Reading Strategies for Elementary Students with Learning Difficulties by Bender William N.;Larkin Martha J.;

Author:Bender, William N.;Larkin, Martha J.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Corwin Press
Published: 2009-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

Level 2 continues to practice the skills taught in Level 1. Skills then are built upon and extended to include

200 additional words from the Dolch word list

Compound words

Words, sentences, and phrases

Vocabulary expansion

Reading practice

The program is available in both a print version and a software version (www.riverdeep.net/edmark). Both of these include a teacher’s guide with learning objectives, classroom activities, and research references. Review and test activities are completed at ten-word intervals throughout the program. A student record book is provided to assist in tracking student progress and may be used for developing objectives for individual education plans as well.

The Edmark Reading Program has received wide research support since it was first published in 1971, and much of this research is reviewed on its Web site. As one more recent example, Mayfield (2000) evaluated the effects of using the Edmark Reading Program, Level 1, to develop sight-word vocabulary in first graders who were at risk for reading failure. Three Title I schools in rural Louisiana were chosen to participate in the study. Teachers and principals identified a group of 62 first graders as at risk based on reading test scores and teacher observations. All 62 students were pretested and then were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group at each school. Experimental groups received 15 minutes per day of one-on-one tutoring in the Edmark Reading Program for the first semester of the school year. Six America Reads volunteers, who were also education majors at a local university, provided the tutoring. The tutors received two hours of training in the use of the Edmark Reading Program. The same volunteers read aloud to the control group for 15 minutes during the same time period. At the end of the semester all of the students were administered posttests by an independent examiner. The posttest included the same reading tests as the pretest. In addition, the students were asked to read aloud the 150 words taught in Level 1 of the reading program. Based on comparisons of the pretest and posttest results, Mayfield concluded that the Edmark Reading Program was successful in increasing the sight-word vocabulary and comprehension skills of the students. School administrators indicated in postintervention interviews that 25% of the experimental group participants achieved honor roll during the intervention period.

This is only one example of a direct instructional program for vocabulary instruction, and other programs are available. While research supports phonemic and phonics instruction for most students, teachers may find occasionally a student for whom a sight-word approach seems to work best, and the research on Edmark suggests that for those students with reading problems this may be an appropriate instructional choice.

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