Education Commons^™

Adolescent Autonomy In Book Selection, Katie Dredger, Zoe Mcdowell

Virginia English Journal

Books that have been on the shelves of classrooms in the commonwealth of Virginia are being removed by overzealous and misinformed parents and school board members. Supporting literacy development means allowing adolescents to read thought-provoking and edgy, high-quality texts, vetted by educated professionals, so that students can be critical curators and consumers of the wide range of media available today. Reading begets better reading, and varied texts build empathy for others. Improved literacy and empathetic criticality will benefit our commonwealth.

How Literacy Coursework May Change The Perspectives Of Preservice Speech-Language Pathologists: A Pilot Study, Robyn E. Becker

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This pilot study investigated how perspectives of preservice speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may change after completion of a graduate course in literacy in a Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) program. Further, the study sought to reflect upon course design and instructional delivery practices related to the class. Data was collected via online survey completed by 21 volunteer CSD graduate students. The results suggested that students' perspectives may evolve over the course of a semester-long CSD literacy class in some areas related to the components of reading, misconceptions about literacy, and the social justice implications of access to quality reading programs. Using …

Fight, Flight, Freeze: The Impact Of A Dyslexia Simulation On Preservice Teachers, Carolyn Carlson

The Advocate

Teachers must have an understanding of dyslexia, including characteristics, assessments, and interventions, but also an understanding of the reactions the students may display when faced with these learning difficulties. In addition, teachers need to be aware of how their typical classroom practices may cause even further disruptions and challenges to the student rather than supporting them in their learning. This study asked preservice teachers to participate in the Experience Dyslexia simulation to gain new insight into not only the challenges faced by students with dyslexia regarding brain-based processing issues, but also how the classroom environment contributes to those difficulties. By …

Developing Literacy Through Play, Molli Vanderjagt

Culminating Experience Projects

The loss of play in the classroom has had a significant impact on children’s foundational literacy skills. It has hindered children’s language development by reducing their verbal skills and language comprehension and decreasing vocabulary. Child development has not changed, and yet we continue to put more academic pressure on our youngest students. This project addresses the need for play in early education classrooms. It then provides research why play is important in developing foundational literacy skills, such as oral language and vocabulary, comprehension and recall and higher-level thinking, and possible classroom applications. The project concludes with a presentation for administrators, …

Coaching And Developing Non-Certified Instructional Staff In Key Literacy Practices, Holly Nicole Bigos

Culminating Experience Projects

Paraprofessionals are vital staff members of elementary schools that often provide small group instruction for struggling students to develop key literacy skills. Despite the critical contribution paraprofessionals can provide, schools often neglect to adequately train and develop these staff members to support students’ instructional literacy needs. This project explores the relevant history of paraprofessional staff in schools and the current need for increased development and support of these staff members. Additionally, modern sustainable solutions are explored to develop paraprofessional literacy knowledge and instructional skills for these vital staff members. Programming recommendations are grounded in adult learning theory, feedback and coaching, …

Parent Advocacy For Literacy Intervention: A Case Study Of Motivations And Experiences, Meghan Malloy

All Dissertations

While systems of support are used in schools to assist students’ academic growth, parents are not always informed of the support process or the academic goals set for their child (RTI Action Network, n.d.; Troisi, 2014; Weingarten et al., 2020). In the aftermath of the pandemic, students present a wide variety of academic needs (Lewis et al., 2021; Maldonado & De Witte, 2020), underscoring the importance of parent advocacy. In situations where a student needs additional supports, such as literacy intervention, the parent may become the child’s best advocate (Besnoy et al., 2015).

Using a multiple case study design, the …

Can Generative Ai Help Solve Functional Illiteracy?, George Goga

Artificial Intelligence, 2024-25

This two lecture module with an associated student assignment explores how technology can both support and complicate literacy development.

Lecture 1 “An Introduction to Functional Illiteracy and Generative AI” provides a foundational understanding of functional illiteracy, exploring its causes, impacts, and implications for education and society. This lecture sets the stage for understanding the intersection between functional illiteracy and AI, offering a critical perspective on how technology can both support and complicate literacy development.

