What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction - International ...

Coming Up: Get Ready for Session 18
“Multicultural Factors and the Effective Instruction of Students
of Diverse Backgrounds” discusses students who differ from the
mainstream in terms of ethnicity, primary language, or social class. These
students may face challenges in acquiring high levels of literacy, and
they frequently perform less well on measures of achievement. Kathryn
Au reviews the research regarding ways to improve teaching and
learning for these students, focusing on motivation, struggling readers,
second-language learners, cultural responsiveness, and assessment.
While you’re reading, think about the range of students in your
classroom and our school. Consider these questions:
• How can you win all your students over to schooling and reading?
• What are some things you can do to help English learners with
reading and writing?
• Why do you think efforts to raise standardized test scores rarely
have a positive effect on students’ learning to read?
Next week is the last session! What have you learned so far from
your participation in the group? Are you meeting your goals? Has
anything changed in your classroom over the past weeks? What ideas do
you have about sharing your learning with your colleagues?
From the Professional Development Edition of What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction (3rd ed.),
© 2009 International Reading Association.
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