Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Reading Comprehension Success For Multilingual Learners, Meilian Wang

Masters Projects

Multilingual learners (MLs) often struggle with reading comprehension as they simultaneously develop English language proficiency and learn grade-level academic content. Although research has identified effective instructional strategies for supporting ML reading comprehension, many general education teachers feel underprepared to implement these strategies effectively. This project examines the research-based approaches for supporting ML’s reading comprehension while addressing the need for sustained professional learning and instructional coaching for classroom teachers. The literature reviewed in this project focuses on sociocultural theory, translanguaging, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). There will be additional research-based instructional strategies such as explicit vocabulary …

Explicit Reading Comprehension Instruction: Developing An Evidence-Based Resource Guide For Upper Elementary Teachers, Amanda M. Moser

Masters Projects

Reading comprehension is a complex process that requires more than accurate decoding and word recognition. Many elementary students benefit from explicit instruction in the cognitive, linguistic, and metacognitive processes that support comprehension. The purpose of this project was to examine research on reading comprehension and develop evidence-based instructional resources for upper elementary teachers. The theoretical framework for this project draws on four perspectives: the Constructive-Integration Model (Kintsch, as discussed in Conner et al., 2016), Transactional Theory (Rosenblatt, 1978), Sociocultural Theory (Vygotsky, as discussed in Palincsar et al., 1987), and the Active View of Reading (Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Collectively, these …

Building Fluent Readers: Developing Comprehensive Reading Fluency In K-2 Classrooms, Erika Yersak

Masters Projects

Despite extensive research establishing reading fluency as essential to literacy development, many early elementary students fail to achieve grade-level fluency, compromising their reading comprehension and academic success.  Fluency instruction has been narrowed to measuring reading speed, dismissed beyond third grade, and taught as an isolated skill disconnected from authentic reading across content areas.  While research demonstrates that fluency encompasses accuracy, automaticity, and prosody and should be integrated meaningfully across disciplines, many K-2 teachers lack practical resources and guidance for implementing comprehensive fluency instruction in their classrooms.

To address this gap, this project presents a research-based fluency integration guidebook for K-2 …

Community School Hubs: A Path To Literacy For English Learners And Families, Elizabeth Ortiz-Wright

The Reading Professor

This qualitative narrative study examined the perceptions of community school hub members and Hispanic English learner parents at an elementary school in a suburban district. Eighty-four percent of the students at the study site were economically disadvantaged. The inquiry drew on sociocultural theory and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to explore how these hubs support families. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and field observations and analyzed using Quirkos software. The findings demonstrate the overall value of community school hubs in addressing basic needs, increasing the potential for academic success. However, a significant lack of clarity exists; many parents were unaware …

Beyond The Deficit Lens: Black Family Literacy As Social, Cultural, And Historical Practice: Implications For Literacy Teacher Education, Tasean D. Baldwin

The Reading Professor

Literacy education in the United States has long centered on standardized English and formal classroom instruction. While intended as a universal benchmark, this approach systematically overlooks and delegitimizes the rich literacy history and traditions rooted in Black families and communities. Through the application of frameworks such as New Literacy Studies, Gee's Theory of Discourse Communities, Yosso's Community  Cultural Wealth model, and Critical Race Theory, this article reframes Black family literacy through a social, cultural, and historical lens. It is forged and perpetuated by resistance to racial oppression, through the intergenerational exchange of knowledge, and oral traditions within the community. This …

Beyond Screening: Using Multiple Sources Of Evidence To Inform Early Literacy Instruction, Cheryl Kahn

The Reading Professor

Educators today collect more literacy data than at any previous point in history, yet many students continue to experience reading difficulties that are identified far later than they should be. This article argues that the problem is not a lack of information but a failure to integrate available evidence to prompt timely instructional action. Drawing on research in reading development, early identification of reading difficulties, teacher knowledge, assessment literacy, instructional decision-making, and responsive literacy instruction, this article proposes the Multiple Sources of Evidence Framework to strengthen early literacy decision-making. Rather than relying on any single assessment or screening result, the …

