OUR READING TOOLBOX: The Reading-Thinking Connection in a Community College Developmental Reading Class The nature and role of developmental education classes are under tremendous scrutiny across the nation today. Specifically, students are entering community college and four-year institutions of higher Help yoouurr ssstttuuuddeennttss education unprepared to understand succeeeddd witthh tttwwooo and apply much of the reading material presented to them in college-level classes. aasseesssmmeenttss ffrrrooommm Sylvia Garcia-Navarrete This article describes the effectiveness AACT Southwestern College of using OUR READING TOOLBOX: The Reading-Thinking Connection as a Caren Sax thinking-centered approach in community San Diego State University college developmental reading classes. ENGAAGGE™—Meassuure This faculty-created intervention consists psychosoociaall characctteeristicstthhaatt Joel Levine of a set of twelve specially designed tools predict aaccaaddeemic suucccess andd Southwestern College persisteennccee. that are systematically used with high- www.act.orgg//ennggage interest readings to engage the students’ minds in critical-thinking activities. The COMPASS®—AAssessaandplace tools are designed to help students acquire students; improve retentiion and graduation rates. and generalize the skills they need to www.act.org/compass understand readings that they encounter 800.553.6244 in college-level academic courses that ESMKT185 are reading-intensive. Three strategies for teaching and learning that proved to be particularly essential to effectively ACT Ad_NADE Digest_2012.indd 1 3/27/2012 10:43:44 AM carrying out lessons using OUR READING TOOLBOX will be presented. Preliminary research on results and benefits of using this thinking-centered intervention will be Introduction discussed. “By 2020, America will once again lead the world in producing college graduates. And I believe community colleges will play a huge part in meeting this goal, by producing an additional 5 million degrees and certificates in the next 10 years” (Obama, 2010, p. 4). NADE Digest, 6 (1), Fall, 2012 75 76 OUR READING TOOLBOX NADE Digest, 6 (1), Fall, 2012 77 President Obama’s five-year initiative was designed to the full sequence of courses (Bailey, 2009). Furthermore, students increase educational opportunities for economically challenged with deficits in basic reading skills, oral and written skills, along with youth and young adults, as well as to help prepare many others related abilities for problem-solving, decision-making, and working for careers (Community College Research Center [CCRC], 2011). effectively in teams are unaware of the reading proficiency level As optimistic as the President’s initiative sounds, Bailey and Cho they need to succeed in a college setting or to compete effectively identify what many educators understand–meeting this goal will in a global economy. require “making significant progress on improving outcomes for OUR READING TOOLBOX: The Reading-Thinking Connection students who arrive at community colleges with weak academic skills” (2010, p. 1). Postsecondary students are increasingly perceived as being unskilled in thinking critically about what they read and write, Developmental reading programs at community colleges and in making a connection with learning and life (Gerlaugh, offer a variety of interventions to improve basic reading skills Thompson, Boylan, & Davis, 2007). Effective approaches used for through textbooks, workbooks, and online activities for students teaching developmental reading at the community college level who are underprepared. Strategies include self-paced and self- are essential and must include opportunities to develop critical directed practice, rote memorization, peer teaching, tutoring and thinking skills in addition to learning the mechanics of reading others. Many commercially distributed programs (e.g., KWL and and writing. Examining the effects of OUR READING TOOLBOX SQ3R) “generally have not been strongly supported by empirical provided valuable data on a thinking-centered approach that can research that directly tests them” (Grabe, 2009, p. 231). The be used to address the academic challenges of students arriving at key question is to what extent do these approaches elevate the community colleges unprepared to succeed in college. quality of students’ thinking as a means to improving their reading comprehension skills? This article describes an effective thinking- OUR READING TOOLBOX is a thinking-centered intervention centered reading intervention designed, implemented, and used to teach developmental reading at a California community evaluated by faculty in a community college reading class to help college. Dr. Suzanne Borman (professor of education), Dr. Sylvia students improve their reading comprehension skills. Garcia-Navarrete (professor of reading), Dr. Joel Levine (dean of the School of Language and Literature), and Yuki Yamamato Background (professor of English as a Second Language) collaboratively A recent study showed that close to 50% of first-time designed the OUR READING TOOLBOX. The goal in developing community college students in California tested into basic skills this intervention for use in developmental reading classes was courses, an even higher rate than found nationally (CSS, 2007). to create a systematic and practical design that would be readily The majority of these students were not ready for college- applicable by students