National Reading Panel (NRP) - About the NRP

The National Reading Panel met in Portland, Oregon on Friday, June 5, 1998 at the Fernwood Middle School cafeteria.

The Portland meeting was chaired by Panelist Joanne Yatvin. Other Panelists in attendance were Gloria Correro, Gwenette Ferguson, Norma Garza, Michael Kamil, and Dale Willows. Also attending was Panel Executive Director F. William Dommel, Jr.

The meeting was called to order at 4:34 p.m. by George Gaines, liaison officer for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Yatvin offered welcoming remarks, introduced the members of the National Reading Panel, and explained the purpose of the National Reading Panel.

She also explained that the presentations individuals make were limited to 15 minutes, with five additional minutes for follow-up questions and discussion with the Panel. Following the scheduled presentations, Yatvin explained, the floor would be opened for public comment, which would be limited to five minutes per person.

The Panel heard first from Amy Alday-Murray from the Oregon Department of Education.

Alday-Murray described Oregon's system and approach for achieving higher levels of academic achievement—with content standards providing a consistent focus for what is taught, learned and assessed—to provide all students in the state a common base of knowledge and skills in core subject areas. She also explained Oregon's system of benchmarks—establishing students are expected to know and be able to do at or about grades three, five, and ten—and the assessments that occur at those grade levels.

The second presenter to address the Panel was Dr. Jan Lewis, who teaches in the School of Education at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.

Dr. Lewis focused on the research base that she and Jane Braunger have been working on through the Northwest Regional Lab, as well as some current research the two are doing into the factors that influence the teaching of reading.

Dr. Lewis urged the Panel to acknowledge in its report of findings the role of teachers as classroom researchers—while encouraging them to seek out those teachers who most effectively serve as models of best practice to others, support their work and collaborations with other researchers, and encourage the publication of their own classroom stories. She also urged the Panel to include the educational anthropology perspective in its research perspectives.

The third presentation was from Dr. Mark Horney of the Center for Advanced Technology in Education, a research group at the University of Oregon.

Dr. Horney described the Center's research projects, in particular exploring how best to use computers as teaching and learning tools, including use of electronic text and textbooks. Horney addressed the importance of students and teachers using technology not only as a means to "learn to read," but also as tool to help people "read to learn."

The fourth presenter was Dr. Kathryn Scholick Noe from Seattle University.

Dr. Noe noted that missing from most conversations about reading is the voice from the classroom. She focused on three questions she found teachers, reading specialists, and principals felt were most important for the Reading Panel to consider:

The fifth presenter, Lisa Leslie, was a parent from the local community.

Leslie urged the Panel to look beyond best practice and research findings to focus on the "big ideas," such as reducing the ratio of teachers and volunteers (whom she described as reading models—the people who read to, work with and emulate reading practices) to students; considering the individual needs of each child; and agreeing that there is no one way to teach reading to every child.

The sixth presenter was Cheryl Ames, a teacher from the Beaverton School District whose research on learning disability was used by the International Reading Asssociation.

Ames discussed the importance of early intervention in reading instruction prior to labeling kids as disabled.

The next presenter was Deborah Shaver, a K-3 teacher for the Oregon Trail School District. She is also a parent of a child who struggled with reading.

Shaver spoke to the importance of directing resources and time towards first-graders—to capitalize on their eagerness to read and expectation that they will learn to read. She also urged the Panel to keep in mind that children learn at different rates and that it is vital to allow opportunities and time for all children to become successful readers.

Shaver further stressed the importance of establishing partnerships between home and school, helping parents understand what they can do, and urging them to read to children.

The final presenter was Kittye Copeland, a teacher from the Vancouver Public Schools.

Copeland offered her first-hand experience and perspective on what works. She rejected whole group instruction and recommended that the Panel consider it as the least effective approach to teaching children how to read.

Copeland also emphasized the importance of teachers knowing more about the culture and backgrounds their students come from.

Dr. Yatvin then invited those present to provide public comment.

Dr. Ed Kamenui, a professor in the College of Education at the University of Oregon and director of the Institute for the Development of Educational Achievement in the College of Education—and a member of the National Academy of Sciences committee that investigated reading— cited what he considered to be the Panel's greatest challenge: gaining agreement on the nature and formal rules of evidence that will allow Panel members to select and translate research studies that meet the highest evidentiary standards to engender public support.

Michael Ann Ortloff, the English Language Arts Administrator for Portland Public Schools, described the essential relationship in teaching reading as the relationship between a teacher and her students. She called upon the Panel to address the need for further professional development for teachers and respect for the knowledge and work of educators.

Christina Gee, the county coordinator of Reading is Fundamental for Cowlitz County, WA, cited three conditions needed for high achievement: knowledge and skills; high expectations; warmth.

Laurie Oliver, a first grade and Reading Recovery teacher, advocated Reading Recovery for the lowest 20 percent of children, mostly in first grade, who are in need of early intervention.

Ellen Faeder, a Youth Services Coordinator for Multnomah County Library, detailed the many ways in which a public library can work to encourage literacy. She urged the Panel to include in its final report the important role that libraries play in creating today's readers.

Peter Thacker, from Portland's Cleveland High School, urged the panel to look at each child and follow the child's lead in teaching reading.

Dr. Glenellen Pace of Lewis and Clark University underscored the importance of reading teachers knowing more about linguistics and language acquisition. She also encouraged people not to give up on those who learn to read when they are older, while continuing to look for ways to engage them in reading.

