Engaging reading instruction in middle school

The research project ENGAGE will provide teachers with more knowledge on reading difficulties in middle school, and on effective measures for pupils who struggle with reading.

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About Engage
Investigates

reading difficulties and effective measures for pupils in middle school.

A collaboration

between Bærum municipality and the Norwegian Reading Centre, UiS. og Lesesenteret.

Funded by

the Norwegian Research Council with NOK 7 mill. from 2020-2024. For more information, visit ENGAGE's site at the Norwegian Research Council.

Middle school is a critical phase for pupils who struggle with reading.

Professor Oddny Judith Solheim , ENGAGE project manager.

About ENGAGE

ENGAGE’s main objective is to provide schools a platform for planning, developing and implementing measures for low-achieving readers in middle school.

elevgruppe med skrivebøker
Grade 5 pupils in Bærum participate in ENGAGE. (Illustration: Getty)

More than one in five Norwegian fifth graders perform at the lowest achievement level in national reading tests. Students with low reading abilities are at increased risk for becoming disengaged in their school work, achieve low learning results and, later on, drop out of education and employment. This situation leads to a lower life quality for the individual, and causes great societal costs.

Middle school: A critical phase

Middle school is a critical phase for these students. The learning pressure increases, and the pupils meet increasingly complex texts. However, an alarmingly high number of teachers report that they do not implement any measures for pupils who fall behind in reading. Schools need more knowledge on reading difficulties and on what characterizes effective measures in middle school.

A collaboration between researchers and schools

In ENGAGE, Bærum municipality and researchers from the National Centre for Reading education and research, the University of Stavanger, will cooperate do address these challenges. We will develop a digital portal, which will serve as a knowledge base on reading difficulties, as well as provide practical examples on effective and engaging measures. The collaboration between the municipality and researchers will ensure that the content in the portal is adapted to knowledge needed in schools, and that measures are feasible in a Norwegian school context.

3 main objectives:

ENGAGE’s main objective is to provide schools a platform for planning, developing and implementing measures for low-achieving readers in middle school. In order to reach this goal, the project has three intermediate objectives:

1. Investigate the schools’ prerequisites for implementing measures for struggling readers in middle school.

2. Develop content for the portal that schools can use in order to plan and implement measures.

3. Develop and pilot a teaching program for struggling readers in middle school.

Taken together this will provide teachers with knowledge on reading difficulties and measurements, as well as a concrete teaching program.

Engage is funded by the Norwegian Research Council

Research group

Head of Centre
51833136
HG-O-216
Faculty of Arts and Education
Knowledge Centre for Education
Professor
51831268
Faculty of Arts and Education
National Centre for Reading Education and Research
Associate Professor
51833244
OD - 1st floor
Faculty of Arts and Education
National Centre for Reading Education and Research
Associate Professor
51833118
Faculty of Arts and Education
Department of Education and Sports Science
Professor
Faculty of Arts and Education
National Centre for Reading Education and Research
Adjunct Associate Professor
Enhetsleder for grunnskoleavdelingen
Bærum kommune

Administrative group

Ekstern tilknyttet UiS
51833541
Nasjonalt senter for leseforsking og leseopplæring
Faculty of Arts and Education
Faculty Administration UH
Administration SLF
Director
51831045
3. etg Kitty Kiellands hus
Division of Education
NettOp UiS
Senior Adviser
51833206
Lesesenteret
Faculty of Arts and Education
Faculty Administration UH
Administration SLF
Adviser
51833138
Faculty of Arts and Education
Faculty Administration UH
Administration SLF