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| Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI). A program designed to identify critical teacher behaviors essential in preventing reading failure of students in grades 1-10. Inservice education for teachers based on the research findings on reading and other language arts. |
Audience Approved by PEP for students of all abilities, grades 1-10.
Description Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI)'s purpose is to teach teachers so they can use effective teaching strategies that prevent failure. These strategies include: eliciting accurate and rapid responses during instruction, establishing high levels of mastery, maintaining on-task behavior, integrating the teaching of language skills, using effective management and monitoring systems, varying schedules and classes so students can invest the time and energy needed to learn, and supervising students' hands-on activities and practice. Techniques are incorporated into reading, spelling, grammar, dictation, creative writing, and penmanship instruction, and are extremely effective in content instruction such as science and social studies.
Students' attention is sustained with the momentum of the teacher directives during instruction and reinforcement offered during practice time. Overt responses appeal to all preferred modalities of learning. Instruction is provided by ECRI so teachers can: utilize critical teacher behaviors identified through research, develop a management system for mastery and individualization, and teach reading and language skills effectively.
Teachers learn to teach word recognition, literal, interpretative, critical and creative comprehension, study skills, literature, and composition as they use basal readers, literature series, novels, content books.
Students demonstrate mastery through their participation in small-group discussions, writing, locating, organizing, and evaluating information.
ECRI students demonstrate competency in their ability to reason, solve problems, apply knowledge, read, write, and communicate (Goal 3). ECRI students remain in school longer because of their success in school and their higher academic scores (Goal 2).
Evidence of Effectiveness Regular education ECRI students demonstrate significantly greater gains (p<.01) on the reading subscales of standardized achievement tests than (1) comparison group students receiving their regular reading instruction and (2) expectancies derived from national normative data.
Special needs ECRI students (Chapter I, bilingual, remedial) and special education students (learning disabled) demonstrate significantly (p<.01) greater than expected gains (derived from national normative data) on the Total Reading composite scales of standardized achievement tests.
Requirements A 3-5 day preparatory seminar with one ECRI staff person for 35-40 trainees is desirable. The program includes lecture and practice sessions, preparation of materials for classroom use, and teaching students in a simulated setting. Following this, periodic visits by ECRI staff to trainees' classrooms to demonstrate, model, and monitor are encouraged. Additional 1-10 day seminars assist trainees to implement an integrated language arts program. The length of time to replicate the ECRI model varies. Existing district reading materials may be used. Supplies for teachers and pupils are those usually found in schools. ECRI has 16 self-instructional teacher texts that are used by teachers during inservice. No special staffing or facilities are required to implement ECRI.
Costs Some costs (honorarium, travel, expenses) can be negotiated through the NDN grant. Honorarium is $475/day. Required teacher texts are $195/teacher.
Services Awareness materials are available at no cost. Visitors are welcome by appointment at the program site and additional sites in other states. Program staff are available to attend out-of-state awareness meetings at no cost. Teacher of Teachers Conferences are held in August and September. Training, implementation, and follow-up services are available at the adopter site (costs to be negotiated) and at the program site.
Developmental Funding: USOE ESEA Title III, Private Sources.
JDRP No. 74-48 (5/23/74)
Recertified (2/13/90)
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