Last modified: Wednesday, April 2, 2003
Guide to improving elementary reading scores developed at IU Bloomington
A resource guide to improving reading scores in the early grades has been published through the Indiana Education Policy Center at the Indiana University School of Education.
"This book was written to help improve early reading programs and standardized test scores in the schools," said Edward St. John, an IU professor of higher education and member of the IEPC staff.
Improving Early Reading and Literacy in Grades 1-5: A Resource Guide to Research-Based Programs is based on five years of literature and research reviews by St. John and IEPC colleagues Siri Ann Loescher and Jeffrey Bardzell. The resource guide, published recently by Corwin Press, is based on research in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin schools.
St. John said the book "fills a crucial void in the literature on reading" because it compares the different types of reading interventions. "It provides teachers with guidance on how to select a reading improvement program that works in their classroom and school," he explained.
"With the implementation of No Child Left Behind, elementary school teachers are facing pressure to raise early reading scores on standardized tests," St. John said. "This book provides teachers with tools they can use to examine the strengths and limitations of school curriculums, as well as to collaborate with their peers on the design of interventions that build a more complete approach to early reading."
Key points in the new resource guide are a step-by-step process to assess reading programs, a review of 17 major reading interventions, a survey of their colleagues to compare methods, a comparison of state reading programs and standards, and a summary of recent studies on reading improvement programs.
For more information, contact St. John at 812-855-1240 or estjohn@indiana.edu, or go to the IEPC Web site at https://www.indiana.edu/~iepc.
