Interview with Mary Ann Eaton & Karen A. Kemp
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Linda Schreiber:Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed about your work and your new book on RTI. Mary Ann, you are a speech-language pathologist and Karen, you are a former classroom teacher and currently an administrator. Tell me how your professional paths crossed.Mary Ann Eaton:Karen and I met
Linda Schreiber:Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed about your work and your new book on RTI. Mary Ann, you are a speech-language pathologist and Karen, you are a former classroom teacher and currently an administrator. Tell me how your professional paths crossed.
Mary Ann Eaton:Karen and I met in the early 90s when I facilitated a review of special education in the school district where she is employed. We quickly realized that we shared a common passion: a belief that all educators, regardless of certification, are responsible for providing children with opportunities to learn to effectively communicatethat is to listen, speak, read, and write.
When I began consulting in Karen's school district, the focus was on the changing roles of speech-language pathologists in the school. At the same time, Karen was introducing different groups of teachers to curriculum-based measurement and using data to make decisions about students who were struggling to learn to read.
In the fall of 2006, Karen and I became engaged in stimulating conversations about language, reading, and response to intervention (RTI). As we continued to exchange knowledge and personal experiences, we recognized that the RTI process (when implemented with fidelity) had much to contribute to the many literacy challenges facing educators, students, and parents. After a great deal of discussion, it became apparent that we needed to put our thinking down on paper. The end result is our first book: RTI: The Classroom Connection for Literacy.
Linda:So this book addresses some of your experiences in implementing RTI in a district. Tell me more about the book.
Karen Kemp:We realized the overwhelming responsibility educators have in staying current with the latest developments in education. Teachers and other service providers want to use proven practices and want to see growth in student learning; but they may not be aware of the interventions and procedures about specific skills.
Our book provides an overview of RTI and current research in literacy development. It explains some of the more commonly used curriculum-based assessments and interventions for each of the five precepts of reading identified by the National Reading Panel:
Linda:Who does the book target, as in who might your buyers be? And who are the activities targeting?
Mary Ann:The book was written for teachers of preK to grade 12 studentsboth general educators and special educatorsspeech-language pathologists, literacy specialists, and anybody seeking knowledge about research-based reading instruction/intervention within an RTI framework. Teachers in elementary grades or those teaching older students struggling with the basic skills of reading will find this book useful. Secondary teachers who are interested in improving students' fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension will also find interventions that can be used within content area subjects.
We are also pleased to learn that parents are finding our book user-friendly because it spells out the basics of RTI and literacy development. The first four chapters of the book present a step-by-step approach to implementing RTI with fidelity in a school or school district. This approach has proven to be beneficial for district- and building-level administrators. Chapters 5 through 10 are teacher-friendly and detail five research-based interventions for each of the five precepts in learning to read. Chapter 11 addresses motivation and outlines activities for building community in a classroom, as well as how to engage students.
Linda:The subtitle of you book is "The Classroom Connection for Literacy." Why did you choose this subtitle?
Mary Ann: We chose this title because we wanted to emphasize that teaching literacy is every classroom teacher's responsibility. We feel this title reflects the obviousthat language and literacy should be a common thread across all disciplines and content areas. It also represents the synergy created when educators connect their knowledge and work together to teach literacy. My own bias is that RTI is a golden opportunity for speech-language pathologists to be leaders in this classroom connection.
Linda:In the book, you write that about 20% of students who enter kindergarten will have difficulty learning to read. That's a staggering percentage. How can that be prevented?
Mary Ann:We need to provide early intervention for all children and continue to inform parents, along with day care and preschool providers, about the strong connection between language and literacy development. Early literacy skills are best developed through the power of play and should be part of every preschool program.
Linda:How is this book different from others that are written on RTI?
Karen:The book content is organized around the "big five" elements identified by the National Reading Panel. It provides specific techniques and interventions for each area. The forms and assessments make documentation and data collection easy and accessible.
It is also different because it addresses the shift that must occur within the minds and hearts of all educators. Teaching staff must move away from the notion that students who are not developing literacy at the average rate of success must be "identified and placed in special education." Educators in general must move toward the idea of collaboration between disciplines and differentiation of instruction for the purpose of developing literacy for all.
Linda:Where can readers find out more information about the book?
