Transcription
Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of ReadingSecond Edition: 2018First Edition: 2010
2ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis revision of the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, originally developed bythe International Dyslexia Association (IDA) in 2010, was led by Jule McCombes-Tolis, Ph.D., ChiefAcademic Officer of Educator Training Initiatives at IDA, and Louisa Moats, Ed.D., who chaired theoriginal standards development committee in 2010.This final standards document incorporates many constructive comments offered during a period ofabout six months by committee members and reviewers. We are grateful to all who collectively havecreated a clearer, more comprehensive, and more practical document than its predecessor.Christy Blevins, Manager of Educator Training Initiatives, and Alison Quirion, Coordinator of EducatorTraining Initiatives, have organized the work of the committee, moved the development process along,and helped with formatting and editing.Special thanks for the guidance provided in the development of these guidelines are extended to thefollowing contributors, as well as unknown persons who offered suggestions during the public commentperiod in December 2017:John Alexander, M.Ed.Executive DirectorGroves AcademySt. Louis Park, MinnesotaNancy Cushen White, Ed.D.Clinical Professor, Department of PediatricsUCSF Dyslexia CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaStephanie Al Otaiba, Ph.D.Patsy and Ray Caldwell Centennial Chair inTeaching and LearningAnnette Caldwell Simmons School of Education &Human DevelopmentSouthern Methodist UniversityDallas, TexasSuzanne Carreker, Ph.D.Principle Educational Content LeadLEXIA LearningConcord, MassachusettsSusan Brady, Ph.D.Professor Emerita, School PsychologyUniversity of Rhode IslandKingston, Rhode IslandTimothy N. Odegard, Ph.D.Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies/ProfessorMiddle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesborough, TennesseeElsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D.Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist, DirectorValley Speech Language and Learning CenterBrownsville, TexasLouise Spear-Swerling, Ph.D.Professor, Special Education and ReadingSouthern Connecticut State UniversityNew Haven, ConnecticutKnowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 2018, The International Dyslexia Association
3Executive SummaryReading Difficulties Affect a Large Proportion of the Student PopulationLearning to read and write is not natural or easy for many—if not most—students. Learning to readrequires mastery of a complex web of underlying language skills that, for the large majority, must beexplicitly taught and learned over several years. Reading, spelling, writing, and language abilities existon a continuum, with only about a third of the students in the United States demonstrating proficientor advanced literacy skills by 4th grade. On the lower end of the distribution, the National Assessment ofEducational Progress (NAEP) consistently finds that about 32% of all fourth-graders read at a leveldescribed as “below basic,” which is not sufficient to support grade-level academic work. Theproportion of struggling students is far higher in minority and poorer communities. While most of thesestudents will not qualify for special education under federal laws, their reading and languageweaknesses must be addressed. Most of these at‐risk students will depend on instruction given in theregular classroom, supplemented by small-group instruction within a response-to-intervention (RTI)framework. The 6–8% of students who may qualify for special education services for suspected learningdisabilities will typically demonstrate severe difficulties with language, reading, and writing, but will stillbe participating in general education classrooms. Clearly, the responsibility for teaching reading andwriting to all students resides first with classroom teachers and secondarily with reading specialists,providers of supplementary services, and special education personnel.Effective Instruction Is Key to Prevention and InterventionAlthough dyslexia and related reading and language problems may originate with neurobiologicaldifferences, they are mainly treated with skilled teaching. Effective classroom instruction delivered by aknowledgeable teacher, especially in the early grades, can prevent or at least effectively address andlimit the severity of reading and writing problems. Potential reading failure can be recognized as early aspreschool and kindergarten, if not sooner. A large body of research evidence shows that withappropriate, intensive instruction, all but the most severe reading disabilities can be ameliorated in theearly grades, and students can get on track toward academic success. For those students with persistentdyslexia, who need specialized instruction outside of the regular classroom, competent interventionfrom a specialist can lessen the impact of the disorder and help the student overcome and manage themost debilitating symptoms.What is the nature of effective instruction for most students who are learning to read? The methodssupported by research are explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multisensory in that they integratelistening, speaking, reading, and writing. They are also multilinguistic, as they directly teach thestructure of language at all levels, including the speech sound system (phonology), the writing system(orthography), the structure of sentences (syntax), the meaningful parts of words (morphology), wordand phrase meanings (semantics), and the organization of spoken and written discourse. Thestrategies emphasize planning, organization, attention to task, critical thinking, and self‐management.Such aspects of instruction are important for all students who are acquiring new concepts, skills, andstrategies, but they are especially critical for students with language-learning weaknesses, includingdyslexia. A shift to more student-centered, workshop-oriented approaches is only appropriate afterstudents are secure with the fundamentals.Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 2018, The International Dyslexia Association