to help them better understand what they level work and a relatively small number of students attained read in a variety of academic disciplines. This goal was fully in proficiency during their time at a community college (Boggs, 2010; keeping with the notion that the purpose of education is to teach Boggs & Seltzer, 2008). More than half of the students who enter students to understand and actively apply new learning and to community colleges drop out before they earn a two-year degree cultivate this knowledge beyond the classroom setting (Ritchhart & and many never transfer to a four-year institution, much less attain Perkins, 2008); therefore, OUR READING TOOLBOX was designed a baccalaureate degree (Bailey & Cho, 2010). Although students to provide teachers with a vehicle to help their students achieve who enter college deficient in basic academic skills are encouraged these essential outcomes. to enroll in developmental reading courses, more than two-thirds OUR READING TOOLBOX consists of a set of 12 tools that fail to do so, and many who begin these courses do not complete are specifically designed to bring the thinking-centered approach 78 OUR READING TOOLBOX NADE Digest, 6 (1), Fall, 2012 79 to life by becoming a functional part of students’ learning Conclusion Identify what they think is the most processes. Each tool is intended to focus the mind so students important conclusion the author comes can independently analyze and interpret what they are reading. to in the end. Thus, it equates “understanding” with “learning” the content Assumptions State what they think the author (or at hand, rather than considering “comprehension” the act of someone else) is taking for granted in simply recalling or locating de-contextualized or isolated facts on what they have read. multiple-choice, matching, or fill-in the blank tests. “This power Implications & State what they think will happen if of concentrated logical thinking does not exist in the mind ready- Consequences we follow, or do not follow, what the made; it must be developed gradually” (Hendley, 1986, p. 84). By author (or someone else) in the reading using OUR READING TOOLBOX, students acquire the standard is suggesting should be done. comprehension skills such as identifying main ideas and supporting details and making inferences that are cultivated in a thinking- Solution/ State what they think should be done centered reading classroom. Recommendations to deal effectively with the issues or problems presented in the reading. Table 1 provides a brief description of the twelve tools that make up OUR READING TOOLBOX. Each tool is designed to engage Speaking in the State ideas or answer questions about the students in a specific type of intellectual activity. Author's Voice what they read as if they were the author or someone else in the reading. Table 1 OUR READING TOOLBOX Paraphrasing Put sentences that they have read in Implementation their own words. This thinking-centered approach was implemented in several Headline Created Create a headline (title) that expresses developmental reading classes beginning in 2008 at a large urban the main idea of the selected reading. Hispanic-serving community college in Southern California with an Significant Sentence Select sentences they think are most annual fall enrollment of 20,000 students. The overall curriculum Selected important in what they have read and of these classes was based on OUR READING TOOLBOX as it was tell why they selected them. integrated into all lesson activities, homework assignments, and exams, to guide students and help them practice how to think Vital Question Posed Ask the author, or someone in the more deeply about what they read. The typical lesson activity, reading, questions they would really like homework assignment, and test consisted of a series of prompts, to have answered. each derived from one of the 12 tools from OUR READING Issue/Problem Identify issues or problems raised in the TOOLBOX. The prompts were designed to direct students' thinking Identified reading. as they read. The prompts and tools varied based on what the Purpose State why they think the reading was students were reading at a given time. For example, the purpose written tool was used to help students determine what a writer was trying S-E-E-I State, Elaborate, Exemplify, and to communicate; the issue/problem tool was used to help students Illustrate concepts (words, ideas) in determine what problem the writer was presenting. The tools the reading which they need to better were gradually introduced, one or two at a time, to help students understand. gain comfort and competence with the tool in any given lesson 80 OUR READING TOOLBOX NADE Digest, 6 (1), Fall, 2012 81 before introducing another. The tools helped students approach in writing to determine their level of understanding of a specific what they were reading from a variety of directions (e.g., problem, reading. Each of the 10 items that students responded to was conclusion, solution/recommendation), engaging and stimulating based on one of the tools in OUR READING TOOLBOX. Examples their minds to think about what was being communicated by of three of the items that appeared on the pre- and post-test are the writer. Further, by responding to the prompts in clear and shown below as they were used in connection with a specific complete sentences, students then had an opportunity to have reading: their “voices” heard by expressing