Literacy Plan

Kate Hundley, Jenny Bayer, & Danielle Sisson-Jones

Longwood University

READ 680: Developing Literacy Leaders

Section 1. Literacy Need

Contextual Factors
 Amelia County Middle School, located in the rural county of Amelia Court

House, Virginia serves approximately 508 students in grades fifth-eighth. Amelia

County Middle School has a diverse population-- 68% being white, 6% hispanic, 25%

black, and 1% two or more races . The school is considered a rural school, however, it

still has a high diversity score of 0.48. The school has a student teacher ratio of 15:1,

which has stayed relatively consistent for the past five years. Out of Amelia Middle’s

508 students, about 40% are eligible for free lunch and 7% are eligible for reduced lunch

(Public School Review, 2018).

Description of Need

This report shows seventh grade students in this school are having difficulty with

roots, cognates, affixes, synonyms, and antonyms (55%), differentiating between fact

and opinion (36.7%), inferencing and drawing conclusions (64.4%), and word choice,

imagery, and literary devices (63.3%).

Analysis of Data used to Determine the Need

To determine the literacy need for the seventh grade class, we analyzed the most

recent benchmark scores from the entire seventh grade. There were six SOL strands that

the total seventh grade population scored lower than 70 percent. These strands were 7.4

Meanings and pronunciations of unfamiliar words and phrases, (62.9%), 7.4b Roots,

cognates, affixes, synonyms, and antonyms (55%), 7.4e Context and sentence structure

to determine meaning (65%), 7.5d Word Choice, imagery, and literary devices (63.3%)

7.5g Inferences and Drawing Conclusions (64.2), 7.6c Author’s Organizational Pattern

(68%), and Fact and Opinion (36.7%). Of these strands, it can be concluded that

students are mainly having difficulty in the area of vocabulary and fictional text content
knowledge.

It can also be concluded that students in this seventh grade class need more work

with fictional texts-- their weak strands all apply to skills used in understanding fiction

while they scored a 73 percent in comprehension of nonfiction texts.

Section 2: Possible Solutions

There are many commercial reading programs developed for the purpose of helping

struggling readers, however not all are research-based and include evidence-based practices. No

one program is perfect; each have strengths and weaknesses. There are three programs we have

identified as possible solutions to meet the needs of the students/teachers at Amelia Middle:

Fountas and Pinnell’s Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI), Language! Live, and a program of our

own creation using evidence-based literacy practices.

Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI)

Fountas and Pinnell’s Leveled Literacy Intervention is a “powerful, short-term

intervention, that provides daily, intensive, small-group instruction, which supplements

classroom literacy teaching” (Heinemann, 2018). This program was designed with struggling

readers in mind, specifically students who are having trouble meeting grade level expectations in

reading. A main tenant of this program is to first identify the students who would benefit from

intensive support, using the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (BAS). This

system includes short, leveled texts and materials for the teacher (or reading specialist) to

conduct running records with the student. This allows the teacher to discern the student’s

instructional reading level. The Leveled Literacy Intervention provides different systems broken

down by grade levels (the Teal System is designed for students 6-12 grade). Each system comes

in a box which includes engaging leveled texts, novels, a system guide, prompting guides, and
fast-paced lessons. While this is a research-based program, the intervention aspect requires

teachers to work in small groups with students. This program also focuses on students who are

not meeting grade-level expectations, not the general education population. Therefore, this

would work well as an intervention program for targeted students, however, it would not serve as

an instructional model for the general classroom. Also, this program is expensive, and currently

Amelia Middle School is experiencing budgetary restrictions that would make extra spending an

improbability (although applying for a grant could remedy this problem).

Language! Live

Language! Live is a program created by internationally recognized literacy expert, Dr.

Louisa Moats. This plan implements two approaches to target instruction for struggling students

in 5th through twelfth grades. The first approach is a computer-based program that focuses on

word training. This includes all of the potential word work that you would want a student to have

as foundational skills. They work through vowels and consonants, word reading and blending,

syllabication, prefixes and suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots. The second part of this plan is

teacher-led text training. Here, the teacher interacts with the students to work on vocabulary,

grammar, comprehension, writing, and listening/speaking skills. Language! Live is a data-driven

program using their own benchmark assessments as well as several progress monitoring

assessments to help teachers pinpoint exactly where students are struggling. The program does

its best to create an engaging and exciting environment for these older students. This program

has been proven effective for all struggling students, even English Learners, students with

dyslexia, and students with language disorders or specific reading difficulties because it is able to

provide differentiated instruction where it is needed. The combination of individual computer-

based work and the interactive teacher led activities, this program has provided results for
struggling students.

