The 1997 Canadian National Commission on Teaching concludes that what teachers know and can do is the most important influence on what students learn. While there is no identical mix of instructional materials and activities that will work for each and every child, there is a common menu from which effective teachers make choices. The challenge of schools is to ensure teachers have access to and knowledge about this common menu.

According to the Commission on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties with Young Children, children who experience difficulties learning to read, even those with identifiable learning disabilities, do no need radically different sorts of supports than children at low risk.
(Snow, Burns & Griffin, 1998)

North Vancouver Reading Framework

Our educational system is dependent on the ability to read. The knowledge of how children learn to read and what constitutes successful teaching practice has increased significantly over the last decade. The current research base recognizes that reading is complex and developmental over time.

Children need to learn to read using materials specific to their level of ability. A variety of groupings, instructional approaches and materials used in every curricular area increase the success of classroom reading programs. Teachers need to support the learner until he or she is confident and fluent with the reading materials. Like teaching a child to ride a bicycle, this support is gradually removed as the learner becomes a competent reader.

The Reading 44 Framework outlines a classroom reading program for all students K-10. North Vancouver supports the belief that all teachers are teachers of reading. The purpose of the Reading 44 Framework is to help teachers use the knowledge available about the teaching of reading in their everyday classroom practice.

When every teacher is a teacher of reading and every child works with text at his or her instructional level, then reading success will be within the grasp of all students.

The Reading 44 Primary, Intermediate and Secondary resource books all center around twelve reading strategies that we use as good readers and describe the many instructional activities and graphic organizers for classroom use that encourage students to learn these strategies.

The Twelve Reading Strategies

1. Access background knowledge.

2. Predict what will be learned or what will happen.

3. Figure out unknown words.

4. Self-monitor and self-correct.

5. Make mental pictures.

6. Connect what you read with what you already know.

7. Determine the most important ideas and events and the relationship between them.

8. Extract information from text, charts, graphs, maps and illustrations.

9. Identify and interpret literary elements in different genres.

10. Summarize what has been read.

11. Make inferences and draw conclusions.

12. Reflect and respond.

The Components of a Good Reading Program

In addition, the Reading 44 Resource books describe the six components of a good reading program for Primary classrooms including guided reading; shared reading; reading/writing connection; home reading program' independent reading and read aloud and respond. The eight components of a good reading program for Intermediate classrooms include guided reading; independent reading; content area reading; reading/writing connection; home reading program; literature circles; shared reading and read aloud and respond.

The secondary resource book describes methods of general reading improvement as well as specific ideas for reading in English, reading in math, reading in science and reading in social studies. Supporting sections of the documents describe student and teacher resources, necessary reading skills for students, assessment, classroom organization, and the research base. The Reading 44 resource books help every teacher plan a balanced reading program for their classroom. All student materials are available in French for immersion programs.