Allison Roper, of the March of Dimes' "Reading Champions" program, described the educational fund-raising program designed to motivate students to read books for pleasure.

David Levine from the Oregon Children's Foundation's "Start Making A Reader Today" program described his initiative and its emphasis on reading aloud, shared reading, and assisted reading. He detailed the program's success as demonstrated through a longitudinal study.

Laurie Chilcoat, a volunteer with the Experienced Core program at Oliver P. Lent Elementary School, urged participants to find senior citizens to join the program, which works with Reading Recovery children.

Myrna McCulloch spoke about the good work of the Riggs Institute, a nonprofit literacy agency, which melds phonics and whole language.

Mary Kelly Kline urged Panel members to examine successful parent volunteer programs carefully on a national basis, recognizing that behind every developing child is a developing parent.

Kathy Baird, a reading teacher, offered success stories from Reading Recovery and praised its parent training aspects.

Peggy Consillo, a learning specialist from the Lake Oswego School District, talked about the value of tested teaching strategies that combine systematic phonics and good children's literature.

Dorothy Whitehead, from the Beaverton Public School District, said that 80 percent of children do not need phonics instruction, but we do not know who needs it and who does not. She also urged an end to the reading wars.

Charles Arthur, a first grade teacher, encouraged the Panel to set aside prejudgments and take a fresh look at research evidence over the coming six months.

George Bucholtz, a volunteer with the SMART program, described the thrill of watching a child sound out a word for the first time.

Barbara McAllister, from Fundamentals of Written Language, offered her experience as a learning disabled child who learned to read with phonics, urging that phonics begin in first grade and continue through high school.

Sharim Wimbley Gouveia, and educator and parent, said we must teach people how to decode the language using phonics because 98 percent of English is still phonetic. She also urged teaching linguistics to make students more interested in our language.

Patty Braunger, an educator, added that reading is a complex activity that far exceeds the tasks of decoding. She also advocated improved teacher training.

The final public commenter was Wanda Sinceri, who said that phonics does work and that government should not be in the business of telling teachers how to teach.

Dr. Yatvin offered closing remarks, thanking those who had attended and who had made the meeting possible. She assured the audience that their written and verbal statements will be shared with Panelists who were not able to attend.

The National Reading Panel meeting in Portland then concluded at 8:37 p.m.

Name - Affiliation
Jean Omelchuck
Ed Kameenui - University of Oregon
Glennellea Pace - Lewis & Clark College
Cathy Farmer - Jason Lee
Margaret Long - Danebo Elementary School
Bill Boly
Lisa Buffington - IRCO (Internet Refugee Center)
Sheila Kleinheinz - Our Lady of the Lake School
Lea Naylor - PCIRA
Veronica Parauhim - PPS
Cheryl Ames
Judith Kleinstein - PPS
David Dunning
Barbara Bryan - PSU
Rachel Havorty - University of Arizona
Shanna Davis - University of Oregon
Helen Schley
Jane Peaper - Oasis-Tualatin Elementary
Deborah Krum - Roosevelt High School
Kohye Copeland - Vancouver Public Schools
Laurie Chilcote - OP Lent Elem. Schools
Elizabeth Baldwin - IRCO Citizenship and Naturalization
Jim Yoes - Letter Sounds, Inc.
Mary Reynold - Mosier School
Christina Pee - Reading Is Fundamental
Jean Rauth - Reading Is Fundamental
Myerathes Culloch - Riggs Institute
Mary D. Schlech - Art. Hord. OR
Nancy J. Johnson - Western Washington University
Alice M. Lindemouth - Shelton Schools
Maureen Carr - NWREL
Sharon M. Garr - Teacher
Jon Leins - Pacific Lutheran University
Mary Kelly Klein - Parent Literary
Joy Farquttar - Shelton Schools
Connie Hess - Salem/Keizer Schools
Lori Oliver - Salem/Keizer Schools
Dawn Dzubay - NWREL
Lisa Leslie
Cathy Heide - Teacher
Kathy Baird - Reading Teacher
Liz Nasayum
Liz Nakazawa
Cindy Meng
Jodi Young
Kay Kaplan - Orton-Gillingham Tutor
Dorothy Whitehead - Educational Consultant
Linda Six
Peggy Concillo - Learning Specialist
Karen Asbury - Archbishop Howard
R.J. Hamege - Archbishop Howard
Lou Ann Tiedemann
Kathleen G. Dunbar - Concordia University
Deborah Shaver - Oregon Trail School District
Wanda Sanseri - BHI
Glen Owen
Charles A. Their
Helen J. Chordsey - Language Speech Therapy
Stacy Neary
Michelann Ortleff - Portland Public Schools
Reno Renback
Diane Walworth
Mary Laughlin - PPS Teacher
Jamie Davis
Steve Isaacson
Wendy Fenner
Lou Hakanson - North Clackamas School District
George Bucholy - David Douglas
Barbara McAllister - Fundamentals of Writing
Marion Creamer - Riverdale School
Allen Koshowen - Beaverton School District
Laurie Hanawa - Sunnyside Elementary School
Erik Hanson
Glen Owen - Vancouver School
Karen Owen - Vancouver School
Chareane Wimbley Gouveia
Patty Brumeyer - PPS Reading Recovery
Amy Spitler - University of Oregon
Ellen Fader - Melnomah County Library
Jane Ames
David Lereni
Gregg Frederickson