Education Commons^™

Guided Reading In Early Childhood Classrooms, Shyla Dawn Crosser

Graduate Research Papers

Guided Reading is a topic that has been discussed in great detail over the last few years. It has been discussed as "best practice" by Zemelman, Daniels, and Hyde (p.70) and is gaining popularity in classrooms across the nation. In teaching kindergarten during the last seven years, I have seen an enormous change in the curriculum at this level. I want my children to learn to read and want to keep up with the best practice in order to best fit the needs of my children; however, I do not want kindergarten to become first grade. This paper will explore …

Tree Identification And Age Project, Mark Jensen

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the Tree Identification and Age Project is to use authentic learning activities to extend the current curriculum to include learning that takes place at high levels of cognition. The methods employed integrate higher-order thinking into learning through a hands-on, problem-based approach to authentic scientific investigation. Using a problem-based approach, the learners apply knowledge and skills to solve real problems. The process involves focusing on the problem, identifying relative information, categorizing, critically analyzing, synthesizing that information and effectively communicating the results.

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (Siop) : A Model For English Language Learners, Edith L. Bakley

Graduate Research Papers

With so many second language learners entering our public schools, it is imperative that educators prepare themselves with training and strategies to best meet the needs of these students. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, or SIOP Model, has been developed for the purpose of instructing English Language Learners (ELL) in mainstream classrooms and bestow effective methods for teaching all content areas, while promoting fluency of the English language. In this literature review, the components involved in the SIOP Model will be examined as well as the effects it has on second language learners and their ability with language fluency.

Reading Intervention : Using Self-Assessment To Increase Fluency And Comprehension For Struggling Readers, Paula L. Ganzeveld

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a fluency intervention on students' reading fluency and comprehension. The students in the study were six third graders that were reading below grade level expectations. During the intervention, the students received instruction in reading rate and prosody. The intervention consisted of mini-lessons and opportunities for students to practice through the use of wide reading.

The students created a self-assessment rubric that they used during the practice sessions. According to pre- and post-intervention reading inventories, all students increased in oral reading fluency. A correlation to increased reading comprehension was also …

Building Relationships To Support Self-Regulation, Sherice Hetrick-Ortman

Graduate Research Papers

Discouraged students come to school unable to learn. Emotional and social factors affect their intrapersonal and interpersonal awareness and place them at high risk for school failure. This paper discusses the application of strategies influenced by; sociomoral atmosphere, trust development, self regulation, emotional intelligence, attachment theory, and cultural awareness.

The research addresses the question: Will emotionally discouraged children be able to regulate their emotions through positive relationship building with the classroom teacher? The results contribute to our knowledge of how to support children's ability to regulate themselves in the absence of external devices.

Use Of Social Stories For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Alicia Ann Karwal

Graduate Research Papers

Social stories have been widely used as an intervention for children on the Autism Spectrum. Educators and other service providers of students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are continually looking for strategies that will allow for their students to have more typical social experiences and greater quality of life. Some controversy exists concerning the success of social stories as an effective intervention. This paper will briefly examine characteristics of individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. It will then explore using social stories with children affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Finally, it will consider a variety of purposes …

Think-Alouds : Thinking Beyond The Text To Increase Reading Comprehension, Jennifer Marie Lee

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review focuses on how the Think-Aloud strategy can be implemented in order to help readers comprehend text. This strategy is one that will allow all readers to visualize and verbalize what is taking place during the decoding of the text. Teachers need to provide direct instruction in forms of modeling and scaffolding when implementing the Think-Aloud strategy. This helps to aid in the students' ability to effectively gain a full understanding of what the strategy looks like. In the end, it is expected that the students will begin to utilize the Think-Aloud strategy automatically when comprehending any type …

Role Of Classroom Questioning Strategies As They Relate To Reading Comprehension, Catherine M. Metz

Graduate Research Papers

Instruction using comprehension strategies is important as students begin to construct meaning from text through a transactional process. This instruction can help prepare students to become better readers, as well as provide benefits for teachers and school-wide instruction. Questioning is important to comprehension for a variety of reasons and is used across all grade levels and throughout curricular areas.