Teacher-Designed Program: Balanced-Literacy with a Word Study and Guided Reading

Focus

When developing a reading program or approach/framework for a school or grade-level,

it is important to make sure it is balanced. A balanced-literacy approach focuses on the main

components of literacy: Fluency, Word Study, Comprehension/Vocabulary, and Writing. Based

on the data for the seventh grade class at Amelia Middle, students and teachers would benefit

from a program that incorporates an intense focus on both Word Study and Comprehension

strategies in an individualized manner. This would increase students vocabulary levels and

comprehension skills with fictional texts--both identified as areas of need.

Word Study

Words Their Way developed by Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton & Johnston is a research-

based approach to developmental word study. While this is not a reading program, this book

provides a framework for vocabulary instruction, which the students are currently lacking. Word

study is the understanding and exploration of words by features and patterns. Bear et. al.

describes word study: “through an informed analysis of students’ spelling attempts, teachers can

differentiate and provide timely instruction in phonics, spelling, and vocabulary that is essential

to move students forward in reading and writing” (2018). A main tenant of word study is the

understanding that there is logic to the spelling system, and helping students discover this logic

through engaging manipulation of words (mainly through sorting). This text is grounded in

research from Edmund Henderson who discovered that students spelling errors have patterns or

logic that develop and change over time, resulting in the creation of a model of developmental

word knowledge (i.e. spelling stages). Bear et. al describes that word study should “occur in
hands-on activities that reflect basic cognitive learning processes: comparing and contrasting by

categorizing word features, and then discovering similarities and differences within and between

categories” (2018). Word study provides a fundamentally different approach to learning words

that goes beyond the “isolated, individual examples” in which students traditionally memorize a

list of words each week. The traditional method of spelling instruction encourages students to

memorize words for a test, but then they promptly forget most of the words after. Instead, word

study encourages students to understand and discover the features in words; if you teach a

student a list of 10 words, they know ten words. However, if you teach a student a word feature

or pattern, they can then make and hundreds of words with that pattern. Any student having

trouble with vocabulary will benefit from word study because “excelling at word recognition,

spelling, and vocabulary is not just a matter of memorizing isolated rules and definitions” (Bear

et. a., 2018).

Vocabulary Their Way, another text by Bear et. al., focuses specifically on word study

with middle and secondary students. This text helps explain how to best adapt word study

instruction for adolescent learners, by providing connections for students between ELA and

content-area classrooms. Many secondary teachers do not see literacy as their responsibility or

something they should or could be integrating into their classroom instruction. However, the

more exposure students have to vocabulary words, the more likely they are to retain them.

Therefore, if students are exposed to affixes and root words across multiple subjects, they will

have more connections in their brain, which make it easier to understand and retain that word

knowledge. Using Vocabulary Their Way will increase vocabulary knowledge for the students

of Amelia Middle by using a word study approach across all subjects.

Guided Reading
 In addition to the word study work that will be built around Words Their Way, teachers

will also engage their students in guided reading practices. Guided reading is a research-based

instructional strategy that reaches all students, not just struggling students. We base these

practices off of Jan Richardson’s, The Next Step in Guided Reading. This provides us with the

framework to deliver differentiated and need-based intervention with our students. This

instruction is based off of assessments collected by the teacher for each student. This data is used

to find the prime instructional level of each student. When we know the operational levels of our

students, we are able to group them into small groups for their guided reading.

Many professionals may see guided reading as a strategy only used in elementary school.

However, when we can identify the areas of need for each of our students and we are given the

proper tools, why does guided reading have to stop? It does not have to stop. The students of

Amelia Middle School need focus on vocabulary and comprehension. Guided reading provides

just that. By including the word work from Words Their Way into the guided reading plan we are

able to begin tackling skills needed for facing unknown vocabulary words. Vocabulary also

comes into play in context with a text that a leveled group will work with. This text, and

strategies used when interacting with the text before, during, and after reading the text, are what

makes guided reading an effective strategy.

Jan Richardson outlines targeted lessons for us to use as guidelines when planning our

own guided reading lessons. Her book only outlines plans through the Transitional reading stage.

However, when faced with students above that stage, we will be able to use the ideas and

templates that she has provided as well as our word study knowledge from Words Their Way to

create our own plans that are targeted specifically middle school student. Flexibility is the

beauty of guided reading.

