Education Commons^™

Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies To Improve Early Elementary Comprehension Skills, Deborah S. Cirincione

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide information to educators about teaching strategies used in the classroom. The researcher opened up a survey to Early Elementary Reading teachers so
they can provide their input in an anonymous manner so as to get as much information as possible so others can find this narrative, qualitative research useful in their careers. The writer researched scholarly and peer-reviewed journals, as well as, commonly used resources such as government websites to acquire and report recent practices of early elementary reading strategies used in classrooms. The study was of qualitative nature, and the survey was …

Social Media As A Tool To Share Art Curriculum, Jordan James Dewilde

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to discover how social media can be a tool for art educators. The researcher, an elementary art educator, created a Facebook page to share his curriculum and document his teaching experience. For a two month period he recorded the posts, the and responses and documented the process in a reflective journal to determine how interaction with social media would impact his teaching. He simultaneously conducted an online survey of art educators to ask how they used social media to inform their teaching.

Elementary District-Level And Building-Level Leadership Practices That Promote And Sustain Professional Learning Communities, Nathaniel Cunningham Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between building and district level leadership in sustaining level district Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The study attempted to reveal the relationships of building level and district level leadership in sustaining level PLCs. The study also sought to determine the impact of relational trust between district-level and building-level leadership practices within professional learning communities. The Professional Learning Community Continuum (PLCC) was administered in order to identify those districts that were operating at the Sustaining Stage for PLCs. Approximately forty-six district and building level leaders participated in the study. A non- random …

The Effect Of New Literacies And Technology On Student Engagement And Transforming The Literacy Block, Allison M. Schlupp

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to investigate, track, and measure the effect of technology and new literacies on student engagement and the language arts block. Data was kept over a four-week period and tracked through student interviews, informal observations, and student work samples. Throughout the study, students showed growth in their ability to interact with technology and one another through the repeated use of technology and the use of new literacies. Data also showed increased student engagement through the independent work time of the literacy block.

An Exploratory Investigation Of Third Graders' Use Of Blogs To Critically Respond To Texts, Lisa A. Gilbert

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory investigation was to explore how third grade students critically respond to texts. Students will be required to analyze texts and type their analysis with the implementation of PARCC. I wanted to investigate the change that occurs with students’ responses to texts when they compose them electronically rather than with paper and pencil.

I explored the process of how students critically responded to texts through responses on a class blog. Students read two literature passages, two informational passages, and two media texts on the blog before responding to questions based upon the text. I observed how …

Outcome Of Implementing Multisensory Instruction With Second Grade Students Who Struggle With Reading, Elissa Anne Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

Students struggling with reading are at risk for academic and reading failure. It is imperative to engage and motivate these students through the use of multisensory instruction which appeals to their learning style. To improve the decoding and spelling of sight words, second grade students in a small group instruction setting were given four weeks of multisensory instruction using various materials. Data was collected in a qualitative framework throughout the study using multiple data sources. What was found was that when the struggling students preferred a multisensory activity, after consistent use with that material, they performed better in weekly assessments. …

Using Critical Literacies To Instruct Through Multicultural Text To Enhance Comprehension, Higher Order Thinking Skills, And Respect For Other Diversities, Shannon Moncrief Enders

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this approach was to instruct students using critical literacies within the confines of multicultural texts. While using a variety of texts, students were exposed to text and “voices” they might not otherwise have heard as well as learned to comprehend better and learned to use higher order thinking skills beyond the words on the page.

Literacy Choice In A First Grade Classroom, Lisa Marie Maletta

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to observe and note student performance on choice literacy activities. Students were given choice pertaining to writing assignments and publishing preferences as well as guided reading material. Students completed an interest inventory at the start of the research to better understand the types of literacy activities that may interest them. The students were allowed to exercise choice in their literacy activities when choosing a guided reading book from appropriately leveled choices and choosing their writing topic as well as publishing option such as a big book, a little book, or a step book. Student …

