Xtreme Reading
Guiding Instructional Principles:
- Value each student as a person and a learner
- Personalize teaching and learning
- Connect reading to dreams and quality of life
- Continually model expert reading behaviors
- Establish high expectations for each student
- Engage students in learning so “each minute counts”
- Provide abundant opportunities for scaffolded practice
- Provide helpful and ongoing feedback
- Empower students to fluently and intelligently use strategies
- Hold students accountable for outcome goals
- Get significant results
Xtreme Reading is a spiral curriculum that includes instruction in eight foundational reading and motivation strategies across a single school year. It entails explicit instruction in each strategy: guided practice, meaningful feedback, and independent practice in generalizing and combining strategies within and outside school.
Xtreme Reading is appropriate for students who exhibit:
- Poor reading fluency,
- Small sight vocabularies,
- Limited understanding of words and multiple word meanings,
- Limited background and conceptual knowledge,
- Few skills in using strategies that enhance understanding and remembering of oral and written language.
Xtreme Reading is appropriate for students reading, minimally, at the fourth grade level. Xtreme Reading teachers follow daily, detailed lesson plans. The lesson format requires a rigorous pace to keep students engaged throughout the entire class period.
Xtreme Reading professional developers and coaches can support teachers in the classroom setting through classroom observations, model lessons, feedback about effective instruction, student data review, and ongoing support for teachers and students.
The Xtreme Reading program provides students with an opportunity to become strong readers and stronger students. It lays the groundwork for success in school and opens the door to success in life.
Author(s): Jean Schumaker, Donald D. Deshler, Michael Hock, Janis Bulgren
Publication Info: University of Kansas, 2015; current edition, 2021
Podcast
Additional Author Information:
- Lenz, K. B., Schumaker, J. B., Deshler, D. D., & Beals, V. L. (1996). The Word Identification Strategy. In J. Schumaker, D. D. Deshler, M. Hock, & J. Bulgren, The Xtreme Reading Program (2021). University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.
- Harris, M. L., Schumaker, J. B., Deshler, D. D. (2008). The Word Mapping Strategy. In J. Schumaker, D. D. Deshler, M. Hock, & J. Bulgren, The Xtreme Reading Program (2021). University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.
- Schumaker, J.B., Knight, J., & Deshler, D .D. (2007). Fundamentals of Paraphrasing and Summarizing Strategy. In J. Schumaker, D. D. Deshler, M. Hock, & J. Bulgren, The Xtreme Reading Program (2021). University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.
- Fritschmann, N. S., Schumaker, J. B., Deshler, D. D. (2007). The Inference Strategy. In J. Schumaker, D. D. Deshler, M. Hock, & J. Bulgren, The Xtreme Reading Program (2021). University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.
- Schumaker, J. b., Denton, P. h., & Deshler, D. D. (1984). The Paraphrasing Strategy. In J. Schumaker, D. D. Deshler, M. Hock, & J. Bulgren, The Xtreme Reading Program (2021). University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.
- Schumaker, J. B., Deshler, D. D., Nolan, S. M., Alley, G. R. (1994). The Self-Questioning Strategy. In J. Schumaker, D. D. Deshler, M. Hock, & J. Bulgren, The Xtreme Reading Program (2021). University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.
- Schumaker, J. B., Deshler, D. D., Zemitzsch, A. & Warner, M. M. (1993). The Visual Imagery Strategy. In J. Schumaker, D. D. Deshler, M. Hock, & J. Bulgren, The Xtreme Reading Program (2021). University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.
Research and Support:
- Xtreme Reading Evidence for ESSA rating - STRONG (external web link)
- O’Brien C., Boudah D.J., Lopuch J., and Nance A. (2023). How do we best support adolescents with low academic performance and learning disabilities in the era of pandemic learning loss? The importance of intensive learning strategy interventions. Front. Educ. 8:1215007. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2023.1215007
- Schumaker, J.B. (2023), Lessons Learned during the Development and Validation of an Intensive Evidence-Based Reading Intervention for Secondary Students. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 37: 294-313. https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12293
- Bough, Daniel J. (2022). Intensive Reading Strategies Intervention for Low Achieving Adolescents. Neurocognition Science Laboratory Research in Brief, Volume 1 Issue 5, 2022 ISSN: 2831-7882
- Boulay, Goodson, Frye, Blocklin, Price, Abt Associates Inc. (2015). Summary of Research Generated by Striving Readers on the Effectiveness of Interventions for Struggling Adolescent Readers (.pdf). NCEE-2016-4001 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
- Faddis, B. J., Beam, M., Maxim, L., Gandhi, E. V., Hahn, K., Hale, R. (2011). Portland public schools’ striving readers program: Year 5 evaluation report.
- Cantrell, S., Almasi, J. F., Carter, J. C., Rintamaa, M., & Madden, A. (2010). The Impact of a Strategy-Based Intervention o the Comprehension and Strategy Use of Struggling Adolescent Readers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(2), 257-280.
To order this product, call 785-864-4780 or email orderkucrl@ku.edu. Contact simpd@ku.edu or call 785-864-0626 for more information.
An accessible version of the documents on this site will be made available upon request. Please contact the KU CRL Professional Development Research Institute, at simpd@ku.edu to request the document be made available in an accessible format.