their thoughts about what they 1. Identify the MAIN PROBLEM/ ISSUE raised in the understood. reading. During the first week of the semester, a pre-test was 2. Select and HIGHLIGHT (or underline) what you think is the administered to each student enrolled in the developmental most SIGNIFICANT SENTENCE in this reading. Explain reading classes that were using this thinking-centered intervention. why you think this sentence is the most significant one This pre-test consisted of 10 items that students responded to in the reading. in writing to determine their level of understanding of a specific 3. PARAPHRASE the sentence you selected above. In other reading. Each of the 10 items that students responded to was based words, say the exact same thing in your own words. on one of the tools in OUR READING TOOLBOX. The purpose of the pre-test was to assess students’ reading comprehension levels As students used OUR READING TOOLBOX, it became clear as a baseline measure before formally introducing them to OUR that “traditional skills” (e.g., identifying main ideas and supporting READING TOOLBOX. A “counter-balanced test design” was used details and making inferences) were routinely being practiced to assure a measure of objectivity when eventually comparing by use of the various tools as follows: 1) issue/problem tool these baseline scores with post-test scores obtained near the end encompassed and fostered the identification of main ideas, implied of the semester. Thus, group one read a passage and responded main ideas and inferences. In the second prompt, significant to prompts for Test A, and group two read an alternate form of sentence selected tool, encompassed identifying supporting the test, reading a different passage and responding to prompts details and argument, summarizing, and critical reading. The third for Test B. Students completed the pre-test assessment during tool, paraphrasing, encompassed summarizing, note-taking, and one regular 75 minute class meeting as part of the standard course outlining. Students holistically and systematically acquired the curriculum. They received minimal directions to complete this pre- standard comprehension skills with this approach as they found test so that authentic and objective results could be obtained for themselves needing to read and understand the text so that they later comparison with post-test scores. could provide thoughtful responses to the prompts. After experiencing the intervention for one semester, Lessons carried out in the “test” classes (those in the study) students took the alternate form of the test used for the pre- were based on prompts derived from the tools to immediately test as the post-test. In other words, students who took Test A involve students in thinking about what they were reading. The now took Test B and vice versa. The purpose of the post-test was daily lessons were designed in the following way: an opening to assess students’ exit levels of reading comprehension skills activity, a main activity, a closing session, and homework. Students after completing the class based on OUR READING TOOLBOX read excerpts, articles, and material from a variety of academic intervention. The post-test was administered during the last week disciplines and responded to prompts accordingly. The length of of the semester to each student still enrolled in the class with these readings varied from one to five pages depending upon the students given 75 minutes to complete it. As with the pre-test, function they served in a given lesson. The readings tended to be the post-test consisted of 10 items that students responded to longer for the main activity and homework, and shorter for the 82 OUR READING TOOLBOX NADE Digest, 6 (1), Fall, 2012 83 opening activity and closing activity. As students worked through Reading, and (3) Themselves as Learners. Each student responded the activities of each lesson, they learned how to use each tool. For to six questions for each of the sub-scales. The purpose of the example, they learned the paraphrasing tool by putting sentences student survey questionnaire was to gain insight into students’ they read into their own words. The headline created tool required perceptions of the classroom environment and course activities, them to create headlines (titles) that expressed the main ideas of the art of reading, and of themselves as learners in a community the selected readings and they mastered the significant sentence college developmental reading course, such as information selected tool by identifying what they thought was the most concerning students’ attitudes, their sense of involvement and important sentence in the readings and then explaining why they participation, their motivation and interest, and their sense of selected it as being the most important. purpose in daily lessons and activities in and outside of class. Students were given specific directions to guide them The responses to the 18 survey questions were ranked on a through the lesson activities. The instructor stressed independent scale from one to five, with five points being the highest possible thinking by asking students to complete activities to the best of score. An item analysis of responses obtained from this survey their abilities as they worked on their own so that when they worked revealed that items under the areas of Meaningful Activities (M = collaboratively, they could bring their own ideas to contribute to 4.60), Useful