Effective Techniques for Teaching with Decodable Text

1
Effective Techniques for Teaching with Decodable
Text

• Jennifer Wick, Ph.D.
• Thea Woodruff, Ph.D.

2
Objectives

• Define decodable text
• Review research regarding decodable text
• Discuss using decodable text within the reading
  components
• Investigate specific strategies for using
  decodable texts
• Relate decodable text to other text types and
  structures

3
Features of Decodable Text

• A proportion of words with regular phonics
  relationships between letters and sounds
• Regular patterns recur in many different words
• Most regular patterns have one-to-one or
  predictable two-to-one letter/sound
  correspondences
• Specific universal word parts may be repeated
  often (rimes, bigrams, specific patterns)
• A proportion of words that match the
  relationships represented in text with those
  mastered by the reader (lesson-to-text match,
  instructional consistency, wholly decodable, text
  related)

4
Scaffolding with Decodable Text

• Decodable texts reinforce lesson-to-text matches
  from phonics elements to connected text reading
• Decodable texts provide a context for readers to
  implement letter/sound strategies
• Readers are encouraged to focus conscious
  attention on letter to sound applications
• Readers can apply phonics instructional elements
  to decodable text

5
Research on Decodable Text

• Students accuracy word recognition skills
  positively, significantly correlated with reading
  more highly decodable texts (Hoffman et al.,
  2000)
• Readers performances on decoding comprehension
  measures were superior when receiving direct
  phonics instruction with decodable texts (Foorman
  et al., 1998)
• Students involved in scripted phonics lessons
  supplemented with decodable books performed
  better in reading pseudo-words (Juel
  Roper-Schneider, 1985)
• Students given explicit instruction in phonics
  phonological awareness with decodable texts
  outperformed a less explicit phonics group that
  did not use decodable texts (Torgeson et al.,
  1999)

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Research on Decodable Text (contd)

• 1st grade students received tutoring in a phonics
  program supported with high and low levels of
  decodable text practice
• These students outperformed control students
• There were no significant differences between
  high and low levels of decodable text used
• (Jenkins et al., 2004)

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Research on Decodable Text (contd)

• The majority of words in 6 first-grade basal
  programs appeared only once in each 6-week
  instructional block (Foorman et al., 2004)
• Texts from 3 basal programs (mainstream basal,
  combined phonics and literature, and phonics
  emphasis) were examined based on cognitive load,
  linguistic content, shared vocabulary (Hiebert
  et al., 2005)
• Three randomly selected passages from 60
  high-interest, low-level books were analyzed
  according to number of high frequency words,
  decodable words, sentences, and text coherence
  (Spadorcia, 2005)

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Research Applications

• 5-step analysis to match decodable texts to
  phonics reading instruction
• Inspect the phonics elements featured in a
  specific storybook.
• Compare the featured elements with the phonics
  knowledge of individual students.
• Use storybooks with phonics elements that
  students have mastered for independent reading.
• Select storybooks with phonics elements that
  students are currently learning for assisted
  reading.
• Before students read a storybook, review the
  books non-decodable words and pre-teach any that
  students do not already know.
• (Jenkins, et al., 2003)

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Decodability Rating Scale

• Highly Decodable Text
• Very Decodable Text
• Decodable Text
• Somewhat Decodable Text
• Minimally Decodable Text
• (Hoffman et al., 2000)

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Decodable Text the Reading Components

• How can a reading lesson be constructed using
  decodable texts?
• What considerations should be made for decodable
  text genres?
• What type of scaffolding should teachers provide
  their students during these lessons?
• What expectations and accountability will
  teachers implement during this instruction?

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Attending to Reader, Text, Task
(adapted from Johnston, 1998)
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Teaching Phonics Using Decodable Text

• Allows students to practice using the phonics
  knowledge/skills they have been taught
• Some students need more practice opportunities
  than others
• Be sure to allow for corrective, immediate
  feedback during this practice
• From teacher
• From peer

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Teaching Fluency Using Decodable Text

• Allows students to become more automatic with
  phonics knowledge/skills they have been taught
• May use decodable text rather than authentic or
  leveled text to ensure a student practices
  fluency at her instructional/ independent level

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Connecting to Vocabulary through Decodable Text

• Basic vocabulary may be taught when using
  decodable text
• Especially true for English language learners or
  students with limited oral language skills
• Examples
• /o/ words spot, slot, rob, top, hog, fog, off,
  odd
• /a/ words pat, slam, rag, cap, lap, tack, past
• Decodable texts provide more exposure to new
  vocabulary words, which can facilitate students
  remembering new words (Hiebert et al., 2005)

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Connecting to Comprehension through Decodable Text

• Basic comprehension instruction can be conducted
  through using decodable text
• Especially true for early grades (K and 1st) or
  students struggling with comprehension
• Examples
• Retell
• Sequencing
• Answering literal or possibly inferential
  questions
• Practice in asking questions at different levels
• Self-correcting to ensure understanding

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Grouping to Use Decodable Text

• Decodable text is for practicing and applying
  skills
• Therefore, try using it within different
  grouping formats
• Whole group -- choral reading text with entire
  class
• BUT think about other types of groups

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Grouping for Guided Practice with Decodable Text

