Presentations

Institutes on Beginning Reading

Council for Exceptional Children 2002 Annual Convention and Expo

Closing the Gap and Beating the Odds: A 2-Year Study of the Bottom 25%

Leader(s):	David J. Chard, University of Oregon
Presenter(s):	Deborah C. Simmons, University of Oregon, Eugene; Edward J. Kame'enui, University of Oregon, Eugene
Few educators are unfamiliar with the classic descriptive study that documented the intractability of early reading difficulty. In this session, the presenters examine the early reading performance of 77 children who represented the bottom 25% of readers in the fall of kindergarten. The following questions are addressed: Do children who enter as poor readers remain poor readers? What skills do poor readers lack? and What factors seem to keep poor readers from improving? In addition, this critical question is investigated: What factors explain success?

Prevention and Intervention Research in Reading: Effective Instructional Practices for Struggling Learners

Leader(s):	Beth A. Harn, California State University, Fresno
Presenter(s):	Deborah C. Simmons, University of Oregon, Eugene; Edward J. Kame'enui, University of Oregon, Eugene; Michael Coyne, University of Connecticut, Storrs
This session described an ongoing research effort focused on effective reading instructional practices for students at risk for or having reading difficulties. This presentation illustrates the effect of prevention efforts to optimize literacy growth over a 2-year period with students in kindergarten.

Reading Takes You Beyond!
A Reading by 9 Conference (April 6, 2002; Los Angeles Convention Center)