Jan England's CU

This unit will address teaching reading to special education middle-school students who are several years below grade level in their reading skills. The unit will explore a variety of ways to enable students to become better readers and to understand how the ability to read impacts their lives.

Goals include improvement in students’ word-attack skills, oral reading fluency, vocabulary development and reading comprehension, as well as an increased knowledge of the components of a novel such as setting, plot, and characterization. The main components of the unit will be using a systematic, sequential, multi-sensory phonetic approach to learning to pronounce words in the English language; and reading a novel as a class for practice in oral and silent reading, in listening comprehension, in vocabulary development, and in exploration of the novel’s components.

The novel used will be Sounder, a Newbery Award-winning classic story about a poor African-American boy in the 19th-century South. There are many opportunities in Sounder to discuss the value of listening to stories being told aloud, of being able to read, and of going to school. These are values explored in some detail in the story. Included in the unit will be discussions about comparing the boy’s life in the setting of Sounder to the students’ lives today.

Regarding classroom discussions, it seems to be very important for middle school students to have opportunities for discussion. These students are rapidly growing and changing -- physically, emotionally, and socially -- and most of them seem to have a great need for dialogue and feedback in many areas. The teacher will make opportunities for discussion available throughout the unit, in both structured and impromptu ways.

In A Tribe Apart, one of the readings for this summer’s ATI seminar on juvenile delinquency, author Patricia Hersch spent much time delving into the world and the culture of adolescence. In one instance she observed an 8th grade girl delivering a speech to her class. The speech dealt with the use of illicit substances inside the middle school. The 8th grader felt that teachers failed to notice that this was happening. She said that students were drinking vodka (brought from home) and orange juice while teachers thought they were just having breakfast, and that students were selling drugs by their lockers and even during classes. Addressing the teachers who were listening to her speech, the 8th grade speaker said:

It seems middle school students are crying out to be heard. They seem to need for teachers and other students to listen to them and respond to them, and to be aware of what their lives are like. Thus, opportunities for discussion will be a major part of the unit.

In addition to the multisensory phonetic approach, the reading of Sounder, and discussions, there will be two other components to the unit. These are for the instructor to read aloud various short stories and short "picture books" to the students; and for the students to have selected periods of time for silent reading using materials of their choice.

The unit will be used in an Albuquerque middle school which has students from a variety of backgrounds. The ethnic distribution is approximately as follows: 74% Hispanic, 13% Anglo, 7% Native American, 4% African-American, 1% Asian, and 1% "Other." Approximately 75% of the students are eligible for free or reduced school lunches. Most of the surrounding community would be considered lower-middle to lower socioeconomically. In addition, this middle school has one of the highest transience rates in the city, due to a large number of apartments in the area surrounding the school.

At this middle school, the TerraNova standardized test in the spring of 2000 showed student scores as follows for the "Composite" category: 6th grade: 50th %ile, 7th grade: 51st %ile, 8th grade: 49th %ile.

Many students live in single-family homes or with a relative other than a parent. A randomly selected sample of 20 special education students in all three grades showed the following breakdown:

Students living with both parents: 15%
Students living with one parent: 70%
Students living with grandparents or other relative: 15%

The curriculum unit is designed specifically for use in teaching a Corrective Reading class for special education students with learning disabilities which significantly affect the students’ reading skills. Six different groups of "C" or "D" level special education students will spend one 45-minute period per day in this Corrective Reading class. A "C" level special education student generally receives services in a class with a 15:1 pupil-teacher ratio with part-time assistance from an Educational Assistant. A "D" level special education student generally has lower academic skills than a "C" level student. Therefore the "D" level student is in a smaller class, receiving services in a class with an 8:1 pupil-teacher ratio with full-time help of an Educational Assistant. The projected schedule is for the Corrective Reading instructor to see three periods of "C" level (15:1) students per day and three periods of "D" level (8:1) students per day, for a total of approximately 60 to 80 different students per day, depending on the exact class size for each period.

The special education eligibility term which applies to almost all of these 60 to 80 students is "Specific Learning Disability," as opposed to other eligibilities such as "Emotional/Behavioral Disorder," "Educable Mentally Handicapped," or "Traumatic Brain Injury," for example. A discussion of the "Specific Learning Disabled" eligibility follows.

