Just Read
By: James M. Wolf
From: Educational Leadership, May 1998
M. Halel
Action research projects show that with parent support and school
commitment, students can greatly increase the number of books they
read independently – and raise their achievement levels.
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1.
Charley and Harry are 5th graders in the Diablo Elementary School, Department
of Defense Dependents Schools in Panama. It’s Friday afternoon, and they are filling
out their book logs.
Harry looks over at Charley’s record. “Hey, what did you read this week,
Charley?”
“Two books. One was about a guy who was a great athlete. It was called The
Iron Duke. You know, I looked in the front and found out it was written 60 years ago.
I didn’t think I’d like anything that old.”
“I read Beau Geste. Have you read that? It’s even older. A lot of it was about
life in the French Foreign Legion.”
“What’s that, Harry?”
“I don’t really know. It was some kind of army in the desert. You should try it,
Charley.”
“My other book was just a little funny one that my sister brought home. It’s
called The Queen’s Knickers. It’s really for little kids, but it’s fun.”
“Hey, time’s up. I’ll trade you The Iron Duke for Beau Geste. And let’s look up
that Foreign Legion thing.”
“O.K.”
Young people in many communities are discovering the joy of reading, as Harry
and Charley are doing. One spur to such activity is a program called Just Read.
Discovering Students’ Reading Patterns
2.
Just Read, a language arts initiative to increase students’ independent reading,
had its origin in a school district where educators were concerned about students’
reading achievement – but nobody really knew how much students read outside of
school. To begin to discover the answer, the district used a very simple and quick
procedure to put everyone’s concern in perspective. A leadership team randomly
selected six 5th grade students and interviewed them about the number and content of
the books they independently read over one week.
3.
From this small sample, we found that three of the students had not read a single
book, one had read one book, and two had read two books. Four weeks later, we held
additional interviews with the same six students. The results were equally
disappointing. The poor outcome of these interviews led to an extensive study of
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district students from kindergarten to high school. The district included nine
elementary schools and three secondary schools.
4.
In Operation Just Read, we used action research procedures to identify the
problem, obtain baseline data, formulate a rationale, implement the program, collect
data, analyze results, and arrive at conclusions. We also used standardized test data
and conducted in-depth studies.
Students’ Reading Logs
5.
The district had identified the problem: low levels of independent reading. We
then began collecting data for the baseline study, using student-maintained reading
logs. Each student at one elementary school was responsible for recording the titles
and numbers of books read during the week, then submitting the log to his or her
teacher. Students in high school English classes also kept logs. For kindergartners and
1st graders, parents assisted with the record keeping. The team collected data from
these logs and analyzed them over a period of 14 weeks.
6.
The results were not encouraging (see baseline data in Fig. 1). Over 14 weeks,
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1 graders at this school read 21 books; 2nd graders read 35 books; and 3rd graders
read 10 books. A dramatic dropoff then occurred: 4th graders read 4 books; 5th graders,
3 books; and 6th graders, 3 books.
7.
The most reading at home was done in the primary grades and included mostly
picture-story books. Only about one-third of the students, however, were engaged in
reading outside the classroom even though most of the students had the skills to read
other books written at this level. For example, students in grades 1 and 2 read about
one hour per week at home, or about two books a week. This is hardly enough
independent reading for primary-age students – or even struggling middle and uppergrade students – to become fluent readers. Of the 3rd graders, one-third of the students
were reading 60 percent of the books. Many students in grades 4–6 reported reading
no books.
8.
The profile of high schoolers’ independent reading was worse yet. Forty-eight
percent of the students read no books at all during the 14 weeks. The other students
averaged fewer than two books during the period. Only 5 percent read as much as a
book every two weeks.
A Supporting Rationale for Just Read
9.
As we collected baseline data, we also examined the national picture of
independent reading outside of school. Comparisons available on reading from 1971
through 1996 confirm that students do very little independent reading outside of
school (Mullis et al. 1993, Mullis and Jenkins 1990, Campbell et al., 1996). Recent
reports from The Nation’s Report Card (Foertsch 1992, Campbell et al. 1996) also
verify that students do little reading outside of school.
