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When best practices in reading intervention didn't reach all struggling readers at one high school, technology provided the successful ingredient.
Struggling students participated in a lab class that developed cognitive skills and improved brain functions that support reading.
As students' reading skills improved, so did their connection to their teachers and the school.
How do you build connections with students who do not feel they are part of the school community? PennTrafford High School in Harrison City, PA, always seemed to have a number of students who felt no connection to the school or their classmates. They skipped class or didn't participate when they did attend. They were prime candidates to drop out. They also shared another common factor: they were poor readers.
For years, the school had implemented a variety of interventions to confront adolescent illiteracy. Teachers provided direct instruction in reading, writing, and vocabulary skills. They used high-interest literature. The school implemented print and computer-based reading programs and conducted professional development.
Some students, however, continued to struggle. They experienced not only academic challenges but also low self-esteem, behavior problems, and feelings of hopelessness. They thought that reading was too hard, that school was a waste of time, and that teachers didn't care enough to really help them. Teachers, on the other hand, sometimes thought that those students weren't trying hard enough to help themselves or that they didn't care to learn. As a result, there was a widening gap between students and teachers in the classroom - that is, until the school changed the way it approached instruction by shifting the focus from reading skills to the reading-ready brain.
Focusing on the Brain.
Helping middle level and high school students reach their academic potential takes more than good teachers and good curriculum. A student's brain must be ready to learn.
Over the last 30 years, neuroscience research has led to a better understanding of the processes involved in effective reading and learning. The concept of brain plasticity, for example, refers to the brain's ability to change at any age throughout life. This principle is particularly important at the secondary level because it means that even if a student made it all the way to middle or high school without learning to...