Lecture 2 “Bridging the Literacy Gap Using Generative AI” focuses on practical strategies for leveraging generative AI technologies to enhance literacy instruction and address disparities in …

Beyond Credit: The Philosophy And Practice Behind A College Freshman Literacy Intervention Course, Jeremy Logsdon, Daniel Super

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

READ 101 is a college freshman literacy intervention course at a southeastern U.S. regional university created to increase student retention and persistence and to serve as an alternative to the traditional developmental reading model. READ 101 was created within a dedicated university infrastructure and is a credit-bearing course that counts toward student GPA and graduation requirements and is taught by full-time credentialed faculty. It utilizes a philosophy of intervention instead of remediation, requiring that instruction be based upon where students need to be rather than the level at which they currently read. READ 101 is structured around research-based literacy practices. …

Considering Equity In Literacy Lessons That Integrate A Digital Tool, Kristi Tamte, Beth Beschorner

The Reading Professor

Teachers in the 21st century must be able to create conditions for justice within their classrooms and the broader educational system while simultaneously preparing children with the digital literacies that are necessary to be fully literate. Yet, there is evidence that many teachers are not prepared to do either. Thus, teacher educators have a responsibility to create conditions within teacher preparation that support pre-service teachers (PSTs) to do both. This research project aimed to design and test a framework that builds equity into the Technology Integration Planning Cycle (TIPC) to support PSTs' ability to advance justice within their practice while …

To Avoid Or Grapple With Tensions? Preservice Teachers Learning To Teach Literacy For Social Justice, Kathryn Struthers Ahmed

The Reading Professor

This nested case study explored the individual and environmental factors shaping preservice teachers' (PSTs') learning about teaching literacy for social justice while student teaching in urban, high-poverty schools. Grounded in Cultural Historical Activity Theory, findings show how the unique interplay of contextual factors led to different learning outcomes for PSTs, despite having similar experiences and perspectives on literacy teaching. Notably, when PSTs avoided tensions and contradictions between their student teaching placements and their university-based teacher education program, their learning towards the university's programmatic goals was constrained. However, when they opted to grapple with instructional tensions, their learning was more expansive. …

Blended Genres: Pairing Picturebooks And Poems Across The Curriculum, William P. Bintz

Michigan Reading Journal

Abstract

This article reports on an action research project conducted by a teacher educator in literacy education as part of a graduate course entitled Reading and Writing across the Content Areas. The purpose of the project was to actively engage graduate students, all of whom were pre-service and in-service teachers, in a course-related project in which students developed and implemented blended genres across the curriculum. It begins by situating blended genres within the traditional notion of paired text as a curricular resource and instructional strategy to support the process of intertextuality. It provides a brief overview of the course-related …

Safeguarding Learning Before, During, And After Emergency Remote Teaching, Carol Ann Paul, Lisa Reason

Michigan Reading Journal

This qualitative study explores 25 elementary educators’ experiences after Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) and examines the role of technology and face-to-face (f2f) interactions in the literacy classroom. Teachers in the study found substantial learning lags and extreme difficulty getting students reacclimated back into the classroom postpandemic. While they found technology to be adequate for differentiation and instant feedback, they noted the importance of f2f interaction for building relationships, social and emotional learning (SEL), reading, language, and fine motor skills. Aligned with Duke and Cartwright’s (2021) Active View of Reading Model, the study’s results advocate integrating SEL and literacy instruction, along …

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogical Practices In Early Literacy Classrooms: A Qualitative Case Study Of Two Kindergarten Classrooms, Elizabeth Carlton Phd

Dissertations

Students who attend school possess their own “funds of knowledge” from their home life and prior experiences (Moll et al., 1992). Yet, learners from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds are not viewed from a strengths-based perspective but rather a deficit perspective. The deficit perspective perpetuates the oppression and marginalization of students of color and multilingual students. Using a qualitative comparative case study research design, the study is rooted in the tenets of Critical Pedagogy (Freire, 2000), Critical Literacy, and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy as it sought to uncover insights into asset-based instructional strategies that allow multilingual learners opportunities to participate equitably …

