Education Commons^™

Looking In To Speak Up: How White Educators Can Utilize Literacy To More Confidently And Competently Discuss Race And Racism With Early Elementary Students, Morgan Hanlon

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

literacy to more confidently and competently discuss race and racism with early elementary students? Research indicates children are ready to begin discussing race and racism as early as three or four years old, but that educators tend to avoid these conversations assuming their students are not yet ready to handle these topics. This paper reviews literature on racism in education, understanding bias, developmental readiness, and literacy resources supporting discussions of race. The project created in connection with this research question involves a five session professional development course aimed at supporting educators in feeling more confident and competent in discussing these …

Maintaining And Retaining The Home Language While Learning English, Panhia Vang

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group that has been living in the United States for over 50 years now. Given the history of the Hmong, many Hmong parents have had no formal education or the highest education attainment they have is a high school diploma. Having little to no formal education, many parents do not know how to navigate the American school system to support their children with their academics. With the influence of American media and the school system, many Hmong American students are fluent in English, however, they are losing their cultural identity and home language. Despite …

Relevant History: Using Historical Fiction To Make History Engaging, Kayleigh Maloney

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project sought to research effective ways in which secondary school teachers can use historical fiction in a history setting in order to better engage their students. Works of historical fiction were found to be a useful tool for engagement and relevance to the class, as long as they are used in the proper context, with special attention given to reading strategies, accuracy of information within the texts, and the allowance of student choice throughout the class. The curriculum itself gives a pattern, or template, that teachers can use to fit their classroom needs. Students rotate between reading historical fiction, …

Influencing Middle School Students' Perspective Of Media Literacy, Ray Doss

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project interrogates the influence middle school teachers have over media literacy in the classroom. It utilizes existing literature concerning media literacy and social studies curriculum. A curricular approach is offered to address media literacy in a middle school social studies classroom. By using this project, students will develop their understanding of media literacy and form the skills needed to navigate a media-saturated world.

Best Practices To Improve English Language Acquisition For High School El Students Who Have Experienced Trauma, Hannah Sundermeyer

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

English Learner students are a rapidly growing subset of the U.S. student population with unique strengths and needs compared to their monolingual peers. My experiences as an EL teacher with secondary EL students who have experienced trauma led to my capstone question: what best practices can be used for high school EL students who have been impacted by trauma to build their English language acquisition? While there is a plethora of research on EL students and on trauma, there is little research connecting the two topics. However, research demonstrates a number of proven strategies to help EL students and students …

Utilizing Bipoc Class Novels In The Middle School Classroom To Promote Empathy, Bailey Fowler

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research focus for my capstone is: Utilizing BIPOC Class Novels in the Middle School Classroom to Promote Empathy. I have designed a website titled “Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Literature” to be accessed and utilized by parents and teachers of middle school students. For adults who seek high quality literature by / about People of Color that also incorporate empathy-building Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, this website is an excellent resource. As the adolescent brain develops, so does the capability for empathy. Perspective-taking occurs after learned experiences. The perspective-taking element of empathy can be explicitly taught to adolescents in …

The Joy Of Reading: Increasing Intrinsic Motivation Through Choice Texts And Reading Conferences In Middle School, Joshua Overby-Lang

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has proven that middle school is the time in which students abandon recreational reading for the rest of their lives if they do not find the process to be engaging. In order to hook readers and urge them to continue this pursuit, teachers need to give students access to high interest books and the time to read without any high stakes assessment attached to it. The curriculum designed for this project uses the influences of Allen, McClure, and Serravallo to implement a series of reading conferences in conjunction with independent silent reading time and mini-lessons in the middle school …

Implementing Cultural Sustaining Literacy: Curriculum Unit Plans, Adewale Adenodi

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Abstract

The research question that is being addressed in this capstone project is: How can we create curriculums and environments that integrate equitably and culturally sustaining literacy practices in high school Social Studies settings that intentionally consider all learners? This paper discusses the creation of curriculums rooted in the approaches of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Equitable Literacy Practices. Additionally, this document discusses the creation of a 12th Grade US Government curriculum that seeks to respond to the work of Muhammed (2020), Hammond (2015) and Paris & Alim (2014). Historically Responsive Literacy Framework from the book Cultivating Genius is one of …