4Structured LiteracyStructured Literacy is an approach to reading instruction that is beneficial for both general educationstudents at risk for reading difficulties due to a variety of factors (e.g., low socioeconomic status, statusas an English learner (EL)) and for students with disabilities.This approach is characterized by the provision of systematic, explicit instruction that integrates listening,speaking, reading, and writing and emphasizes the structure of language across the speech sound system(phonology), the writing system (orthography), the structure of sentences (syntax), the meaningful partsof words (morphology), the relationships among words (semantics), and the organization of spoken andwritten discourse.The following instructional principles are associated with the provision of Structured Literacy instruction:1. Instructional tasks are modeled, when appropriate.2. Explicit instruction is provided.3. Meaningful interactions with language occur during the lesson.4. Multiple opportunities are provided to practice instructional tasks.5. Corrective feedback is provided after initial student responses.6. Student effort is encouraged.7. Lesson engagement during teacher-led instruction is monitored.8. Lesson engagement during independent work is monitored.9. Students successfully complete activities at a high criterion level of performance.Are Teachers Prepared?Teaching language, reading, and writing effectively, especially to students experiencing difficulty,requires considerable knowledge and skill. Regrettably, the licensing and professional developmentpractices currently endorsed by many states are insufficient for the preparation and support of teachersand specialists. Researchers are finding that individuals with reading specialist and special educationlicenses often know no more about research‐based, effective practices than those individuals withgeneral education teaching licenses. The majority of practitioners at all levels have not been prepared insufficient depth to prevent reading problems, to recognize the early signs of risk, or to teach studentswith dyslexia and related learning disabilities successfully. Inquiries into teacher preparation in readinghave revealed a pervasive absence of rich content and academic rigor in many courses that lead to thecertification of teachers and specialists. Analyses of teacher licensing tests show that, typically, very feware aligned with current research on effective instruction for students at risk. When tests are alignedwith scientific research, far too many teacher candidates are unable to pass them. To address these gapsand promote more rigorous, meaningful, and effective teacher preparation and professionaldevelopment, the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) has adopted this set of knowledge andpractice standards.Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 2018, The International Dyslexia Association
5Standards for Informed PracticeAlthough programs that prepare or support teachers, clinicians, or specialists differ in theirmethodologies, teaching approaches, and organizational purposes, they should ascribe to a commonset of professional standards for the benefit of the students they serve.The Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading explicitly sets forth the knowledge andskills that all teachers of reading are expected to possess to advance students’ reading and writingprofiles from a Structured Literacy approach in classroom, remedial, and clinical settings.These standards reflect the current state of the scientific research base and are the result of a rigorousdevelopment and vetting process that included the input of a wide range of stakeholders, includingresearchers, educators, higher education faculty, clinical specialists, parents, and advocates.Standard 1 addresses foundational concepts, derived from interdisciplinary research, about readingdevelopment and reading difficulties. Standard 2 covers knowledge of diverse reading profiles, includingdyslexia. Standard 3 pertains to knowledge of assessment. Standard 4 addresses Structured Literacyteaching, offering detailed guidance with regard to the nature of effective instruction in each majordomain (phonological sensitivity and phoneme awareness, phonics and word recognition, readingfluency, vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and written expression). Standard 4 alsooffers guidance regarding expectations for teachers engaged in fieldwork or practicum (e.g., ininterpretation of assessments, planning differentiated instruction, lesson design, corrective feedback,and so forth). Standard 5 delineates ethical standards for the profession.Guidance and Support for Preservice and In-service TeachersLearning to teach reading, language, and writing is a complex undertaking. The competence andexpertise of regular classroom teachers is the most important factor in determining who will learn toread, write, and use language well enough to succeed academically. General education teachers, as wellas those who provide intervention and specialized instruction, deserve preservice courses that preparethem to teach all students, including those who may be off-track or struggling. Licensed, practicingteachers can still learn these critical skills through substantive in-service coursework. Preparatory and inservice coursework should emphasize the study of reading development, the structure of language, thenature of individual differences, and the methods of Structured Literacy for all those who must be taughthow to read. When teachers are better prepared, the impact of reading difficulties, including dyslexia,will be lessened, and many more students will receive the instruction and support that they require tosucceed academically.Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 2018, The International Dyslexia Association
