Ready4Reading Evidence Portfolio
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of applying phonics or oral language lessons to reading books containing the concepts being taught (Stahl, 2011; Cheatham & Allor, 2012; Buckingham, 2020).
As with the other comprehension-building practices discussed throughout this section, when incorporated as part of instructional programming that seeks to weave these pedagogical features within a broader, well-integrated approach to literacy development, students are well-positioned to learn to read and read to learn simultaneously.
Ready4Reading Research Alignment: Phonics and Essential Literacy Skills
In the context of this research, Ready4Reading aims to integrate phonics knowledge with other essential reading skills, such as knowledge building, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. The mechanisms in which Ready4Reading’s instructional design facilitates these aims are summarized as follows: • Knowledge-Building: Ready4Reading provides varied and frequent opportunities for students to engage with multiple text types, genres, and videos with the goal of building the content knowledge needed to successfully read texts across a variety of content-oriented subject areas, such as social studies, science, fine arts, and mathematics. It is intended to support prior knowledge activation. Each Ready4Reading lesson begins with students completing a brief activity that reviews the critical alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, and sound-spelling skills needed to understand the phonics lesson and read a decodable text. Using Short Reads Decodables, students read short decodable texts of varied genres along with informational texts, helping them solidify automatic word recognition. The program’s Read to Know Text Sets contain 18 sets of three topic-aligned decodable books (two informational text and one fiction text) that provide students an opportunity to learn about content-oriented topics through multiple pathways. Topics covered in these texts are aimed to be engaging for students and include those related to English language arts, science (e.g., animals and plants, earth and space, health and safety, physical science and engineering), and social studies (geography, history, communities, and economics), among others. Each text set is organized around a topic. These topics can be categorized, allowing students to create schemas that allow them to connect newly learned content with concepts and content they already know. The program also provides students opportunities to activate prior knowledge through viewing Ready4Reading “ Watch and Learn ” videos. Intended to introduce the content knowledge and vocabulary needed to comprehend the passages in the decodable text sets, the 3 – 4-minute Watch and Learn videos present real-world footage related to science, social studies, or English language arts. The videos cover exciting topics that aim to motivate students by sparking their curiosity. Ready4Reading materials also suggest ways to help students make connections across topics and texts as well as ways to put their developing knowledge to use in new contexts. Once students finish reading texts, the program includes resources to help them explore each book’s content further. The inside back cover of Read to Know Text Sets includes information for families that they can use to engage children in discussion and further exploration of the book’s
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