Feedback (M = 4.67), and Tools were Helpful in Class the group. Instruction emphasized the integration of reading and and in Life (M = 4.77) had the highest mean scores. Items that writing, requiring students to articulate their thoughts about what came under the areas of Reading is Essential in Life (M = 4.13), they read in clear, complete sentences. The tools engaged the Interest in Reading (M = 4.17), and Look Forward to Reading (M students’ minds while reading, without the mechanics-oriented, = 4.18) had the lowest mean scores. This analysis clearly indicates drill-and-skill process. Using the thinking-centered tools of OUR that students felt they had a very positive learning experience READING TOOLBOX, students not only read words, but rather, they using OUR READING TOOLBOX in that even the “lowest” scores thought about those words in specified ways using the individual reported were towards the high end of the scale. tools for the purpose of understanding what they read and then A thematic analysis of students’ responses concerning expressing their own thoughts about those readings. Students their experience of using OUR READING TOOLBOX was another improved their reading performance and ability to think effectively component of the evaluation. After a semester of using this throughout the broad array of readings they encountered as approach, students said they felt empowered by being able to take demonstrated by the quality of their responses to the series of ownership of their learning. Further, they related that reading prompts for each reading completed as the semester progressed. and learning this way was relevant to real-world issues and/or to personal experiences to which they could connect meaning. This Evaluation approach allowed for deeper instruction as students focused As part of an evaluation of OUR READING TOOLBOX, faculty completely on “thinking and doing,” delving deeper into what was and staff analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data to provide being communicated to them through the various readings and a comprehensive overview concerning the effects on students’ then engaging in collaborative dialogue. academic performance and their perceptions of the classroom Further analysis of three open-ended questions included environment and course activities, the art of reading, and of in the questionnaire yielded several themes. The first theme, themselves as learners when using OUR READING TOOLBOX. “creating a culture of learning,” emerged as students related As an important evaluation component, students completed how they valued the way the instructor provided modeling and a questionnaire that contained the following three sub-scales: guidance, allowed for flexible group work, and assisted them in (1) Classroom Environment and Course Activities, (2) the Art of 84 OUR READING TOOLBOX NADE Digest, 6 (1), Fall, 2012 85 learning how to work effectively. In writing about their experience passivity and mental inactivity. Students’ responses on the open- in these classes, students repeatedly made the following types ended questionnaire indicated that students believe that calling on of comments, comprising the sub-theme “awareness.” “Before, them helped them realize they could think on their own and be I was only reading words without understanding.” “I now able to express their thoughts because others were interested in understand the purpose for reading.” and, “When I began using hearing what they had to say. OUR READING TOOLBOX, it opened up my eyes to how much I Name tents served several purposes. The use of these name could not comprehend.” Use of the tools fostered students’ ability tents helped facilitate the “calling on students” strategy as well to express or articulate creative thoughts about what they read. as with classroom seating and were used from the first to the last “Development of comprehension skills” was the other day of class. Having these name tents on the first day allowed the theme that emerged. Students expressed how their ability instructor and other students to call each student by his or her to read was affected by this experience using OUR READING name. They were also an effective way to take attendance as it TOOLBOX with comments, such as “It made me a better reader was easy to note who was not seated behind the name tent when by learning techniques that are useful to break down the readings class started. and understand them completely.” Each tool focused students’ Randomly assigned seating was also facilitated by the use of on independently analyzing and interpreting the readings, learning name tents. At the end of each class, name tents were collected the materials, and then expressing their own ideas, demonstrating and at the beginning of the next class, they were randomly placed a deeper understanding of the material and a command of an on students’ desks. Students benefited from this strategy because effective process that they could generalize to other environments. it allowed them to meet and work with different classmates throughout the semester. Desks were set up in a seminar Strategies for Teaching and Learning configuration as this gave students the opportunity to see and Effective instructional practices are essential in creating hear each other as they shared their thoughts and ideas. Carrying a high-quality learning environment that allows for students’ out these strategies on a day-to-day basis helped students