Interrupting The Retention Cycle: The Impact Of Relationship-Centered One-To-One Literacy Tutoring On Affective And Cognitive Outcomes For At-Risk Third-Grade Readers, Amy Nussbaum

The Reading Professor

Third grade serves as a critical literacy benchmark in Indiana, where students who do not pass the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment may face retention. The consequences of retention are particularly pronounced for students living in high-poverty communities, where inequitable access to literacy opportunities often compounds existing academic challenges. This article examines a six-week, relationship-centered literacy intervention implemented at an underserved Catholic school in South Bend, Indiana. Through a partnership with Tutor-ND, trained community tutors provided one-to-one, evidence-based literacy instruction to students at risk of retention following unsuccessful performance on IREAD. Drawing upon research related to high-impact tutoring, …

Beyond The Label: Investigating The Relationship Between Ell Placement And Teacher Expectations For Academic Rigor, Bruce A. Torff, Audrey Figueroa Murphy

The Reading Professor

Urban teachers (N=142) completed a survey assessing how placement of English learners in common pedagogical settings that vary in ESL models (self-contained, pull-out, push-in, bilingual, and dual language) was associated with teachers' beliefs about rigor of curriculum. Teachers significantly favored low-Critical Thinking (CT) curricular activities over high-CT ones consistent with "rigor gap" research showing that teachers tend to view ELLs in need of low-CT curriculum. Beliefs consistent with the rigor gap also emerged within the ELL population, based on placements. Teachers preferred curriculum tilted toward low-CT instruction for students with the greatest challenges--those given the most ESL-sequestered placements (self-contained and …

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The Reading Professor

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Children Second Dialect Acquisition In North America, Iqbal Nurul Azhar, Mohammad Halili

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This article aims to examine the causes, social contributing factors, and the linguistic consequences of Second Dialect Acquisition (SDA henceforth) in children in North America, drawing on relevant articles. For children growing up in a monolingual region but then must live in a new space, acquiring second dialect can pave them to improve their communication skills, adjust their social and identity belonging. Yet why, how, and the linguistic consequence of SDA require further studies. We used the thematic synthesis in reviewing the existing related literature based on three steps: article identification, selection, and analysis. Six causes of SDA were found: …

Flexibility In Javanese Folk Performing Arts: Adaptation, Creation, And Innovation, Kiswanto Kiswanto, Paimin Paimin, Wahyu Prihatin

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This study aims to uncover and explain the concept and model of flexibility as a mechanism for the sustainability of folk performing arts amidst conditions of social and cultural change. The study was conducted using an ethnographic approach, based on participatory and collaborative activities within the Turonggo Seto Boyolali group, and supported by data collection techniques including observation, interviews, documentation, and literature review. The results of this study indicate that flexibility is a principle and approach applied through the process of adaptation, creation, and innovation. This process is carried out to preserve and develop traditional performing arts, ensuring they continue …

Professional Development And Coaching To Support Teachers In Implementing Reading Interventions To Students With Dyslexia In Catholic Schools, Payton Elise Bosma

Masters Projects

Students with dyslexia need explicitly designed and implemented instruction in order to combat deficits in phonological, language, and executive functioning processes, yet teachers in Catholic Schools may not have the necessary training for successful reading intervention due to a lack of dyslexia policy in private schools. This project aims to fill this need by providing one Catholic School in an urban setting with a year-long professional development series which includes 5 professional development sessions to be implemented alongside individual coaching sessions. The purpose of the professional development sessions is twofold. They were created to increase teacher awareness of the etiology …

Resistance And Adaptation In Banyumas Traditional Gending: Musical Negotiation Between Cultural Preservation And Commercial Performance In Lengger And Ebeg, Darno Darno, Binarung Mahatmajangga