INTRODUCTIONPurpose of These StandardsThe Knowledge and Practice Standards are to be used to guide the preparation, certification, andprofessional development of those individuals who teach reading and related literacy skills inclassroom, remedial, and clinical settings. The term teacher is used throughout this document to referto any person whose responsibilities include reading instruction. The standards aim to specify whatindividuals responsible for teaching reading should know and be able to do so reading difficulties,including dyslexia, may be prevented, alleviated, or remediated.Although programs that certify or support teachers, clinicians, or specialists differ in theirpreparation methodologies, teaching approaches, and organizational purposes, they should ascribeto a common set of professional standards for the benefit of the students they serve. Compliancewith these standards should assure the public that individuals who teach in public and privateschools, and in clinics, are prepared to implement scientifically based and clinically proven practices.Background: Why These Standards Are NecessaryReading difficulties are the most common cause of academic failure and underachievement. TheNational Assessment of Educational Progress consistently finds that about 31% of all fourth gradersread at a level described as “below basic,” and only about a third are proficient or advanced. Between15 and 20% of young students demonstrate significant weaknesses with language processes, including,but not limited to, phonological processing, that are the root cause of dyslexia and related learningdifficulties. Of those who are referred to special education services in public schools, approximately85% are referred because of their problems with language, reading, and/or writing. Informed andeffective classroom instruction, especially in the early grades, can prevent and relieve the severity ofmany of these problems. For those students with dyslexia or language-based learning disorders whoneed specialized instruction outside of the regular classroom, competent intervention from a specialistcan lessen the impact of the disorder and help the student overcome the most debilitating symptoms.Teaching reading effectively, especially to students who are struggling, requires considerableknowledge and skill. Regrettably, current licensing and professional development practices endorsedby many states are insufficient for the preparation and support of the teachers and specialists who areresponsible for enabling all students to read and write. Researchers are finding that those individualswith reading specialist and special education licenses often know no more about research‐based,effective practices than those individuals with a general education teaching license. The majority ofpractitioners at all levels have not been prepared in sufficient depth to recognize the early signs of risk,to prevent reading problems, or to teach students with dyslexia and related learning difficultiessuccessfully. Inquiries into teacher preparation in reading have revealed a pervasive absence ofsubstantive content and academic rigor in many courses that lead to the certification of teachers andspecialists. Analyses of teacher licensing tests show that, typically, very few are aligned with currentresearch on effective instruction for students at risk. And finally, existing standards for preparation ofteachers of reading address literacy very broadly, but in much less detail than is specified here. To addressthese gaps, CERI has adopted these standards for knowledge, practice, and ethical conduct.Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading The International Dyslexia Association 2018
7Research‐based Assumptions About Reading Difficulties, Including DyslexiaThese standards are broadly constructed to address the knowledge and skill base for teaching reading inpreventive, intervention, and remedial settings, especially to students at risk for reading failure. Underlyingthe standards are assumptions about the nature, prevalence, manifestations, and treatments for reading andwriting difficulties that are supported by research and by accepted diagnostic guidelines. These assumptionsare as follows: Reading skill is distributed on a continuum; students may experience mild, moderate, or severeproblems with some or all of the essential subskills of reading. Mild and moderate difficulties are mostlikely to be addressed through general education with supplemental small-group support. Reading difficulty, especially when manifested early in reading development, involves inaccurateand/or slow recognition of printed words. Dyslexia is the appropriate name for disorders of word recognition and spelling that originate fromcore problems in phonological and/or orthographic processing. Many, if not most, students with wordlevel reading and spelling problems will never receive an official diagnosis or be served through specialeducation, but they will nonetheless be the responsibility of general education and interventionteachers. A smaller subgroup of students demonstrates primary difficulties with language comprehension, inconjunction with inadequate word-recognition skills. Some students experience a primary problem with the development of fluent, automatic reading, andthe slow rate of their reading impairs their academic functioning. Different kinds of reading and writing difficulties require different approaches to instruction. Oneprogram or approach will not meet the needs of all students. Although early intervention is the most effective way to prevent and ameliorate learning problems,individuals with dyslexia and other reading difficulties can be helped at any age. Dyslexia and related learning difficulties often exist in individuals with aptitudes, talents, and abilitiesthat enable them to be successful in many domains.Uses for These StandardsThe standards outline the (1) content knowledge necessary to teach essential reading and writing skills andstrategies to students in general, intervention, and remedial contexts; 2) universal principles and practices ofeffective instruction; and 3) ethical conduct expected of professional educators and clinicians.The standards may be used for several purposes, including but not limited to the following: educator preparation program accreditation; educator certification; course design and course sequencing within teacher certification programs; delineation of fieldwork requirements and observation checklists; and a content framework for the development of licensing or certification examinations.Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 2018, The International Dyslexia Association
