Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Teachers’ Preparedness And Professional Learning About Using Educational Technologies During The Covid-19 Pandemic, C. Lorraine Webb, Karen Kohler, Rebekah E. Piper

Reading Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education at multiple levels over the last ten months. One common thread that has remained is the online learning and meeting platform for teachers, students, administrators, and families. This study reports on a survey of 560 K-12 educators across one southernmost part of a south-central state who shared their levels of preparedness during the transition to virtual learning in the Spring of 2020/amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Data analysis revealed that educators continued to focus on professional development during the summer of 2020 in preparation for the new academic year. Additional analysis showed that participants’ self-efficacy …

Cohesion: Uniting Reading And Writing!, Erika Warnick, Elaine Ramzinski, Tasha A. Vice

Reading Faculty Publications

The purpose of this text, or should we say guide, is to help all students in English composition classes - whether stand-alone or coupled with reading courses - understand the connections and the cohesive aspect of reading and writing. The authors used their own years of teaching both reading and writing, for all levels in college, to explain concepts in a straightforward and clear manner for students. The goal is that this becomes a resource - a FREE resource – students can return to time and time again when they have questions or need a refresher even after their English …

Exploring The Literacy Leadership Practices Of Literacy Teacher Educators, Laurie A. Sharp, Roberta D. Raymond, Rebekah E. Piper

Reading Faculty Publications

Literacy teacher educators must actively engage as literacy leaders who are advocates for literacy, continuous professional learners, and responsive leaders. However, the literature base for literacy leadership is narrow and does not specifically address literacy teacher educators. To address this research gap, the current study explored current literacy leadership practices of literacy teacher educators and challenges they encounter during their literacy leadership pursuits. Using a survey research design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected among 65 experienced literacy teacher educators affiliated with university-based teacher preparation programs located in the South Central United States. Quantitative data were tabulated and reported as …

Increasing The Literacy Knowledge Of Teacher Candidates: Why Service-Learning Matters, Ramona T. Pittman, Theresa Garfield, Rebekah E. Piper

Reading Faculty Publications

Educator preparation programs seek to provide teacher candidates with authentic learning experiences that support the learning process, and one means is to engage teacher candidates in service-learning. Elementary schools are tasked with improving the literacy outcomes of struggling readers, and community-based programs focused on literacy, seek to improve the literacy achievement of its’ citizens. This work explores how an educator preparation program collaborated with a community-based organization to provide elementary, struggling readers with 1:1 literacy instruction via teacher candidates from the local university. The aim is to showcase the process, procedures, and benefits of universities partnering with local PK-12 schools …

Navigating Black Identity Development: The Power Of Interactive Multicultural Read-Alouds With Elementary-Aged Children, Rebekah E. Piper

Reading Faculty Publications

Racial identity development in young children is influenced by interactions with teachers and curriculum in schools. This article, using the framework of critical race theory, critical literacy, and critical pedagogy, explores how three elementary-aged Black children view their own identity development. Specifically, observing how children interact with Movement-Oriented Civil Rights-Themed Children’s Literature (MO-CRiTLit) in the context of a non-traditional summer literacy program, Freedom Schools, to influence their Black identity. Professional development and preservice teacher preparation are needed to support teachers as they navigate through learning about pedagogical practices that increase student engagement.

The Importance Of Teaching Vocabulary: The Whys And Hows, Ashley G. Cummings, Rebekah E. Piper, Ramona T. Pittman

Reading Faculty Publications

This article focuses on providing teachers with the whys and hows to implement tier-two vocabulary instruction in PK-12 grade classrooms. The article examines what is meant by tier-two vocabulary words and the need for increased vocabulary instruction to gain word knowledge. It also offers teachers applicable texts and activities to be used when they become teachers and ways to incorporate a school-to-home connection in support of students' learning of new vocabulary words. The texts and activities are divided into three grade levels: K-2, 3-5, and 6-12. In addition, the article is divided into two sections which outlines the whys and …

Tommy Swings, Tasha A. Vice

Reading Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Two Computer-Based Reading Software Programs On Student Reading Performance, Ramona T. Pittman, Vanessa Zamora

Reading Faculty Publications

Reading below grade level at the elementary level continues to be an ongoing nationwide trend in many schools. With an increasing amount of struggling readers and the rising use of educational technology, it is important for school systems to understand the effectiveness of various types of available technology applications to support student reading performance among struggling readers. With this in mind, school systems must know how to determine which technology applications are more effective for increasing student performance with reading. This study focused on two computer-based reading software programs that claim to aid in improving student reading performance, ABCmouse and …

