Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Uniting To Strengthen Reading Instruction Through Mixed-Reality Simulations, Todd Whitney, Kera B. Ackerman

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Improving literacy outcomes in Kentucky requires professional learning models that effectively bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. The partnership between the Kentucky Reading Research Center (KYRRC) and the University of Kentucky SimLab (UK SimLab) represents an innovative approach to building teacher capacity through mixed-reality simulations aligned with statewide literacy initiatives. Grounded in evidence-based instructional practices, the partnership integrates professional learning and opportunities for deliberate practice in core literacy areas, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Mixed-reality simulations provide educators with structured, low-risk environments to rehearse instructional routines, receive feedback, and refine their teaching, addressing well-documented challenges …

Teaching Iep Development To Preservice Teachers Using Real-World Scenarios And Kentucky Resources, Laura S. Clarke, Dusty Columbia Embury

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

When considering all of the content and pedagogy required for preservice teachers to master before they begin teaching students with disabilities, candidates at public, regional university report that one of the most complex components is understanding Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and how to write them. In this article, we will provide a program description of the structure, components, and outcomes of a model preservice personnel preparation program designed to address the pedagogical needs of university teacher education candidates in this rural state university. We will describe the plan and initial results from a small pilot study in which faculty in …

Critical Incident Analysis: A Methodological Approach For Teaching Trauma Informed Practices, Penny B. Howell, Mary S. Thomas, Shantel D. Crosby, Khirsten Scott

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Drawing on sociocultural theory, a transdisciplinary, multi-racial team of teacher educators, a social work educator, and a scholar of English and rhetoric, designed a study focused on developing teacher candidates’ understanding of trauma-informed practices during their teacher preparation program. Qualitative data from teacher candidates’ reflections on Critical Incident Descriptions (CID) completed during student teaching reveal their developing understanding of trauma-informed practice with Timing, Maintaining Relationships, Holding High Expectations, and Engaging Students so they Remain in the Classroom as prevalent themes across all CIDs. Findings suggest that Critical Incident Analysis promotes teacher candidates’ reflection practices as they make connections …

English Diphthongs For English Learners: The Same, But Different, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

In any language, diphthongs need to be reckoned with, but teaching diphthongs to learners of English as a new language requires greater insight and special skills. In this column, we take a look at English diphthongs, why they matter, and how they might be best handled when teaching English language learners.

Cover Page Vol. 65 Issue 1

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

No abstract provided.

Book Clubs And Young Adult Literature: Preparing Preservice Special Educators In Inclusive Literacy Practices, Marie Tejero Hughes, Juana Abarca, Marta Mohammad

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The study presented in this article explored how book clubs centered on young adult (YA) literature supported 67 preservice special educators (PSEs) in developing inclusive literacy practices. The study examined PSEs’ reflections on social, cultural, and personal themes in YA narratives and how these informed their planning for students with disabilities. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, researchers analyzed online discussion posts collected over a 6-week book club course component. Findings reveal that PSEs engaged with themes such as identity, resilience, systemic inequities, and disability representation, often connecting literature to their own positionalities and future teaching roles. PSEs also identified a …

Home Visits As Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: A First-Grade Classroom Community Learns From Families’ Shared Assets And Challenges, Jen Mccreight

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article builds on existing scholarship by analyzing the use of home visits as a tool to learn about families’ funds of knowledge—their viewpoints, beliefs, and critical understandings—while also examining families’ own complex views of their linguistic and cultural assets. Through the lens of culturally sustaining pedagogy, the article discusses how home visits were used as a family/school partnership practice that celebrated and built on first grade students’ unique cultural and linguistic assets, as well as how families’ insights were shared with and taken up by first-grade students through classroom activities and projects.

Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge, Skills, And Perceptions Related To Data-Based Decision Making In Elementary Reading Instruction, Erin K. Washburn, Samantha A. Gesel, Miranda S. Fitzgerald, Corinne R. Kingsbery

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Teachers’ knowledge of and ability to use reading assessments and assessment data to inform instruction has long been recognized as a core teaching competency. Data-based decision making (DBDM) is a process by which educators examine assessment data to identify student strengths and needs and apply those findings to their practice. DBDM has been linked to student achievement/engagement and positive teacher self-efficacy. However, DBDM, specifically in reading, is a complex process for teachers. Preservice teacher preparation has been deemed a space for the introduction of DBDM in reading. However, few studies have explored how targeted instruction in reading-related DBDM may impact …

Teaching Context Analysis Assignment, Tamara M. Roose

Teacher Education and Technology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Expanding Traditional Literacy Frameworks: A Multiliteracies Approach In Elementary Classrooms, Caroline Cuenca

Doctoral Dissertations

Teaching literacy in elementary schools can provide students with a rich, meaningful, and engaging learning experience. Furthermore, cultivating a culturally responsive approach to teaching and learning can promote feelings of acceptance and belonging in young children (Comber, 2018). However, elementary educators are feeling increased pressure to emphasize literacy instruction with a sole focus on foundational literacy skills, standardized curriculum, and accountability measures (Unadkat & Ochoa, 2026). Unfortunately, these instructional practices often limit students' opportunities to engage in creative, collaborative, multimodal, and meaningful learning (Unadkat & Cuenca, 2025). This mixed-methods study examined how a critical multiliteracies curriculum was implemented in a …

Replacing Print With Program: Concerns With Digitizing Classroom Literacy, Alayna Ianiri

Gateway Reader- Individual Papers

• The Problem: Excessive time spent reading on digital devices creates a "screen inferiority effect" where students fail to assign academic importance to digital texts, leading to reduced reading comprehension, standard testing declines, and increased mind-wandering under time constraints.

• The Method: The researcher analyzed an existing study by Ladislao Salmerón and education professors that utilized student data from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and an MML regression equation method evaluating fourth- and eighth-grade English language arts students.

• Quantitative Finding: The discrepancy in PISA reading comprehension scores between students practicing and drilling on …

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Ready-To-Teach Reads: Standards-Aligned Novel Studies For Seventh Grade Using Contemporary Middle Grade Fiction, Elizabeth Duvall

Senior Theses

This project aims to provide middle school English teachers with an easy way to update their curriculum to be culturally relevant using ready-to-teach unit plans based on diverse novels. Since research shows students benefit from reading texts from diverse cultures, each novel features minority voices. Both units include lesson plans for each day, and resources like slideshows, worksheets, and discussion questions. They were created using the South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts. While these units are tailored to South Carolina teachers, they can be used by any educator whose standards align with the units’ learning …

Freedom Readers And Sustainable Development Goal 4: Advancing Literacy In Low-Income Communities Of South Carolina, Madison Hayes

Goal 4: Quality Education

No abstract provided.

The Internal Motivation Of English Language Learners To Acquire The Language, Milos Slaninka

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This case study utilized qualitative research to investigate how the adult education program at a school in a northeastern state’s English as a second language (ESL) program affected the students’ intrinsic motivation. Students’ recruitment followed the principle of homogenous sampling, which entailed choosing a small number of the population that fit the study’s parameters. As a result, the data collection for the study consisted of interviews with 11 individuals enrolled in the ESL program. All interviews were carried out in the interviewee’s private setting via the Zoom platform to ensure the collection of the most genuine data possible. The main …

Where Evidence-Based Research Meets L2 Pedagogy: Classroom Instruction Of Russian Case Morphology, Ryder L. Myrick

