A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Audience Approved by PEP for students in grades three and four. Has been used successfully in grades 2-6.

Description Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) is a comprehensive program for teaching reading and writing/language arts. It has three principle elements: story-related activities, direct instruction in reading comprehension, and integrated language arts/writing. In CIRC, teachers use anthologies basal readers and/or novels, much as they would in traditional reading programs. Students are assigned to teams composed of pairs of students from the same or different reading groups. Students work in pairs on a series of cognitively engaging activities, including reading to each other; predicting how stories will end; summarizing stories to each other; writing responses to stories; and practicing spelling, decoding, and vocabulary. Students work in teams to understand the main idea and master other comprehension skills. During language arts periods, students also write drafts, revise and edit one another's work, and prepare to "publish" their writing.

In most CIRC activities, students follow a sequence of teacher instruction, team practice, peer preassessments, assessment, and team recognition. Students are not assessed until their teammates have determined they are ready. Team recognition involves giving certificates to teams based upon the performance of all team members on all reading and writing activities. Because students work on materials appropriate to their reading levels, they have equal opportunities for success. Students' contributions to their teams are based on their quiz scores and their final, independently written compositions, which ensures individual accountability.

CIRC Reading and CIRC Language Arts/Writing provide a structure for teachers to teach and students to learn which helps all students become more effective readers and writers.

Evidence of Effectiveness The results of three separate studies indicate that CIRC has a consistent and educationally significant effect on the reading achievement of students in the elementary grades. More specifically, significantly greater gains were made in CIRC-Reading classes than control classes on the California Achievement Test's reading scales for comprehension and vocabulary, and on individually administered Durrell Informal Reading Inventory scales.

Requirements CIRC-Reading requires two days of training for teachers and administrators, plus materials. Additional training/follow-up days are recommended. No additional staff is needed. For the installation year, materials costs are approximately $240 per class; for subsequent years, $100 per class.

Services Awareness materials are available at no cost. Program staff members are available for awareness sessions, training sessions, and technical assistance (costs to be negotiated). Materials for anthologies, basals, and more than a hundred novels are available at a nominal cost.

Contact

Anna Marie Farnish, CIRC, Center for Social Organization of Schools, The Johns Hopkins University, 3505 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. (410) 516-8857, FAX (410) 516-8890.

Developmental Funding: U.S. Department of Education.
PEP No. 88-06 (4/27/88)

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[Computer Education for Language Learning (CELL)]

[Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI)]