Papers by Stephanie Otaiba
Remedial and Special Education, Jul 1, 2005
The purpose of this case study was to examine the effects of a code-based reading tutorial in Eng... more The purpose of this case study was to examine the effects of a code-based reading tutorial in English for eight beginning at-risk readers who were English learners (ELs) and for their preservice teacher-tutors. Eight undergraduate preservice special education teachers tutored the ELs twice weekly for a total of 15 hr to fulfill a required service learning project. Tutoring was provided at the children's high-poverty elementary school. On average, ELs' raw scores grew significantly in terms of word attack, passage comprehension, and sound identification. Furthermore, ELs gained an average of .18 standard score points per hour of tutoring on word attack, .38 on word identification, and .30 on passage comprehension. Tutors improved from 57.50% to 99.38% on a reliable test of teacher knowledge of language structure. Practical applications to promote research-based practices and limitations are discussed.
Annals of Dyslexia
In the U.S., many states have adopted Response to Intervention or Multi-tiered Systems of Support... more In the U.S., many states have adopted Response to Intervention or Multi-tiered Systems of Supports to provide early intervention. However, there is considerable variability in how states and schools implement RTI. Teachers are responsible for using student data from RTI to inform instructional decisions for students with or at risk for dyslexia, so it is necessary to understand the knowledge they have about the structure of RTI in their individual schools. This study reviews the results of an exploratory factor analysis of a survey aimed at measuring teachers' knowledge about RTI implementation and their understanding of RTI implementation within their school. The 52-item survey was administered online to 139 general and special education teachers. The three final factors from this factor analytic work were: (1) Teacher Knowledge about Tier 1 Implementation; (2) Teacher Knowledge about Leadership and School Systems, and (3) Teacher Knowledge about Data-Based Decision Making. Factor determinacy scores demonstrated that the survey had high internal consistency. On average, teachers' survey scores were higher on the first two factors, and slightly lower on the third factor. Implications of the findings for teachers of students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, and directions for future research were discussed.
Focus on Exceptional Children
Unfortunately, traditional approaches to special education services often fail to close the gap b... more Unfortunately, traditional approaches to special education services often fail to close the gap between students with RD and average readers. At best, special education programs tend to stabilize the reading development of students with disabilities so that they do not fall farther behind. For example, in a study of special education reading instruction for students in Grades 3-6, Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin (1998) found that students' standard scores in reading rose by an average of only 0.04 standard deviations per year. If a student performing at the 5th percentile progressed at this rate, he or she would perform at only the 9th percentile 8 years later (Torgesen, Rashotte, Alexander, Alexander, & MacPhee, 2003). The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of evidence-based instructional practices for teaching word reading to students with RD. We define evidence-based practices in word reading instruction as instructional processes and routines that have been shown to be effective in teaching most students with RD to read words. Although FOCUS on Exceptional cñíldren ISSN 0015-51IX FOCUS ON EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN (USPS 203-360) is published monthly except June, July, and August as a service to teachers, special educators, curriculum specialists, administrators, and those concerned with the special education of exceptional children. This publication is annotated and indexed by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children for publication in the monthly Current Index to Journab in Education (CUE) and the quarterly index. Exceptional Chitaren Education Resources (ECER). The full text of Focu.s on Exceptional Children is also available in the electronic versions of the Education Index. It is also available in microfilm from Serials Acquisitions, National Archive Publishing Company,
Exceptional Children
Many schools are implementing multitier response-to-intervention (RTI) models to reduce reading d... more Many schools are implementing multitier response-to-intervention (RTI) models to reduce reading difficulties. This study was part of our larger ongoing longitudinal RTI investigation within the Florida Learning Disabilities Center grant and was conducted in 7 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse schools. We observed reading instruction in 20 classrooms, examined response rates to kindergarten Tier 1 instruction, and predicted students' first-grade reading performance based on kindergarten growth and end-of-year reading performance (n = 203). Teachers followed an explicit core reading program. Overall, classroom instruction was rated as effective. Results indicate that controlling for students' end-of-kindergarten reading, their growth across kindergarten on a variety of language and literacy measures suppressed predictions of first-grade performance. Specifically, the steeper the students' trajectory to a satisfactory outcome, the less likely they were to demonstrate...