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This study investigates the musical dynamics of Banyumas-style traditional gending within the contestation of Lengger and Ebeg performances amid the demands of modern entertainment. Using a qualitative method combining ethnomusicological and cultural-sociology perspectives, the study examines changes in musical structure and the socio-cultural forces driving them, and asks specifically: what defines Banyumas gending musicality at the level of instrumental garap (working practice); what concrete forms of adaptation and resistance are observable in contemporary performance; and how these dynamics can be read through Merriam's concept of stability and change and Bourdieu's theory of capital and field. Data were collected through in-depth …

Beyond The Pencil: Creating Early Writers, Pamela L. Gernaat

Masters Projects

“Schools in many countries are faced with the challenge of developing student writing proficiency. Identifying and implementing effective writing instruction for young, beginning writers play important roles in improving student writing performance. Providing effective writing instruction to beginning writers can promote writing development and minimize the number of children who encounter challenges in learning to write” (Finlayson & McCrudden, 2022, p. 1). Despite the amount of research that has been done on the importance of early writing instruction, many lower elementary students struggle with the ability to write and cannot keep up with the cognitive demands of written instruction. Many …

Teaching Writing With Confidence: A Professional Learning Series To Build Special Education Teachers' Knowledge And Self-Efficacy For Explicit Writing Instruction, Lindsay E. Bowen

Masters Projects

Writing is an essential skill used to communicate ideas effectively, assess understanding, and demonstrate critical thinking across educational and workplace settings. Yet, research demonstrates that a majority of special education teacher preparation programs do not offer standalone courses in writing instruction methods, leaving many special education teachers to enter the profession with limited knowledge of effective writing instruction for students with high-incidence disabilities. This project explores current research on effective sentence-level writing instruction for students with high-incidence disabilities, as well as a research-based approach for applying these practices in a systematic yet adaptable manner to meet the needs of individual …

Preparing Newly-Hired Elementary Teachers For Evidence-Based Reading Instruction Through Professional Development, Sierra Rose Anthony

Masters Projects

There is a growing need to equip teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to foster student growth in reading. The problem addressed in this project is that many newly-hired teachers lack the knowledge, confidence, and instructional coaching needed to effectively implement evidence-based literacy practices in conjunction with high-leverage teaching practices. Newly-hired teachers include teachers who are new to a district, both those who have transferred from another school and those who are just beginning their teaching careers. This project proposes a year-long professional development program that equips newly-hired teachers with evidence-based literacy practices and high-leverage teaching practices through explicit …

Evaluating Gender Equity In The Berenstain Bears Picture Books, Christy Tisnawijaya, Geni Kurniati

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

Picture books serve as a foundational medium in early childhood education, utilizing interrelated visual and verbal elements to foster linguistic, cognitive, and social development. Despite their pedagogical utility, certain literary works inadvertently perpetuate traditional gender roles, constraining children's conceptualizations of identity. This study evaluates gender representation within eleven selected titles of The Berenstain Bears series. Employing a qualitative multimodal content analysis, the study integrates Butler's gender performativity framework (1990), Callow's multimodal narrative approach (2020), and Adam and Harper's evaluative criteria (2021) to examine how domestic, social, and recreational roles are constructed. This study offers novelty by establishing a dual-lens multimodal …

Developing Confidence And Motivation In Writing Through Authentic And Collaborative Writing Approaches, Sara J. Weeks

Masters Projects

Writing is an expressive and complex process that takes time to develop, yet writing in middle school classrooms is primarily used as a way to demonstrate mastery of content rather than develop writers. Writing instruction is limited or used inefficiently in today’s classrooms, which gives students fewer opportunities to engage in authentic writing experiences. As a consequence, middle school students report a lack of confidence and motivation to write. These conditions contribute to stagnant writing achievement for middle school students. Research suggests that improving student writing outcomes requires writing environments that provide authentic, collaborative, and process-oriented writing experiences. However, these …