Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Cv: Seung Kim (Literacy-Instructional Technology), Seung Kim

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap: Early Childhood Reading Instruction Grounded In The Science Of Reading, Delilah A. Davis Gonzales, Ingrid Haynes Ph.D.

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

The Science of Reading (SoR) has become central to literacy research and practice, yet many early childhood classrooms struggle to integrate its principles in developmentally appropriate ways. Recent advances in cognitive science, culturally relevant pedagogy, and digital literacy highlight the need for instructional approaches that bridge research and practice. This manuscript examines how the five core components of reading—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency—can be meaningfully implemented in early childhood education through structured literacy practices that remain play-based and culturally sustaining. A qualitative, illustrative approach is used, drawing from classroom-based case examples, professional observations, and current research. These examples …

A Snapshot Of Three High School, Female Students' Writing Knowledge, Apryl L. Poch

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This study explored the writing knowledge of three typically developing strong high school female writers. Students completed one semi-structured, individual interview. Interview questions were adopted from Lin et al. (2007) and Saddler and Graham (2007). Results indicated that students possess relatively mature conceptions of writing, focusing more on the collective expression of writing. However, students did struggle with understanding the meaning of expository writing. Further consideration of students’ writing knowledge may allow teachers to better scaffold and develop the ways in which they teach writing across the high school grades, and to advance students’ content acquisition.

Student Choice And Strategy: Reviving Reading In The Language Arts Lab, Elin Petersen, Phu Vu

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This action research study examined how student-centered reading strategies influenced engagement, motivation, and comprehension among high school students enrolled in a Language Arts Lab course. Over six weeks, eleven students participated in a collaboratively selected novel study supported by Readers’ Theater, teacher read-alouds with think-alouds, vocabulary activities, reading logs, and opportunities to analyze their own performance data. Data sources included standardized reading assessments, biweekly comprehension quizzes, student surveys, reading logs, informal interviews, and classroom observations. Classroom quizzes showed clear improvement over the course of the unit, while students’ survey responses and reflections indicated more frequent use of strategies such as …

Channeling Literacy Learning Into Everydayness: Northern Ugandan Women Language Peace, Madina Djuraeva, David Monk, Sara Ann Beach, Rosemary Nyirumbe

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This study contributes to the literacy scholarship by exploring the motivations for literacy learning of adult women in Northern Uganda, connecting to current trends in language and literacy studies and education in post-conflict contexts that center the peacebuilding potential of language, literacy, and women. To understand women’s motivations and the ways peace is languaged through their narrative, we adopt a chronotropic lens to the analysis of the embodied discourse. We showcase the analysis of the findings that reflect the larger research corpora of 24 focus group participants that were interviewed on the campuses of their vocational school in Northern Uganda. …

Using Paired Queer Literature To Foster Critical Literacy And Intersectionality, Ferial Pearson, Jennifer L. Lemke

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This article explores the use of paired queer literature as a tool for fostering critical literacy and intersectional understanding in K–12 educational settings. Grounded in the belief that literature should serve as both a mirror and a window for students (Bishop, 1990), the paper argues for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ narratives to challenge dominant heteronormative frameworks that pervade U.S. school culture. By pairing texts that reflect diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and intersecting social identities, educators can cultivate inclusive classrooms that affirm all students’ experiences. The paper provides a framework for selecting high-quality, developmentally appropriate LGBTQ+ texts across grade levels …

Take Flight With Languages

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 61

Take Flight With Languages, Paula Garrett-Rucks, Christiane Fäcke

Dimensions

T his article attempts to bridge language education fields from Europe and the United States by sharing language learning terms, concepts, and teaching and learning theories and practices across the Atlantic in response to the call for papers for the 2026 Dimensions special issue on Plurilingual Education. In order to situate the ways in which the instructional materials, resources, and practices for plurilingual language learning that are described by European contributing authors to the special issue might look across contexts, this article addresses both European and U.S. unique linguistic landscapes and social contexts, societal norms and expectations toward speaking more …

Intercomprehension In Theory And Practice: Teaching And Learning Plurilingual Competence In A European Context, Claudia Polzin-Haumann, Christina Reissner