Through the teaching of questioning, students are able to build backgrounds which they can utilize during their taking of high-stakes assessments, as well as school or district assessments. Questioning strategies, such as Question Answer Relationships, Questioning the Author, and Reciprocal Teaching, …

The Effects Of Using Music And Movement To Enhance Learning, Lisa L. Snitker

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews the effects of using music and movement to enhance learning in early childhood years and in the elementary classroom. Information includes Howard Gardner's musical and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences, the effects of music on brain development in infants and children, studies in the effects of music on spatial-temporal reasoning, how music affects learning in the early childhood and primary years, and the effects of music on special learners. Appropriate for parents, caregivers, and educators, this review provides the basis for incorporating music into everyday early childhood and classroom experiences.

Home And School Literacy Partnerships : Building Stronger Tomorrows Hand In Hand, Tera Bockenstedt

Graduate Research Papers

This project aims to bring quality literacy interactions into homes of young children. These literacy interactions are important because research has shown that quality literacy experiences during the early childhood years impact a child's emergent literacy learning. Because children are not yet in formal schooling, many of these interactions can take place in home so family involvement is critical. The project is threefold: (a) to increase the quantity and quality of literacy interactions in the home, (b) to help parents become more informed contributors of their children's emergent literacy development, and (c) to promote more family involvement and two-way communication …

The Importance Of Building Classroom Community, Sara A. Retallick

Graduate Research Papers

This paper will examine the importance of building community within the classroom. Information will relate classroom community with student needs and classroom management. It will provide a written visual on what community looks like in a classroom and explore different strategies important to community building within the classroom. A review of the No Child Left Behind Act and policymakers' views on community in the classroom will be discussed along with various community building programs.

The Importance Of Mentoring First Year Teachers, Julia Lynn Doyle

Graduate Research Papers

The importance of mentoring first year teachers is a subject that waxes and wanes according to the popularity of the subject at any given time. As a former teacher who was formally mentored, having a veteran teacher as a friend and confidant was the best experience a first year teacher could have. Not every teacher in every school district in every state is given the opportunity to have a mentor to assist him/her during the critical first year. With many differing opinions on the subject, not all states require first year teachers to be mentored as a condition of continued …

Roles And Reflections : Using Team Teaching To Improve Literacy Teaching, Jennifer L. Frett

Graduate Research Papers

This article describes the development of a team teaching model by a first grade team consisting of classroom and Title 1 teachers. This project grew out of a study group designed to look at best practice in literacy education and evolved in response to student achievement data. Four factors influenced the progress of the project including peer collaboration and demonstration, professional reading, reflection by teachers and the facilitator, and leadership roles. The role of the facilitator receives special attention, as – unlike most efforts at classroom change involving a grade level team – this effort began within the team, and …

From Isolation To Integration : An In-Class Writing Model For Literacy Specialists, Sarah Nadine Dorsey

Graduate Research Papers

The article describes descriptive research about one Reading Recovery teacher's design and implementation of a nine week in-class writing model in a first grade classroom. The instructional model was implemented for 45 minutes daily for nine weeks and included mini-lessons, shared writing, writing about a read-aloud, independent writing, and opportunities for students to share their writing. Discussed are the theory and rationale, design, implementation, and findings resulting from the additional instruction.

The benefits of the short-term model include improvements in all students' writing, stronger connections between pull-out and in-class writing for Reading Recovery students, improved self-perceptions of writers, increased collaboration …

Fathers As Readers : A Program For African American Fathers And Their Children, Amber Nicole Boyd

Graduate Research Papers

The achievement of African American literacy learners has become a significant topic in education. How to best meet the needs of these learners through the study of the African American family will be the focus of this project. This project will consider, specifically, the father's momentous role in the literacy learning of the African American child. Trends in research will be identified in this paper, an overview of significant literature published on the subject of African American family literacy will be discussed, and findings that support the father's significant impact on learning in the African American family will be presented. …

How Does Home Literacy Help Children?, Katie Pick

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature paper focuses on the importance of home literacy programs. The literature shows the importance of parental involvement in their children's formal and informal educational process. Children who are exposed to home literacy have learned literacy better than children who are not. Many literacy activities for home are described. Many schools offer home literacy programs to assist parents within the home. This review of literature has implications for parents and teachers who try to implement home literacy.

