Designed to help preservice and inservice teachers use assessments to identify problems and employ appropriate strategies to help their students become better readers, this text includes 12 case studies that detail children′s literacy struggles. The cases are embedded within a framework of research-based instructional interventions related to best practices in literacy instruction. The core chapters of the book are organized around six essential elements in learning to read—emergent literacy, word identification, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and engagement—and include a review of the literature, assessment strategies, instructional interventions, a section on Intervening With Technology, and two detailed case reports.

"Assessing and Addressing Literacy Needs: Cases and Instructional Strategies is designed to help preservice and inservice teachers understand the problems that children encounter when learning to read and to provide key instructional strategies related to best practices in literacy instruction. The text promotes reflection and analysis that will provoke thoughtful responses and discussions to help teachers use assessments to identify problems and employ appropriate strategies to help their students become better readers"-- Provided by publisher.

Practical, effective, evidence-based reading interventions that change students' lives Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties is a practical, accessible, in-depth guide to reading assessment and intervention. It provides a detailed discussion of the nature and causes of reading difficulties, which will help develop the knowledge and confidence needed to accurately assess why a student is struggling. Readers will learn a framework for organizing testing results from current assessment batteries such as the WJ-IV, KTEA-3, and CTOPP-2. Case studies illustrate each of the concepts covered. A thorough discussion is provided on the assessment of phonics skills, phonological awareness, word recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Formatted for easy reading as well as quick reference, the text includes bullet points, icons, callout boxes, and other design elements to call attention to important information. Although a substantial amount of research has shown that most reading difficulties can be prevented or corrected, standard reading remediation efforts have proven largely ineffective. School psychologists are routinely called upon to evaluate students with reading difficulties and to make recommendations to address such difficulties. This book provides an overview of the best assessment and intervention techniques, backed by the most current research findings. Bridge the gap between research and practice Accurately assess the reason(s) why a student struggles in reading Improve reading skills using the most highly effective evidence-based techniques Reading may well be the most important thing students are taught during their school careers. It is a skill they will use every day of their lives; one that will dictate, in part, later life success. Struggling students need help now, and Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties shows how to get these students on track.

"This core text introduces pre-service teachers to the essential components of literacy and describes how to effectively deliver explicit, evidence-based instruction on each component"--

From expert authors, this book guides educators to conduct assessments that inform daily instruction and identify the assets that emergent bilinguals bring to the classroom. Effective practices are reviewed for screening, assessment, and progress monitoring in the areas of oral language, beginning reading skills, vocabulary and comprehension in the content areas, and writing. The book also addresses how to establish schoolwide systems of support that incorporate family and community engagement. Packed with practical ideas and vignettes, the book focuses on grades K–6, but also will be useful to middle and high school teachers. Appendices include reproducible forms that can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

Showcasing assessment practices that can help teachers plan effective instruction, this book addresses the real-world complexities of teaching literacy in grades K-8. Leading contributors present trustworthy approaches that examine learning processes as well as learning products, that yield information on how the learning environment can be improved, and that are conducted in the context of authentic reading and writing activities. The volume provides workable, nuts-and-bolts ideas for incorporating assessment into instruction in all major literacy domains and with diverse learners, including students in high-poverty schools and those with special learning needs. It is illustrated throughout with helpful concrete examples.

What are today's best methods for teaching literacy skills to students with complex support needs--including autism, intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities? This comprehensive guidebook has up-to-date, evidence-based answers for pre- and in-service educators. Developed by Copeland and Keefe, the experts behind the landmark book Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with Moderate or Severe Disabilities, this thoroughly reimagined follow-up reflects 10 years of groundbreaking research and advances in the field. You'll discover current recommended practices on critical topics, including how to build vocabulary, increase word recognition, enhance fluency, address cultural and linguistic diversity, and use academic standards when designing instruction. You'll also get the guidance you need to put theory into practice: powerful lesson planning strategies, practical examples, and case studies that bring key principles of instruction to life. Whether used as a text for teachers in training or a guide for practicing educators, this book will help teachers of Grades K-12 increase access to literacy and prepare all learners for successful communication, employment, and community life. WHAT (TM)S NEW New section on literacy as a human right for all learners (the "why" of instruction) Chapters on how to design engaging learning environments Cutting-edge guidance on today's assistive technology and augmentative and alternative communication A dedicated chapter on how to use national and state standards in designing instruction Recommendations for adapting books and other materials to increase all learners' access Chapters on combining literacy and the arts to enhance student engagement More on literacy beyond high school, including community-based learning opportunities SELECTED TOPICS COVERED: language and communication * phonics instruction * vocabulary * fluency * writing instruction * universal design for learning * instruction for English language learners * standards-based IEPs * differentiated instruction * low- and high-tech text adaptations * music and drama in literacy learning * literacy in postsecondary education * literacy in employment settings

This must-read book for all literacy educators illuminates the intersection of research on literacy instruction and teacher evaluation. Since 2009, 46 states have changed or revised policies related to evaluating teachers and school leaders. In order for these new policies to be used to support and develop effective literacy instruction, resources are needed that connect the best of what is known about teaching literacy with current evaluation policies and support practices. A major contribution to meeting this need, the volume brings together a range of perspectives on tools, systems, and policies for the evaluation of teaching, organized into two sections: • Crafting Systems and Policies for Evaluating Literacy Instruction • Examples of Alternative Systems/Approaches for Evaluating Literacy Instruction Across the text, expert scholars in the field emphasize the need for literacy professionals to do more than merely apply generic observation instruments for teacher evaluation, but also to consider how these tools reflect professional values, how elements of effective literacy instruction can be unearthed or included within them, and how teacher evaluation systems and policies can be used to increase students’ opportunities to develop literacy.

The fourth edition of this comprehensive resource helps future and practicing teachers recognize and assess literacy problems, while providing practical, effective intervention strategies to help every student succeed. The author thoroughly explores the major components of literacy, providing an overview of pertinent research, suggested methods and tools for diagnosis and assessment, intervention strategies and activities, and technology applications to increase students' skills. Discussions throughout focus on the needs of English learners, offering appropriate instructional strategies and tailored teaching ideas to help both teachers and their students. Several valuable appendices include assessment tools, instructions and visuals for creating and implementing the book's more than 150 instructional strategies and activities, and other resources.

While most children learn to read fairly well, there remain many young Americans whose futures are imperiled because they do not read well enough to meet the demands of our competitive, technology-driven society. This book explores the problem within the context of social, historical, cultural, and biological factors. Recommendations address the identification of groups of children at risk, effective instruction for the preschool and early grades, effective approaches to dialects and bilingualism, the importance of these findings for the professional development of teachers, and gaps that remain in our understanding of how children learn to read. Implications for parents, teachers, schools, communities, the media, and government at all levels are discussed. The book examines the epidemiology of reading problems and introduces the concepts used by experts in the field. In a clear and readable narrative, word identification, comprehension, and other processes in normal reading development are discussed. Against the background of normal progress, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children examines factors that put children at risk of poor reading. It explores in detail how literacy can be fostered from birth through kindergarten and the primary grades, including evaluation of philosophies, systems, and materials commonly used to teach reading.