What reading programs should I explore?
February 12, 2009 8:39 AM

Teachers! Point me toward some literacy programs for a middle school.

I'm looking for a comprehensive reading program for middle school students. The ones I have been looking at are designed for early intervention (elementary grades) and progression through the upper grades. My school is 6-8th grade and we have no control over the reading programs from the various schools that our students come from, so I need something that can work for us. The overwhelming majority of our students come to us reading at least three grade levels below where they should be, and at the moment our school doesn't have a literacy program used by all of the teachers. Any advice will be appreciated, especially reflections on the effectiveness of the program.
posted by archimago to Education (2 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
My girlfriend is a reading teacher for 6th-8th graders in Silver Spring, MD. I know for a fact that she uses a program called Read 180 that she has said works pretty well. Oh, and these are mostly ESL kids.
posted by DrDreidel at 8:53 AM on February 12, 2009


If the kids are operating at mid-to-upper level elementary school reading abilities and don't need basic phonics instruction, I'd suggest using Lucy Calkins-style reading and writing workshops. These are great, especially for classes with students whose reading abilities are so disparate. There's a steep learning curve for instructors and it requires quite an investment in time and capital (i.e. lots of books for a classroom library, all sorted by reading level, plus multiple copies of multiple titles for guided reading sessions). It's effective because students can choose their own books based on their interests and reading level for independent reading, and you can target students' individual needs through flexible small grouping during guided reading lessons. Check out "Guiding Readers and Writers" by Fountas and Pinnell for the basics.

ReadingA-Z.com is fantastic for guided reading.
posted by HotPatatta at 6:03 PM on February 12, 2009


« Older Taking care of me.   |   Soccer field in Cleveland? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.