Effects Of Digital Storytelling In A Language Arts Classroom, Joseph J. Hegland

Graduate Research Papers

Digital storytelling is a process of writing a story using technology to create a movie of a personal story. The purpose of the review is to explore whether or not digital storytelling is an effective way for students in the language arts classroom to connect their writing with technology. The review begins with how technology is used with writing in the classroom·. Then the process of digital storytelling is reviewed to understand the multiple steps: (a) pre-production, (b) production, (c) post-production and (d) distribution. The use of digital storytelling in the classroom and how teachers have used digital storytelling is …

The Impact Of Grouping For Reading Instruction On Student Attitude And Self-Concept, Michelle Renee Keegan

Graduate Research Papers

Researchers have found a parallel between types of grouping and attitudes of students regarding reading. The majority of students placed in the "lower" reading group in their classrooms have had negative perceptions and overall attitudes about reading. Research has indicated that the curriculum taught in these lower reading groups has differed from those in medium and higher groups due to different skills and practice that teachers have felt were required for students to succeed. Teachers' overall expectations have been found to be lower for those in lower academic groups in school. Students who have had motivation, self-efficacy, self worth, competence, …

Adult Learners : Who Are They, And What Do They Need To Succeed?, Antoinette Givens

Graduate Research Papers

The unique learning needs of adults are important. Adult education as identified by the literature is a change of knowledge, attitude, or skill of an individual that performs ,, social roles assigned to the adult population. This literature review addresses the question: (a) who is the adult learner? (b) What are the learning needs of adult learners? (c) What are effective strategies for teaching adult learners?

The adult learner is not fully understood without examining education, andragogy and pedagogy, instructional strategies, motivation, and barriers to learning in adults. This area of research is important to the development of effective adult …

The What, The Why, And The How Of Using Repeated Readings Of Poetry To Increase Reading Fluency, Melissa Feldmann

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review concludes that repeated readings of poetry will increase student reading fluency. The use of repeated readings to increase fluency is a common classroom practice; its effectiveness has been firmly established. The daily use of poems for rereading purposes can enhance several literacy skills including fluent reading. Although there are limitations of the study, it can be concluded that when poems are read repeatedly in a variety of ways, students are able to read fluently while comprehending the text. The research that does exist clearly suggests that classroom teachers might use repeated readings of poetry to help students …

Assistive Technology : An Instructional Tool To Assist College Students With Written Language Disabilities, Isandra Martinez-Marrero

Graduate Research Papers

In their practice, instructional designers develop instructional materials and learning environments that address the individual needs of learners. However, little research has been conducted on how to address the needs of learners with disabilities, especially in post-secondary education. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the literature regarding the use of Assistive Technology as an instructional tool to assist college learners with written language disabilities. Implications for instructional designers are presented.

Reading Aloud To Children : Is There A Relationship To Reading Achievement?, Stephanie Gierstorf

Graduate Research Papers

This qualitative participant research paper focuses on the importance of reading aloud to children at a young age. Results indicated that being read to at an early age was not enough, in and of itself, to predict reading achievement. However, the amount of parental interaction between the parent, child, and text can affect a child's reading achievement. Children who were exposed to dialogic read-alouds tended to become more independent readers, who chose to read on their own, later in elementary school. It is hoped that educators and parents will understand the importance of including children in a dialogic reading approach …

Using High Interest Reading Material To Motivate Struggling And Reluctant Readers, Nicoles C. Hoover

Graduate Research Papers

One of my great challenges as a second grade teacher is getting students who struggle with reading to become engaged, motivated, and enthusiastic about reading. This paper will look at different literature findings about using strategies that involve high interest reading materials to motivate readers. It will seek to determine the values of these practices for all students, but especially those who struggle as readers. It will also look at different types of high interest materials that could potentially motivate readers. This paper will provide resources to others looking to use high interest materials to motivate readers.

