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Title: Who Gets to Read What? Tracking, Instructional Practices, and Text Complexity for Middle School Struggling Readers
In this study, the authors used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 to examine the instructional time allocation and instructional practices in eighth-grade English language arts classes for struggling readers, as measured by track level. The authors also analyze the titles and text complexity of the last three books assigned to students. The authors found that track level continues to be a significant predictor of what happens instructionally in the classroom. Struggling readers placed in low-track classes spent a larger portion of class time on skills and strategy instruction, completing worksheets, watching videos, and reading aloud than students in grade-level classes. Students in high-track classes spent more time on literature analysis, comprehension instruction, and group projects and were more frequently assigned homework than students in grade-level classes. Although there was considerable overlap in the text complexity and the text titles of books assigned at each track level, students in low-track classes read less challenging texts than students in grade-level or above-grade-level classes. Regression models controlling for a variety of student, teacher, and school variables, including student achievement, show that these adjustments in class time allocation, instructional practices, and text complexity go above and beyond what would be expected based on student achievement alone.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1735785
PAR ID:
10109283
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Reading research quarterly
Volume:
54
ISSN:
1936-2722
Page Range / eLocation ID:
339-361
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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