develop involvement in the active exchange of ideas. Students enrolled self-confidence and created a community of learners able and in developmental reading typically come with various learning willing to intelligently discuss their thoughts about what they were challenges that impede their academic success. One of these reading. challenges can be lack of self-confidence that may be related to previous academic failures. In conjunction with various tools from Conclusion the Toolbox, and to address this need for effective instructional OUR READING TOOLBOX was designed to help students practices, the instructor of the classes in the study chose three develop thinking skills by utilizing a set of tools that actively engaged specific strategies for teaching and learning to further help their minds in deeper thinking for the purpose of understanding establish a culture of thinking. The three strategies which proved and retaining knowledge beyond the test or duration of the to be particularly important were “calling on students,” “name course. OUR READING TOOLBOX supported positive student tents,” and “randomly assigned seating.” outcomes and accelerated students’ progress for those enrolled in Calling on students maximized students’ involvement in the developmental reading classes studied. Most importantly, the class. Their attention level increased as they realized they had to innovative, thinking-centered curriculum and teaching methods be prepared to participate when called on. Students benefitted used in this intervention helped students improve their reading from this strategy as it helped them create a sense of self- abilities. The initial program evaluation provided promising data confidence versus a sense of learned helplessness, leading to about the effectiveness of using OUR READING TOOLBOX as 86 OUR READING TOOLBOX NADE Digest, 6 (1), Fall, 2012 87 a thinking-centered intervention for teaching developmental Boggs, G. R. & Seltzer, M. B. (2008). What to measure and reward at reading. community colleges. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http:// www.insidehighered.com/views/2008/02/25/boggs Two major conclusions resulted from analysis of the Center for Student Success [CSS]. (2007). Basic Skills as a foundation preliminary data collected. First, students demonstrated a for student success in California community colleges. Sacramento, significantly higher level of comprehension and thinking ability CA: Center for Student Success. after using OUR READING TOOLBOX. The act of continually applying various tools to substantive readings during class work, Community College Research Center [CCRC]. (2011). Developmental education program effects analysis: A within-state difference- on homework assignments, and for exams throughout the in-differences approach. Community College Research Center, semester gave the students an opportunity to learn how to think NY. Retrieved from http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Presentation. deeply about and understand what they read. Second, through asp?UID=336 extensive guided practice using these meaningful intellectual Gerlaugh, K., Thompson, L., Boylan, H. R., & Davis, H. (2007). National tools and strategies, students successfully acquired standard study of developmental education II: Baseline data for comprehension skills such as identifying main ideas and supporting community colleges. Journal of Developmental Education, 20(4) details and making inferences–all of which were cultivated in a 2-4, 6, 8. thinking-centered reading classroom. Grabe, W. (2009). Reading in a second language: Moving from theory to Overall, OUR READING TOOLBOX contains a set of thought- practice. New York: Cambridge University Press. provoking tools that can be used to strengthen students’ reading Hendley, B. (1986). Dewey, Russell, Whitehead: Philosophers as comprehension abilities by improving the quality of their thinking educators. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press. about what they are reading. OUR READING TOOLBOX provides Obama, B. (2010). White House summit on community college. educators with an innovative way to meet the needs of their Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/communitycollege students who come to college with varying skills and abilities. Ritchhart, R., & Perkins, D. (2008). Making thinking visible. Educational Leadership, 65(5), 57-61. References Bailey, T. (2009). Rethinking developmental education in community college. Community College Research Center (CCRC) Brief, Dr. Sylvia Garcia-Navarrete is a professor of reading at Southwestern College 40. Retrieved from http://www.achievingthedream.org/Portal/ in Chula Vista, California, and Dr. Joe Levine is dean of the school of literature at Southwestern. Modules/5b265ed2-6fd6-4b69-8f96-f49281f5307f.asset Dr. Caren Cox chairs administration, rehabilitation, and postsecondary education at Bailey, T., & Cho, S.W. (2010). Developmental education in a San Diego State University in San Diego, California. community college. Community College Research Center (CCRC) 46-51. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/PDFDocs/college- completion/07-developmental-education-in-community-colleges. pdf Boggs, G. R. (2010). Democracy’s college: The evolution of the community college in America. American Association of Community Colleges. Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/ AboutCC/whsummit/Documents/boggs_whsummitbrief.pdf