WHEN READING INSTRUCTION HITS A WALL:

1. WHEN READING INSTRUCTION HITS A WALL: EPAL, An Innovative Diagnostic and Solutions Warehouse Research Presentation By: Jennifer Summerlin, Ph.D.

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW Part 2: Introduce EPAL: An Innovative Diagnostic & Solutions Electronic Warehouse Part 3: Explore Effects of EPAL Training with Teacher Candidates through Reading Assessment Simulations Part 1: Background of the Problem/Literature Review

3. “Books Saved My Life.” ~Gary Paulsen Sales of his book, Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, an international network with more than 1,400 programs in the United States and 79 partner programs abroad, whose mission is to change lives through literacy.

4. Part 1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM Literature Review of the Research

5. Background of the Problem

6. Issues Surrounding Struggling Readers at All Levels • Difficulties are Complex • (Smart et al., 2017) • Summer Learning Loss Widens the Gap • (Reardon, 2013; Kim & Quinn, 2013; Allington et al., 2010) • Identification by 3rd Grade Critical • (Leach, Scarborough, & Rescorla, 2003) • Danger of Retention in 3rd Grade • (Allington & McGill-Franzen, 1992; Allington et al., 2010; Shepard & Smith, 1989) • Research on Early Reading Instruction • (Chall, 1987) Early/Elementary Readers

7. Issues Surrounding Struggling Readers at All Levels • Students Can Read But Choose NOT To • (McKenna, Kear, & Ellsworth, 1995; Reeves, 2004; McCarthey & Moje, 2002; Schofield & • Rogers, 2004; Sommen & Mates, 2004; Lenters, 2006) • Readability Textbook Levels • (Chall & Conrad, 1991; Berkeley et al., 2015) • Studies on Reading Motivation and Achievement: Most Influential Factor is Easy Access to Interesting Texts • (Guthrie & Humenick, 2004) Secondary Readers

8. Issues Surrounding Struggling Readers at All Levels • Social Justice and Equity Themes Through Reading and Writing • (Brauer, 2018; Dover, 2016; Miller et al., 2011) • Era of “Post-Truth” • Post-Truth is relating to circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion or personal belief. • (Leland, Ociepka, Kuonen, & Bangert, 2018; Wang, 2016; Shannon, 2017) • Least Acknowledged Area of Research • (Saal & Dowell, 2014; Askov, 2000; Purcell-Gates, 1995) Adult Readers

9. Research-Based Reading Instruction Matters “Finally, there is now considerable evidence, from recent intervention studies, that reading difficulties in most beginning readers may not be directly caused by biologically based cognitive deficits intrinsic to the child, but may in fact be related to the opportunities provided for children learning to read.” (Vellutino & Fletcher, 2005, p. 378)

10. Need for Teacher Expertise in Reading

11. Part 2 ELECTRONIC PORTAL FOR ASSISTANCE LEARNING EPAL Development and Exploration

12. Electronic Portal for Assistance Learning

13. Electronic Portal for Assistance Learning

14. Electronic Portal for Assistance Learning Limitations Next Steps • Regular Website Maintenance • Joomla Platform Restrictions • Lack of Research-Based Video Demonstrations Online • Lack of Authentic Opportunities for Student Interactives Online • Limitations in Range of Readers • Diagnostic Section Development a. Video Assessment Demonstrations with Readers b. Linking Assessment to EPAL c. Informative Section on Administering Reading Assessments for Multiple Measures d. Informative Section on Analysis of Reading Assessments

15. Part 3 EFFECTS OF EPAL TRAINING Reading Assessment Simulations with Teacher Candidates

16. Need for Teacher Expertise in Reading

17. Simulations in Teacher Education “Instructional technique that attempts to recreate certain aspects of reality for the purpose of gaining information, clarifying values, understanding other cultures, or developing a skill.” (Cruz & Patterson, 2005, pp. 43)

18. Simulations in Literacy Education • (Utsey, Wallen, & Beldin, 1966) Teacher Candidates Assessed Filmed Readers • (Morsin, 1973) Teacher Candidates Experienced Learning to Read with a Disability • (Ferry et al., 2005) Inservice Teachers Provided Instruction for Virtual Kindergarteners • (Kibby & Scott, 2002) Graduate Reading Specialist Students Evaluated 5 Readers • (Ferguson, 2017) Teacher Candidates Developed Running Record Scripts and Engaged in Teacher/Student Role-Playing to Identify Instruction for 5 Fictional Student Descriptions Sample Student Profile: Celeste: She is a very fluent reader and an excellent decoder (level I at 98-99% accuracy); however, she has very little ability to make sense of what she has read. She has some ability to answer recall questions but struggles with thinking beyond the text and finding the main idea. She reads with some expression.

