Reading fluency has been identified as a key component of proficient reading. Research has consistently demonstrated significant and substantial correlations between reading fluency and overall reading achievement. Despite the great potential for fluency to have a significant outcome on students’ reading achievement, it continues to be not well understood by teachers, school administrators and policy makers. The chapters in this volume examine reading fluency from a variety of perspectives. The initial chapter sketches the history of fluency as a literacy instruction component. Following chapters examine recent studies and approaches to reading fluency, followed by chapters that explore actual fluency instruction models and the impact of fluency instruction. Assessment of reading fluency is critical for monitoring progress and identifying students in need of intervention. Two articles on assessment, one focused on word recognition and the other on prosody, expand our understanding of fluency measurement. Finally, a study from Turkey explores the relationship of various reading competencies, including fluency, in an integrated model of reading. Our hope for this volume is that it may spark a renewed interest in research into reading fluency and fluency instruction and move toward making fluency instruction an even more integral part of all literacy instruction.

The first comprehensive quantitative analysis of intervention research in the learning disabilities field, this volume synthesizes the results of 272 scientifically credible group and single-subject studies in an effort to identify what works best for learning disabled children. The book examines pertinent findings on all academic, cognitive, and behavioral domains. Intervention outcomes are evaluated across instructional domains, sample characteristics, intervention parameters, methodological procedures, and article characteristics. Addressing such questions as the merits of inclusion settings and the relative benefits of direct and strategy instruction, Swanson offers timely recommendations for instructional design, assessment, and policy.

All the latest research on fluency plus dozens of practical lessons and ready-to-use fluency-priming tools, including partner poems, word ladders, and more!

This book assembles into one volume summaries of school-based intervention research that relates to those who deal on a regular basis with the growing body of students having high-incidence learning disabilities and/or behavior disorders: special educators, school psychologists, and clinical child psychologists. Chapter authors begin with an overview of their topic followed by a brief section on historical perspectives before moving on to the main section – a critical discussion of empirically based intervention procedures. In those instances where evidence-based prescriptions can legitimately be made, authors discuss best practices and the conditions (e.g., classroom environment, teacher expertise) under which these practices are most effective. A final section deals with policy issues.

This concise and practical guide thoroughly presents the characteristics of children with specific mild exceptionalities in today′s diverse classroom. Using an active, problem-solving approach that reflects how today′s students learn, Dr. Sydney S. Zentall identifies the characteristics of children with mild exceptionalities that can be gleaned from observations, written descriptions, and personal interactions. Unlike many texts on this topic, which overwhelm students with extraneous information, The text focuses on the characteristics of these students within general education and special class settings. With this knowledge readers will better understand the implications of characteristics for accommodations and be ready to apply this knowledge with empirically based interventions.

As response to intervention (RTI) is adopted by increasing numbers of schools and districts, knowledge about "what works" continues to grow. This much-needed book analyzes the key components of RTI service delivery and identifies the characteristics of successful implementation. Critically reviewing the available research, leading authorities describe best practices in multi-tier intervention, assessment, and data-based decision making. Clear-cut recommendations are provided for implementing evidence-based interventions to support students' needs in reading, writing, math, and behavior. A state-of-the-art resource for K–12 practitioners and administrators, the book also will fill a unique niche in graduate-level courses.

Perhaps more than any other single initiative, response to intervention is likely to restructure how middle and high school teachers teach in a very profound way. This timely and targeted resource discusses the innovations of RTI, differentiated instruction, and instructional technologies. Based on numerous real-world case studies, this book explores solutions for the complex challenges the RTI implementation process brings