ERIC ED394123: Reading: An Indispensable Subject for All Middle Grades Students.

23 Pages·1996·0.92 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 012 406
ED 394 123
Reading: An Indispensable Subject for All Middle
TITLE
Grades Students.
Middle Grades Reading Network, Evansville, IN.
INSTITUTION
Lilly Endowment, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.
SPONS AGENCY
PUB DATE
[96]
NOTE
23p.
Viewpoints
Descriptive (141)
Reports
PUB TYPE
(120)
(Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.)
MFOI/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Curriculum Development; *Intermediate Grades; Junior
DESCRIPTORS
High Schools; Library Role; *Middle Schools; Parent
Participation; *Reading; *Reading Instruction;
Reading Teachers; *Student Needs
*Indiana; Middle School Students
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
adolescents
Noting that reading instruction for young
eliminated,
in Indiana's middle grades schools has been virtually
in the middle grades
this booklet describes how important reading is
beyond the elementary
and why it continues to deserve attention
of actions that
years. The booklet proposes a series
and public
educators--teachers, administrators, school librarians,
the
librarians--can take to ensure that young adolescents have
capacity as empowered
supports they need to develop their full
booklet address how
readers in a literate society. Sections of the
what happened to
educators are failing Indiana's young adolescents,
restore time for
time for reading in the middle grades, how to
interviewing prospective
reading, questions that should be asked when
reading curriculum,
reading teachers, what should be included in the
libraries, how reading
how reading teachers should work with public
reading, what reading
teachers should work with families to promote
their school libraries,
teachers can do to connect their students to
teachers should provide,
what schoolwide reading leadership reading
i-eading ideas, and how
how reading teachers can keep informed of new
18 references and 3 figures of
educators can stop the tide. Contains
Indiana's Young Adolescents is
data. The Reading Bill of Rights for
attached. (RS)
***********************************************************************
be made
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
INDISPENSABLE SUBJECT FOR
AN
GRADES STUDENTS
ALL MIDDLE
EDUCATION
U S DEPARTMENT OF
Improvement
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
Office of EduCabollal ROSeilicri ano
INFORMATION
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL
CENTER (ERIC)
HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
as been reproduced as
tif Eiis documen
received from ate person or organization
y
originating it
to
0 Minor changes have been made
improve reproduction quality
this
Points of view or opinions stated in
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
document do not necessarily represent
official OEM position Or policy
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
and :Time lar
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.
.
.
Reading, Are
.
.
'Essential fosr.
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:Grades Readiri
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AVAILABLE
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BEST COPY
2
BLE
Advisory Board
University of Illinois
Richard C. Anderson
W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Leah Meyer Austin
Richmond Community Schools
Eileen Baker
Morehead State University
Cathy Barlow
Indiana Department of Education
Linda Cornwell
University of Pittsburgh
Tony Eichelberger
William Penn Charter School
John T. McGovern
University of Pennsylvania
Norman Newberg
San Francisco Unified School District
Kenneth R. Romines
Technical Educational Research Center
Judith Davidson Wasser
Education Development Center
Judith Zorfass
Network Staff
Director
Jack W. Humphrey
Administrative Assistant
Sue Hennessy
Administrative Assistant
Julie Johnson
Consultant
Carolyn Scavone
Middle Grades Reading Network
University of Evansville
1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, Indiana 47722
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
E-Mail [email protected]
Funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.
Reading
AN INDISPENSABLE SUBJEC7 FOR
STUDENTS
ALL MIDDLE GRADES
Skilled
Reading Teachers
and Time for
Reading Are
Essential for
Healthy Middle
Grades Reading
Programs
J
Overview
While all eight areas of the Reading Bill of Rights, as shown on the inside back cover,
are important elements in building a Community of Readers, time to read is the most critical
element for schools. When reading is not offered as a subject, skilled reading teachers are
not available. Without skilled reading teachers, who is there who will engage students with
library books, promote schoolwide reading activities, connect with the public library, encour-
age family reading activities, and provide appropriate support for all middle grades students
at their various levels of reading ability?
We believe that this publication makes the case that all middle grades students should
be enrolled in a reading class every day, just as they are also daily participants in English,
mathematics, science, and social studies classes. If reading is really important in Indiana's
middle grades schools, then time will be found for this most important subject.
