This well-rounded collection of research-based reading intervention strategies will support and inform your RTI efforts. The book also includes teacher-friendly sample lesson plans and miniroutines that are easy to understand and adapt. Many of the strategies motivate average and above-average students as well as scaffold struggling readers. Maximize the power of these interventions by using them across grade-level teams or schoolwide.

This well-rounded collection of research-based reading intervention strategies will support and inform your RTI efforts. The book includes teacher-friendly sample lesson plans and miniroutines that are easy to understand and adapt. Citations and descriptions of current research help educators substantiate their strategy choices. Most educators are deeply concerned with literacy levels in their schools. Everyone is feeling the relentless pressure of high-stakes tests and the need to provide the highest levels of instruction. Specifically, this book is intended for elementary teachers of all kinds and levels, literacy coaches, interventionists, speech pathologists, special education and ELL teachers, Title I administrators, and college and university professors.

This classroom resource addresses the instructional challenges faced by fourth to eighth grade teachers and provides research-based tools needed to improve students' reading comprehension. These classroom-tested interventions can be used with struggling readers in 5-, 10 to 15-, and 30 to 40-minute settings. Key features of this professional development resource include: responsive teaching and differentiation; the four kinds of interventions that can support students' reading; intervention tools and strategies for teachers and students; the use of focus standards to discuss key reading strategies (inferring, finding main ideas and themes, and using context to determine a word's meaning); and getting students to write about their reading.

What exactly is an "assignment," and why does it matter? How can educators ensure that their teaching meets the rigorous demands of the Common Core State Standards, so that all students are well prepared for college or careers? Drawing from her extensive experience as a teacher coach, author Eleanor Dougherty answers these questions and many more, with two aims in mind: (1) to guide teachers and administrators in crafting high-quality assignments, and (2) to help educators understand the powerful impact that assignments can have on teaching and learning. The book explains the critical differences among "assignments," "activities," and "assessments" and thoroughly describes the key elements of an assignment: prompts, rubrics, products, and instructional plans. Readers will learn how to * Follow a seven-step process for crafting effective assignments; * Link assignments to units and courses; * Devise "Anchor" assignments for collaboration and consistency across grades; * Tap into instructional "touchstones" that can enrich any assignment; * Create classroom and school environments that support assignment-making; and * Use assignments as a source of data about teaching and learning. Equipped with the knowledge and expertise gained from Assignments Matter, readers will be able to create meaningful learning experiences for their students and come to appreciate the author's belief that "assignments may well be the missing link in school reform efforts to improve student achievement."

With all the different components of literacy, planning and delivering effective literacy instruction can be overwhelming. Explore the work of collaborative literacy teams from their formation to the employment of successful student-focused strategies. Find professional growth units in each chapter that provide educators with the opportunity to discuss key concepts, self-reflect, and remain focused on student achievement.

Provides 40 research-based methods with suggestions for easy implementation to help struggling readers, and features three tables of contents (traditional, topical, and problem-solving) formatted for quick reference.

"In this book, structured literacy is conceptualized as an umbrella term encompassing a variety of intervention methods, instructional approaches, and commercial programs. In addition to focusing on SL approaches to intervention, this book is organized around common poor reader profiles that have been identified in research. The chapters in this volume are written by experts who are well known as researchers but who are also highly skilled at writing for practitioners. Chapters were written with a strong foundation of research that is summarized, but with a concentration on translating research into practice, including case studies, sample intervention activities, and lesson plans. Each chapter includes application activities at the end to check for and extend readers' understanding"--