Effective Teaching Of Embedded Phonics Instruction In A Middle School Special Education Resource Room, Amanda Nichols

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone addresses a gap in middle school instruction for students identified for special education services in reading. In Minnesota’s state standards, phonics instruction is only required through 5th grade (Minnesota Department of Education, 2011). However, students in middle school and beyond still may be learning to read past 5th grade. This research question is: What is the most effective way to integrate phonics instruction into reading lessons in a middle school, resource room special education classroom? This paper introduces what phonics is, the reason phonics should be integrated into reading instruction, a framework for embedded phonics, a description of …

Increasing Student Motivation In English Language Arts Through Student Choice, Jennifer Baker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to design and implement a digital website where resources are readily available for teachers and students in order to increase motivation in reading. This project sought to answer the question Can providing student choice improve student motivation in a middle school English Language Arts class? My love of reading happened early in my life and it has made me a lifelong reader, and this inspired me to instill that love in middle school students. The research conducted in this capstone indicates that increasing student engagement in reading is highly dependent upon building student …

Multi-Tiered Support Systems For Multilingual Learners: Structures That Inform Reading Instruction And Intervention, Elisabeth Riley

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Multilingual learners (MLLs also known as English Language Learners or ELLs) are a growing population in United States schools. The literature reviewed in this capstone explored the question: How does the research recommend designing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for Multilingual Learners (MLLs) to inform reading instruction? This capstone used the literature reviewed to create a series of three professional development sessions for adult staff in this midwest school to navigate the implementation of a system of support beginning with how data is used. The professional development sessions provided an overview of MTSS, explored culturally responsive teaching methods, investigated …

A Middle School Professional Development That Uses Reading Comprehension Strategies To Create Engagement And Comprehension In Middle School Classrooms, Madison Gallagher

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many elementary students enter middle school disengaged with reading and lack literacy comprehension skills. All middle school teachers can make reading fun in their content classrooms to help students comprehend and engage with classroom content. This capstone project introduces a year-long, seven-session reading comprehension strategies professional development plan. This professional development plan motivates middle school teachers to use reading comprehension strategies to engage and help students understand their classroom content. This reading comprehension strategies professional development plan explains that each middle school teacher has their teaching style, and each student learns in their unique way. This capstone professional development plan …

Using A Text Set Of Diverse Media To Teach Alternative Perspectives To Third Grade Students, Christina Benson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project is centered on the question, how can a text set made of diverse books be used to teach alternative perspectives to third grade students? The author documents their experience both personally and professionally as well as their research that led them to create a fifteen lesson third grade literacy unit that teaches the critical literacy skill of alternative perspectives. This literacy unit focuses on students being able to distinguish their perspective from that of an author or character. Through the creation of this project, the author discovered important things about the topics of critical literacy, diverse books, …

Poverty In Education: The Impact On Academic Vocabulary And Need For Early Interventions, Carly Spillner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this extended literature review was: How does poverty impact academic vocabulary skills and how can early vocabulary interventions be used effectively in order to strengthen the academic vocabulary skills of students living in poverty? To determine effective interventions to use with low-income students, an extended literature review was conducted that analyzed research studies that implemented academic vocabulary interventions including explicit instruction of phonics and vocabulary, embedded instruction, class discussions, shared book reading, and guided reading. Ten research studies were reviewed with intervention lengths varying from five weeks to two school years. These studies measured improvements …

A Parent Focused Bilingual Literacy Program, Jordan Perkins

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

While theories and methods surrounding English language teaching are continually evolving, the goal is almost always the same: help students acquire the English they need to be successful in their communication at work and the community. Adult ESL programs are often focused on work and community but leave family communication out of the curriculum. Inclusion of the first language (L1) in adult-focused curricula can help improve the language acquisition of the second language (L2) and improve the overall literacy of the learners. Although many family literacy programs are being created or researched to improve child literacy in the home, and …