A student may be eligible to receive special education services as having a "Specific Learning Disability" when his IQ score is in the normal range but there is a significant discrepancy from what one would expect his academic achievement to be, based on that IQ score. For example, a student may score 95 on an IQ test, well within the normal range. We would predict his achievement on specific academic tests of reading, writing and mathematics to be somewhat close to 95. In New Mexico, when a student scores 23 or more points below this expectancy level (1 1/2 standard deviations), he may be said to have a learning disability.

Below is a sample chart of one student’s performance levels in academic achievement compared to his predicted achievement level (IQ score).

Performance Level (%iles and Standard Scores)
Measure
%ile:			1		25		50	75		99			Discrepancy
S.S:	40	55	70	85		100			115	130	145	160	from
													Predicted Ach.
	: - - - - : - - - - : - - - - : - - - - : - - - - : - - - - : - - - - : - - - - :
Predicted Ach.						*
(108 -- full-scale
IQ score)

Reading	(82) *****************												(-26)

Mathematics	(122) *************************************												(14)

Written Language		(88) *****************											(-20)

This student had an IQ score of 108, but scored an 82 on the reading achievement test. 108 minus 82 is 26, so the student’s discrepancy from predicted achievement is -26. At the student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting - the meeting consisting of the student, his parents, his teachers, and an evaluation specialist or head of Special Education Department, and any ancillary personnel involved - it was decided that this student was eligible for special education and could benefit from a smaller class for Reading and

Language Arts.

It is interesting that this student had a positive discrepancy level of 14 points in the area of mathematics, and in fact, was in Enriched Math classes in 7th and 8th grade. This is a rare situation, although roughly 15% of students who qualify for special education in the areas of reading and written language are able to handle regular education math. By the same token, some learning disabled students are eligible for special education only in the area of mathematics, and can handle regular education Language and Literature classes. The students referred to in the previous two paragraphs are "B" level or resource room students. Resource room students have only one to three classes per day in special education, with the remainder of their classes in regular education.

The "C" and "D" level special education students discussed earlier are the ones for whom the curriculum unit is designed. "C" level students at the designated middle school will receive four special education classes per day, two general education electives, and one general education academic subject. The "D" level students will receive five special education classes per day plus two general education electives. Besides the one period of Corrective Reading, "D" level students will see other "D" level teachers for Social Studies, Math, Language Arts and Science. "C" level students will be required to have one academic subject in general education at our school this year, so they will see a "C" level teacher for all but one of the subjects mentioned above.

Most of these "C" and "D" level students have been in special education for several years, having been referred in elementary school by a parent or a teacher who noticed that the child was having significant academic difficulties. As mentioned above, approximately 70% of the students can be expected to live in single-family homes, with another 15% living with grandparents or other relatives. Considering past experience in listening to students talk about their home lives, it can be expected that many of these 11- to 14-year-old students have burdens outside of school with which to deal. These burdens include things such as being the caretaker of younger siblings, being in the middle of separated or divorced parents and sometimes moving from living with one to living with the other and back again, having a father in jail, drug abuse and/or alcoholism on the part of parents or boyfriends/girlfriends of parents, intense dislike of step-parent, financial worries when parents are laid off or move from one job to another frequently, moving with student’s mother into mother’s boyfriend’s house, missing an estranged father or mother who does not contact the student, taking care of a sick parent as the oldest child, and numerous other situations. In light of this, it is not too surprising that study habits are poor, organization is lacking, homework is not done, and distractibility is rampant among students in the classroom. Because of this, a major goal of the curriculum unit is to obtain high-interest reading materials, and to research and develop a variety of reading activities to keep students motivated.

There has been controversy for years about what causes a reading disability. Not every learning disabled student is necessarily dyslexic, but it is interesting to see a list of possible explanations for dyslexia given over the years. George D. Spache, in Investigating the Issues of Reading Disabilities, lists many definitions of dyslexia given by various people in the literature as follows:

How do Mid-School Students Feel about Being Poor Readers and about How They are Taught?