Creating Motivation

The final aspect of our plan includes creating a school-wide literacy culture in order to

increase value, engagement, and motivation in reading. In order for students to be successful

with reading and literacy, we have created a balanced literacy approach. However, if students are

not motivated to read or do not value reading, it will not work. Research proves that in any

literacy plan, motivation is so important in the middle grades because “Middle schools

traditionally struggle with motivating their students to care enough to learn and then to

demonstrate that learning on measurable assessments (Alspaugh, 1998).” Therefore, in

conjunction with these two programs, we propose that Amelia change its view towards literacy.

Currently, Amelia does place a strong focus on reading, however, students need to see that

teacher led value everyday. We would like to use a methodology adapted from a case study

based out of California led by Erika Daniels & Michael Steres (see appendix c). In this study, the

school did three things to increase motivation to read and learn in their school: give students

time, choice, and give teachers training. In order to follow their plan, we would need Amelia to

dedicate at least 10 minutes a school day to the act of reading. This could be in the morning

block, but would need to be implemented in every classroom, not just English classrooms.

Additionally, each classroom needs to have a classroom library. Students need to have regular

access to choice books as well as the time to read them. Lastly, since teachers who are unfamiliar

with literature will be helping lead this initiative, teachers will need training on Young Adult

Literature and how to best serve students with reading (see appendix b). If the school-wide

culture of literacy is going to change, it is going to take a team of teachers dedicated and willing

to try new things. This change will also take time to be noticed. Teachers will need to understand

that if they keep pushing and modeling reading as being valued in their school, one day the kids
will too (Daniels, E., & Steres, M. (2011).

Section 3. Solution

Description of Solution

This instructional plan requires teachers to organize their students in small homogenous

groups based on their functional reading and spelling levels. The teacher will first need to assess

the student’s reading and spelling level in the beginning of the school year. The teacher will meet

with these small groups each week (frequency dependent on the student level/need, i.e. meet

with the lowest group the most) to provide direct, explicit instruction in both word study and

comprehension skills. Within word study groups, the teacher will conduct word sorts with the

students based on their spelling stage and the features they need instruction on (based on the

Spelling inventory). Word study will be extended and incorporated into the Guided Reading

instruction as well. Teachers will meet for Guided Reading to provide systematic and explicit

instruction on comprehension strategies (especially Inferencing/Drawing Conclusions based on

the data) by choosing engaging, appropriate texts at the students’ instructional level, explaining

and modeling the purpose and use of specific comprehension strategies before, during and after

reading, as well as choosing tier 2 vocabulary from the text for instruction before, during, and

after reading.

Justification

The main two areas of need identified in the data included word knowledge/vocabulary

and comprehension skills in fictional texts. Through a balanced literacy approach using Word

Study and Guided Reading best-practices, both of these areas will be supported and bolstered,

and each will support the other. Word Study is important is because it supports all components

of literacy, especially comprehension. “Becoming fully literate depends on fast, accurate

recognition of words and their meanings in texts, and fast, accurate production of words in

writing so that readers and writers can focus their attention on meaning making” (Bear et. al,

2018). Word knowledge, developed through direct explicit instruction and through connected

text, allows students to expand their vocabulary, which adds to their prior knowledge, which

bolsters comprehension abilities. When students have word analysis skills (gained through Word

Study instruction), they are better able to independently make meaning while reading. Fix-up

tools, as many researchers call them, are self-monitoring tools for students to use while reading

to become self-aware or metacognitive when meaning breaks down for them. Providing a set of

tools (like analyzing an unfamiliar word through features/chunks) allows students to solve their

comprehension problems by applying what they have learned in Word Study. One of the main

purposes of using both Word Study and Guided Reading instruction is to teach students at their

developmental levels. “When students are taught at their instructional levels…(even when

instruction is below grade level), they will make more progress than with materials that are too

difficult for them” (Morris, Blanton, Blanton, Nowacek, & Perney, 1995).

Supplementary Materials

In order to implement this program, there are certain materials that the teachers will need.

First, the texts themselves: Words Their Way, Vocabulary Their Way, and The Next Step in

Guided Reading. These books provide the foundational knowledge of content, as well as

instructional strategies for implementation. Words Their Way and Vocabulary Their Way also

provide sample word sorts, activities, and the spelling inventories (see Appendix) in the

Appendices of the books for copying use. There are also Words Their Way stage-specific books

that provide a breakdown of the features within that sort, a description of how to implement the

sort, and the sorts themselves. An example of this is provided in Appendix B. Many of these
books can be found online in PDF form, which would cut down on the amount of spending

required (an important consideration for Amelia Middle School). Additionally, many of the sorts

can be found online, and there are other activities that go with Words Their Way that students can

use on their chromebooks (Amelia has a 1:1 chromebook initiative) which will also help alleviate

costs.