8How to Read and Cite the StandardsThe Knowledge and Practice Standards of Teachers of Reading are organized into five major content areas.Each knowledge standard, in the left column, is numbered to indicate the larger content domain to which itbelongs. Examples of how each item within the domain might be observed, tested, or applied are aligned incolumns to the right of each standard. The five content domains are as follows: Standard 1 addresses foundational concepts about reading development and reading difficulties thatare derived from interdisciplinary research. Standard 2 covers knowledge of diverse profiles of reading difficulty, including dyslexia, very slowreading, and language comprehension problems. Standard 3 pertains to knowledge of assessment relevant to evidence-based practices with a responseto-intervention (RTI) framework. Standard 4 addresses Structured Literacy teaching, offering detailed guidance with regard to thenature of effective instruction in each major skill domain (phonological sensitivity and phonemeawareness, phonics and word recognition, reading fluency, vocabulary, listening and readingcomprehension, and written expression). Standard 4 also offers guidance regarding expectations forteachers engaged in fieldwork or practicum (e.g., in interpretation of assessments, planningdifferentiated instruction, lesson design, corrective feedback, and so forth). Standard 5 delineates ethical standards for the profession.Standards 1, 2, and 3 specify examples of tasks and activities that might demonstrate understanding of theknowledge standard that coursework designers could expect of their students. Standard 4 elaborates themeaning of Structured Literacy instruction by further enumerating examples of the teaching practices thatmight be expected in a practicum or fieldwork setting. These examples are offered for guidance only; coursedesigners may certainly design other activities and tasks that replace or improve upon those proposed in thisdocument.When citing the Standards for inclusion on syllabi or training materials, please reference the standard andsubstandard. For example, KPS 4A.3 (Understand rationale for/Adapt instruction to accommodate individualdifferences in cognitive, linguistic, sociocultural, and behavioral aspects of learning). The citation forreferencing this document follows:International Dyslexia Association. (2018, March). Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers ofReading. Retrieved from owledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 2018, The International Dyslexia Association
9Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of ReadingSummary TableDoes Not Include Knowledge and Practice ExamplesStandard I: Foundations of Literacy Acquisition1.11.21.31.41.51.61.71.8Understand the (5) language processing requirements of proficient reading and writing: phonological, orthographic,semantic, syntactic, discourse.Understand that learning to read, for most people, requires explicit instruction.Understand the reciprocal relationships among phonemic awareness, decoding, word recognition, spelling, andvocabulary knowledge.Identify and explain aspects of cognition and behavior that affect reading and writing development.Identify (and explain how) environmental, cultural, and social factors contribute to literacy development.Explain major research findings regarding the contribution of linguistic and cognitive factors to the prediction ofliteracy outcomes.Understand the most common intrinsic differences between good and poor readers (i.e., linguistic, cognitive, andneurobiological).Know phases in the typical developmental progression of oral language, phoneme awareness, decoding skills,printed word recognition, spelling, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and written expression.1.9Understand the changing relationships among the major components of literacy development in accounting forreading achievement.2.1Recognize the tenets of the (2003) IDA definition of dyslexia, or any accepted revisions thereof.2.2Know fundamental provisions of federal and state laws that pertain to learning disabilities, including dyslexia andother reading and language disability subtypes.Identify the distinguishing characteristics of dyslexia.Understand how reading disabilities vary in presentation and degree.Understand how and why symptoms of reading difficulty are likely to change over time in response to developmentand instruction.Standard 2: Knowledge of Diverse Reading Profiles, Including Dyslexia2.32.42.5Standard 3: Assessment3.13.23.33.43.53.63.73.8Understand the differences among and purposes for screening, progress-monitoring, diagnostic, and outcomeassessments.Understand basic principles of test construction and formats (e.g., reliability, validity, criterion, normed).Interpret basic statistics commonly utilized in formal and informal assessment.Know and utilize in practice well-validated screening tests designed to identify students at risk for readingdifficulties.Understand/apply the principles of progress-monitoring and reporting with Curriculum-Based Measures (CBMs),including graphing techniques.Know and utilize in practice informal diagnostic surveys of phonological and phoneme awareness, decoding skills,oral reading fluency, comprehension, spelling, and writing.Know how to read and interpret the most common diagnostic tests used by psychologists, speech-languageprofessionals, and educational evaluators.Integrate, summarize, and communicate (orally and in writing) the meaning of educational assessment data forsharing with students, parents, and other teachers.Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 2018, The International Dyslexia Association