Mary Ann:You can find out more information at www.nprinc.com and www.schoolofsimilarities.com
Linda:Mary Ann and Karen, thanks for your educational passion and for granting an interview about your book. Best wishes in your RTI endeavors.
Mary Ann Eaton:Karen and I met in the early 90s when I facilitated a review of special education in the school district where she is employed. We quickly realized that we shared a common passion: a belief that all educators, regardless of certification, are responsible for providing children with opportunities to learn to effectively communicatethat is to listen, speak, read, and write.
When I began consulting in Karen's school district, the focus was on the changing roles of speech-language pathologists in the school. At the same time, Karen was introducing different groups of teachers to curriculum-based measurement and using data to make decisions about students who were struggling to learn to read.
In the fall of 2006, Karen and I became engaged in stimulating conversations about language, reading, and response to intervention (RTI). As we continued to exchange knowledge and personal experiences, we recognized that the RTI process (when implemented with fidelity) had much to contribute to the many literacy challenges facing educators, students, and parents. After a great deal of discussion, it became apparent that we needed to put our thinking down on paper. The end result is our first book: RTI: The Classroom Connection for Literacy.
Linda:So this book addresses some of your experiences in implementing RTI in a district. Tell me more about the book.
Karen Kemp:We realized the overwhelming responsibility educators have in staying current with the latest developments in education. Teachers and other service providers want to use proven practices and want to see growth in student learning; but they may not be aware of the interventions and procedures about specific skills.
Our book provides an overview of RTI and current research in literacy development. It explains some of the more commonly used curriculum-based assessments and interventions for each of the five precepts of reading identified by the National Reading Panel:
- phonemic awareness
- phonics
- fluency
- vocabulary
- comprehension
Linda:Who does the book target, as in who might your buyers be? And who are the activities targeting?
Mary Ann:The book was written for teachers of preK to grade 12 studentsboth general educators and special educatorsspeech-language pathologists, literacy specialists, and anybody seeking knowledge about research-based reading instruction/intervention within an RTI framework. Teachers in elementary grades or those teaching older students struggling with the basic skills of reading will find this book useful. Secondary teachers who are interested in improving students' fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension will also find interventions that can be used within content area subjects.
We are also pleased to learn that parents are finding our book user-friendly because it spells out the basics of RTI and literacy development. The first four chapters of the book present a step-by-step approach to implementing RTI with fidelity in a school or school district. This approach has proven to be beneficial for district- and building-level administrators. Chapters 5 through 10 are teacher-friendly and detail five research-based interventions for each of the five precepts in learning to read. Chapter 11 addresses motivation and outlines activities for building community in a classroom, as well as how to engage students.
Linda:The subtitle of you book is "The Classroom Connection for Literacy." Why did you choose this subtitle?
Mary Ann: We chose this title because we wanted to emphasize that teaching literacy is every classroom teacher's responsibility. We feel this title reflects the obviousthat language and literacy should be a common thread across all disciplines and content areas. It also represents the synergy created when educators connect their knowledge and work together to teach literacy. My own bias is that RTI is a golden opportunity for speech-language pathologists to be leaders in this classroom connection.
Linda:In the book, you write that about 20% of students who enter kindergarten will have difficulty learning to read. That's a staggering percentage. How can that be prevented?
Mary Ann:We need to provide early intervention for all children and continue to inform parents, along with day care and preschool providers, about the strong connection between language and literacy development. Early literacy skills are best developed through the power of play and should be part of every preschool program.
Linda:How is this book different from others that are written on RTI?
Karen:The book content is organized around the "big five" elements identified by the National Reading Panel. It provides specific techniques and interventions for each area. The forms and assessments make documentation and data collection easy and accessible.
It is also different because it addresses the shift that must occur within the minds and hearts of all educators. Teaching staff must move away from the notion that students who are not developing literacy at the average rate of success must be "identified and placed in special education." Educators in general must move toward the idea of collaboration between disciplines and differentiation of instruction for the purpose of developing literacy for all.
Linda:Where can readers find out more information about the book?
Mary Ann:You can find out more information at www.nprinc.com and www.schoolofsimilarities.com
Linda:Mary Ann and Karen, thanks for your educational passion and for granting an interview about your book. Best wishes in your RTI endeavors.