In an article called "Not all Students Learn to Read by Third Grade: Middle School Students Speak out about Their Reading Disabilities," Audrey D. McCray interviewed students to find out how they felt about the following: their reading ability, the procedures used to assist with reading instruction, reasons to be involved in explicit reading instruction, and reading instruction that might improve their reading ability. All of the 20 students had experienced challenges in learning to read, all were in the lowest 25%ile on standardized reading tests, and all were in special education for reading. Most of the students expressed negative attitudes toward reading, and also said that they had limited opportunities to read independently, select reading materials, or read personally interesting materials in school. The Corrective Reading class will have plenty of interesting materials for self-selection during silent reading times.

When asked what they thought made a "good reader," the 20 students in McCray’s article cited things they noticed in classmates. These traits included reading fast while being very understandable, sounding out a word when not knowing how to pronounce it, being able to retell the whole story after reading it, and staying focused without getting distracted. When talking about their own reading disabilities, some students said that they would have to read something numerous times to remember what it meant. Other problems they noted in themselves included difficulty in staying focused, reading slowly, and not remembering how to sound out the words.

When asked about how they were being taught reading, many students believed that although the teachers were working hard, the instruction lacked focus and consistency. The students talked about disconnected and spontaneous reading lessons and decoding rules, for example. One student said that it would be good if the teacher taught the same way every day, but some days it’s one way, and some days, another way. This seems to show a need for the special education students to have structure and consistency in order to improve in their reading skills. The multisensory phonetic approach will provide structure and consistency.

One positive comment by a student in McCray’s study was that the student’s reading teacher taught him how to break up words into little parts or to look at prefixes and suffixes and root words to help figure out unknown words. These strategies will be used extensively in the phonetic-drill parts of the Corrective Reading class. McCray says:

When one student was asked whether he would be willing to repeat first or second grade material if it meant that he would read better, he stated that he would not mind "starting over." Most of the students were very aware of the need to read well. One student even commented on being happy about being able to read the lunch menu, which meant not having to order the same thing every day, as his reading improved.

Another student in McCray’s study said that she would love to learn her letter sounds again and learn how to pronounce words correctly, but how could the teacher do that for her without all her friends knowing about it? In the Corrective Reading class, all the students will be working toward similar goals, with everyone having reading difficulties, and will not have to feel embarrassed around friends who read well.

To sum up McCray’s article, she says, "All of the students indicated willingness to learn to read and the hope that one of their teachers would be able to teach them to do so." (28).

-- At least two to three times per week, read aloud to students: teacher reads interesting "picture book" or short story to class
-- Lesson in the phonetic approach to reading based on Patterns for Success in Reading and Spelling by Marcia K. Henry and Nancy C. Redding: do visual and auditory card drills, introduce new phoneme and exercises for new phoneme
-- Introduce guided reading mini-lesson, or review previously taught mini-lesson (details in Implementation section), students read Sounder aloud or in partners with teacher guidance
-- Time for discussion (generated by either teacher or students)
-- Two to three times per week set aside 15 min. for SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) - students may choose materials to read from classroom or bring appropriate materials from home

Start the class period by reading to the class an interesting, well-illustrated "picture book" or relevant short story from the school library or local library. Past experience has shown that almost all students, even 8th graders who seem the least interested in school, very much enjoy listening to stories. Having someone read to them seems to be very calming and engaging for the students. It also helps to motivate the students to choose their own reading materials, and provides them with the opportunity to hear fluency in oral reading. There are many wonderful children’s books that the teacher can read aloud in five to ten minutes. Following the story, go immediately into the phonetic lesson. (Later in the year, the story-reading could follow the phonetic drill as a motivator for kids to stay focused for the drill.)

In an article from the Journal of Special Education, Audrey McCray notes that,

Even though some of the lessons may seem elementary for these students, it is surprising how many students struggle with the sound-symbol relationships.

The "percentage of children" mentioned by the authors above could very well refer to special education students such as are addressed in this unit. In the unit students will explore what relationship exists between poor reading and feeling discouraged and/or getting into trouble, and possibly dropping out of school. Students will discuss what future lies ahead for school dropouts.

