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Best practice

The processes, practices, or systems identified in public and private organizations that performed exceptionally well and are widely recognized as improving an organization's performance and efficiency in specific areas.

• A Consumer’s Guide to Evaluating a Core Reading Program: Grades K-3: A Critical Elements Analysis (Simmons & Kame’enui, n.d.)
  This document addresses questions on the importance and process of selecting a core reading program. Next, the authors specify criteria for program evaluation.
• Active Engagement Strategies
  This resource from the Schools of Montgomery County, PA, identifies 35 active engagement strategies. Links to each strategy provide steps and instructions.
• An Overview of Reading Comprehension Instruction, Past and Present
  This PowerPoint presentation on comprehension instruction is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Approaches to Professional Development
  Typical inservice models of professional staff development are the training model and the reflective practice model. Outcomes for both models are suggested.
• Best Practices Programs
  Various approaches to the teaching of reading, all considered best practice in literacy teaching and learning, include Project READ, The Kamehameha Early Education Program, Follow Through, Reading Recovery, and SRA/Open Court Reading. This piece is part of a larger NCREL publication entitled Professional Development for Teachers of Reading (2001) by Peggy A.
• Coaching and Mentoring
  Three programs of coaching and mentoring are currently found in school settings. These include peer coaching, building resource teachers, and the Success For All program.
• Comprehension--A Framework for Literacy
  This PowerPoint presentation on comprehension is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Comprehension: Instruction and Assessment
  This PowerPoint presentation on comprehension instruction and assessment is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Contexts for Engagement and Motivation in Reading
  This resource illustrates the Engagement Model of Reading Development (Guthrie, 2000). The figure shows relationships among engagement processes of the reader, motivation and strategies, and classroom practices that may increase long-term reading motivation and engagement.
• Fluency Workshop
  This workshop on fluency is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• History of Professional Development in Reading Instruction
  Focus is given to the role of the teacher, the nature of literacy instruction, and the nature of professional development from 1800 through the beginning of the 21st century. Links to reports and articles on expertise in teaching reading are included.
• How Teachers Learn to Engage Students in Active Listening
  This article describes the importance, goals, examples, teacher design, implications, and recommendations for engaging students in active listening.
• Increasing Student Engagement and Checking for Understanding During Instructional Lessons:
  The more time students spend truly engaged in the learning, the more students learn. Teachers also need to continually check for student understand as instructional lessons progress from one concept or skill to the next.
• Increasing Student Engagement and Motivation: From Time-on-Task to Homework
  This document includes a brief research summary of motivation/engagement,m the importance of motivating students to engage in class activities, and homework considerations. The article concludes with the statement "Educators can and do affect students' level of engagement in learning.".
• Information for State Education Agencies with Reading First Grants
  This resource is referenced on page 63 of the following text: Barone, D., Hardman, D., & Taylor, J. (2006).
• Inside No Child Left Behind
  This resource is referenced on page 33 of the following text: Barone, D., Hardman, D., & Taylor, J. (2006).
• International Reading Association
  This resource is referenced on page 12 of the following text: Barone, D., Hardman, D., & Taylor, J. (2006).
• IRA’s Summary of the National Reading Panel Report
  In 1997, the U.S. Congress authorized creation of a National Reading Panel (NRP) charged with investigating the most effective methods for teaching children to read.
• National Council of Teachers of English
  this resoure is referenced on page 12 of the following text: Barone, D., Hardman, D., & Taylor, J. (2006).
• Professional Development Policies
  This article highlights goals, characteristics, gaps, future directions, and federal leadership related to professional development. An appendix to this piece includes guidelines from the U.S.
• Reading First Website
  This resource is referenced on page 13 of the following text: Barone, D., Hardman, D., & Taylor, J. (2006).
• Resource Guide: Reading Strategies for Content Areas
  The TOBI (The Open Book Initiative) Resource Guide is a collection of all the strategies that have been presented to TOBI teachers during the 03-04 school year. Instructional strategies address learner needs across the curriculum for those students who are intensive, strategic, benchmark and advanced learners.
• School Completion and Student Engagement: Information and Strategies for Parents
  This article includes a definition of student engagement along four facets (academic, cognitive, behavioral, and psychological); the critical role of parents in promoting student engagement; and guidelines for promoting student engagement.
• Teacher Motivation
  This PowerPoint presentation on teacher motivation is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Teaching Reading K-2: A Library of Classroom Practices
  This website shares some ways to move students through connected text besides Round Robin. In the video clip “Connecting Skills to Text,” we see Ms.
• Unlocking the Key to Reading: Comprehension
  This PowerPoint presentation on comprehension is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Urgency and Instructional Time
  IRA also published an article by Richard Allington about the urgency of instructional time. This is brief and powerful article about making every instructional minute count.
• Using Student Engagement to Improve Adolescent Literacy
  This booklet, in downloadable form, has applications for K-3 as well as adolescent learners. Included are key elements of student engagement; a figure of key elements and how they relate to student achievement; and options (instruction, assessment, professional development) for schools, districts, and states.
• Vocabulary Development
  This PowerPoint presentation on vocabulary development is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Vocabulary Instruction--Power Point
  This PowerPoint presentation on vocabulary instruction is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).