Education Commons^™

Testing The Tests: An Investigation Into The Effectiveness Of Alternative Assessment Methods For Bilingual Language-Impaired Children, Lena G. Caesar

The Hilltop Review

Alternative language assessment procedures are gaining in prominence as authentic alternatives to traditional measures, but scant data exist regarding the relative effectiveness of the data they provide. This paper first summarizes the criteria for effective language assessment of bilingual children as documented in the literature, and then comparatively evaluates the effectiveness of research studies employing the three most-cited alternative assessment approaches: descriptive, dynamic, and curriculum-based. Conclusions regarding the impact of appropriate assessment on issues of over- and under-representation of bilingual Hispanic students are also discussed.

Literacy: The First Decade Of The New Millennium, Jack Cassidy, Evan Ortlieb

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Although the importance of literacy instruction has remained con­stant since the beginning of the new millennium, literacy trends have shifted, often alongside acts of legislation. Areas of literacy education that were once overlooked in the past like adolescent literacy and RTI are now receiving increased attention, whereas areas of literacy like phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency receive considerably less attention than 10 years ago. Discussions describe “very hot” and “cold” topics as they relate to philosophy/approach, level, content, materials, and assessment. Educators can utilize the findings in this survey to adjust their instruction and direct atten­tion to needed areas within …

The Three-Phase Reading Comprehension Intervention (3-Rci): A Support For Intermediate-Grade Word Callers, Holly L. Diehl, Connie J. Armitage, Diane H. Nettles, Christine Peterson

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article describes results of a reading comprehension intervention for students with adequate decoding but poor comprehension skills. Five teachers and 25 students in grades 3-5 from two rural public schools participated in this naturalistic experimental research study. Teachers met with identified students in a small group setting for 30 intervention sessions. The intervention involved explicit teaching and gradual release of instruction in three phases: metacognitive strategies, comprehension strategies, and peer-led discussions. To measure growth in reading comprehension, the Qualitative Reading Inventory-3 (Leslie & Caldwell, 2001) was administered as the pre- and posttest and analyzed through t-test comparisons. Interactive teaching …

Books For Laughing Out Loud, Barbara A. Ward, Terrell A. Young

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

While there are many moments in life that call for somberness and even prompt us to pause and reflect, there are also moments in which we simply celebrate the joy of being alive and savor the funny side of our days. Writer Mark Twain, an authority on what makes us laugh, once stated, “humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” Humor and laughter certainly add to life’s pleasures, and sometimes it is a good idea not to take life or ourselves so seriously. Certainly, when it comes to humorous books, young readers cannot get enough of them. Teachers looking for a way …

How Are Colleges And Universities Preparing Reading Specialist Candidates For Leadership Positions In The Schools?, Shelley B. Wepner, Diana J. Quatroche

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article reports on the results of 11 interviews conducted as a follow-up to a survey that examined the perceptions of university faculty regarding the importance of graduate programs preparing reading specialists for leadership roles. The results of the interviews indicate that programs require a leadership course that has reading specialist candidates actually working with classroom teachers in a school setting. These programs also require that reading specialist candidates provide professional development and develop skills in communication and collaboration. We suggest that the surveyed programs provide a model of what could be offered in master’s degree/certification programs for reading specialists.

From The Editor, Allison L. Baer

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Introduction to Reading Horizons volume 51 issue 2.

Portrayals Of Bullying In Children’S Picture Books And Implications For Bibliotherapy, Emily Moulton, Melissa Allen Heath, Mary Anne Prater, Tina Taylor Dyches

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Bullying, a serious issue in today’s schools, negatively impacts children. This article summarizes research and emphasizes the need for effective tools, such as bibliotherapy, to deter bullying. To assist professionals in selecting books for bibliotherapy, 38 bully-themed children’s K-3 picture books ranked 1- 4 by The Horn Book Guide (HBG) from January 1, 2004 through January 1, 2010 were analyzed. Comparisons were made between the selected books’ portrayals of bullying and aspects of bullying, and bully prevention described in research literature. Information was summarized, including the following details: (a) gender of bully and victim, (b) type of bullying, (c) location …

Reading Horizons Vol. 51 No. 2

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 52, issue 2.

Promoting At-Risk Preschool Children’S Comprehension Through Research-Based Strategy Instruction, Andrea Debruin-Parecki, Kathryn Squibb

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Young children living in poor urban neighborhoods are often at risk for reading difficulties, in part because developing listening comprehension strategies and vocabulary knowledge may not be a priority in their prekindergarten classrooms, whose curriculums typically focus heavily on phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge. Prereading comprehension strategies are instrumental in developing skilled readers and significant to future academic success; their absence in preschool classrooms may contribute to challenges children face while learning to read. This article examines an exploratory investigation in two low-income public prekindergarten classrooms where children received an eight-week intervention to develop intentional comprehension strategies. Implications of this …

Grade Level And Gender Differences In A School-Based Reading Tutoring Program, Sau Hou Chang

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the grade level and gender differences in a school-based reading tutoring program. The treatment group included 10 first-grade and 12 second-grade struggling readers, and the control group included 41 first-grade and 63 second-grade nonstruggling readers. The tutors were teacher candidates in an elementary education program at a Midwest university. Each student in the treatment group was given four 30-minute tutoring sessions every week for one semester. Results showed that first-grade struggling readers had a significantly higher reading gain than second-grade struggling readers. In addition, first-grade male struggling readers had significantly higher …

Reading Horizons Vol. 51 No. 1

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons vol. 51 issue 1 with cover, table of contents, editorial advisory board and back matter including submission and subscription information.