Using Multicultural Children’S Literature To Address Social Issues: The Power Of Interactive Read Aloud, Rebekah E. Piper, Ramona T. Pittman, Tasha A. Vice

Reading Faculty Publications

As the demographics of U.S. schools are changing, educators have to embrace this change and prepare students to adopt diversity and inclusivity as a means to increase students’ understanding of their peers. Not only are race and ethnicity identities at the forefront of these changes, gender identity and ability identity must also be supported, as more students are challenging traditional gender roles and as more students are mainstreamed into regular education classes. This article seeks to address usage of interactive read alouds of multicultural literature as a means to help bridge students who need inclusive
and equitable pedagogical practices in …

Burning In New Mexico, Tasha A. Vice

Reading Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Creating Elementary-Aged Agents Of Change: The Impact Of Civil Rights-Themed Literature, Rebekah E. Piper, Summer Garrison, Lauren Morgan

Reading Faculty Publications

This chapter focused on the notion of implementing Civil Rights-themed literature with elementary-aged students through interactive read alouds. With traditional pre-packaged scripted curriculum programs, teachers are challenged with implementing additional literature and utilizing resources to promote an expansive variety of learning experiences. Sample texts and interactive activities were addressed and provided for teachers to use as an initial starting point for introducing Civil Rights-themed literature in their classrooms. Lastly, implications for teacher professional development were addressed in an effort to provide teachers and teacher candidates with a space to explore a variety of authentic multicultural children’s literature.

Using Authentic Literature To Enrich Young Children’S Literacy Experiences, Kristi L. Dudley, Ramona T. Pittman, Rebekah E. Piper

Reading Faculty Publications

This article focuses on the five components (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) needed to effectively teach children to read. Early childhood educators can teach these five skills through the use of authentic literature. To be classified as authentic literature, books and texts need to utilize “real life” writing that is written to engage the reader. Authentic narrative texts generally appeal to the reader and offers a theme and a moral to the story. The article explains the five components needed to teach children to read and offers some authentic texts, synopses, and lesson ideas specifically for each of …

Mindful Instruction: Metacognitive Activities In The Developmental College Reading Classroom, Tasha A. Vice

Reading Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Experiential Learning In Literacy And Teacher Efficacy: A Study Of Sa Reads, Theresa Garfield, Ramona T. Pittman

Reading Faculty Publications

This study examines the impact of an experiential learning course work component on teacher candidates’ perception of literacy knowledge, their perspective of a community-based literacy partnership, and their self-reported sense of general and personal teaching efficacy. Initial findings reveal there is growth in all areas of perception of literacy knowledge, with knowing how to assist a struggling reader with fluency and vocabulary skills being the greatest areas of gain. Findings indicate there is minimal change in the participants’ perspectives of the community-based literacy partnership. Finally, participants gained in the areas of general and teaching efficacy. Extant literature will be reviewed …

Transforming The Literacy Lives Of Postsecondary Students: A Preliminary Study Of Writing Workshops At The University Level, Ramona T. Pittman, Deirdre Mcdonald

Reading Faculty Publications

This study aimed to address the growing need for postsecondary students to become better writers. The researchers implemented a writing workshop, which is typically designed for many elementary classrooms, in a university. Twenty-one postsecondary students participated in the writing workshops that provided students with opportunities to learn about academic writing through the use of mini-lessons. Students were also able to conference with their peers and the facilitators. Overall, the writing workshops provided a positive effect on students’ perceptions about their writing. In addition, the students felt that the writing workshops had a positive effect on their overall learning of a …

Illuminating Teaching And Learning: Students' Metacognition And Teacher Responsiveness In One College Developmental Reading Class, Tasha A. Vice

Reading Faculty Publications

College students enrolled in a developmental reading program often do not perceive themselves as remedial readers, have low self-esteem about their abilities, or have a limited understanding about reading and therefore are unable to engage themselves with effective reading strategies. The challenge for educators in developmental college reading is to engage and motivate students with educational methods that create an awareness and understanding of reading by using strategies and practices appropriate for students’ diverse educational needs also necessary for their reading achievement. At the same time students need to develop the metacognitive awareness of their own knowledge of and use …