As stated above, to implement Guided Reading, we will be using the text The Next Step

in Guided Reading as our roadmap. The book will give us insight into the practice itself as well

as provide example lessons. The materials that we will need for Guided Reading will come

completely from the school and the teacher’s mind. To support the implementation of Guided

Reading, the school will need to expand our resources. Guided Reading is based largely around a

common text among each group. This means that an updated book room or other resource would

be vital to the success of this program. The assessments that will guide our leveling of students

will be done through Joetta Beaver and Mark Carter’s Developmental Reading Assessment

(DRA). We will use the DRA because this program is designed with a strong emphasis on

Comprehension. The DRA also includes a “What’s Next?” feature that provides suggestions on

where to go with student instruction. This will help with the transition for teachers who are

newly trained in this practice. This portion of the plan will require an investment, but remember,

we are investing in our students and their futures! There is no better investment!

Process of Implementation

To begin implementing this program, teachers must first be trained on how to properly

assess their students using the Words Their Way Spelling Inventory (see Appendix) and a

running record (from DRA) to determine reading level. Once teachers understand how to

implement this, they will be in charge of assessing their students during the first two weeks of
school. This can be a lengthy process, but it is worth it because students will be given instruction

tailored to their needs. Where needed most, we will be able to deploy our reading specialist and

any instructional aides that go through proper training to help ease the stress from the teachers.

After assessing, teachers will group students based on their spelling stage and reading level;

there may be overlap in these groups, however students do not always have the same level of

word knowledge as they do comprehension abilities. Therefore, there will most likely be two

sets of groups. The groups for Word Study will be determined based on the features the students

are using but confusing (using the Spelling Inventory Feature Guide). The next sections go into

the specific processes teachers will use to implement word study and guided reading in their

classrooms.

Word Study. The first step in Word Study after organizing students into groups, is to set

up weekly routines and conduct a few whole-class word sorts so that the students become

comfortable with the sorting process first. Some students may already have experience with

word sorting from elementary school, so it is up to the teacher to know their students and find

out how familiar their students are with the sorting process (Bear et. al, 2018, p. 55). Most

likely, it will be the most beneficial for the students to begin with Teacher-Directed Closed Sorts.

This type of sort provides the most support and explicit instruction for students. There are four

steps to this process:

1. Review the words

2. Establish the categories

3. Model several words into each category and explain why you are sorting

4. Turn the task over to students to finish the sort

You may then check and reflect; model how to check each column and summarize the
generalization discovered through the sort. Once students have started to master this process and

have more word knowledge experience, the teacher may begin to do more Student-Centered

Sorts. These allow for more student exploration, with the teacher guiding and prompting

students (What do you notice?). This gradual release model is effective and research based,

moving from explicit explanations, to guided practice, then to independent work. Each week

students should be getting a new set of words to work with in their small groups (4-. Usually it

is best to begin a new set of words using a Teacher-Directed Closed sort, then gradually release

the control to the students throughout the week. The teacher will meet with these small groups

during literacy stations in which students rotate between at least three stations, meeting with the

teacher for Word Study and Guided Reading (see more specific details below and in the

Supplementary Materials section).

Guided Reading. The first step in the Guided Reading process is to assess students to

find their instructional range as well as their ideal instructional level. This will be the information

used to develop reading groups. Reading groups should be homogeneous groups based on a

student’s instructional reading level. It is important to group students with classmates who are as

close to their instructional level as possible. These students will benefit from the direct and

intensive instruction as well as the interaction with same level peers.

After using our assessment to create reading groups, students will participate in a

balanced literacy Guided Reading plan. Each Guided Reading lesson will include 4 major

sections: Word Work (see Word Study), Fluency, Comprehension, and Writing. Below I will

provide a short description of each section.

● Word Work

Word Work will be targeted instruction as identified through assessments from Words
 Their Way. For more detailed information, refer to the above section.

● Fluency

Fluency is comprised of familiar texts. These could be past passages, songs, poems, or

even certain sections from past books. The focus of fluency work is to increase the more

“cosmetic” reading abilities of students. This means their intonation while reading, their

proper pausing while reading, and even their reading rate. By having students engage

with short familiar texts, we are giving them opportunities to build their reading rhythm,

which includes all of the above skills. This is the shortest, and often the first, section of a

Guided Reading lesson.