New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development
The purpose of this article is to focus specifically on professional development that is needed t... more The purpose of this article is to focus specifically on professional development that is needed to ensure that preservice and in-service teachers are prepared to deliver intensive intervention to enhance reading outcomes of students in special education. Our aim is to provide recommendations to ensure that special educators are prepared to design and implement data-based individualization in the area of reading. We highlight what special educators need to know to implement data-based individualization and provide recommendations for improving professional development using findings from federally funded projects. Implications for practice and next steps for research and policy are provided.
Reading & Writing Quarterly, 2016
In this article, the authors examined the spelling performance of 430 kindergarteners, which incl... more In this article, the authors examined the spelling performance of 430 kindergarteners, which included a high risk sample, to determine the relations between end of kindergarten reading and spelling in a high quality language arts setting. The spelling outcomes including the spelling errors between the good and the poor readers were described, analyzed, and compared. The findings suggest that not all the children have acquired the desired standard as outlined by the Common Core State Standards. In addition, not every good reader is a good speller and that not every poor speller is a poor reader. The study shows that spelling tasks that are accompanied by spelling errors analysis provide a powerful window for making instructional sense of children's spelling errors and for individualizing spelling instructional strategies.
Literacy Studies, 2016
The purpose of this chapter is to describe critical components of phonemic awareness instruction ... more The purpose of this chapter is to describe critical components of phonemic awareness instruction and intervention for students in pre-k through second grade who have language delays, reading disabilities, or who are at-risk for future reading problems. First, we describe our theoretical framework. Second, we describe existing assessments for screening, progress monitoring, intervention design. Third, we describe four evidence-based intervention programs that range from Tier 1 to more intensive interventions and we provide links to websites that review additional interventions. Finally, we conclude with directions for future research related to phonemic awareness instruction and intervention for students with language impairments or reading disabilities.
European Scientific Journal, May 26, 2015
TEACHING Exceptional Children, 2001
Reading & Writing Quarterly, 2015
Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (1) to examine changes ... more Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (1) to examine changes from baseline through two years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers' differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; (2) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of three cohorts of the teachers' students (n = 416). Teachers' instruction was observed and students were assessed on standardized measures of vocabulary and word reading. Results suggested that teachers significantly increased their differentiation and students showed significantly greater word reading outcomes relative to baseline. No change was observed for vocabulary. Results have implications for supporting teacher effectiveness through technology-supported professional development. More students in the U.S. are reaching basic and proficient levels of reading achievement in the elementary and middle grades than at any other time in history (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). However, there are still too many students who fail to achieve basic reading levels by fourth grade, underscoring the importance of ensuring effective early
Journal of Educational Psychology, 2015
Learning and Individual Differences, 2015
The primary goal of the present study was to examine the relations of kindergarten transcription,... more The primary goal of the present study was to examine the relations of kindergarten transcription, oral language, word reading, and attention skills to writing skills in third grade. Children (N = 157) were assessed on their letter writing automaticity, spelling, oral language, word reading, and attention in kindergarten. Then, they were assessed on writing in third grade using three writing tasksone narrative and two expository prompts. Children's written compositions were evaluated in terms of writing quality (the extent to which ideas were developed and presented in an organized manner). Structural equation modeling showed that kindergarten oral language and lexical literacy skills (i.e., word reading and spelling) were independently predicted third grade narrative writing quality, and kindergarten literacy skill uniquely predicted third grade expository writing quality. In contrast, attention and letter writing automaticity were not independently related to writing quality in either narrative or expository genre. These results are discussed in light of theoretical and practical implications.
Journal of research on educational effectiveness, 2014
The purpose of this study was to compare the long term effects of two first grade RTI models (Dyn... more The purpose of this study was to compare the long term effects of two first grade RTI models (Dynamic and Typical RTI) on the reading performance of students in second and third grade. Participants included 419 first grade students (352 in second grade and 278 in third grade after attrition). Students were classified based on first grade screeners as at-risk or not at-risk and then based on their response to intervention (no risk [NR], relative easy to remediate [ER] and requiring sustained remediation [SR]). Students in the Dynamic RTI condition had higher reading comprehension scores at the end of third grade. At the end of second grade, ER and SR students had lower reading scores than NR students. At the end of third grade, there were no differences in reading skills between ER and NR students, but SR students had lower scores than NR students. ER students in the Dynamic RTI condition had higher reading scores at the end of second grade than those in the Typical RTI condition. Li...
