Education Commons^™

Attitudes Of Mexican Nationals Toward The Use Of Code Switching In The Rio Grande Valley, Jennifer M. Vojtko

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study is to establish the beliefs and attitudes of Mexican Nationals living in the Rio Grande Valley toward the use of code switching, or the use of two or more languages during a speech act. Because of the high influence of the Spanish language in the Rio Grande Valley, code switching is more commonly referred to as Spanglish. Researchers have been studying code switching since the early fifties; however, limited research has been conducted on attitudes toward code switching. The goal of this study is to offer a comprehensive look at the attitudes demonstrated by Mexican …

Differences In Language Acquisition Among Students When Using Materials They Choose Vs. Teacher's Reading Program, Alicia Gomez Bastar

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This investigation considers four groups of university level students enrolled in remedial English as a foreign language courses at the University of Montemorelos, NL, México. The reading comprehension and vocabulary development of these 55 students were compared when the students selected their own reading materials and when the teacher's program of readings was used. In addition, the students' attitudes toward reading and the class procedures were considered. This research intended to compare two treatments, students' CHOICE and teachers' PROGRAM, in terms of student improvement for reading comprehension and vocabulary, as well as student attitude. The results showed significant differences for …

Measuring Spelling Growth Over Time In Elementary Writing Samples, Pamela M. Ansell

Masters Theses

Developmental spelling stage theories have been proposed and disputed for 30 years. The current study used Gentry's (1982) model to assign category ratings to narrative writing samples produced by 32 students over two years to observe developmental growth over time. In addition, quantitative measures were obtained from the samples, including an index of control (Laminack & Wood, 1996) and a percentage correct. Analyses were also used to test the effectiveness of using a writing lab approach (Nelson, Bahr & Van Meter, 2004) on spelling development. During the last half of second grade, all 32 students received intervention guided by the …

Using Multimedia To Enhance Reading Skills In Modern Standard Arabic: Strategies To Enhance Reading Skills In Modern Standard Arabic – High Intermediate Level, Kamal Alekhnawy

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an attempt to develop a software program designed to enhance reading skills of learners of Modern Standard Arabic at the high intermediate level. This is one of the very few attempts at creating CALL programs for Arabic learning, a medium that is in dire need of development if Arabic language teaching is to keep up with future trends in second language learning as a whole. Research was conducted on how reading skills can best be developed through traditional means as well as on how CALL programs might achieve better and faster results than those traditional means. The …

An Examination Of Relationships Of Reading And Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Standardized Placement Test Scores, And Diverse Community College Students' Perceptions Of Those Relationships, Ann Woolford-Singh

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Social cognitive theory explains the role that one's level of confidence plays in the accomplishment of a specific task. According to Bandura (1982, 1995), self-efficacy beliefs should align with performance. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among reading/writing self-efficacy beliefs and reading/writing standardized placement test scores of diverse community college freshmen. Additionally, this study sought to understand the sources of these students' reading/writing self-efficacy beliefs through the descriptions of experiences they feel have influenced those beliefs.

There were three major research questions: (1) What is the strength of the relationships among reading/writing self-efficacy beliefs and reading/writing …

Aiding Non-Reading Spanish Speaking Adults With Worksource Orientation And Usage Through Low-Level Spanish Reading Workshops, Amy Claussen

All Graduate Projects

The goal of this project is to teach adult Hispanic low-level readers to utilize the Worksource of Kittitas County and to improve their reading in their language of origin. Research shows that the transfer of knowledge from the primary language to a new second language is not possible without mastery in the primary language first.

Resources To Support And Expand Native American Kindergarteners Shared Reading Experiences Integrated With Open Court Unit 6, Stephanie Lynn Hull

All Graduate Projects

Relevant literature pertaining to shared reading, the benefits of shared reading, shared reading and the diverse learner and recommendations for the Native American learner was studied. The need for using culturally relevant material in the classroom and creating a positive learning environment for Native American students was discussed. A project utilizing shared reading strategies in the kindergarten classroom was created for teacher use in the Mount Adams School District. The project included the integration of culturally relevant stories with the objectives of Open Court Unit 6. The project also included a list of resources available from the Harrah Elementary School …

Flexible Reading Groups For Literacy In A First Grade Classroom, Sharon Ann Parker

All Graduate Projects

The professional literature on the configuration of flexible reading groups for reading instrnction in a regular first grade classroom was examined to determine if flexible grouping yields any benefit to students who have been assessed to be below grade level in reading. The research showed support for the idea that flexible, fluid grouping is an accelerant to producing higher levels of reading improvement. As a result, an instructional handbook was created to aid educators in the implementation of flexible reading group instruction.