Due to their reading disabilities, most of the "C" and "D" level students are generally three to four grade levels below their current grade in school. Sixth graders may read at a third grade level, seventh graders at a fourth grade level, eighth graders at a fifth grade level, very generally.

As mentioned earlier, one of the main components of the Corrective Reading class will be a structured, sequential phonetic approach to learning to decode words. The program utilized is one developed by Marcia K. Henry and Nancy C. Redding called Patterns of Success in Reading and Spelling: A Multisensory Approach to Teaching Phonics and Word Analysis. This approach is based on Orton-Gillingham techniques and is specifically designed for teaching reading to dyslexic and learning disabled students. The other component to the unit is to read Sounder by William H. Armstrong. This novel will be discussed in further detail below.

Regarding using the phonetic approach to teach reading to learning-disabled students, there has been much supporting research. Joseph Torgesen says:

Although there is much other documentation of the success of a phonetic approach to teaching reading, it is a rather repetitious approach. Therefore, it will be utilized in short segments of the 45-minute period, and various games and activities designed to keep students motivated will be discussed in the "Implementation" part of the unit. It is a goal of the unit to enable students to see their progress in word

pronunciation as each new phoneme is practiced.

Another goal of the unit is to make students aware of how being able to read impacts their lives. It is hoped that in the Corrective Reading class, students will be able to recognize their improvement in literacy skills continually throughout the year, leading to a sense of achievement which carries over to other classes as they are able to better read a variety of materials. Teacher will present questions about life choices for reflection and discussion. Some of the questions could be: How is reading used in general life and on the job? What kind of job can a person get if he cannot read well? How might being unable to read relate to delinquent behavior? What kind of life can one expect to lead without having a high school diploma? What kind of job or career can one have if he goes to college?

Students will discuss these topics at length while reading Sounder. This novel introduces a setting -- Louisiana, 1834 -- and a culture with which most of the target students are not familiar. The main character is a boy who is the oldest child in a family of sharecroppers. The boy’s father grows tired of not being able to feed his family after many unsuccessful coon hunting trips with the dog named Sounder. The father steals some meat from a smokehouse. He is caught, taken to jail, and later sent to prison. The family is not told which prison the father is in, and the boy goes on many journeys alone to look for his father.

There are several key events in the story which can prompt an exploration and discussion of the importance of reading. One of these events occurs when the boy finds a book in a trash can and feels very privileged to own it. He works hard at sounding words out and thinking about the meaning of those words. Later, he gets the opportunity to live away from home with a teacher and attend school, which would enable him to become the first person to be able to read in his family.

Students will view the full-length movie Sounder, which is on videotape, shortly before completing the book. This will be not only review of the novel, but a motivation for the students to continue with the reading and discussion of it. The video will be shown before the completion of reading the novel so that the students are still wondering if the father ever comes home from prison. Upon viewing the end of the movie, the teacher will read the end of the book aloud. As part of the unit evaluation, the students take notes during the movie and will write a paper comparing and contrasting the book and the film.

Use the basic class schedule mentioned above to implement the following activities. For discussion questions, vocabulary development and evaluation using Sounder, see sample worksheets in Appendices.

The reading of Sounder with concurrent activities detailed below will take approximately seven to nine weeks. The teacher will continue to use the phonetic approach to word analysis throughout the year, reviewing and adding new phonemes constantly.

Refer to Patterns for Success in Reading and Spelling: A Multisensory Approach to Teaching Phonics and Word Analysis Teacher’s Manual by Marcia K. Henry and Nancy C. Redding for complete lesson plans and instructions in using this approach.

The basic idea is that students are learning the letter-sound correspondences of English such as:

-- all of the single consonant sounds
-- all of the consonant blends (e.g., cr, st, tr, pl)
-- all of the consonant digraphs (e.g., ch, sh, th)
-- short vowels
-- long vowels with silent e rule
-- vowel digraphs (e.g., oa, ea, ai, ay)
-- "r-controlled" vowels (sounds of ar, er, ir, ur, or)
-- six major syllable patterns and rules
-- morpheme patterns (compound words, prefixes and suffixes)

All of the above phonemes should be printed onto index cards to be used for auditory, visual and kinesthetic drills with the students. Daily or almost daily, review the previously learned phonemes. Visual input refers to the student seeing a letter or letter combination and pronouncing it. Auditory input refers to hearing letter and letter combination sounds individually, within syllables, or within words. Kinesthetic-tactile input refers to both hand-arm movements and lip, tongue, and throat movements.