● Comprehension

The comprehension section of the Guided Reading lesson will be where you spend the

majority of your time. This is where your vocabulary work will come into play as well as

background knowledge and strategy instruction will begin. Comprehension is based

around a text that the group shares. You will use information from your DRA

assessments to determine the specific comprehension skills that each student will benefit

from. These are what you will introduce during your time together. You will participate

in before, during, and after reading activities to support the building of comprehension,

even in your lowest performing students.

● Writing

Writing will often be the last thing you do together during the lesson. It can be as detailed

or as simple as you would like- as long as it matches their ability. The writing will often

come directly from your reading and can compliment your comprehension strategy.

Guided Reading can be set up in the way that best fits each teacher’s classroom model. If there
are instructional aides, it may be beneficial to have students use a station model as stated above.

If that is not an option, the teacher will have to section out their time according to the number of

groups that each particular class has. The teacher will meet with small groups to engage in the

Guided Reading lesson. While this is happening, the remaining students will be completing other

work. Guided Reading requires that the teacher meet with students in a small group for

comprehension for this to be the most effective.

Section 4. Professional Development Plan

Description of Plan
In order to create a school wide culture of literacy and increase student motivation, we

will need to implement some professional development. Teachers that are not English content

will be expected to talk with students about literature, which may not be comfortable for them.

Teachers will feel more confident if they have training, and if they understand that doing this

will benefit the entire school. These professional development sessions need to focus on how to

motivate students with positive rewards, how to talk to students about literature, how to

recommend students books, and the genre of young adult literature (example in appendix c).

Additionally, they can also touch on important research in the topic of motivation and middle

school in order to further motivate the teachers that this program will be successful with teacher

support.

Training and Supplementary Materials

Over the summer, we will provide a two day intensive training session covering how to

implement both Words Their Way word study instruction as well as Guided Reading. Teachers
will be required to attend an overview session on each topic, however they can choose break-out

sessions that are more individualized/specific to their needs. We will recruit teachers that are

already using word study and Guided Reading in their classrooms (5th grade teachers are located

in the middle school building) to help lead the sessions. The Middle School Principal, Dr.

Medley, will also be able to help since she has an elementary background and was the assistant

principal at the elementary school last year. To further strengthen the training, we will request

help from professors in the Education and Literacy departments at Longwood University such as

Dr. Katrina Maynard, Dr. Ang Blanchette, Dr. Wendy Snow, and Dr. Tami Slater.

The professional development texts we will use are Words Their Way and The Next Step

in Guided Reading, as mentioned in previous sections. We will ask that all 7th grade teachers

read these texts over the summer (perhaps in teams/book clubs) and come to the PD session with

a foundational knowledge and questions.

The sixth edition Words Their Way text also provides a PDToolkit for teachers, which

includes a website with media tools to aid teachers in implementing word study instruction. This

tool includes classroom footage of teachers modeling word study at all stages of development,

including secondary students! It also includes assessment tools (with downloadable inventories

and feature guides, progress monitoring charts, class composites, organizational charts, and spell

checks), prepared word sorts, and a “Create Your Own” feature which allows the teacher to

“modify and create sorts and games” (Bear et. al., 2016, xx.). This toolkit will provide teachers

with guidance on how to implement word study specific to their needs. Even if teachers are

given a training over the summer on how to implement word study, they will probably have

questions once they begin to implement it with their students. This tool will allow teachers to

have an online guide at their fingertips, which allows them to answer their own questions
whenever possible (Adult learning theory- learning is self-directed/autonomous), in addition to

support from the Reading Specialist.

Motivation for Change

Teachers at Amelia Middle want their students to succeed. This plan will make students

not only successful in reading, but also in most of their other subjects as well--this touches on the

fact that adult learners are relevancy oriented. Teachers want to know that whatever we are doing

to promote literacy will help them as well. History teachers and Science teachers will reap the

benefits of students being able to grasp their content vocabulary after the implementation of the

various programs outlined in this plan. The professional development sessions will also help

teachers feel that they are capable of implementing these programs even if they are not an

English teacher. Furthermore, the professional development session on motivation will help to

motivate wary teachers that literacy is a school-wide need and that will take a team effort to

achieve success in literacy.