• Teacher led same-ability small group
• Choral reading text aloud with teacher and small
  group
• Echo reading with teacher
• Mixed-ability small group (e.g., center)
• Choral reading text aloud with small group
• Taking turns echo reading as small group
• Partner work
• Echo reading with partner
• Repeated reading with partner

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Independent Reading with Decodable Text

• Have student practice reading decodable text on
  own
• Orally (whisper voice)
• Silently
• Before student practices independently, make sure
  student demonstrates mastery of reading text with
  support

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Decodable Text Relatedto Other Text Types

• Predictable Text
• Transitional Text
• Decodable Text
• Leveled Text
• Authentic Text

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Text Types Accessibilityand Complexity
Predictable Text Transitional Text
Decodable Text Leveled Text Authentic Text
ACCESIBILITY Low High
COMPLEXITY Low High

• (Adapted from Brown, 1999/2000)

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Readers Need to READ

• Students who are exposed to more text instruction
  and are required to spend more time reading have
  more opportunities to learn new words and
  practice learned strategies (Hiebert et al.,
  2005 Juel Roper-Schneider, 1985)
• A comprehensive understanding of the reading
  process supported by programs, instruction, and
  materials that enhance and promote learning to
  read can significantly influence students
  reading achievements across time (Spadorcia, 2005)

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Conclusions

• Using particular text types and attending to
  complexity and accessibility of text at different
  times in a readers development is a strong way
  to support his progress (Brown, 1999/2000)
• Focusing on the reader, the text, and the task
  can help teachers align instruction with
  decodable texts that students can read and enjoy
  (Jenkins, et al., 2004 Mesmer, 2001)
• Explicit phonics instruction supports reading
  development, but the impact of supplementing with
  decodable texts is still unclear

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Conclusions (contd)

• More research needs to be conducted on the who,
  what, when, where, and why of using decodable
  texts (NRP, 2000)
• While there are no definitive statements
  regarding necessity and/or optimal degree of
  decodability, an educated conclusion can be
  made about the appropriate levels of decodability
  based on the reader, text, and task. (Beck, 1997
  Johnston, 1998)
• Decodable texts provide a strong scaffold for
  teaching reading skills in phonics, fluency,
  vocabulary, and comprehension (Brown, 1999/2000
  Mesmer, 2005)

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References

• Beck, I. L. (1997, October/November). Response to
  Overselling phonics. Reading Today, p. 15.
• Brown, K. J. (1999/2000). What kind of text-For
  whom and when? Textual scaffolding for beginning
  readers. The Reading Teacher, 53(4), 292307.
• Foorman, B., Francis, D., Fletcher, J.,
  Schatschneider, C., Metha, P. (1998). The role
  of instruction in learning to read Preventing
  reading failure in at-risk children. The Journal
  of Educational Psychology, 90, 3755.
• Foorman, B. R., Francis, D. J., Davidson, K. C.,
  Harm, M. W., Griffin, J. (2004). Variability in
  text features in six Grade 1 basal reading
  programs. Scientific Studies of Reading, 8(2),
  167197.
• Hiebert, E. H., Martin, L. A., Menon, S.
  (2005). Are there alternatives in reading
  textbooks? An examination of three beginning
  reading programs. Reading Writing Quarterly,
  21, 732.

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References (contd)

• Hoffman, J. V., Roser, N. L., Patterson, E.,
  Salas, R., Pennington, J. (2000). Text leveling
  and little books in first grade reading.
  Journal of Literacy Research, 33(3), 507528.
• Jenkins, J. R., Peyton, J. A., Sanders, E. A.,
  Vadasy, P. F. (2004). Effects of reading
  decodable texts in supplemental first-grade
  tutoring. Scientific Studies of Reading, 8(1),
  5385.
• Jenkins, J. R., Vadasy, P. F., Peyton, J. A.,
  Sanders, E. A. (2003). Decodable text-Where to
  find it. The Reading Teacher, 57(2), 185189.
• Johnston, F. R. (1998). The reader, the text, and
  the task Learning words in first grade. The
  Reading Teacher, 51(8), 666675.
• Juel, C., Roper-Schneider, D. (1985). The
  influence of basal readers on first grade
  reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 20, 134152.

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References (contd)

• Mesmer, H. A. E. (1999). Scaffolding a crucial
  transition using text with some decodability. The
  Reading Teacher, 53(2), 130142.
• Mesmer, H. A. E. (2001). Decodable text A review
  of what we know. Reading Research and
  Instruction, 40(2), 121142.
• Mesmer, H. A. E. (2005). Text decodability and
  the first-grade reader. Reading Writing
  Quarterly, 21, 6186.
• National Reading Panel. (2000). Summary Report.
  Bethesda, MD National Institute of Child Health
  and Human Development.
• Spadorcia, S. A. (2005). Examining the text
  demands of high-interest, low-level books.
  Reading Writing Quarterly, 21, 3359.
• Torgeson, J. K., Wagner, R. K., Rashotte, C. A.,
  Rose, E., Lindamood, P., Conway, T., et al.
  (1999). Preventing reading failure in young
  children with phonological processing
  disabilities Group and individual responses to
  instruction. Journal of Educational Psychology,
  91, 579593.