Reading Upside Down: Identifying and Addressing Opportunity Gaps in Literacy Instruction

by Deborah L. Wolter

Overview

Reading Upside Down offers a paradigm shift from achievement gaps to opportunity gaps in literacy instruction. Drawing on the author’s rich experiences working one-on-one with challenged readers, this book presents case studies illustrating the complexities of student learning experiences and the unique circumstances that shaped their acquisition of literacy. Wolter explores eight key factors that contribute to reading challenges in developing readers, including school readiness, the use of prescribed phonics-based programs, physical hurdles, unfamiliarity with English, and special education labeling. With a focus on the differences that educators can make for individual students, the text suggests ways to identify and address early opportunity gaps that can impact students throughout their entire educational career.

Reading Upside Down will help educators to:

• Shift from identifying deficit-based achievement gaps among students to addressing opportunity gaps in literacy instruction.
• Move beyond student labels, categories, or placements to provide true opportunities for children to explore and develop literacy.
• Take a strength-based view that students are in multiple places of exploration of language and literacies and all children can succeed in becoming readers.
• Develop a strong sense of ownership and expertise in order to foster inclusion and assure authentic and engaged reading within their classrooms. 

“The book not only challenges the status quo but offers a rational alternative that would benefit every struggling reader. I hope Reading Upside Down initiates a widespread movement to undo so much of what we have done in the name of ‘helping’ children who struggle with learning to read.”
—Richard L. Allington, University of Tennessee

“Reading Upside Down is a powerful tool, an eye-opener, a call to arms, and a plan for action. Wolter does a superb job not only identifying and addressing opportunity gaps in literacy instruction but also providing ways to begin fixing them.”
—Patricia A. Edwards, Ph.D., professor of teacher education, Michigan State University, and past president, International Literacy Association

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807773857
Publisher:	Teachers College Press
Publication date:	07/26/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	789,513
File size:	533 KB

About the Author

Deborah L. Wolter is an elementary teacher consultant in Ann Arbor Michigan public schools. Visit her website at readingupsidedown.wordpress.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword Richard L. Allington ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Preface: Reading Upside Down xv

Jenna xv

Reading Upside Down xviii

Shifting the Focus from Achievement Gaps to Opportunity Gaps xx

Reading Right Side Up xxii

1 'Tis the Good Reader That Makes the Good Book 1

The Gap: The View of Students as "Unready" or "At-Risk"

The View of Students as "Unready" or "At-Risk" 1

Problems with Traditional Constructs of School Readiness 2

Distinguishing Achievement Gaps Versus Opportunity Gaps 6

Changing the Trajectory of Students Viewed as "Unready" or "At-Risk" 9

Closing the Beginning Opportunity Gap for All Students 13

2 Checking the Weather 14

The Gap: Seeing Students as "Struggling Readers"

Viewing Readers as "Struggling" 15

The Quest to Find the Best Reading Program 16

Distringuishing Achievement Gaps Versus Opportunity Gaps 20

Changing the Trajectory of Students Viewed as "Struggling" 24

No Matter the Weather 29

3 The Gift of Reading 30

The Gap: Ableism Toward Students in "Special Education"

Problems with Placing Students in "Special Education" 31

The Costs and Benefits of Special Education 33

Distinguishing Achievement Gaps Versus Opportunity Gaps 35

Changing the Trajectory of Students in "Special Education" 38

Do We Really Need Special Education 44

4 It Looks Greek to Me 45

The Gap: Regarding Forms of Speech and English as "Nonstandard"

Misunderstanding Language Transfer from Native Languages and "Nonstandard" Forms of Speech and English 46

Distinguishing Achievement Gaps Versus Opportunity Gaps 52

Acknowledging Language Variation in Changing the Trajectories of Children Learning English in Print 56

Language, Language, and Language 61

5 You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover 62

The Gap: The Unexplored Issues of Race

The Role of Race in Special Education Referrals 63

Distinguishing the Achievement Gap Versus Opportunity Gaps 68

Changing the Trajectory for All Readers 73

Taking Ownership for All Students 77

6 Reading as an Escape? 79

The Gap: Seeing Students as "Reluctant" or Otherwise "Using Escape Tactics"

The View of Students as "Reluctant" or Otherwise "Using Escape Tactics" 79

Defining and Addressing Emotional Disturbances and Their Relationship to Language Disorders 80

Distinguishing Achievement Gaps Versus Opportunity Gaps 83

Changing the Trajectory of "Reluctant" Readers 86

Reading as an Escape 90

7 Reading the Fine Print of Tests 91

The Gap: Students Who "Fail" To Make The Grade

Students Who Are Seen as "Failing" 93

Questions About the Usefulness of Testing to Evaluation Student Progress in Literacy 94

Distinguishing Achievement Gaps Versus Opportunity Gaps 96

Changing the Trajectory of Students Who "Fail" Standardized Tests 98

Reading the Fine Print 103

Conclusion: Reading Right Side Up 105

References 111

Index 123

About the Author 133

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"The book not only challenges the status quo but offers a rational alternative that would benefit every struggling reader. I hope Reading Upside Down initiates a widespread movement to undo so much of what we have done in the name of 'helping' children who struggle with learning to read."
—Richard L. Allington, University of Tennessee

"Reading Upside Down is a powerful tool, an eye-opener, a call to arms, and a plan for action. Wolter does a superb job not only identifying and addressing opportunity gaps in literacy instruction but also providing ways to begin fixing them."
—Patricia A. Edwards, Ph.D., professor of teacher education, Michigan State University, and past president, International Literacy Association

Editorial Reviews

The tendency to focus on what is wrong with students who do not meet grade expectations in literacy is amajor flaw in the current educational system and one that must be stopped. Deborah Wolter elegantly argues this point in her book Reading Upside Down: Identifying and Addressing Opportunity Gaps in Literacy Instruction."

—Teachers College Record

From the Publisher