Reading Strategies For Struggling Readers In The Middle School, Kathleen Claeys

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review focuses on several strategies good readers use to understand and interpret different types of text, such as fiction, non-fiction, and expository. These strategies are ones that struggling readers are not aware of, or these readers do not have the knowledge and experience to utilize the strategies. Teachers need to provide direct instruction of these strategies, generate models of what they look like, demonstrate what the thought process is behind the strategies, and offer students practice in using them with the idea that students will add them to their repertoire of strategies and use them throughout the learning …

Using Technology To Assist In The Teaching Of Reading Instruction, Hallie M. Wyatt

Graduate Research Papers

A professional literature review was conducted on the use of technology in assisting teaching of reading instruction. Technology reviewed was categorized according to the essential elements of reading as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). Vygotskian and Piagetian theories were used to evaluate the technology reviewed. The review ends with a series of recommendations for teachers who may consider integrating technology into their curriculum.

Use Of Learning Styles In The Selection Of Instructional Strategies : Does Pedagogy Lead To Practice?, Roger E. Baker

Graduate Research Papers

Much has been written about the importance of learning styles in instructional design. Learning styles can be measured by the use of personality profiles such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Learning styles can also be measured by Learning Style Inventories and defined by cognitive theory such as Gardner's multiple intelligences. This literature review explores the different approaches to the study of learning styles and the practical use of learning style indicators as a tool for selecting instructional strategies.

Many challenges exist in designing instruction to the personal level including costs, time, and instructor limits. Philosophical questions on the benefits …

Family Literacy Nights : Factors For Success, Crystal Betts

Graduate Research Papers

Family Literacy Nights were developed and held at a K-4 elementary building in a medium-sized town in eastern Iowa, demonstrating an example of part of a family literacy program. Family Literacy Nights involved parents and students from the two first grade classrooms at this elementary school. Parents completed surveys and participated in interviews to share their reactions and feelings towards family literacy programs.

The included literature review explores parental involvement and family literacy programs. It looks at the effects of parent involvement on student achievement. The difference between parent involvement programs and family literacy programs is explored. Family literacy programs …

Advisory Programs : Organization And Implementation, Angela Ruth Black

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review examined how to implement an advisory program into middle schools. This review looked at the pros and cons of advisory programs, and what needed to be considered before implementing an advisory program.

The topic of advisory programs was chosen after having discussions during my graduate program, as well as with work colleagues. During class discussions, advisory programs sounded like a wonderful concept. But when I went to work, my coworkers made advisory programs sound like a waste of time. I decided I needed to learn more about advisory programs, so I could make my own decision about …

Investigating The Impact Of Data-Driven Decision Making On Elementary Curriculum And Its Implications For Teaching And Learning, Sara A. Hofer

Graduate Research Papers

Accountability is the new word of importance in the field of education. National attention to schools has caused states and districts to re-evaluate the business of educating children. This review will investigate the many facets that support data-driven decision making in current educational practices. The research will describe the relatively short history of nationally mandated legislation for the use of data to drive instruction and entitlement of services. Then, this paper will report the implications of implementing data collecting and synthesis systems in individual buildings to maintain both student successes in the classroom while fulfilling demands of national reporting requirements. …

Collaborative Teaching : How Can Co-Teaching Be Implemented Effectively In The Classroom?, Elizabeth Lea Kelly

Graduate Research Papers

A huge issue in education today is that of inclusion. There is a wide spectrum of beliefs on whether or not all students should be fully included in the general classroom. According to K.S. Stout (2001) in Special Education Inclusion, a solution to this major issue is collaborative or co-teaching. With a push for least restrictive environment, collaborative teaching has become a very important part of the education system. The big question is: How can teachers implement co-teaching into their instruction effectively?