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DOI: 10.3102/0013189X07313156 © 2007 American Educational Research Association Pedagogies for the Poor? Realigning Reading Instruction for Low-Income Students With Scientifically Based Reading ResearchCanada Research Chair in Language and Literacy Development in Multilingual Contexts at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Canada M5S 1V6; jcummins{at}oise.utoronto.ca. His research focuses on instructional strategies to promote academic achievement among culturally and linguistically diverse students In this article, the author argues that there is minimal scientific support for the pedagogical approaches promoted for low-income students in the federal Reading First initiative. In combination with high-stakes testing, the interpretation of the construct systematic phonics instruction in Reading First has resulted in highly teacher-centered and inflexible classroom environments. By privileging these approaches, Reading First ignored the National Reading Panel’s finding that systematic phonics instruction was unrelated to reading comprehension for low-achieving and normally achieving students beyond Grade 1. Also ignored was the significant body of research suggesting that reading engagement is an important predictor of achievement. Alternative evidence-based directions for rebalancing reading instruction for low-income students are suggested in the context of the impending reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind legislation.
Key Words: Keywords: literacy engagement • low-income students • pedagogy • reading instruction • systematic phonics instruction
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