant reading on early language acquisition. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 26, 133-148.

On the importance of step 3 of 4 "doing writing" in our literacy program:

The importance of writing (step 3) in Book Buddies:

“Writing. In all of these programs, writing is an integral part of tutoring in reading. Writing activities provide children the opportu nity to see the relationship between reading and print. The writing process enables the child to This content downloaded on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:24:01 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions attend to the visual details and to sort out letter sound relationships. Writing activities are closely coordinated with words from the word analysis. That is, students write sentences or brief paragraphs using sight words and decod able words they are learning. Writing provides repeated opportunities to see the structure of words, to explore the coordination of sound and symbols, and to practice expressing ideas in words. Depending on the program's focus, the content of the writing is generated by the tutor, the child, or sometimes both.”

The Reading Teacher Vol. 51, No. 7 April 1998

(Using Volunteers as Reading Tutors: Guidelines for Successful Practices Author(s): Barbara A. Wasik Reviewed work(s): Source: The Reading Teacher, Vol. 51, No. 7 (Apr., 1998), pp. 562-570 Published by: International Reading Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20201962 . Accessed: 14/05/2015 18:24) jhd

AND

 “Writing. The writing component of the Charlottesville Volunteer Tutorial is referred to as writing for sounds. We want children to learn how to segment their speech and to match letters to those segmented sounds. At the same time, we want to encourage children to use reading as a scaffold for their initial writing attempts (McGill-Franzen, Lanford, & Killian, 1994). 

Tutors are encouraged to dictate sentences from familiar texts, or children compose their own sentence(s) about the books they have read. Whenever possible, tutors guide children in writing a transformation in which the sentence varies from the original in only two or three words. For example, "In a dark, dark house, there was a dark, dark staircase" might become "In a dark, dark basement, there was a dark, dark closet." 

The tutor dictates the sentence and models the segmentation process by elongating the sounds in the words for children to match the letters to the sounds they hear. Children are encouraged to do their own elongating of sounds as needed. There is considerable evidence to suggest that the act of segmenting speech and matching letters to sounds is a rigorous exercise of phonics in and of itself (Blachman, 1992). Indeed, some researchers have used children's spellings as an indicator of phonemic aware ness (Clay, 1985; Morris, 1992). 

Research has shown that writing in invented spellings enhances children's memory of words, at least at the beginning stages (Ehri & Wilce, 1987). Spellings change as word knowledge grows, and word knowledge grows as exercise and instruction are paced to the child's zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1962). The children in the Charlottesville Volunteer Tutorial are encouraged to use their own knowledge of letter-sound correspondences and to produce "sound spellings" even if these are incorrect. 

Children are, however, held accountable for those features they have been taught during the word study component of the tutorial. Errors specifically related to features examined through word study are "negotiated toward correctness" (Clay, 1988). Those features not yet taught directly are allowed to stand as invented spellings.”

 ("A Community Volunteer Tutorial That Works" Author(s): Marcia Invernizzi, Connie Juel and Catherine A. Rosemary Source: The Reading Teacher, Vol. 50, No. 4 (Dec., 1996 - Jan., 1997), pp. 304-311  Published by: Wiley on behalf of the International Reading AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20201767 .)Accessed: 14/05/2015 19:38) jhd

First Semester "I Can Read" Literacy project shows amazing success....1.27 years average vocabulary reading improvement.

Summary

Based on an existing relationship with Franklin Elementary School for help in reading (95%  free and reduced lunch, 43% illiteracy rate, 37% English learners) and the opportunity to have a Community Engaged Student Fellow, funded by California Campus Compact, Vernette Doty at UC Merced’s Office of Student Life-Civic Leadership collaborated with community partner in literacy (John Doty, Ph.D. ) to recruit and train UCM volunteer students to conduct a semester long pilot program in literacy tutoring. An initial trial of seven UCM students in November garnered a response of 25 Franklin children, so the trial was modified to focus on an increased number of tutors (23) to work one-on-one respectively with grades K-2 level children. Research has shown the greatest impact is delivered in the early “learning to read” levels of instruction, hence the K-2 level focus. Initial results indicate great success--an average reading vocabulary increase of 1.27 years (see p.7).

RESULTS:

We can celebrate major improvement…averaging 1.27 years progress in reading per child!

·       Two (2) students showed a reading vocabulary improvement of 3 years.

·       One (1) student showed a reading vocabulary improvement of 2 years.

·       Ten (10) students showed a reading vocabulary improvement of 1 year.

·       Even those (3) showing no improvement in the vocabulary level, showed a meaningful improvement in the 40-point developmental spelling assessment.

The teachers, Principal, Vice-Principal, and reading specialist were all delighted. Mentor-Tutors, children, and UCM and Partners were in awe…that there was so much progress! Children reading with confidence and smiles. Many read, out-loud, in front of people, for the first time!

32 million adults in the U.S. can't read. That's 14 percent of the population. 21 percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th grade level, and 19 percent of high school graduates can't read.

Details: Insights and Areas for Improvement

1.      23 K-2 students completed the semester and the assessments.

2. Pre and post tests accounted for 15.

3 Some students were sent to other programs following the pilot because they were “too advanced” (at    or above grade level) while many more in the school still showed great need.

4  Four students were new, so no pre-test, and two students were not given the vocabulary portion of    the assessment.

5  Of the original volunteer mentor-tutors,  three-quarters stayed through the entire semester

6  Selection of school children could be refined,

a.  as three out of the four “new” ones were perhaps overqualified, showing final vocabulary levels of 3^rd grade, 4^th, and 4^th, grade respectively (no pre-test)

b.   The last new child scored only 4/40 on the spelling assessment and was not able to attempt the vocabulary assessment, lacking a complete knowledge of the alphabet and even simple words (van, pet, rug, etc).

7 Volunteer hours, staff, team and consulting hours included approximately

a.     23 volunteers x 3 hours per week x 12 weeks         =828 hours

b.     Staff and Intern hours?                                            =150 hours

c.      Consultant: Prep, Training, Analysis, Support       =150 hours

8 The K-2 book supply was not quite adequate to address needs.

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” –Maya Angelou

Contact Vernette Doty, Associate Director, Office of Student Life, UCMerced. (209) 228-4201

Be sure to allow for a little spilt milk!

Jayce and Phoenix doing some pre-assembly paper work