16 Minutes Of “Eyes-On-Text” Can Make A Difference: Whole-Class Choral Reading As An Adolescent Fluency Strategy, David D. Paige

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Research continues to suggest that adolescents struggle with reading, indicating that much work remains to ensure that all students read at levels consistent with the skills required for academic achievement (Biancarosa & Snow, 2006). This article investigates whole class choral reading (WCCR) within the context of a sixth-grade language arts setting for the purpose of improving oral reading fluency skills with narrative text. In this quasi-experimental study involving 112 students, WCCR was implemented on a daily basis with students utilizing the repeated reading of narrative text. Results suggest that students improved both phonological decoding and oral reading fluency skills with …

From The Editor, Allison Baer

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Introduction to the issue from editor Allison Baer.

Assisted Reading With Digital Audiobooks For Students With Reading Disabilities, Kelli J. Esteves, Elizabeth Whitten

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The goal of this study was to compare the efficacy of assisted reading with digital audiobooks with the traditional practice of sustained silent reading (SSR) in terms of reading fluency and reading attitude with upper elementary students with reading disabilities. Treatment group participants selected authentic children’s literature and engaged in assisted reading with digital audiobooks four to five times per week over an eight-week implementation period. Results showed that while all students demonstrated growth in reading fluency as calculated by words read correctly per minute, the growth of the treatment group far outweighed that of the control group. There was …

Bullies In Recent Books For Children And Young Adults, Terrell A. Young, Barbara A. Ward

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Although some might consider bullying to be a 21st century problem, bullying seems to have been tolerated for decades, with adults often dismissing it through comments such as “Well, boys will be boys,” and “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you,” or even “Girls don’t fight each other. They wouldn’t want to mess up their clothing.” Early on, perennial middle and high school favorite author Judy Blume addressed the cruelty kids direct toward other kids in her book Blubber (1974) in which a fifth grader endures denigrating comments and nicknames after doing a report …

From The Editor, Allison L. Baer

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Introduction to the issue from editor Allison Baer.

What Matters: Preparing Teachers Of Reading, Sara R. Helfrich, Rita M. Bean

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A descriptive study was employed to determine differences in knowledge of literacy instruction and perceived preparedness to teach literacy between two groups of teacher candidates enrolled in two different teacher preparation programs at one university. This study investigated which components — coursework, field experience, and collaboration — candidates perceived as best preparing them to teach literacy while enrolled in their program. Data collection instruments included the Survey of Perceptions and the Knowledge Inventory. Both groups of candidates, regardless of program and amount of time in the field, viewed both coursework and field experience as important. Few significant differences were found …

Reading Horizons Vol. 50 No. 4

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons vol. 50 issue 4 with cover, table of contents, editorial advisory board and back matter including submission and subscription information.

Article Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to articles in volume 50.

Depictions And Gaps: Portrayal Of U.S. Poverty In Realistic Fiction Children’S Picture Books, Jane E. Kelley, Janine J. Darragh

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Researchers conducted a critical multicultural analysis of 58 realistic fiction children’s picture books that portray people living in poverty and compared these depictions to recent statistics from the United States Census Bureau. The picture books were examined for the following qualities: main character, geographic locale and time era, focal poor character (gender, age, and race), who demonstrated action, and the type of action (individual, community, systemic) demonstrated. Results of the analysis showed that while in some areas the books accurately reflect the reality in the United States today, there are other areas in which poverty is misrepresented. For example, while …

Reading Graphically: Comics And Graphic Novels For Readers From Kindergarten Through High School, Barbara A. Ward, Terrell A. Young

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Books reviewed: Grades K-2: Hayes, Geoffrey. (2010). Benny and Penny in the Toy Breaker; Holm, Jennifer L., & Holm, Matthew. (2010). Babymouse #13: Cupcake Tycoon; Rosentstiehl, Agnes. (2010). Silly Lilly in What Will I Be Today?; Smith, Jeff. (2009). Little Mouse Gets Ready.

Grades 3-4: Bruel, Nick. (2010). Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray; Davis, Eleanor. (2009). The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook; Venable, Colleen A. F. (2010). And Then There Were Gnomes.

Grades 5-7: Deutsch, Barry. (2010). Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword; Ignatow, Amy. (2010). The Popularity Papers; Kinney, Jeff. (2010). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The …

Author Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to authors in volume 50.

Looking Back To Move Forward With Guided Reading, Michael P. Ford, Michael F. Opitz

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Guided reading is used in classrooms across the country and, while it is fairly new, it is anything but revolutionary. In this article, and in honor of the 50th volume of Reading Horizons, the authors take a look back at the 50-year history of this practice, provide a definition of guided reading, analyze what caused the practice to change, and discuss their own perspectives and predict the future of guided reading.