Effective Reading Comprehension Strategies For Native American Adolescents With Reading Difficulties, Mary C. La Velle

All Graduate Projects

The need for culturally appropriate reading comprehension pedagogy for Native American Adolescents was studied in light of multicultural philosophies. The historical trend to assimilate this group of students rather than acknowledge their unique contributions was an area targeted for improvement in this project. A need was established to target reading comprehension since the evidence points to a lack of explicit instruction in this area for middle school students. Strategies for promoting reading comprehension were identified in a teacher's manual that will be used in conjunction with the novel, Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech. Colville Tribal Elders discussed the comprehension …

Integration Of Keyboarding With Fourth Grade Writing, Kevin Russell

All Graduate Projects

Keyboarding is an enhancing tool in the writing process of elementary school children in grades one through four. Studies show that learning computer keyboarding with appropriate software and instruction in the elementary grade level is a skill that is proactive towards student growth in their own writing skills. The development of supplemental keyboarding and writing activities and assessment rubrics are presented. A total of ten different technologically enhanced writing activities are presented for use in the classroom or a lab setting. The activities are complete with lesson plans, design templates, overviews of materials and assessments. The activities are designed to …

Beginning A Book Swap Room: A Quantitative And Qualitative Study, Mari Lynn Stangland

All Graduate Projects

Many children do not have adequate access to print. To rectify this in her school, the author created an ongoing Book Swap Room. The author documented the reading growth of students by looking at their reading test data in conjunction with records of the number of books traded in the Room. A family survey was used on three occasions to determine book ownership in the home of students, and a student survey was used to determine whether the Book Swap Room was achieving its desired goal of reinforcing book ownership. Though results were mixed and inconclusive, the author has seen …

"Through The Looking Glass:" Teaching Literary Theory In The High School English Classroom, Alethea Young

All Graduate Projects

The project examines the historical context of Contemporary Literary Theories: Deconstruction, Marxist Literary Theory, Althusser's Theory ofldeology, and Feminist Literary Theory, through a review ofliterature. The project culminates in a 4-6 week unit on teaching Feminist Literary Theory, Marxist Literary Theory, and Deconstruction in connection with a unit on Rudolfo Anaya's award-winning novel, Bless Me, Wtima. The unit is designed for 10th grade Honors Language Arts classes.

Bridging The Gap By Using Mini Shared Reading, Ljubica Radisich Quilici

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to investigate an alternative teaching strategy for assisting five first grade students who were struggling with learning how to read. This project examined how Mini Shared Reading, a melding of Shared Reading and Guided Reading, enabled these students to progress five to ten reading levels in five weeks.

The Role Of Imaginative Literature In First Year Composition, Randee Teresa Cowles

Theses Digitization Project

This study steps into a long running discussion of the place of imaginative literature in First Year Composition (FYC) courses. Chapter one surveys the scholarship, including the work of Erika Lindeman and Gary Tate, two compositionists whose debate has been at the center of this discussion, and three scholars' responses to the issues their debate raises. Instructors might be able to include imaginative literature in FYC courses if they use the literature to support the courses' rhetorical goals rather than to "teach the literature" itself.

Morpheme Acquisition In Second Language Learners, Timothy Andrew Schuwerk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored morpheme acquisition in learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). Specifically, it looked at the development of eight selected individuals from Korea over the course of an intensive 8-week instruction program and tracked their acquisition of three specific English morphemes: indefinite articles used with singular count nouns, progressive -ing forms, and third person -s markers. The individuals were given an assessment test to place them at the correct level within the program prior to their selection for the study. The participants provided four sets of data in the form of writing samples at fixed intervals during …

Educational Change Process: A Case Study Of A Rural School District's Reading Reform, Barbara M. Havel Bohach

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Beginning reading instruction is the subject of much debate in educational fields as well as in the political arena. The product of such debates is often a push to reform reading programs and teachers are targeted as the ones to carry out these reforms. If reading educators have been actively involved in a reading change process, what are their concerns about change and the influence of mandated legislation?

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine how teachers and administrators initiated and implemented a balanced reading innovation. It also investigated how the Concerns-Based Adoption Model identified teachers' concerns …