Promoting Early Literacy Learning, Margaret Baird

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone addresses the importance of early literacy exposure for later literacy development and academic achievement. Literacy levels when students enter school have been shown to be related to later reading achievement and academic success. Caregiver involvement is a significant part of early literacy development. The influence of caregiver involvement is the primary focus of the project. The website created for this project provides caregivers of children birth to age 5 with activities to facilitate the development of early literacy, and community resources dedicated to promoting early literacy. The project is intended for anyone who spends an extended amount of …

Engaging Middle Schoolers: Teaching Strategies For Boosting Independent Reading Motivation In Middle School, Hannah Schrempp

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone investigates and describes the factors that impact adolescent reading motivation. With access to modern technology, limited resources at home, and a shift in teaching practices, adolescent readers do not find value in reading. Many guardians struggle with supporting their middle school readers at home due to social and economic factors. A combination of articles, studies, and assessments, help answer the question, What factors impact reading motivation in middle school students to help them identify as readers? Research concludes that creating a print-rich environment, giving access to high-interest books, building a positive relationship with family members, and giving students …

How Can Primary Teachers Use Digital Resources To Enhance Reading Instruction?, Gabrielle Harteneck

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This Capstone project answers the question: how can primary teachers use digital resources to enhance reading instruction? Research has demonstrated that students need exposure to both print and digital literacies. This paper reviews effective reading instruction and highlights the importance of integrating digital technologies in primary classrooms, focusing on kindergarten, first, and second grades. The project involved identifying quality digital resources that support literacy development in elementary grade levels. A website was developed to combine the findings based on research with digital resources that support targeted learning objectives. Specific digital resources are analyzed using both the Common Core State Standards …

Improving Engagement And Literacy Skills With Choice Literacy Centers, Katelin Laugen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As students transition to middle and high school, opportunities for student choice within curriculum become limited, and there is a need for students to have authentic literacy and decision-making opportunities. Key influences during research of this project include Kelly Gallagher, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, and Linda Gambrell and Lesley Mandel Morrow’s Best Practices in Literacy Instruction. Research indicates that benefits of literacy centers include fostering engagement, literacy skill growth, opportunities for small-group instruction, and developing student autonomy. The curriculum designed for this project took the form of student choice literacy centers. The purpose of this project was to design …

Media Literacy For Political Engagement: A Curricular Unit Design, Adam Bolling

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The question that guided this research was: How can critical media literacy skill development increase students’ ability and willingness to politically engage? Research shows that despite the fact that most Americans view social media use as just a distraction, young people are using the participatory tools and technologies found on social media platforms to engage with political ideas online. Media literacy education frequently focuses on teaching and learning consumption-centered skills like analysis and evaluation; but a media literacy curricular unit that encourages meaningful political engagement would acknowledge the new, production-centered reality that students inhabit. This curricular unit design for a …

Deepening Student Thinking About A Text: Effective Critical Literacy Strategies In The Elementary Classroom, Kelly Jordahl

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

While at a critical crossroads of a social movement to end systemic racism, and with schools simultaneously pushing for cultural competency training and practices in the classroom, educators are being asked to take on the task of bringing diversified texts to students in the classroom and deepening student understanding of those texts. While there are many strategies for implementation, one research-based strategy is utilizing critical literacy strategies to expand student view and analysis of said diversified texts. This capstone explores deepened questioning strategies, critical literacy strategies, and frameworks for implementation as support for educators to help answer the research question, …

Teaching Primary Aged Students Impacted By Trauma Through Interactive Read Alouds, Amelia Wykes

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question investigated in this project was: How can read-alouds support the learning of primary-aged students who have been affected by early childhood trauma? The experiences of teaching students affected by trauma without a social-emotional curriculum led the author to research how interactive read alouds help students become familiar with social-emotional skills. The research showed how social-emotional learning linked with interactive read alouds can be successful in assisting students in regulating their emotions. The author created ten interactive read-aloud lessons that introduce key social-emotional skills. The topics included in the lessons are self-awareness and self-management. There are six subskills …