Since 65% of English words come from the Latin or Greek, many of the lessons deal with those roots of our words. For example, the Latin root "scrib" or "script" means "to write." Kids enjoy brainstorming and coming up with as many words as they can with that root such as transcribe, transcript, inscribe, describe, descriptive, description, manuscript, prescription, scribble, etc… Teacher uses an overhead projector to make a list of students’ ideas for all to see.

I. Opening - Teacher (T) provides student (St) with goals for lesson and states purpose.

II. Visual card drill (T shows all learned patterns on index cards in any order, St gives sound).

III. Review previously taught pattern, rule or concept.
T shows prepared short list (10-15 words) representative of previously learned phoneme pattern.
St decodes list, and reads two or three phrases or sentences.
T dictates three to five words from list for St to write on paper.

B. New pattern
T shows prepared list of about 10-20 words, depending upon ability, utilizing one new pattern or concept (for example -tch, ea, kn, suffix rule, etc.). St decodes words (he may underline vowel first and say name and sound if there is hesitation). St reads two or three sentences or phrases incorporating words from the list, old and new non-phonetic words and previously learned patterns and concepts. T dictates some of the words for St to spell on paper.

V. Sentence dictation
T has St read back all words written on sheet and then dictates two or three sentences or phrases incorporating the above.

VI. Reading for pleasure (from novel used in class).
T prepares a list of five phrases from reading which include words with which the St may be unfamiliar, or may be unable to read:
1. T reads phrase and points to it -- St repeats
2. T reads phrase (out of order) -- St finds phrase, points, reads
3. T asks comprehension questions about each phrase, out of order. St finds the phrase, reads it. These questions should include who, what, where, when, why, how-type questions.
4. St reads phrases back, pointing to each, in any order.
5. Read from book (Sounder, for this unit) stressing phrasing, inflection, and comprehension. T points out correlations with phoneme patterns learned. (Henry 1998 after Renner 1997)

In addition to the phonics drills utilized in this approach, there is systematic introduction and review of non-phonetic "memory" words included throughout the lessons.

As mentioned earlier, one of the goals of the unit will be to keep students interested and motivated. Following are some games and activities that teacher can incorporate into the phonetic part of the curriculum:

Activity 1: Using any mail order catalog, students locate pictures of items beginning with certain consonant blends (for example - st, tr, spr) or consonant digraphs (for example - sh, ch, shr). Students glue onto poster board or construction paper.

Activity 2: Using dictionaries, students look up words beginning with a certain phoneme - for example, ch. Students write down ten words that they know, then read aloud to class.

Activity 3: Students choose a topic of interest to them and list words in that topic that contain consonant digraphs.

Example (topic: food)
ch	sh
spinach	squash
cheese	shellfish
The index of a cookbook would be helpful for this topic (Spache 80).

Activity 4: Select a page from Sounder or an other story being read in class. Students write each word on the page that contains the selected phoneme. Teacher could turn this into a contest by saying, "Let’s see who can be first to find ten words with sh on this page." Winner earns a prize.

Activity 5: Using newspapers, children choose an article and circle all the words in it that contain silent letters - vowels or consonants (rules of silent letters should be discussed prior to this). They may then exchange articles with a partner. Partner marks through all the silent letters in the marked words. Students check their partner’s work both ways (Spache 85).

Activity 6: Cut small squares from oaktag and print a phoneme or a syllable on each. Make several squares for each letter of the alphabet. Sort the cards alphabetically and keep them in separate compartments of an egg carton. Label compartments A-B, C-D, E-F, etc. for alphabetizing. Let students practice forming words by taking the letters from the carton and laying them out on a desk. Stress making words they know or have heard before. Students could work in groups and have a contest with this ("Which group can be first to make 20 words containing prefixes we have discussed?").

