Validation and Thanks

dan
Dec 1, 2016
3 min read

We were recently reading a Reading Research Quarterly study centered on the decline of comprehension-based silent reading efficiency in the U.S. by Alexandra Spichtig and a number of other researchers. The study highlights the decline in words per minute (WPM) reading and the decline in efficient skills in completing readings between 1960 to 2011. While there are many factors that surely impact the decline in reading in the U.S. over that time, the trend is disturbing. That’s why we do what we do here as Literacy Coaches and Literacy Committee teachers committed to improving literacy. It is not surprising to find studies that point to declining reading scores nationally. But as literacy practitioners, we are interested in the potential solutions that might emerge from highlighting these issues. Sure enough, at the end of the article, we were excited to read the authors posit that “it seems clear that an effective program to improve reading development outcomes must nurture both students’ reading skills and their motivation to read” (Spichtig et al). As with most folks in most professions, it is validating to read research that supports the vision and hard work done on a daily basis. And so we read the quote above and think about how students are currently being developed as readers at Stevenson High School. The following three ‘events’ from the past couple of weeks stood out in our mind and deserve to be highlighted:

1) The time has come for SHS faculty and staff to submit their current reading book or reading recommendation for the creation of school-wide book posters. Typically, close to 100 faculty and staff take this opportunity to visually show students that we are a community of readers. Thanks to Sylvia Lima, once teachers submit their books, posters with images and summaries soon show up on the walls outside classrooms or offices. The message is loud and clear: We value reading. From conversations with staff and students, we know that these posters spark conversation and motivation for reading in our school community.

2) A few weeks ago, the Academic Literacy teams jetted off to Atlanta to present at the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE). The presentation, titled “Mind the Gaps: Building Literacy Interventions,” allowed the team to share the evolution of the academic courses that support our Stevenson students with literacy. The talent and passion of Jim Barnabee, Nicole Fuller, Christina Anker (along with Brian and Dan) have raised our Academic Literacy courses to new heights. In fact, the objectives of the course almost exactly align with the recommendations of the study: nurturing students’ motivation to read and increasing students’ reading skills along the way. Together, we see a great jump in our students reading efficacy which changes from a “can’t read” to a “can read” attitude. 3) Finally, this morning, we observed the Stevenson Science Department engage in an in-depth examination of the literacy skills needed to be successful on the new SAT exam. This included an hour session led by science teacher and literacy committee member Deanna Warkins. With the goal of honoring science content while also helping our students succeed with literacy, teachers were introduced to 7 literacy skills we find on the SAT and teams were given workshop time to identify the skills they already cover naturally and to create various types of questions they may not frequently use. We know that the more students read, the more words they encounter and recognize - ultimately increasing their WPM speed and efficiency. To the credit of the Science Department, they recognize the great impact they can have on students’ literacy skills - and they have embraced the increased focus on literacy over the past few years since they transitioned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). As we looked around the room, we saw science teams engaged in awesome discussions centered on content and literacy, we saw several literacy committee members leading the charge on their teams, and we saw emerging practices that will help our students increase reading opportunities and reading skills, as the cited study suggests. As literacy coaches, we are so thankful to our committee members, teachers, administrators, school board, and community that embrace and support the important work we do - ensuring our Stevenson students buck the declining trends noted in the Reading Research Quarterly. Until next time…