Reading: An Indispensable Subject for All Middle Grades Students owes its roots
to Indiana's Reading Stakeholders, a group of educators who developed Becoming a
Community of Readers: A Blueprint for Indiana over a period of several years and helped
students.
us focus on the need to offer reading as a subject for all middle grades
We are grateful to the following persons who gave their time to develop the content
and edit various drafts of the publication: Jo Adams, Helfrich Park Middle School, Evansville;
Kevin Sue Bailey, Indiana University Southeast; Paul Blohm, Indiana University Northwest;
Loran Braught, Indiana State University; Ronald Bush, Hymera School; Linda Cornwell,
Indiana Department of Education; Patricia Faught, Farmersburg Middle School; Earlene
Holland, Maconaquah School Corporation; Marge Keltner, School City of Hammond; Eden
Kuhlenschmidt, River Valley Middle School, Jeffersonville; Eugenia Sacopulos, Dunbar-Pulaski
Middle School, Gary; Karen Sipes, South Side Middle School, Anderson; Carl Smith, Indiana
University; Darla Staiey, Owen Valley Middle School, Spencer; Beth Suderman, Pierre Moran
Middle School, Elkhart; and Judith Davidson Wasser, Technical Educational Research Center,
Boston.
Restoring reading is not easy. Many factors are involved in change. But schools
that have conducted the Middle Grades Reading Assessment know where they are and
where they need to go, and they have the evidence necessary to justify the restructuring
of their schedules to include reading for all students.
Jack W. Humphrey, Director
Middle Grades Reading Network
Reading: Are We
that young adolescents have the supports
Failing Indiana's
they need to develop to their full capacity
as empowered readers in a literate society.
Young Adolescents?
A little over one-fourth of Indiana resi-
dents are under the age of 18. During
the next decade, they will make the transi-
Over the last several years, we have
tion into the adult work world, seeking fur-
virtually eliminated reading instruction for
ther education or jobs and undertaking the
young adolescents in Indiana's middle
roles and responsibilities of parents and
grades schools. This did not happen in
citizens. Their transition into adult life will
It came about through a
one fell swoop.
be highly dependent upon their educational
series of actions, which at the time may
success, and their educational success
have seemed unrelated but in retrospect
rests solidly upon their level of reading
had a cumulative effect that led to this
achievement.
end. These actions included the elimina-
Approximately three-fourths of these
tion of a specifically designated time for
students will graduate from high school;
reading and the reduction of school library
however, one-fourth will drop out. The
book purchases. A particularly significant
drop-out population is notorious for its low
action in this cumulative process was the
level of reading achievement. Staying in
shifting of responsibility for reading from
school, dropping out of school, or going on
reading teachers and school librarians to all
for further education are decisions frequently
middle grades teachers. These content
made during the middle grades. For most
area teachers, untrained in the teaching
adolescents, their choices will be predicated
of reading skills, have not been able to
on their level of reading achievement.
provide the expertise, time, and resources
Since reading achievement is the crucial
needed to engage students with books and
link between middle grades students and
other reading materials. The end result
their future success, it is therefore surprising
has been that, for all intents and purposes,
developmental reading (reading instruction
Er,"
for all students) and remedial reading
(reading instruction for those students who
read two or more grade levels below their
expected grade) have disappeared at the
middle grades level.
This shift in educational goals and pri-
orities will have disastrous effects on our
young people's future and the future of
Indiana if we do not act now to remedy
this situation. In this paper we describe
how important reading is in the middle
grades and why it ccntinues to deserve
attention beyond the elementary years. We
propose a serkis of actions that educators
teachers, administrators, school librarians,
and public librarianscan take to ensure
_ _
_
Many teachers receive no planned staff
how little attention is given to reading oppor-
development in reading.
tunities and instruction for 10- to 15-year-
olds in Indiana.
Students have few opportunities to
Consider these facts about reading
observe adult role models-teachers,
instruction and resources for Indiana middle
parents, school administrators, or other
grades students, as reported in A Study of
-ually engaged in voluntary
adults
Reading in Indiana Middle, Junior, and
.
reading.
Senior High Schools (Humphrey, 1992):
Over one-quarter of Indiana middle
Today's middle grades students have
grades schools provide no special as-
less time allotted to reading in the
sistance to students who have fallen
school curriculum than their counter-
behind in reading achievement.
parts of 50 years ago.