Foundational Literacy For Slife, Allison Knutson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) are a subset of English learners who may have no previous schooling, limited schooling, or interrupted prior schooling; they have had at least two fewer years of schooling than their peers. They not only lack English proficiency but also tend to have limited or no first language literacy (DeCapua & Marshall, 2015). This project looks to address English literacy instruction for SLIFE, knowing current practices are not meeting the needs of this population, as evidenced by SLIFE having some of the highest high school dropout rates (DeCapua et al., 2007). The research …

Facing Race: A Project For Talking About Race In A Classroom Setting, Erin Sutliff

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research shows that racism is alive and well in American school systems. From achievement gaps, to attendance, to behavior referrals and beyond, it is clear that Black and Brown students are not getting the equitable education they deserve. Educators need to step up and face race in order to truly address the inequities and white supremacy that plague our education system. They need to do their own reflection to check their privilege, do some learning, and take the important step of inviting critical conversations in their classrooms. When educators invite students to talk about race, they are centering student experiences, …

More Than White Boys And Their Dogs: Diversity In Children’S Literature Professional Development, Britt Johnson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The creation of this professional development was based upon the research question: What is the best way to decenter whiteness and decolonize elementary literature, while empowering teachers and students to use literature as a tool for social justice? This professional development involves an exploration of the current diversity in children’s literature. It then focuses on developing an understanding of social identities and social justice. Participants will complete a social identity wheel and use their newfound knowledge of social identities to examine their own personal privilege. With this understanding, educators will learn how to assess their classroom library and begin to …

Guided Reading Adaptations For Multilingual Learners, Ashley Morlock

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Elementary educators continue to face the challenge of providing an equitable education for all students. As more multilingual students are seated in the classroom, the challenge to support literacy and language development becomes increasingly important. This capstone seeks to answer the question: How can elementary educators improve guided reading instruction, and what adaptations support multilingual learners? The research concludes that guided reading modifications should be made through the additive approach to language, translanguaging, teacher and student participation, corrective feedback, and assessment. Using these modifications during guided reading can have many positive benefits on a student’s academic achievement and linguistic identity.

Integrating Marie Clay’S Theory Of Literacy Processing And Reading Recovery Into Small Group Reading Instruction, Katherine Ronning

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question in this project was, how can teachers use Clay’s theory of literacy processing and adapt Reading Recovery procedures to deliver effective small group reading instruction? This project documents the incorporation of Clay’s theory and Reading Recovery procedures into small group reading instruction. The literature found focuses on understanding the current literacy competencies of a student and developing a hypothesis regarding what is on the cusp of the student’s learning. The literature review helped to develop a lesson plan format that includes anecdotal record-keeping to track change over time in a student’s learning. The literature recommended that when …

Reading Strategies In A Second Language Spanish Classroom, Wendy Gorman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Reading in a second language can be a challenge for many students. This project seeks to answer the question ““ What are the most effective reading strategies to use in a middle school comprehensible input Spanish classroom? The project is a website designed to show teachers of Spanish ways to implement reading strategies that word in Spanish in their classrooms. Grounded in research on both language acquisition and reading strategies, this project keeps the basis of several key components in mind at all times- the specific needs of middle school students, how to teach language, how students acquire language skills, …

Impact Of Implementing Differentiated Spelling Curriculum On Student Spelling Ability Using Words Their Way (2012), Kaleigh Fuchs

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Spelling is an area that can be overlooked within the subject of English Language Arts, and deemed unnecessary by some due to modern technology. When spelling is taught, it is often taught traditionally using rote memorization with the whole class working on the same word list. These words are considered difficult for some students and simple for others. This capstone looks at the concepts of differentiation and developmental spelling word study through the spelling program Words Their Way (2012). This capstone project uses literature as well as action research results to provide insight on the focus of the capstone, differentiated …

Increasing Diversity Exposure In Rural, Homogeneous Elementary Classrooms Through Picture Books, Meghan Flanary

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This Capstone Project examined the question: How can educators increase diversity exposure in rural, homogeneous elementary classrooms using picture books? Text sets with nine different categories of diversity were created and thirty-nine books were included for educators to use within classrooms. Using the theory of mirrors, windows, and doors for examining diversity in books guided the books to include within the text sets so that all students can see themselves represented or learn about others that are different from them. Key influences included Larrick for one of the first studies on diversity within children’s books, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center …