Role before, during, and after Implementation

Short term we will run professional developments and model implementation of Words

Their Way, Guided Reading, and oversee the implementation of the literacy culture initiative. We

will then slowly release the time we spend helping teachers and students slowly, until teachers

feel comfortable with the new procedures and guidelines of the new programs. Then, we will

periodically check on teachers and students to see how they are adapting to the change. We can

then make any necessary changes or give more support in any needed areas. Additionally, we

will take feedback from teachers to see how they are liking the literacy plan. During these

meetings, we will ask teachers to make goals about where they want to be by the end of the year

with the program. This directly helps the teachers as learners, because adult learners are naturally
 self-directed/autonomous, and like to feel like they have a say in what is happening in their

school (Papas, C., 2017).

Section 5. Timeline for Implementation

August First two-weeks of school October Late November

Summer Training Teachers will implement Check-in with Mid-year

Session- We will the Words Their Way
provide a two day feature inventories and
professional assess students using
development, in reading inventories to
which teachers learn determine functional levels
the basics of how to of spelling and reading
implement word development. Teachers will
study and guided also use leveled readers to
reading. assess students reading
level. *
reading assessments:
specialist/literacy Teachers will use
coach- make sure the spelling
progress monitoring inventories and
is taking place, and running records to
flexible student re-assess their
grouping student’s functional
levels.

Using data from the Reading specialist will Co-planning/Co- Reading specialist
past year, meet with 7th grade teaching GR and will meet with 7th
implementing teachers to help teachers Word Study lessons grade teachers again
instructors will design spelling and reading with literacy coach to help discuss data
practice the skills groups based on assessment and regroup students
learned during data based on assessment
training. data.

Content area teachers PLC meeting for Content Weekly grade level
will have a separate Area teachers- at least once meeting for ELA
session on Content a week- Common teachers as a check-
Area Literacy, using Planning- share ideas and in and assessment of
the text Vocabulary problem solve (Reading the plan in action
Their Way Specialist attend)
*We will be applying for a grant to buy Amelia County Middle School leveled reading books in order
appropriately assess students reading level.
https://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/e00818/chapter19.pdf

Assessment Plan

In order to keep teachers accountable and provide targeted support to their questions and
feedback, the effectiveness of the program and its implementation will be assessed weekly. The

ELA teachers will meet in a grade level meeting with the reading specialist to discuss success

stories and questions/comments. The reading specialist will also have a rotating schedule of

informal observations to ensure that teachers are following the implementation process. Student

success will be monitored by weekly assessments in Word Study and Guided Reading (informal

observations/instructional tasks as well as weekly formal assessments- spelling test, etc.). If

teachers are struggling with the new literacy model, and starting to fall back into old teaching

practices, they will be assigned a buddy (a teacher who perhaps has experience with word

study/guided reading). This teacher buddy system will help the struggling teacher stay

accountable as well as have a min-expert to help answer their questions or clear up

misconceptions. They could plan lessons together as well.

 References

Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S. & Johnston, F. (2016). Words Their Way: Word study

for

phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S. & Johnston, F. (2008). Words Their Way: Word study

for

syllables and affixes spellers. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S. & Johnston, F. (2010). Vocabulary Their Way: Word

study with middle and secondary students. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Daniels, E., & Steres, M. (2011). Examining the Effects of a School-Wide Reading Culture on

the Engagement of Middle School Students. RMLE Online: Research In Middle Level

Education, 35(2), 1-13.

Fountas, I., & Pinnell, G.S. (2018). Fountas & Pinnell’s Leveled Literacy Intervention. [Kit].

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Knowles, M. (1984). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species (3rd Ed.). Houston, TX: Gulf

Publishing.

Morris, D., Blanton, L. Blanton, W., & Perney, J. (1995). Spelling instruction and achievement

in six elementary classrooms. The Elementary School Journal, 96, 145-162.

Pappas, C. (2017, December 21). The Adult Learning Theory - Andragogy - of Malcolm

Knowles. Retrieved April 21, 2018, from https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-

learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles
Pullagurla, A. (2017, December 15). 6 Top Facts About Adult Learning Theory. Retrieved April

20, 2018, from https://elearningindustry.com/6-top-facts-about-adult-learning-theory-every-educator-

should-know

Public School Review. (2018). Amelia County Middle School. Retrieved April 20, 2018,

from https://www.publicschoolreview.com/amelia-county-middle-school-profile

Richardson, J. (2009). The next step in guided reading. New York, NY: Scholastic.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Amelia County, Virginia.

Retrieved April 20, 2018, from

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ameliacountyvirginia/PST045217
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C