Few schools make efforts to connect
Many students are not enrolled in either
with parents, public libraries, or commu-
reading or literature classes.
nity agencies to extend young people's
reading opportunities beyond the school
Indiana middle grades schools spend,
on the average, $1.92 per student per
day.
year on reading materials other than
The list of reading deficiencies has been
textbooks-less than the cost of one
steadily accumulating. Our school library
paperback.
book collections are woefully inadequate.
The typical middle grades reading teacher
School libraries purchase less than one-
annually participates in only 3.8 hours of
half book per student each year, result-
professional development activities. Accord-
ing in outdated and inadequate book
ing to the 1990 census, an adolescent in
collections.
Figure 1. Results of Iowa Test of Basic Reading Skills Testing of Indiana Students in 1944-45,
1976, and 1986.
mo...eimmammws
Grade 10
Reading Grade
Grade 6
Reading Grade
Equivalent
Equivalent
10.5
7.0
10.4
6.9
Expected
11
10.3
6.8
Result
(10.2)
10.2
6.7
10.1
6.6
-
10.0
6.5
9.9
6.4
-
-
Expected
9.8
6.3
Result
9.7
62
(6.2)
9.6
6.1
9.5
6.0
1944-45
1986
Test Year
1976
1986
1944-45
1976
Test Year
(10.0)
(10.2)
(9.7)
(6.2)
(6.1)
(6.6)
Figure 2. Decline of Library Usage as Students Move From Elementary to Middle Grades Schools.
Annual number of books circulated per student:
Elementary
36
Junior High
14
40
45 50
30 35
25
20
15
0
10
5
Books
Percent of Indiana students who use the school library
at least once per week:
Elementary
66 %
Junior High
24 %
80 90
70
40
30 60 100
50
Percent 0 20
10
The amount of voluntary reading that
Indiana is less likely than a child in 48
students do is generally closely correlated
other states to have a college-educated
to their reading achievement. In Indiana
adult in the home.
from the sixth grade on up through high
We have strong evidence that Indiana's
school, we find a steady decline in hours
young adolescents enter the middle grades
students devote to voluntary reading. This
as eager, achieving readers. Indiana ranked
is an extremely strong indication that be-
10th out of 41 states participating in the
yond the elementary years, students are
1994 National Assessment of Educational
not engaged in activities that will help them
Progress's 4th grade ratings. Indeed, as
build the reading skills they will need for
shown in Figure 1, elementary reading
In Figure 2, the statistics from
the future.
achievement has increased over the last
"The AIME Statewide Survey of School
several decades (Farr, Fay, Myers, &
Library Media Centers" (Callison & Knuth,
Ginsberg, 1987).
1994) show the decline of middle grades
Unfortunately, there is also strong evi-
library book circulation and student usage
dence that when Indiana students leave
of school libraries as compared to elemen-
the elementary grades, reading scores
tary schools.
begin to decline. Even more telling, this
Young adolescents, delicately poised
decline in reading scores appears to corre-
between childhood and adult responsibilities,
spond to the recent decline in supports for
are at a precarious time in their develop-
young adolescents' reading development.
ment. Those in whom we have cultivated
In 1945, when reading was still a part of
an interest in reading and who possess
young adolescents' school day, tenth grade
strong reading skills will be willing and able
reading scores were significantly higher
to take advantage of the challenges and
than they were in 1986 (see Figure 1).
opportunities that school and community
Another score card of great importance is
offer them. Those who have developed
the SAT, and Indiana students continue to
neither a curiosity and excitement about
rank low on this test.
3
What Happened to Time
the written word nor the skills to pursue
for Reading in the
more difficult reading tasks will face in-
Middle Grades?
creasing pressure in and out of school.
This may well lead to a downward spiral in
their self-esteem and lowered enthusiasm
School Organization Change
to perform when reading is required.