Activity 7: To develop awareness of the positions of letter sounds in words, have students draw three columns on their papers. Label the columns "beginning," "middle," and "end." As the teacher says a word, the student draws a line to the column that represents where in the word is the letter sound designated by the teacher. Be sure students understand which sound they are listening for.

Teacher says, "Draw a line to the column that shows where the /st/ sound is in these words:"

stand ______________
fast _______________________________________
poster ______________________________ Students draw in the lines
faster ______________________________ shown to the left.
stem ______________ (Spache 94)

The following plans refer to the second component of the unit which deals with students reading a novel, in this case Sounder, and learning reading skills other than the phonetic ones described above.

The following Guided Reading Mini-Lessons come from the Four-Block University. Teacher should present and review the lessons over several days, and review them again many times throughout the school year. Keep the mini-lessons short and to the point. Each mini-lesson contains a reading skill for students to apply while reading the selection for guided reading.

--Guided Reading Mini-Lesson: Parts of a book

Call on individual students to identify:
Title page
Index
Copyright page
Glossary
Dedication page
Table of Contents

--Guided Reading Mini-Lesson: What to do when you come to a word you don’t know
Look at all the letters.
Look for patterns that you know.
Sound out word by using beginning and ending sounds and any spelling patterns.
Break the word into chunks if it is a big word.
Produce a word that sounds like a real word you already know.
Keep your finger on the sentence and reread the sentence to cross-check your possible pronunciation with meaning.
Does it sound right?
Do the letters match the sounds?
Does it make sense?
Does it fit?
If it doesn’t make sense, go back to the word in the sentence and try to think of a word that would make sense and would have these letters.

--Guided Reading Mini-Lesson: How rereading helps
1) Do this to help illustrate how rereading helps; Use a web
2) Have students read for two minutes, close books
3) Write down everything they remember
4) Read again for two minutes
5) Add to what was written the first time
6) Repeat

--Guided Reading Mini-Lesson: When comprehension breaks down
What do you do when you don’t understand what you are reading? Good readers know when they are understanding and when they are not understanding.
How do you know when you are not understanding?
When things don’t sound right.
When I feel lost about the story.
When I stop to think about the story, and can’t recall any of it.
Good readers have a lot of strategies to use to help them understand something that is confusing or difficult.
These are called Fix-It Strategies.
If it is a word you don’t know:
Try to figure it out from context clues
Ask yourself -- What would make sense?
If it is the meaning of the word that you don’t know: STOP
Reread the part that is confusing.
Adjust your rate of reading.
Pay attention to language conventions.
Ask yourself what you already know about the text.
Create a visual image in your mind and ask yourself, "What is happening here?"

--Guided Reading Mini-Lesson: Characterization
Characters: major, minor Do they change? Stay the same? Do a character sketch.
What words does the author use to describe character? Brave, funny, lazy...
How does the character act? What does he do? What does the character say?

--Guided Reading Mini-Lesson: Characterization
As students are reading in pairs, they use sticky notes to mark passages that reveal traits about a certain character. Come back as a large group and discuss.

--Guided Reading Mini-Lesson: Plot: Action of Story
What is the problem in the story? What caused it to happen? Resolution?
Types of problems:
Man against man
Man against self
Man against nature

STRAND I: READING PROCESS
CONTENT STANDARD: The student employs appropriate reading strategies to read and interpret increasingly complex texts for a variety of purposes.
K-5 BENCHMARK: The student develops proficiency in basic reading skills and strategies and continues to develop vocabulary and fluency in reading across content areas.
6-8 BENCHMARK: The student demonstrates competence with reading processes to comprehend, analyze, interpret and evaluate a wide variety of texts across content areas.
Performance Standards - Reading Strategies:
-- Applies phonetic and structural analyses to decode words
-- Applies context clues to decode unfamiliar words
-- Self-corrects when reading
-- Uses a variety of strategies (e.g., rereads, reads ahead, asks for help, adjusts reading speed, questions, paraphrases, retells) to comprehend text
-- Uses text organizers (e.g., titles, tables of contents, chapter headings, glossaries, indices) to identify the main ideas and locate information
-- Applies knowledge of word origins, derivations, synonyms, and antonyms to determine meaning of words and phrases
-- Interacts with the text: makes predictions, formulates questions, draws on personal, literary, and cultural understandings, and seeks additional information
-- Discusses selections in teacher-student conferences and small group discussions
-- Interprets text by explaining elements (e.g., plot, theme, point of view, characterization, mood, style)
-- Recognizes underlying messages in order to identify recurring themes,
-- Reads self-selected and assigned materials