10. We also reviewed other studies on reading achievement. In Becoming a Nation
of Readers, Anderson and colleagues (1995) establish a link between quantity of
independent reading and growth in vocabulary and reading proficiency. Pearson
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91993) states, “Just plain reading has been shown to improve student’s
comprehension, even as measured on standardized tests” (p. 507). Nagy and
colleagues (1987) posit that the acquisition of vocabulary through reading is about 10
times more efficient than the common methods of vocabulary instruction. Anderson
and Nagy (1992) emphasize the importance of free reading in vocabulary growth –
and the critical influence of vocabulary on school performance.
Designing a Home-to-School Campaign
11. Our baseline data, combined with our research studies, persuaded us to begin
Operation Just Read in the elementary school that had participated in the baseline
study. We wanted to devise an approach that could be used in all the schools. The
objective was to markedly increase the amounts of independent reading, and we
worked to develop a strong home-to-school connection.
12. The strategy included three components. First, we continued to collect data from
reading logs. Students, classes, and the entire school used the data to measure weekly
progress. We added to classroom libraries so that teachers could easily guide their
students in book selections.
13. Second, we began an aggressive campaign to encourage parents and students to
increase amounts of at-home reading. We held meetings and distributed newsletters to
parents. We hung paper chains, containing titles of books read, on walls, ceilings, and
doors. We held pizza and T-shirt parties, complete with “Just Read” logos. We
worked with parents on reading projects; we formed book clubs; and we held book
trading fairs.
14. Third, we encouraged everyone to set goals: individual, classroom, and school.
Teachers and students created charts to display and celebrate students’ progress. We
gave out certificates, sent notes home, and held many celebration parties.
Counting the Books
15. Our first objective was to estimate whether Operation Just Read increased the
quantity of reading. We compared the 14-week period after the kickoff (the first target
period) to the 14-week baseline to generate our first estimates (see Fig. 1).
Figure 1
Effects of 14 weeks of Operation Just Read
Grade
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Mean Number of Books Read
at Baseline
21
35
10
4
3
3
Mean Number of Books Read
After 14 Weeks
47
50
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16
18
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16. The increases in the primary grades were gratifying, though the lack of increase
in grade 3 was puzzling. In subsequent years, grade 3 increased as much as did the
others – this pilot was the only time that a 3rd grade didn’t respond to the initiative
with substantial increases in amount of at-home reading.
17. The increases in grades 4, 5, and 6 were what we hoped to see, though we were
not satisfied. The average 5th and 6th grade student read about a book each week – a
productive increase from one book in five weeks. But half the students were not even
reading a complete book each week. Overall, the reading logs showed that the uppergrade students were reading from three to six times more books than before the
campaign. We were encouraged enough to continue the initiative and expand it to
include all nine elementary schools in the district.
High Schoolers’ Reading at Home
18. The average number of books that secondary students read increased to one
every two-and-a-half weeks (from one every seven weeks). No student reported
reading fewer than two books during the 14-week period. Book-a-week regulars
began to appear (no fewer than two per class). Reading was not quite the height of
fashion for these adolescents, but it was no longer in the category of deviant behavior.
19. We discovered that individual differences among teachers affected the
outcomes. Classes of some teachers increased reading as little as 50 percent; in other
classrooms, the amount of reading increased four to seven times over the baseline. We
speculated that a concerted schoolwide effort would gradually reduce the teacher
effect as regular reading became an established habit across the school.
The Second Year
20. As we went districtwide, leadership teams oriented their faculties to Just Read.
All schools began data collection, campaigns, and celebrations.
The results? Children in grade 2 recorded a mean of 102 books read for the
entire year. Students in grade 3 recorded a mean of 82 books. The average student
from grades 4-6 recorded 50 titles, or about one and three-quarter books per week.
This number is at least 10 times the national average. Nonreading was greatly
reduced. In addition to the increases in number of books read, gains in reading
comprehension for the whole district were twice the national average.
21. As part of our action research, we also conducted an in-depth study of 5th grade
reading patterns – and found substantial gains not only in number of books read, but
also in standardized test scores on the California Tests of Basic Skills.
The Home-School Connection
22. We believe that the home-to-school connection was essential to the success of
students in Just Read. The program increased school/parent communication, parental
decision making, parental involvement in the school, and opportunities for school
personnel to support parents in helping children learn at home. Parents responded
positively to the initiative.
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23. Just Read requires substantial nurturing support to help teachers, students, and
parents learn to collect data on reading and celebrate accomplishments. We found that
schools can increase independent reading at home for the average student to about 100
books a year. Kindergarten students can read (or listen to their parents read) about 150
books a year (Joyce and Wolf 1996).