We once believed that reading was im-
Students who read more, read better;
portant. We demonstrated our beliefs
and yet middle grades schools have
through our practices. We made ample
steadily decreased the amount of time
time in the school day for reading. We
available to students to read. Before 1940
surrounded students with current and useful
books, both in classrooms and in school most Indiana students attended K-8 or 1-8
libraries. We made sure that there were
elementary schools; their high schools had
teachers with the skills, enthusiasm, and
a grades 9-12 configuration. The elemen-
commitment to promote reading.
tary students had a period of reading and
These beliefs, and the practices that
a period of English each day through the
supported them, are no longer to be found
eighth grade. When junior high schools
appeared in the 1940s, many dropped the
reading period and incorporated reading
A sensible realignment
into a single English or language arts class,
of priorities can communicate
which also included grammar, spelling,
to our commun5ties that
writing, and literature. Simultaneously,
books and reading are
secondary school teachers with training in
grammar, writing, and literaturebut not
important .
.
readingwere employed in the new junior
high schools. Elementary school teachers,
in many schools that our young adoles-
who were trained to teach children to read,
cents attend. We have pushed reading
now taught almost exclusively in grades
aside for other content, neglected school
K-6. These changes in school organization
libraries, assigned librarians to study halls,
meant that junior high students could
and dismantled the structures critical to our
receive less than half the instruction previ-
middle grades reading programs. Not sur-
ously allotted to reading and from teachers
prisingly, middle grades reading achieve-
who had no training to teach them reading
ment has steadily and seriously declined.
skills (Simmons, 1991).
We can turn this state of affairs
Figure 3 shows how some schools
around. A sensible realignment of
removed time for reading and replaced it
priorities can communicate to our
with time for other content. Many middle
communities that books and reading
grades 3chools that maintain an eig ht-
are important in the middle grades.
period day replaced reading with other
Before we consider what we can do, we
subjects. Other schools elected to have
need to understand what happened to
fewer but slightly longer periods each day,
reading when we converted from K8 and
and the time ()lice provided for reading
9-12 schools to various organizational
was added to other subjects.
patterns involving middle grades schools.
9
4
Subject.
Figure 3. Middle Grades Student Schedules With and Without Reading as a
rides" 74 Student Schedule.of
".-Giacles .7-8 Student Sebod ule
.
-;Grades 77.6 Studetit Scheduie
even Forty-ive-MinUtePeriods:
-et VOA orty7Minute Periods::
01.EightPOrty-Minute Periiids
With .isto *Reading Clans, and*
:
.
-With Weeding*Fieriod Eliminated
.1Vith Weeding Class.'
e Gi4eil to Other.SUbje011..
:
Cm 2_,
Art and Music
Art and Music
Art and Music
Health and Physical
Health and Physical
Health and Physical
Education
Education
Education
Home Economics and
Home Economics and
Home Economics and
Industrial Arts
Industrial Arts
Industrial Arts
Band, Choir, Computers,
Reading
Foreign Language
Language Arts
Language Arts
English
Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics
Science
Science
Social Studies
Social Studies
Social Studies
to encompass 55 percent of the curriculum
Code Change
in grades 1-3; 35 percent in grade 4; 30
percent in grades 5 and 6; and 15 percent
The state of Indiana publishes an ad-
in schools with grades 6-8, with the provi-
ministrative code that provides direction for
sion that language arts could be expanded
its schools. Over time, the code gradually
during elective time. Language arts is an
reduced the minimum amount of time for
omnibus term that encompasses grammar,
In 1971 elementary
reading in grades 6-8.
spelling, composition, and sometimes even
schools were defined as grades 1-8. Junior
speech or media studies, as well as read-
high schools were encouraged to use the
ing. Thus the switch from reading to lan-
traditional elerr ntary school curriculum for
guage arts is more than just a change in
the seventh and eighth grades. This gave
terminology; it indicates also a shift in time
all students a period of actual reading in-
away from reading.
struction each day through the eighth
?he shift from reading to language arts
grade.
is exacerbated by accompanying schedule
By 1976 the code stated that the first
manipulations in the middle grades. In
two years of a junior high school may (not
1991 the minimum number of in-school
shall) include instruction in elementary sub-
minutes per week was 1500 in grades 1-6
jects and might include other subjects as
and 1800 in grades 7-12. The code called
well. The other subjectsfor example,
for 750 minutes per week for language
foreign language--naturally needed time in
arts in grades 1-3, 525 minutes in grade 4,
the curriculum, ard reading was no longer
450 minutes in grades 5-6but only 400
a daily subject for many students.
minutes when grade 6 is a part of a
In 1984 the code required language
middle schooland 200 minutes for grades
arts (the term reading is no longer used)