Yes it is. The SRA-published brainchild from Siegfried Engelman out of the University of Oregon. DISTAR is Direct Instruction System for Teaching Arithmetic and Reading.
On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 8:05 AM, Renee <[email protected]> wrote: > I agree with Laura. > Anyone remember Distar? Is Reading Mastery just Distar, revisited? > > The idea of hiding the pictures makes me cringe. :( > > Renee > > > > On Jan 28, 2009, at 11:55 AM, Laura Klug wrote: > > To my way of thinking , this approach makes no sense at all, especially >> for struggling readers. Why make those who are having trouble breaking the >> code learn another code ? Of course they are confused. They are cfonfused >> about what real reading is. To be sure , struggling readers need a >> systematic way to understand the way words work, but that is one small part >> of what makes one a reader. Real text makes a reader because there is a >> reciprocal process that is always there between the reader and the text. >> I would not recommend such an approach to anyone wanting to help improve >> the quality of instuction for students. >> >> ________________________________ >> >> From: [email protected] on behalf of Amy McGovern >> Sent: Wed 1/28/2009 1:26 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Reading Mastery, etcetera >> >> >> >> >> As someone who taught Reading Mastery and now trains and consults on these >> programs I can share that in all my schools, we have never boxed up trade >> books or classroom libraries. Children need the experience of reading >> trade books. Indeed, I think we all agree that students should read and be >> read to from a variety of books. The goals of teachers who thoughtfully use >> Direct Instruction programs are the same as the goals of teachers who use >> Guided Reading or any other methodology or pedagogy. We all want to teach >> children to read well and to love reading. To do this effectively, students >> should have access to a rich variety of books. Here are some insights on >> what Beverlee is referring to below. Again, please know that I do not >> personally or professionally advocate the boxing up of any trade books. If >> administrators are concerned about confusing the students because trade >> books are in the room where Reading Mastery is being taught, the answer is >> to provide more top quality staff development and classroom coaching- not to >> remove the books. There are differences to how early reading is taught in >> DI vs. a Guided Reading approach (for example). Is there potential for >> confusion if primary students are getting lessons in both? Yes. Can that >> be overcome? Yes. But it takes training and a willingness to make some >> changes in how the GR lesson is taught to the fragile learner or very young >> learner. The teacher's guide for Reading Mastery (RMI classic) does not >> advocate mixing RM with other forms of instruction. Having said that, >> Trade books and DI can and should happily co-exist. There are two big >> differences that come to mind when thinking about Trade books and the >> storybooks used in Reading Mastery levels 1 and 2. To begin with, K, 1st >> and 2nd grade students who are in Reading Mastery levels 1 and 2 are reading >> material that is written with a modified orthography. That means that the >> print looks different. The students are taught to sound out words as their >> first way of approaching an unfamiliar word. To make this easier for the >> students, the 40 sound symbols in the English Language are written in such a >> way that they look visually different. Each sound/symbol is explicitly >> taught and practiced. Spelling always remains correct. Letters that are >> not pronounced when a word is sounded out are written smaller. Beginning in >> RM2, the print begins to transition back to "normal". By the end of RM2, >> students are reading stories written with regular print. Another >> significant difference between trade book and the storybooks in RM1: the >> pictures in the storybook are intentionally put on the 2nd page. They are >> hidden from view while the children are reading the story for the first few >> times. The purpose of this is to help the students focus on the text. The >> story is read 2 to 3 times before the picture is given attention. The goal >> is to get the students to be accurate, appropriately fluent, then ask >> comprehension questions-- and finally to enjoy the picture. It may also be >> relevant to point out that the text of these stories is intentionally >> controlled so that students experience high levels of success continuously. >> I am only scratching the surface of the details and procedures in RM. My >> hope is that you can see, with the vast knowledge base on this site, a few >> of the difference between a balanced lit approach to early reading and what >> happens in an early RM lesson. The fact that there are differences between >> the two approaches is ok because some kids need the design of RM to become >> successful readers. With all this in mind, I have found that children in >> Reading Mastery 1 and 2 benefit from taking what they are learning to do >> very well-- and practicing/applying these skills while reading thoughtfully >> chosen trade books or leveled readers. When done well, this type of >> practice only reinforces the transfer of skills from Reading Mastery to all >> types of reading material. This is the goal. My own experience is that >> primary kids in RM confidently pull high interest books off the shelves and >> give them a try. Reading Mastery has empowered them. They see themselves >> as readers because they are. I hope this information helps. Amy >> McGovernEducational ConsultantDirect Instruction Trainer and Coach since >> 2001.> Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:46:55 -0700> From: >> [email protected]> To: [email protected]> Subject: >> [MOSAIC] Reading Mastery, etcetera> > Hi all - I'd like to ask a question >> that affects everyone interested in> teaching comprehension, especially in a >> release to independence format. Do> any of you know of any instances where >> schools have adopted Reading Mastery> or another Direct Instruction program >> and have been forced to eliminate the> use of trade books in classrooms (or, >> alternately, very limited> participation in a library program) in order to >> use comprehension strategies> (or other strategies, actually) in the >> classroom? I think I remember> someone on this list serve saying that the >> principal and curriculum director> came by and loaded up all the trade books >> so they didn't "confuse" the K,> 1, and maybe 2 grade students. Help, >> please. Bev> _______________________________________________> Mosaic mailing >> list> [email protected]> To unsubscribe or modify your >> membership please go to> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.> > Search the MOSAIC archives at >> http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.> >> _________________________________________________________________ >> Windows Live(tm) Hotmail(R)...more than just e-mail. >> http://windowslive.com/howitworks >> ?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_hm_justgotbetter_howitworks_012009 >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> >> >> "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of > crisis, remain neutral." ~ Edmund Burke > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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