Critical Components of Just Read
24. From our action research projects, we have discovered several components
necessary for a successful Just Read project. Here’s how we can develop a culture of
readers in our schools:
1. Make reading at home a school-wide initiative, with faculty and parental
support.
2. Design the program as a collaborative and cooperative project; set individual,
classroom, and school goals.
3. Develop and student/parent/school connection.
4. Involve parents in the process.
5. Record and analyze the number of books read weekly.
6. Measure progress in meeting the goal, and publicly display the results.
7. Celebrate progress and success.
References
Anderson, M., E.H. Heibert, J.A. Scott, and I.A.G. Wilkinson. (1985). Becoming a
Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading. Washington,
D.C.: National Institute of Education, U.S. Department of Education.
Anderson, M. and W.E. Nagy. (Winter 1992). “The Vocabulary Conundrum,”
American Educator 16, 3: 14-18, 45-47 (ERIC ED354489).
Campbell, J.R., P.L. Donahue, C.M. Reese, and G.W. Phillips. (1996). NAEP 1994
Reading Report Card for the Nation and the States. Washington, D.C.: Office of
Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education.
Foertsch, M.A. (1992). Reading In and Out of School: The Nation’s Report Card.
Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of
Education.
Joyce, B.R. and J.M. Wolf. (1996). “Readerville: Building a Culture of Readers and
Writers.” In Learning Experiences in School Renewal: An Exploration of Five
Successful Programs, edited by B.R. Joyce and E. Calhoun. Eugene, Oreg.:
ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, University of Oregon.
Mullis, I.V.S., J.R. Campbell, and A.E. Farstrup. (1993). NAEP 1992 Reading Report
Card for the National and the States. Washington, D.C.: National Center for
Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.
Mullis, I.V.S. and L.B. Jenkins. (1990). The Reading Report Card 1971-88: Trends
from the National Report. Princeton, N.J.: Educational Testing Service.
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Nagy, W.E., R.C. Anderson, and P.A. Herman. (1987). “Learning Word Meaning
from Context During Normal Reading,” American Educational Research
Journal 24: 263-282.
Pearson, P.D. (1993). “Teaching and Learning to Read,” Language Arts 70: 502511.
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Answer in your own words.
1.
Answer the following question in English.
What – according to the introductory paragraph in bold-face – are the preconditions for promoting pupils’ independent reading and what are its rewards?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
Answer the question below in Hebrew.
2.
Why did the district initiate the project (paragraph 2)?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
3.
Answer the following question in English.
What was the purpose of the interviews with the six pupils?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
4.
Answer the following question in English.
Why do you think the interviews were repeated?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
Answer the question below in Hebrew.
5.
To what purposes – paragraph 4 – were action research procedures applied?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
6.
Answer the following question in English.
Why do you think parents’ help was required – paragraph 5 – for preschoolers
and first class pupils?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
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7.
Answer the following question in English.
Try to explain the dramatic dropoff in reading after 3rd class – paragraphs 6-8
and Figure 1.
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
8.
Answer the following question in English.
Why are Mullis, Jenkins, Campbell and Foertsch mentioned?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
9.
Answer the following question in English.
Why read? (paragraph 10)
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
10.
Answer the following question in English.
What was the aim of Operation Just Read?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
11.
12.
13.
Answer the following question in English.
What were the components of the strategy developed to achieve the home-toschool connection?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
Answer the following question in English.
Why do you think – paragraph 12 – that the pupil population was involved in
measuring the change in reading?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
Answer the following question in English.
What is so special – paragraphs 15-17 – about 3rd grade?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
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Complete the sentence below.
14. The mean results (Figure 1) for 4th-6th grades were exceptional in that ____________
;
however, _____________________________________________________________
.
Answer the question below in Hebrew.
15. What was decided after “Counting the Books” in the primary school classes?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
16.
17.
18.
Answer the following question in English.
What influenced the results in high school classes and what was decided to
offset this influence?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
Answer the following question in English.
How many books – paragraph 20 – does the average 5th class American child
read yearly?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
Answer the following question in English.
What relationship is vital if teachers wish to implement successfully a project
similar to this one in their class?
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
Answer the question below in Hebrew.
19. Discuss why stage 7 – paragraph 24 – is so important.
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
20.
Answer the following question in English.
Explain why the title – though not necessarily the precise contents of the article
– is relevant to this course.
Answer: _____________________________________________________________
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