Chapter 1: Planning, Organizing, and Managing Reading Instruction

Question 1

Define principles of standards-based reading instruction.

Answer 1

You will teach in a standards-based system, which means your goal is to help all your students achieve every grade-level English-language arts content standard.

Based on ongoing assessment results

Systematic and explicit instruction

Mastery of skills - developmental issues and foundational skills

Differentiated instruction

Short and long term goals

Question 2

Identify key factors in differentiated reading instruction

Answer 2

Be sure you know the definition of scaffold and can use it in your answer to RICA essay questions. For example, “I would provide a scaffold to help the student learn the correct spelling of the oa digraph in words like boat and float, by writing the letter o in red and the letter a in blue when presenting words in a spelling lesson”

1. Students’ knowledge and skills
2. Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills
3. Pacing of Instruction -
4. Complexity of the Content/Skills to be presented
5. Scaffolds - a. Those that will be included in initial lessons for whole group b. Those that will be used for small-group or individualized lessons for students having difficulty

Question 3

Describe how to organize instruction to meet the needs of all students

Answer 3

Please be sure you know the concept of flexible grouping

1. Flexible Grouping, Individualized Instruction, and Whole-Class Instruction
2. Core CA SBE-Adopted Materials
3. Benchmark, Strategic, and Intensive Groups: Benchmark - small amount of additional help using basal reader, Strategic - one or two years behind their peers, use additional materials, Intensive Groups - special ed, smaller more manageable chunks

Question 4

Describe components of effective instructional delivery.

Answer 4

The model of instructional delivery presented in this section of the chapter is a good one, but i would not devote ay additional time to studying it.

1. Orientation
2. Presentation
3. Structured and Guided Practice
4. Independent Practice and Application

Question 5

Discuss how to engage and motivate students.

Answer 5

You should know how to design a set of activities that foster student discussion using Literature Circles.

1. Environment - positive, lots of books, student work related to reading
2. Reading Materials
3. Reading Aloud to Students - introduce to similar authors or topics
4. Book Clubs, Literature Circles and Author Studies
   (A) Book Clubs - small group of students assigned by the teacher are reading the same book and meet throughout, and immediately after finishing. Sometimes they have roles, and guided questions from the teacher. Goal is for them to do this independently
   (B) Literature Circles - students choose what they want to read. Similar to book club where discussions are throughout and immediately after.
   (C) Author Studies - small group all read one book together, then break off and read independently or with a pair another book by the same author to answer “What makes this author’s books special?”

Question 6

Describe strategies for promoting and monitoring independent reading.

Answer 6

Very important! If you get an essay question asking how you would intervene to get a student to read more independently, then describing the I+I Strategy would be a good choice.

Promoting Independent Reading
1. Teach Students to Select Books at Appropriate Reading Level - older students pick middle page, with at least 50 words, put finger up for each word they cannot pronounce. If five fingers up before get to the end of the page wave goodbye to the page.
2. Personal Interest -
A. Interest Inventory - determines how much they read (and by choice) and their personal interests
B. I+I Strategy - interesting books and at independent reading level
3. Structure Independent Reading Time in Class
A. SSR
B. Reader’s Workshop -
4. At-Home
A. Get everyone involved - parents, teachers, students
B. Take home books from classroom or school library
C. Provide lists that can be checked out of the library
D. Support for parents of ELs - goal is for reading habits, can read in first language at home and with parents

Monitoring Independent Reading:

1. Reading logs - name, author, date started and finished, and response to the book
2. Book Reports
3. Formal and Informal Oral Presentations
4. Conferences

Question 7

1.1 Definition of Standard

Answer 7

Standards state what every child should know and be able to do at each grade level.

Question 8

1.2 Definition of differentiated instruction.

Answer 8

Instruction is differentiated if the teacher has made adjustments to meet the needs of individual students.

Question 9

1.3 Components of effective instructional Delivery

Answer 9

1. Students Knowledge and Skills
2. Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills
3. Pacing of Instruction
4. Complexity of the Content/Skills to be Presented
5. Scaffolds