Senior Theses

Learners of Russian as a second language (L2) have long been documented to struggle with the Russian case system. However, pedagogy-oriented research on the acquisition of Russian case morphology remains limited. Addressing this gap, the current classroom-based and theoretically-motivated study reports a partial replication of Kisselev, Rubina and McManus (2025) with the addition of a delayed post-test, tutoring sessions, and improved materials. Quantitative findings match those of the original study, further supporting the effectiveness of Usage-Based instruction in Russian case pedagogy (90% average experimental-group score and 66% control-group score on a post-test). Qualitative analysis reveals additional factors shaping learning outcomes, …

Iraqi Students' Engagement With English In Indonesia: Language, Identity, And Adaptation, Nirwana Nirwana, Yanty Wirza, Mutakhirani Mustafa, Muhlis Muhlis

The Qualitative Report

English as a lingua franca in higher education enables international students to participate in the global academic community. However, for Iraqi students in Indonesia, the use of English is not just a means of communication, but also part of identity negotiation, social adaptation, and cultural integration. This study explores how Iraqi students experience acceptance, resistance, and adaptation in using English in academic and social environments in Indonesia. The three-dimensional narrative inquiry framework (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) is used as the primary analytical lens to explore how participants' experiences unfold over time, across relational contexts, and within specific physical and institutional …

From Arrival To Opportunity: A Policy Analysis For Supporting Newly Arrived English Learners In California, Valeria Gabrielli, Stephanie Mendoza Hernandez

School of Public Policy Capstones

Newly arrived immigrant students, commonly referred to as “newcomers,” represent a notable portion of the English Learner (EL) population in California’s K–12 public schools. As of Fall 2023, the California Department of Education reported that newcomers comprised 3.27% of total student enrollment. Although enrollment is projected to decline in the near term, the potential for future increases highlights the need for sustainable, evidence-based support systems. This study examines how California K–12 public schools with large EL populations provide academic and trauma-informed support services to newcomer students, with a particular focus on early intervention in grades K–5. Using the Bardach policy …

Early Literacy Footprints: Analysis Of Elementary School Students' Initial Reading Abilities Using Early Grade Reading Assessment (Egra), Novi Safitri, Rina Heryani, Angga Hadiapurwa, Atep Sujana

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

Low initial reading skills are an indication of low student literacy. This research aims to analyze the early reading skills of Phase A students, which includes grades 1 and 2 of elementary school. The research used a descriptive qualitative method, involving 122 students from two elementary schools in Garut Regency, aged 6 to 8 years old. The instrument used in this study was the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) reading test. The results of the study showed that 68% of students in Phase A had early reading skills in the category of needing guidance. Meanwhile, 6.6% of students were in …

Development Of Big-Ideas Guided Thematic Unit Module For High School English As A Foreign Language Instruction In China, Wang Han

Student Works (2020-2029)

The 2017 National English Curriculum Standards for Senior High Schools in China position “Big Ideas” as a central organizing principle for thematic unit design. The absence of Big-Ideas oriented instruction is often linked to fragmented learning, rote memorization, weak knowledge transfer, and limited higher-order thinking, which collectively hinder the attainment of national core competency goals. Existing studies and teacher survey data suggest that students lacking exposure to Big-Idea pedagogy underperform in cross-text reasoning, critical thinking, and cultural awareness. Teachers also face multiple challenges: a superficial understanding of Big Ideas, a lack of structured instructional tools, and constraints posed by exam-driven …

Linguistic Realization Of Marketing Strategies In Food Discourse: A Pragmatic Study On Instagram Account, Titik Sudartinah, Emi Nursanti, Regita Sekar Arrum

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

In today's digital era, speech acts are not only realized through face-to-face communication but also manifested in online interaction. One of the prominent platforms where online interaction occurs is Instagram. Nowadays, Instagram functions not only as a medium for sharing personal moments but also as a powerful business tool for promotion. This study examines (1) the types of speech acts employed in the @voilajogja culinary Instagram account and (2) how these acts manifest marketing strategies in food discourse. The study applies Searle's (1979) speech act theory and Kotler and Keller's (2021) marketing management framework within a mixed-method design. The analysis …