Google Classroom For Third Grade Writing, Jessi Fallon

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to investigate and evaluate the effects of using the technology of Google Classroom in writing personal narratives in a third grade classroom. Specific aims of the study are to analyze how the technology will affect students’ motivation, engagement, and overall writing skills. Previous research indicates that integration of technology allows for more collaboration among students as well as an increase in motivation in the classroom (MacArthur, 2009). This study advances our understanding of technology to see how the application of Google Classroom will benefit students in the capacity of motivation and writing skills due …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Multiple Exposures To New Vocabulary Words Have On Students With Language Processing Disorders, Erin E. Higgins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research aimed to investigate how fifth-grade students diagnosed with processing disorders best-learned new vocabulary and the role motivation played in success. The district, school, and students were given pseudonyms in order to maintain anonymity. Over the course of three, one-week instructional periods, four students participated in six different oral and written vocabulary activities. They completed an assessment immediately following four days of instruction and again at the end of the study to measure growth in their ability to identify and use the word using a four-point scale. Based on the results of the assessments, they showed …

The Effects On Student Understanding When Questioning Techniques Are Used During The Reading Of Informational Text, Ashleyann R. Iannelli

Theses and Dissertations

If students are taught strategies to use when they come across informational texts, then they will be able to apply this information when they come across complex texts. Students not only need to be aware of the strategies, but they need to have the metacognitive ability of when to use the best strategy for the task at hand. In order to determine how student comprehension improves once strategy instruction has been given, I chose to do a survey that focused on questions referring to the children’s metacognitive awareness. I gave that survey in the beginning and then at the end …

The Effects Of Culturally Responsive Instruction And Multicultural Texts To Support Fifth Grade Struggling Readers In An Rti Tier 2 Classroom, Dana Marie Teague

Theses and Dissertations

The study being presented reviews the journey that five students had over the course of three weeks. I took five struggling readers that were already accepted into a Response to Intervention (RtI) Tier 2 classroom and created a culturally responsive environment for them to learn. This environment was created through a series of choice and freedom of opinion that was displayed throughout discussions and worksheets. In addition to being a culturally responsive teacher, I also integrated multicultural texts into their reading repertoire. The purpose of the multicultural texts was to get the students familiar with other cultures in the world …

Emergent Literacy Intervention In First Grade Struggling Readers, Colleen Erin Mcgettigan

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the documented positive impact of small group intervention on student success, this research investigates the impact of participation in teacher research on emergent literacy intervention grounded in student data. This research focused on exploring how dedicated, meaningful, targeted instruction based on assessment can foster reading readiness and increase reading potential for two low achieving 1st grade students. The research design consisted of student and teacher interviews, diagnostic testing, and teacher journaling. The research inquiry was: 1) What are the effects of intensive small group instruction in phonemic awareness, coupled with deep conversations about culturally responsive literature for struggling …

Will It Change Their Reflection? A Culturally Responsive Reaction To Literacy Failures, Idalis J. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This teacher research study was conducted in a second grade classroom. The teacher set out to find out: What happens when students who are faced with repeated literacy failures receive culturally responsive instruction in place of basic skills instruction? Children that struggle with reading often receive basic skills support as a form of intervention; yet still struggle in reading and other areas of literacy. Students often develop a negative identify of themselves as a reader and this leads to diminish and sometimes a lack of self-efficacy. The students in this study are at risk for falling below grade level in …

Nonfiction Interests And Reading Habits Of Third Grade Students, Kimberly Astacio

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been a push for informational text use in the areas of reading and writing. The Common Core State Standards was introduced in 2009 as an initiative to have all students, no matter where they live, be prepared for college and careers. Further the reading panel of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) requires a high proportion of informational text on its assessments particularly as children advance through the grades. The NAEP (2007) developed a framework to look at the distribution of literary and informational passages. By fourth grade the literary and informational passages are …

The Relationship Between Program Quality Indicators And Student Achievement In A Braided Prekindergarten Program, Susan L. Flemmons

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between prekindergarten classroom quality indicators and student achievement at the prekindergarten level. Pre-existing data on prekindergarten classroom quality measures and student achievement was utilized. Quality indicators were assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) (Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008) and student achievement was measured by the end of year results on the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) (Invernizzi, Meier, Swank, & Juel, 2004) and the Bracken School Readiness Assessment end of year results (Bracken, 2007).

A quantitative ex post facto correlational research design was employed to identify relationships …

The Instructional Technology Resource Teacher: A Descriptive Case Study Of Deployment, Use, And Perceptions, Mary Sepelyak

Theses and Dissertations

This case study describes one professional development approach to support technology integration at all public schools in one large county in central Virginia. Using data obtained from daily time logs, the frequency of Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) use by classroom teachers was analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to describe overall percentage of ITRT use, the various types of professional development requested by teachers, the consistency of those activities over time, and if the frequencies of activities varied as a function of school level, Title I status at the elementary level, or subject area taught by teachers at the secondary …