Dimensions

Plurilingualism and multilingualism have long been central to human interaction. However, in the context of increasing global mobility, digital communication and ongoing migration, they have gained renewed importance. This article examines some aspects of language diversity and plurilingual teaching and learning in Europe. It situates current European language policies as pivotal in fostering plurilingual competence and intercultural understanding through education. The discussion foregrounds exemplarily the pluralistic theoretical and didactic model of intercomprehension, defining its core principles and summarizing central concepts. It highlights digital and social learning environments and shows the importance of the human factor for successful plurilingual education. In …

Awakening To Languages: Preparing A Peaceful Multilingual World, Michel Candelier, Jean François De Pietro

Dimensions

Awakening to Languages (AtL) is a teaching approach that proposes multilingual activities and accompanies language teaching to foster the learners’ awareness of and openness to multilingualism, while increasing their reflexive metalinguistic abilities. In this article, we describe ATL as a component of Didactics of Plurilingualism (DP) and its main aims and characteristics which will be illustrated through multiple examples of activities and teaching materials. We further discuss the reported effects of AtL on learners, teachers, and parents, followed by current trends in integrating AtL in schools. We then turn to a comparison of core concepts of AtL and DP to …

Teaching Materials For Plurilingual Practices: Insights From Austrian Vocational Schools, Michaela Rückl

Dimensions

T his article explores how plurilingualism is reshaping educational language policy by shifting the focus from monolingual proficiency to an integrative model that draws on learners’ full linguistic and cultural repertoires. European language policies and perspectives are described, highlighting goals such as promoting global citizenship through plurilingual education. Specific attention is placed on Austria’s innovative curriculum for vocational schools, which embeds plurilingual, pluricultural, and transversal competences in the new subject “International Communication with Focus Language” (InCo). Preliminary findings from a pilot study emphasize the value of activating learners’ linguistic resources, incorporating real-life tasks, and using AI tools to enhance foreign …

Opening A Dialogue Between Translanguaging And Interlectal Practices: Constrained Freelanguaging For Peaceful Language Education, Christian Ollivier, Logambal Souprayen-Cavery

Dimensions

Translanguaging concepts and practices have gained great attention across the globe, at risk of overshadowing and obscuring the contributions of research and theories from non-Anglophone areas. For example, research from the Francophone world that has long investigated interlectal practices, a form of translingual practice in Creole-speaking areas, yet remains lesser known. This theoretical paper aims to initiate a dialogue between less-known peripheral studies about interlectal practices and the omnipresent North American translanguaging approach. Specifically, this paper presents the concepts and linguistic dimensions of translanguaging and interlectal practices as defined in the literature, highlighting similarities and differences in the ways of …

Democratizing Knowledge In Plurilingual Education, Angelica Galante, Yunjia Xie

Dimensions

T his article reports efforts to mobilize and democratize research-informed knowledge and resources for plurilingual education through the Plurilingual Lab, a research laboratory based in Canada. Situated in the highly multilingual city of Montreal, Quebec, the Lab showcases findings from research on plurilingual education and fosters collaborative knowledge mobilization among researchers and educators. Grounded in principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and decoloniality (EDID), the Plurilingual Lab’s initiatives seek to advance and inform both plurilingual research and pedagogical practices. Moreover, by making resources openly accessible, the Lab helps democratize knowledge production and dissemination, extending its reach to communities that might otherwise …

Texas Secondary Spanish Teachers’ Perceptions Of Factors Influencing Instructional Self- Efficacy, Satisfaction, And Effectiveness, Tana Verlane Palafox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ongoing shortages of certified world language teachers and declining enrollment in secondary language programs have intensified concerns about teacher burnout, professional isolation, and instructional quality. Research has indicated that collaboration, targeted professional development, and supportive leadership influence teachers’ instructional self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and instructional effectiveness. However, limited research has examined how secondary Spanish teachers in Texas experience these issues. This qualitative collective case study explored how Texas secondary school Spanish teachers perceive the impact of their professional experiences on instructional self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and instructional effectiveness. Grounded in Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Vygotsky’s social constructivism, the study examined how …