Reading and Writing, 2013
The Elementary School Journal, 2011
Reading and Writing, 2013
In the present study, we examined the influence of kindergarten component skills on writing outco... more In the present study, we examined the influence of kindergarten component skills on writing outcomes, both concurrently and longitudinally to first grade. Using data from 265 students, we investigated a model of writing development including attention regulation along with students' reading, spelling, handwriting fluency, and oral language component skills. Results from structural equation modeling demonstrated that a model including attention was better fitting than a model with only language and literacy factors. Attention, a higher-order literacy factor related to reading and spelling proficiency, and automaticity in letter-writing were uniquely and positively related to compositional fluency in kindergarten. Attention and higher-order literacy factor were predictive of both composition quality and fluency in first grade, while oral language showed unique relations with first grade writing quality. Implications for writing development and instruction are discussed.
Reading and Writing, 2014
In the present study we examined the relation between alphabet knowledge fluency (letter names an... more In the present study we examined the relation between alphabet knowledge fluency (letter names and sounds) and letter writing automaticity, and unique relations of letter writing automaticity and semantic knowledge (i.e., vocabulary) to word reading and spelling over and above code-related skills such as phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge. These questions were addressed using data from 242 English-speaking kindergartners and employing structural equation modeling. Results showed letter writing automaticity was moderately related to and a separate construct from alphabet knowledge fluency, and marginally (p = .06) related to spelling after accounting for phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge fluency, and vocabulary. Furthermore, vocabulary was positively and uniquely related to word reading and spelling after accounting for phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge fluency, and letter writing automaticity.
Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 2012
The purpose of this study was to examine the amount of time spent actively engaged in reading sou... more The purpose of this study was to examine the amount of time spent actively engaged in reading sounds, words, and connected text for students at-risk for reading difficulties in the first formal grade of reading instruction, kindergarten. Observational data of 109 kindergarten students at high-risk for later reading difficulties were collected during general education reading instruction across the school year. Findings revealed students read orally for just over 1 minute during their reading instruction with approximately equal time spent reading sounds, words, or connected text. Implications of these results for early reading instruction and intervention for students at-risk for reading difficulties or disabilities are presented. Keywords reading instruction; struggling readers; oral reading; kindergarten Although national outcomes data for students in the earliest grades, including kindergarten, are not presently available, several studies have provided converging evidence confirming the persistence and stable nature of early reading difficulties over time, painting a grim picture of success at remediating such deficits as students get older (Coyne, Kame'enui,
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 2013
Purpose The relations of phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness and vocabulary t... more Purpose The relations of phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness and vocabulary to word reading and spelling were examined for 304 first-grade children who were receiving differentiated instruction in a Response to Intervention (RtI) model of instruction. Method First-grade children were assessed on their phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness; expressive vocabulary; word reading; and spelling. Year-end word reading and spelling were outcome variables, and phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness; expressive vocabulary; and RtI status (Tiers 1, 2, & 3) were predictor variables. Results The 3 linguistic awareness skills were unique predictors of word reading, and phonological and orthographic awareness were unique predictors of spelling. The contributions that these linguistic awareness skills and vocabulary made to word reading and spelling did not differ by children's RtI tier status. Conclusion These results, in conjunction with ...
Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 2014
Purpose This study examined dimensions of written composition by using multiple evaluative approa... more Purpose This study examined dimensions of written composition by using multiple evaluative approaches such as an adapted 6 + 1 trait scoring, syntactic complexity measures, and productivity measures. It further examined unique relations of oral language and literacy skills to the identified dimensions of written composition. Method A large sample of 1st-grade students ( N = 527) was assessed on their language, reading, spelling, letter writing automaticity, and writing in the spring. Data were analyzed using a latent variable approach, including confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results The seven traits in the 6 + 1 trait system were best described as two constructs: substantive quality and spelling and writing conventions. When the other evaluation procedures such as productivity and syntactic complexity indicators were included, four dimensions emerged: substantive quality, productivity, syntactic complexity, and spelling and writing conventions. Langu...
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Papers by Stephanie Otaiba