Shifting The Balance: 6 Ways To Bring The Science Of Reading Into The Upper Elementary Classroom- A Review, Mary-Jo Morse

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

In recent weeks, the New York State Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled her “Back to Basics” plan to improve reading achievement in New York State. As part of her plan, Governor Hochul has proposed that millions of dollars be allocated in the state’s budget to train “20 thousand teachers in Science of Reading Instructional best practices and announced an expansion of SUNY and CUNY’s microcredentialing programs for teachers focused on the Science of Reading.” (Hochul, 2024). With the Science of Reading becoming a major component in reading instruction, this new text, Shifting the Balance: 6 ways to Bring the Science of …

Multimodal Communication Support For Word Recognition And Literacy In Children With Language Delays, Mackenzie Elizabeth Beal

Communication Science and Disorders Honors Theses

As the definition of being literate transforms from being able to read and write to being able to decipher a variety of mediums (e.g., music, text emojis, and more!), it is necessary that curriculum is adapted to reflect these changes. This paper discusses 11 preschoolers aged 4 to 6 years with language delays and their ability to recognize one-syllable words. Two different interventions assessed word recognition. One intervention paired gestures with five words. The second intervention had participants create self-interpreted drawings for each of the remaining five words. To determine whether or not gestures and drawing were effective literacy strategies, …

P-12 School Administrators' Experiences, Opinions, And Perceptions Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Written Language Instruction And The Response To Intervention, Alison Webster

Dissertations

Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are employed in public school systems as part of the special education department to work with students with deficits in oral and written language skills. The literature shows a direct relationship between oral language development and early literacy skills. SLPs can provide a preventative role through the multitiered systems of support (MTSS) or response to intervention (RTI) programs. However, many SLPs report barriers to accessing students in the general education setting. One of these reported barriers is a lack of administrative support. Therefore, this research explored factors that impact a P-12 school administrator’s experiences, opinions, and …

The Literary Tarot, The Literary Classics Edition Guidebook, And Oracle's Atlas: A Companion To The Literary Tarot Classics Edition From The Brink Literacy Project, Emily E. Auger

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Review of The Literary Tarot, The Literary Tarot Classics Edition Guidebook, and Oracle's Atlas: A Companion to the Literary Tarot Classics Edition. © 2022 Brink Literacy Project. UPC 195893099603.

Booktok's Potentials And Possibilities In Composition Studies: An Interactive Digital Collection, Hanna Varilek

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The following thesis, “BookTok’s Potentials and Possibilities in Composition Studies: An Interactive Digital Collection,” explores the phenomenon of BookTok, a vibrant out-of-school literacy program on the social media platform TikTok centered around books, reading, and literary discussions. As digital platforms continue to shape contemporary cultural landscapes, BookTok emerges as a unique space where users engage with literature and participate in discussions that influence their reading habits and preferences. This thesis explores the possibilities of BookTok in reimagining the current landscape of first-year writing and composition classrooms by introducing an interactive digital collection of BookTok content and educational resources titled, The …

Literacy Instructional Coaching Practices In Writing And Writing Instruction: An Exploration Of K–6 Teachers' Perspectives, Jadelyn Abbott, Katherine Landau Wright, Hannah Carter

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify if and how K–6 teachers perceive that their literacy instructional coaches influence their writing teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employed a parallel convergent mixed-methods design with survey data. The authors used thematic analysis to identify patterns within short-answer responses.

Findings

K–6 teachers receive little literacy coaching specific to writing. However, when they do receive coaching, they believe it benefits their writing instruction. Sustained coaching through the coaching cycle, frequent collaborations, and support with writing instructional resources and strategies were reported as the most influential writing coaching practices.