Performance Standards - Vocabulary Development
-- Demonstrates an expanding vocabulary: uses reference material (e.g. glossary, dictionary, thesaurus)_ and context to confirm decoding skills, verify spelling, discover, and extend meaning of words
-- Increases vocabulary through reading, listening, and interacting in a variety of situations
-- Selects key vocabulary critical to the text and applies appropriate meaning for understanding
-- Develops a variety of strategies (e.g., knowledge of word origins and derivations, analogies, idioms, prefixes, suffixes) to define and extend understanding of word

Performance Standards - Reading Applications
-- Reads grade-level text aloud with natural rhythm, pace, and intonation and with fluency and comprehension
-- Reads a variety of texts including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry

CONTENT STANDARD: The student responds to, examines, and critiques historically and culturally significant issues and event portrayed in literature that both illustrate and affect people, society, and individuals.
K-5 BENCHMARK: The student reads, listens to, and responds to a variety of work from a diverse collection of quality texts.
6-8 BENCHMARK: The student examines literature from a variety of authors, cultures, and genres and makes connections among a variety of literary works

Performance Standards: Literary Analysis
-- Makes inferences, draws conclusions, and forms opinions about the events, characters, and setting based on supporting evidence from the text
-- Analyzes text to identify examples of stereotypes and distortion of facts
-- Compares and contrasts print and nonprint versions (e.g., performance, lyrics, film) of a literary work

Performance Standards: Literary Elements
-- Analyzes literary elements (e.g., problem-solution, cause-effect, climax) of text
-- Analyzes characters, events, plots, theme, and genres in a variety of texts and cites supporting evidence
-- Identifies literary elements (e.g., plot, point of view, characterization, tone) in a variety of texts

Performance Standards: Literary Applications
-- Succinctly summarizes main ideas from text
-- Visualizes and recalls story details, including characterization and sequence
-- Considers a situation or problem from different characters’ perspectives
-- Analyzes how language and visuals bring characters to life, enhance plot development, and produce a response
-- Reads self-selected literature and other materials of individual interest to increase insight

Brazelton, T. Berry and Stanley I. Greenspan. The Irreducible Needs of Children: What Every Child Must Have to Grow, Learn and Flourish. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2000

Henry, Marcia K. & Nancy C. Redding; Patterns for Success in Reading and Spelling: A Multisensory Approach to Teaching Phonics and Word Analysis -- Teachers’ Edition, Austin, TX: Pro-ed, 2000.

Hersch, Patricia. A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American Adolescence. New York: The Ballantine Publishing Group, a Division of Random House, 1999.

Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities: Children in American’s Schools. New York: HarperPerennial, A Division of HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.

McCray, Audrey D. "Not All Students Learn to Read by Third Grade: Middle School Students Speak Out about Their Reading Disabilities." Journal of Special Education Spring 2001: 17-31.

Schorr, Lisbeth B. Common Purpose: Strengthening Families and Neighborhoods to Rebuild America. New York: Random House, 1997.

Shakur, Sanyika. Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.

Spache, George D. Investigating the Issues of Reading Disabilities. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1976.

Spache, Evelyn B. Reading Activities for Child Involvement. Bostom, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1976.

Torgesen, Joseph K. "Intensive Remedial Instruction for Children with Severe Reading Disabilities: Immediate and Long-term Outcomes
from Two Instructional Approaches." Journal of Learning Disabilities Jan/Feb 2001: 33-59.

Find each word on the page of Sounder indicated in parentheses. Write the sentence from the book, then tell what the word means. Use a thesaurus or a dictionary if you need help explaining the meaning of the word.

9. constrained (p. 27)
Sentence from book: _______________________________________

10. plaintive (p. 27)
Sentence from book: _______________________________________

Use the following vocabulary words from Sounder to fill in the blanks below. Use each word only once.

Beginning		Middle		End
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