Reading Is FAME®
Reading Is FAME® is a research-based intervention designed for adolescents (junior high and high school students) who are reading two or more years below their grade level. Created by Boys Town, Reading Is FAME® has been replicated in a variety of educational settings and has produced positive outcomes with regular education, special education and English language learners.
Students enrolled in FAME® courses are grouped according to their reading deficits and receive small-group instruction with challenging and age-appropriate materials for 40-50 minutes daily. Any certified teacher can facilitate a FAME® classroom, but professional training and support from the Boys Town Reading Center is required. Each course involves direct instruction, Word Activities, Computer Activities and pre- and post-testing and other assessments and evaluations.
Reading Is FAME® comprises four semester-length courses that move students through a developmental curriculum that improves their decoding and word recognition skills, as well as their fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. FAME is an acronym for the four courses: Foundations in Reading, Adventures in Reading, Mastery of Meaning, and Explorations.
Foundations of Reading
Foundations of Reading provides reading intervention for 7th- through 12th-grade students who struggle with the most basic of reading skills. These students are reading at the 3rd- or 4th-grade levels. Foundations classes are kept small, with an instructor-to-student ratio of 2 to 10 or 12.
Outcomes
Students improve their ability to:
- Apply phonics knowledge to difficult and challenging words
- Accurately spell words frequently seen in print
- Correctly pronounce words with multiple syllables
- Recognize words automatically in context
- Read orally
Results
Students who complete the course generally achieve:
- A one-year grade equivalent gain in decoding
- A one-year grade equivalent gain in word recognition
- A 20-30% improvement in spelling
- A 20- to 25-word-per-minute improvement in reading speed
Adventures in Reading
Adventures in Reading provides reading intervention for 7th- through 12th-grade students who struggle with automaticity in word recognition and oral reading fluency. These students are reading at the 4th- to 6th-grade levels. Adventures classes are kept small, with an instructor-to-student ratio of 2 to 10 or 12.
Outcomes
Students improve their ability to:
- Recognize and pronounce words accurately and automatically
- Understand vocabulary words and their meanings
- Use context to determine the meaning of words in print
- Read orally and fluently from a variety of narrative texts
Results
Students who complete the course generally achieve:
- A one-year grade equivalent gain in word recognition
- A one-year grade equivalent gain in vocabulary
- A 20-30% improvement in course vocabulary
- A 20- to 25-word-per-minute improvement in reading speed
Mastery of Meaning
Mastery of Meaning provides reading intervention for 8th- through 12th-grade students who struggle with the acquisition and understanding of vocabulary and whose background knowledge is limited. These students are reading at the 6th- to 8th-grade levels. Mastery classes are kept to a moderate size, with an instructor-to-student ratio of 1 to 15.
Outcomes
Students improve their ability to:
- Recognize and understand higher level vocabulary words
- Actively use vocabulary in reading, writing, speaking and listening
- Read silently about a variety of topics
- Comprehend informational text
Results
Students who complete the course generally achieve:
- A one-year grade equivalent gain in vocabulary
- A one-year grade equivalent gain in comprehension
- A 25-30% improvement in sentence production
- A 25-30% improvement in course vocabulary
Explorations
Explorations provides reading intervention for 9th- through 12th-grade students who struggle with the skills needed to read, comprehend and effectively use information. Most students placed in the Explorations course are able to read at the 8th-grade level or higher, but many still read two or more years below their grade level. Explorations classes are kept to a moderate size, with an instructor-to-student ratio of 1 to 15.
Outcomes
Students improve their ability to:
- Read and understand informational text
- Effectively and efficiently use reference materials
- Identify, define, locate, describe, explain, summarize, compare, contrast, and analyze information
- Take notes and generate a variety of written products
- Use information as a basis for stating and defending their personal opinions
Results
Students who complete the course generally achieve:
- A one-year grade equivalent gain in vocabulary
- A one-year grade equivalent gain in comprehension
- A 10-15% improvement in note taking
- A 10-15% improvement in summarizing
- A 10-15% improvement in general knowledge
Reading Is FAME® Curriculum
A curriculum kit has been developed for each of the four FAME® courses and includes the instructions and materials needed to set up and facilitate a successful FAME® classroom. The cost for curriculum is minimal, but varies by course. The Reading is FAME® curricula and associated program materials are only available to persons or programs that have completed FAME® training.
Contracting for Services/Purchasing Curriculum
For more information about the Reading Is FAME® program, please contact Stephanie Jensen, Director of Community Contracts, at stephanie.jensen@boystown.org, or the Boys Town Reading Center at 402-498-3186. To order FAME materials following the completion of training, contact the Boys Town Press at 1-800-282-6657.