Research limitations/implications

Sample size was …

Building Connections: The Power Of Embedding Literacy And Math Content Into Science And Social Studies Contexts, Rachel Hallett-Njuguna Edd

Constellations: Online STEM Teacher Education Journal

Nationally, the lack of improvement in literacy scores continues to baffle experts. Instructional leaders from math, science, and social studies in one district knew the value of leveraging their subject areas to support literacy achievement in secondary students. Starting with an engaging STEM-related novel, the group of curriculum experts developed meaningful literacy connected tasks for their teacher and teacher leader participants. Working through the activities as their students would, the group found a new appreciation for the importance of leveraging the relevance of science and social studies content and the usefulness of math content when creating literacy lessons. The group’s …

“We Flourish”: The Role Of Bipoc Parents In Diversifying Children’S Literature, Kayla Neal

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Building A Beloved Community Of Literacy In Professional Spaces, Elizabeth Petroelje Stolle, Jennifer L. Vanderground

Michigan Reading Journal

This article shares the experiences of two literacy teacher educators who sought to create a beloved community for both themselves and the teachers with whom they work within their professional spaces. The authors emphasize the importance of fostering safe, collaborative environments that promote personal and professional growth. Drawing from the principles of the Beloved Community, popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the authors discuss the value of embracing a growth mindset when building such communities. Specifically, the article delves into two different professional development models as effective frameworks for cultivating beloved communities: Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and Learning Labs …

Effects Of Emotional And Behavioral Disorders And Executive Dysfunction On Literacy Achievement: Through The Lens Of Secondary-Level Education, Natalie Deutsch

Student Research Poster Presentations 2024

The study examined the effects of emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) and executive dysfunction on literacy achievement in secondary-level education. The research questions focused on behavior interventions for at-risk students with behavioral disorders, the association between E/BD signs and reading deficits, incorporating executive functioning skills into reading instruction, and the positive and negative effects of self-contained classrooms on students with EBD. The study found that accommodating the specific needs of students with E/BD and executive dysfunction led to a statistically significant increase in mean test scores. The methods involved tiered intervention programs within the Units of Study curriculum, executive functioning …

Exploring Teachers’ Lived Literacies : Disrupting Hegemonic Conceptions Of Literacy In Schools, Katie F. Whitley

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In schools, literacy is often positioned as a fixed set of reading and writing skills. This can limit what counts as an academically acceptable literacy practice despite the complex and nuanced ways people communicate in their personal and social contexts. With this tension around conceptions of literacy in mind, I wondered how teachers thought about literacy in their lives and in what ways (if any) their personal conceptions of literacy crossed the boundary into their classrooms. Thus, this study examines three secondary English language arts teachers’ conceptions of literacy using a feminist approach to new literacies as the theoretical framework …

Structured Literacy Is Really Controlled Literacy: Units Of Study Is Not A Balanced Approach, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Individuals Who Experienced Early Reading Difficulty: How Teacher Connections And Educational Practices Shape Motivation, Nicole Tinney

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Reading instruction is consistently controversial in education, whether it be the Reading Wars, a debate over the Science of Reading, or issues surrounding standardized reading testing. An often overlooked component in reading instruction is motivation. Why do some students struggle to learn to read while others sail seemingly effortlessly through reading benchmarks? How do some students overcome early reading difficulty while others struggle throughout their education? Students who have a difficult time reading in elementary school often lack motivation to read and continue to have low achievement on reading tests throughout schooling (Becker et al., 2010; Mcgeown et al., 2012). …

Understanding The Virginia Literacy Act, Candace Bechtold, Kimberly Bridges, David Naff, Joan A. Rhodes, Valerie Robnolt, Tara Davison, Suzanne Alexandre, Michael Crusco, Karli Johansen, Amber Butler, Allison Yandle, Jennifer Askue-Collins, Jean Samuel, Sharrie Merritte, Regina Frazier

MERC Publications

This research and policy brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) offers an overview of the Virginia Literacy Act. It is structured to explore the following questions: 1) What are the recent trends in reading achievement in Virginia? 2) What are the policy implications of the VLA for Virginia school divisions? 3) What does the research say about Science of Reading (SoR)? 4) What core instructional programs are approved to meet the VLA? It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Click here to listen to our podcast episode on the Virginia Literacy Act and click here …