Reading

ATLAS offers various professional development (PD) activities focused on reading instruction for adults. Our professional development offerings are based on Evidence-Based Reading Instruction (EBRI), described in more detail below.

Reading Instruction in Minnesota Adult Education

While spirited debate continues concerning the craft of teaching reading across all contexts, including in adult education, reading remains at the core of our work and is essential to adult students’ goals. Without strong reading skills, students cannot transition easily into postsecondary opportunities, career goals, or community engagement. To that end, the Minnesota Language & Literacy Advisory Team (LLATe) holds that:

• The ability to read well is critical to participate fully in a literate community. Every student at every level deserves access to rigorous, high-quality literacy instruction.
• There is no one way to teach reading.
• Teaching reading is a complex, multifaceted endeavor that is further complicated by the context of adult education, a context marked by limited hours of instruction.
• Evidence-based reading instruction (EBRI) consists of four equally essential components: Alphabetics, Fluency, Vocabulary, & Comprehension.
• Reading instruction is enhanced by using diagnostic reading assessments (DRA) to prioritize, design, and evaluate teaching and learning.
• Texts come in many forms, and reading instruction can harness many kinds of text to improve literacy (including, but not limited to, digital, visual, poetic, oral, graphic, narrative).
• Oral language is at the heart of literacy acquisition.

See the full Language & Literacy Advisory Team statement regarding reading instruction in Minnesota ABE >>

Language & Literacy Institute

One of our primary activities for improving reading instruction is hosting the Language & Literacy Institute, a two-day, intensive training that takes place in late January each year. The large event brings together reading, writing, and ESL educators in ABE to collaborate with and learn from one another. The Language & Literacy Institute is organized by the Language & Literacy Advisory Team, and we offer an array of  workshops on reading and literacy instruction topics that have emerged as priorities in the state.

Reading Standards

Are you looking for more information about the College & Career Readiness (CCR) reading standards?

• Visit the CCR Standards page to find out about professional development around the CCR Standards
• Visit the CCR Standards library to find resources for implementing the ELA (English Language Arts) Standards, including reading

STAR (STudent Achievement in Reading)

STAR was a national project from the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) that provided research- and expert-proven practices for teaching adults the four major components of reading instruction: alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. STAR specifically targeted adult students reading at grade level equivalents (GLE) 4.0-8.9 – Low/High Intermediate Basic Education (and in Minnesota ABE, Advanced ESL) – which are large and complex populations across the nation.

It was not a reading curriculum, but rather a program-wide reading reform initiative that included professional development, tools, and resources that expanded participants’ knowledge of effective reading instruction. STAR improved the ability of participating practitioners to build local and state systems that support reading improvement.

Evidence-Based Reading Instruction (EBRI)

Evidence-Based Reading Instruction or EBRI is a set of practices grounded in research and professional wisdom proven to increase reading achievement. Think of EBRI as the Science of Reading translated for adults. They share the same foundational core: using proven, research-backed methods to target the essential components of reading: alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

STAR was very successful across Minnesota Adult Education, but not all programs were able to implement the reforms necessary – for example, programs serving numerous beginning-level (or pre-STAR) students, the Department of Corrections, and less-populated rural areas.

In an effort to find alternative ways of promoting the integration of EBRI more broadly across the state, in 2012, the Minnesota STAR Leadership Team studied the similarities and differences between STAR and EBRI. They concluded that EBRI practices are broader than STAR and relevant for (most) “EBRIbody” in MN ABE. This means that these practices are appropriate for all program managers and reading teachers committed to increasing the reading achievement of Beginning ABE and ESL Literacy, Beginning Basic Education, Low/High Intermediate Basic Education, Low/High Intermediate ESL, Advanced ESL and in some cases, high school equivalency students.

STAR and EBRI Practices

1. Conduct diagnostic reading assessments and use results to plan reading instruction.
2. Provide direct and explicit instruction in the reading components of need.
3. Maximize learner (or student) engagement in reading instruction.
4. Select relevant reading materials and teaching activities.
5. Organize reading routines based on need(s), monitor their effectiveness, and adjust as needed.

Reading Resources

In addition to the activities listed below, be sure to visit the ATLAS Reading resource library. It contains a wealth of resources on the four components of reading instruction – including MN STAR/EBRI Teacher-Recommended Print and Online Resources – as well as Diagnostic Reading Assessment and more.