School Library Journal April 2007 - 1

April 2007 BY WESLEY YANDELL JR. What Works Big Is Beautiful For struggling readers, large-print books may make a huge difference special needs have increased their reading levels by 2.5 or more years in just a year and a reading. I teach at a middle school in a lower socioeconomic area of Tucson, AZ, where I work primarily with fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-grade stu- half—or since they began reading large-print books. Of the 30 kids in my classes, all but dents who have special needs or are struggling to learn English. A few years two have had their scores improved to apago, I had a chance to use a set of large-print books for a read- proaching or meeting grade-level standards. And their scores ing unit, and I found that my kids loved it. on standardized tests, such as the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Before I brought large-print books into the classroom, it was Early Literacy Skills, or DIBELS, and state tests have improved more difficult to get my students to read. What they were willing significantly. In fact, some of my kids’ results outpaced the reguto read were titles below grade level, like the Cam Jansen series lar education population for that year. (Viking), Bunnicula (Atheneum, 1979), Black Beauty (AmeriMore importantly, my students are reading more challengcan Humane Society, 1878), Charlotte’s Web (Harper, 1952), ing materials. This year, my fifth and sixth graders are readand The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Macmillan, 1950). ing the large-print editions of Mary Norton’s The Borrowers I knew something wasn’t right because the kids could read and (2005), Carl Hiassen’s Hoot (2003), Christopher Paul Curtis’s wanted to learn to read better—but that wasn’t happening. Bud, Not Buddy (2003), J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of After I implemented the large-print program, several kids the Ring (2003), and Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time just took off. For example, Alex was a girl with a great deal of (2005, all Thorndike). potential, and an equal amount of frustration. When I met her Why is large print more successful for my students? It’s imin fifth grade she had a second-grade reading ability. I knew she possible to say with certainty. Certainly, larger print is easier on could do much better and so did she. students’ eyes, something that may be a factor with kids who I introduced her to reading with large print. Granted, it have undiagnosed vision problems. has taken a great deal of time and effort. She came in at lunchtime each day to get extra help and read with a group of students. Within nine weeks, her reading rate and comprehension scores started going up. Now in the sixth grade, she reads on a seventh-grade level. At her last Individualized Education ProThere may be a psychological factor as well. When kids first gram meeting, the conversation was whether she should be learn to read, they use large print. As their reading acuity grows, dismissed from Special Education. Sure, the instruction made the type size shrinks, and some students may perceive the smaller a difference, but I think the change of print size was a huge print as harder to read. The use of large print may unconsciously help for her. help them to return to their earlier learning experiences, when Last year, Ray had a 150-word vocabulary in the fifth grade they perceived reading as easier and more enjoyable. and read at a pre-primer level. He was still struggling with Whatever the reason, because of large print some of my sound blending. He too took off when we started using large students are now outperforming their general education print. Now he’s reading in the late third-grade range with a peers in reading and writing. These gains, as well as their working vocabulary of over 750 words, and he actually volun- change in attitude about reading, are very rewarding. Has teered to read out loud in class last week. anyone else had similar experiences? At this point, I have only anecdotal evidence based on my own experiences—although this year I have begun a more for- Wesley Yandell Jr. teaches reading, language arts, and math at Billy mal study. Nevertheless, approximately half of my students with Lane Lauffer Middle School in Tucson, AZ. DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS, BUT MOST OF MINE AREN’T WILD ABOUT I The use of large print may unconsciously help students return to their earlier learning experiences, when they perceived reading as easier and more enjoyable. Posted from School Library Journal, April 2007. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Page layout as originally published in School Library Journal has been modified. #1-20447393 Managed by Reprint Management Services, 717.399.1900. To request a quote online, visit www.reprintbuyer.com.

School Library Journal April 2007

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School Library Journal April 2007 - 1
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