Pennies In The Bank: Building Background Knowledge, Brooke Lee Webster

Journal of English Learner Education

Abstract

Across the United States, teachers are met with stringent time requirements that may not align with the needs of the students inside the classroom. This paper explores the efforts of condensing and prioritizing in a diverse classroom. Through a reflective narrative of teaching comprehension to emerging bilingual students, this paper presents a structure that leverages morning meetings and discussion as prongs for maximizing the benefit of students within limited instructional minutes. Tasks that build competence, confidence, and connection cycle to foster the environment that students need to thrive. Additionally, this paper investigates the role of building background knowledge in …

Supporting English Language Learners: A Comprehensive Guide For Long-Term Success, Yana Shifrina-Piljovin

Journal of English Learner Education

Abstract

This literature review provides a thorough examination of the various multifaceted challenges encountered by Long-Term English Language Learners (LTELLs) in educational settings. It critically analyzes the effectiveness of current support systems and instructional strategies, synthesizes relevant recent research findings, and offers targeted recommendations aimed for educators and policymakers striving to improve educational outcomes for LTELLs. The review evaluates the efficacy of existing support frameworks and teaching methodologies, synthesizes contemporary research findings, and presents actionable recommendations for educators and legislators to enhance the learning outcomes of these students.

Supporting English Language Learners LTELLs) in classroom settings requires a deep understanding …

Are Testing Accommodations Helping Or Not? A Review Of English Learner (El) Accommodations On Standardized Tests, Cole Forbes

Journal of English Learner Education

This paper examines and critiques English Learner (EL) testing accommodation policies. They have been ineffective at increasing test scores and accessibility. The policies have mandated that EL students participate in high-stakes assessments with accommodations, and sometimes without them. The purpose of the accommodation is to create an even playing field for all test-takers, so that no subgroup is put at a disadvantage, which would compromise their scores and lead to misclassification of students. Laws and Acts such as the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, No Child Left Behind, and the Every Student Succeeds Act have updated and mandated a more …

Differentiated Instruction For Multilingual Learners: A Thematic Analysis Of Research And Practice, Mohsine Bensaid, Jiayuan Jiang

Journal of English Learner Education

Differentiated instruction (DI) is widely promoted as a means of supporting diverse learners, yet its enactment for multilingual learners (MLs) remains uneven and under-theorized in mainstream classrooms. This study examines how DI is conceptualized and implemented to support MLs by attending to learners’ linguistic, cultural, and academic profiles. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this qualitative synthesis examines 20 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2010 and 2024 in English-medium K–12 contexts in the United States, with particular attention to elementary settings when specified. Analytic interpretation was supported by practitioner-based reflection functioning as an interpretive lens rather than a separate data source. Four …

A Quasi-Experimental Study On The Effectiveness Of Achieve3000 On The Reading Comprehension Scores Of Ells With Ld, Paula P. Fields

Journal of English Learner Education

The purpose of this quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study was to determine if a significant difference existed in the comprehension scores of secondary English Language Learners with learning disabilities after treatment. The problem addressed is that a significant correlation exists between English language learners and learning-disabled students’ low reading proficiency scores and student achievement, leading to decreased graduation rates. Schema theory served as the theoretical foundation of this research because when the appropriate schema is activated, it helps increase comprehension. The research question guiding this study was: Is there a significant difference between the reading comprehension scores of high school English language …

Reading Comprehension Interventions For Multilingual Learners With Disabilities: A Systematic Review, Sariya Shabnam, Jennifer E. Smith, Samiratu Bashiru

Journal of English Learner Education

Multilingual learners with disabilities (MLWDs) face substantial barriers to reading comprehension given the intersecting challenges of language acquisition and disability (Artzi et al., 2022; Frates et al., 2024). Students with disabilities often need explicit, strategy-based instruction with modeling, guided practice, and scaffolding (Frates et al., 2024; Wawire et al., 2024; Moura, 2024). When learners are also multilingual, interventions must be linguistically accessible and responsive to diverse cognitive profiles (Moura, 2024; Sarisahin, 2020). MLWDs comprise 15.8% of English learners in U.S. public schools (NCES, 2024), yet research on effective comprehension interventions remains limited; most studies treat multilingual learners or students with …