19. Reading Simulations with Reader Profiles • Reader Profiles Consisted of the Following: • Student Profile Form (Name, DOB, Grade Completed) • Completed Word List • Completed Reading Passage (Qualitative Reading Inventory) • Assessed Reader’s Level of Prior Knowledge BEFORE Reading • Reading Miscues Marked to Document the Reader’s Process Reading Aloud the Passage • Unaided Retelling Results • Aided Retelling Results (Explicit & Implicit Questions) • Writing Sample with Developmental Spelling List • Profiles Represented: • Emergent Bilingual Learners • Emergent Readers • Early Readers • Transitional Readers • Fluent Readers with and without Comprehension • Readers At, Above, & Below Grade Level • Readers Lacking Confidence • Readers Lacking Adequate Prior Knowledge • Readers with Diagnosed Learning Disabilities

20. Purpose of Qualitative Study • The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the feasibility of a new tool, EPAL, which would serve as an electronic diagnostic system for identifying individual reading problems and a warehouse for selecting the best instructional strategy to target an intervention. • The researcher had previously developed this tool, and used this opportunity to assess its effects by training preservice teacher candidates to use EPAL. • Training consisted of identification of reading errors, analysis of reading errors for diagnostic purposes, and selection of specific strategies to support individual struggling readers.

21. Participants • Course: EDR 443/543: Developmental Reading II • 1 group of Teacher Candidates Enrolled in a Southeastern Teacher Education Program in Fall, 2017 • 33 total participants • 30 Undergraduate Students/3 Alternative Masters Students • 32 Female/1 Males • Ages 22-40+ • Diverse Backgrounds, Experiences, and Ethnicities

22. Research Methods Data Collection Data Analysis • Final 2 Reader Profiles • 3 Strengths • 3 Areas of Support • 3 Targeted Instructional Practices • Participants Identified Resources Used • Final Course Reflection Open-Ended Question Related to Reader Profiles • Qualitative Data Analysis • Inductive Process • Codes and Categories Generated from Actual Language of the Participants • Reliability and Validity • Established Through External Reviewer • Interrater Checks on Coding and Categories Identified

23. Results • N=28

24. Results no EPAL EPAL “The teacher would select a text that is interesting for the student and is not on a frustration level for the reader. Then, the teacher would carefully select words to “delete.” In this case, we would remove the ending of a word since the student is using mainly the beginning sound of the word to help them figure out an unknown word. The teacher would read the story aloud and ask the student to either say or write what they think the word is with the ending covered. Beginning, I would have the student orally express what they believe the word is. Ask the student to defend their thinking, helping them to make predictions based on their answer and reason through why it would or would not make sense.” (8-F-17) (Final Grade-B) “The activity (shared reading) would have a text at the instructional level that the student could work in alongside a guide. The student would have opportunities to have a conversation about how a good reader is able to use all of the cues (cueing systems) together. ” (6b-F-17) (Final Grade-B) EXPLICIT TEACHING: Instruction design and delivery characterized as: Structured Systematic Scaffolded (Hughes et al., 2017) Key component to RtI (Fien et al., 2017) Included as one of the 22 High-Leverage Practices in special education by Council for Exceptional Children (McLeskey et al., 2017)

25. Results no EPAL EPAL “The teacher would select a text that is interesting for the student and is not on a frustration level for the reader. Then, the teacher would carefully select words to “delete.” In this case, we would remove the ending of a word since the student is using mainly the beginning sound of the word to help them figure out an unknown word. The teacher would read the story aloud and ask the student to either say or write what they think the word is with the ending covered. Beginning, I would have the student orally express what they believe the word is. Ask the student to defend their thinking, helping them to make predictions based on their answer and reason through why it would or would not make sense.” (8-F-17) (Final Grade-B) “The activity (shared reading) would have a text at the instructional level that the student could work in alongside a guide. The student would have opportunities to have a conversation about how a good reader is able to use all of the cues (cueing systems) together. ” (6b-F-17) (Final Grade-B) FLEXIBLE TEACHING: Instruction design and delivery characterized as: Structured Systematic Scaffolded (Hughes et al., 2017) Key component to RtI (Fien et al., 2017) Included as one of the 22 High-Leverage Practices in special education by Council for Exceptional Children (McLeskey et al., 2017)