10Standard 4: Structured Literacy E.14E.24E.34E.44F.14F.24F.3Substandard A: Essential Principles and Practices of Structured Literacy InstructionUnderstand/apply in practice the general principles and practices of structured language and literacy teaching,including explicit, systematic, cumulative, teacher-directed instruction.Understand/apply in practice the rationale for multisensory and multimodal language-learning techniques.Understand rationale for/Adapt instruction to accommodate individual differences in cognitive, linguistic,sociocultural, and behavioral aspects of learning.Substandard B: Phonological and Phonemic AwarenessUnderstand rationale for/identify, pronounce, classify, and compare all the consonant phonemes and all thevowel phonemes of English.Understand/apply in practice considerations for levels of phonological sensitivity.Understand/apply in practice considerations for phonemic-awareness difficulties.Know/apply in practice consideration for the progression of phonemic-awareness skill development, across age andgrade.Know/apply in practice considerations for the general and specific goals of phonemic-awareness instruction.Know/apply in practice considerations for the principles of phonemic-awareness instruction: brief, multisensory,conceptual, articulatory, auditory-verbal.Know/apply in practice considerations for the utility of print and online resources for obtaining information aboutlanguages other than English.Substandard C: Phonics and Word RecognitionKnow/apply in practice considerations for the structure of English orthography and the patterns and rules that informthe teaching of single- and multisyllabic regular word reading.Know/apply in practice considerations for systematically, cumulatively, and explicitly teaching basic decoding andspelling skills.Know/apply in practice considerations for organizing word recognition and spelling lessons by following a structuredphonics lesson plan.Know/apply in practice considerations for using multisensory routines to enhance student engagement and memory.Know/apply in practice considerations for adapting instruction for students with weaknesses in working memory,attention, executive function, or processing speed.Know/apply in practice considerations for teaching irregular words in small increments using special techniques.Know/apply in practice considerations for systematically teaching the decoding of multisyllabic words.Know/apply in practice considerations for the different types and purposes of texts, with emphasis on the role ofdecodable texts in teaching beginning readers.Substandard D: Automatic, Fluent Reading of TextKnow/apply in practice considerations for the role of fluent word-level skills in automatic word reading, oral readingfluency, reading comprehension, and motivation to read.Know/apply in practice considerations for varied techniques and methods for building reading fluency.Know/apply in practice considerations for text reading fluency as an achievement of normal reading development thatcan be advanced through informed instruction and progress-monitoring practices.Know/apply in practice considerations for appropriate uses of assistive technology for students with seriouslimitations in reading fluency.Substandard E: VocabularyKnow/apply in practice considerations for the role of vocabulary development and vocabulary knowledge in oral andwritten language comprehension.Know/apply in practice considerations for the sources of wide differences in students’ vocabularies.Know/apply in practice considerations for the role and characteristics of indirect (contextual) methods of vocabularyinstruction.Know/apply in practice considerations for the role and characteristics of direct, explicit methods of vocabularyinstruction.Substandard F: Listening and Reading ComprehensionKnow/apply in practice considerations for factors that contribute to deep comprehension.Know/apply in practice considerations for instructional routines appropriate for each major genre: informationaltext, narrative text, and argumentation.Know/apply in practice considerations for the role of sentence comprehension in listening and readingcomprehension.Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading 2018, The International Dyslexia Association
75.85.95.10Know/apply in practice considerations for the use of explicit comprehension strategy instruction, as supported byresearch.Know/apply in practice considerations for the teacher’s role as an active mediator of text-comprehension processes.Substandard G: Written ExpressionUnderstand the major skill domains that contribute to written expression.Know/apply in practice considerations for research-based principles for teaching letter formation, both manuscriptand cursive.Know/apply in practice considerations for research-based principles for teaching written spelling and punctuation.Know/apply in practice considerations for the developmental phases of the writing process.Know/apply in practice considerations for the appropriate uses of assistive technology in written expression.Standard 5: Professional Dispositions and PracticesStrive to do no harm and to act in the best interests of struggling readers and readers with dyslexia and other readingdisorders.Maintain the public trust by providing
Professor Emerita, School Psychology University of Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island Timothy N. Odegard, Ph.D. Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies/Professor Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesborough, Tennessee Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D. Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist, Director Valley Speech Language and Learning Center
