Digital Commons Network^™

Literacy Through Literature, Tammy Joy Cartwright

All Graduate Projects

Research on literature based and skills based reading programs was reviewed. Results showed that traditional basal programs, which are heavily skill oriented, do not meet the reading styles of all students. Integrated instruction which allows for a variety of learning activities can alleviate this problem. Research also indicated that the reading experience must be meaningful and motivating and that literature is an excellent means of providing this component. Integrated units were developed based upon this research evidence. Conclusions and recommendations are discussed.

Critical Thinking In Reading: A Whole Language Approach, Deborah Anne Adkins

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

The importance of good instruction in reading education has long been recognized. What constitutes good instruction and what materials should be used have been the focus of much debate, however, over the years. Two relatively new movements in education have recently added fuel to that debate, namely the movements in critical thinking and whole language. The fundamental purpose of the thinking skills movement is the development of higher level thinking in students. In the area of reading this means that students should be challenged by questions and problems in literature which cause them to go beyond a literal understanding. They …

Politics And Education: The Nicaraguan Literacy Crusade, Teresa Squires Osborne

Dissertations and Theses

The Nicaraguan Literacy Crusade of 1980, carried out in the aftermath,of a long and destructive revolution, was able, in five months time, to decrease the nation's illiteracy rate from 50 percent to 13 percent. The newly fonned Nicaraguan government, recognizing the political nature of education, viewed its Literacy Crusade as a major step· in the development of a "new", post-revolutionary Nicaragua.

As a means of comparison, two other literacy campaigns are also examined: the Cuban campaign of 1961, and the UNESCO-sponsored Experimental World Literacy Programme, in place from 1965-1973.

The Cuban campaign served as a precursor to the Nicaraguan effort. …

The Limits Of Linear Modes Of Inquiry Into Naturalistic World-Views: A Case Study Of Cherokee Culture, Karen L. Sorensen, Charles G. Wieder

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

We begin with the cultural-anthropological assumption that a people’s world-view is based in concepts of time and process, and is reflected in the ceremonies, customs, rituals, and other traditional patterns of social conduct within the society. In a case study of the Native American Cherokee, linear modes of inquiry, characteristic of Western science, are shown to be limited in their capacity to examine and appreciate these dimensions of culture in pre-literate societies. It is suggested that those aspects of our own culture which are grounded in aesthetic value may also be relatively inaccessible for the same reason. By examining meanings …

Improving Congruency Of Resources/Activities/Assessment In Intermediate-Level Language Arts Programs With Current Knowledge Of Literacy Development, Anne F. Luckhart

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This practicum was designed to improve the consistency of resources, activities, and assessment strategies in intermediate-level language arts programs with a holistic, process-oriented perspective of literacy development. The first goal was to implement literature-based programs in several classes. The second goal was to nurture lifelong reading habits by improving students' attitudes towards and interest in reading and increasing the number of books read. The final aim was to foster among intermediate-level teachers a commitment to a holistic approach to literacy development and to instructional practices congruent with this perspective.

The writer, in collaboration with several teachers, helped to implement literature-based …

A Comparative Analysis Of Comprehension Questions In Three California State-Adopted Spanish And English Basal Readers, Ana Maria Bonilla

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there was a variation in the number of questions within a given taxonomy level between parallel Spanish and English basal readers at primary grade levels. A secondary purpose was to determine if questions in parallel Spanish and English series, that extended to fourth grade, facilitated the transition from the Spanish to the English reader. Specifically, the tasks to be accomplished in the study were: (1) to classify reading questions contained in California state-adopted parallel Spanish and English basal readers utilizing Barrett's Taxonomy, (2) to determine the number of questions each …

"Night Writers": A Voluntary Creative Writing Program, Wendy Arline Alexander

All Graduate Projects

"Night Writers", a voluntary creative writing program that utilizes parent volunteers, was designed to encourage more writing in a positive way. Writing supports the aquisition of reading skills and enables one to communicate more effectively. As "Night Writers" encourages the students to write at home, with parent involvement encouraged, a close home-school relationship is being fostered to the benefit of all parties concerned.

A Second Chance: Meeting The Needs Of Adult Learners, Elizabeth F. Fideler

New England Journal of Public Policy

Changing demographics and economic factors are focusing national attention on adult learning as a major resource for solving many of the nation 's social and economic dilemmas. However, adult learners, the poor especially, face obstacles to educational advancement even where tuition is waived or incentive grants are given. Despite the considerable recent growth of adult education, the vast number of those who need it the most are not as yet participating. This article examines adult-education practices and participation in general — in the areas of literacy, occupational education, and higher learning — and conditions in Massachusetts in particular. It explains …

Aliteracy: The Relationship Between The Electronic Culture And Voluntary Reading, Geraldine H. Aschenbeck

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Aliteracy, the term used to describe those who can read but choose not to do so, has become a grave concern in this country. A review of the literature indicates Americans are choosing to use their leisure time to interact with the electronic media to gather information instead of reading to gain knowledge. The skills of critical thinking and decision making are at stake. Schools and homes who have been successful in teaching the skill or reading must now instill the value of reading in order to preserve the democratic process upon which this country was founded.

Relationships Among Selected Reading, Linguistic, And Piagetian Tasks, Gertrude A. Terrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationships among Piagetian levels of cognitive development, linguistic skills, and reading achievement in elementary pupils. The subjects were 212 pupils in grades K-3 at a school in Sullivan County, Tennessee. The subjects were administered conservation tests of number, quantity of matter, and length and linguistic tests of syllabication, synthesis of phonemes into words, and analysis of words into phonemes by the researcher. Scores on pre-reading skills from the reading subtests of the Metropolitan Readiness Tests and scores on meaning vocabulary, reading comprehension, and word study skills from the Stanford Achievement Test …

The Effectiveness Of Supplementary Computer-Assisted Instruction In Reading At The 4-6 Grade Level (Four-Six), Lois Nentwich Ortmann

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of supplementary computer-assisted instruction in raising the reading achievement of Chapter I pupils in grades 4, 5 and 6. There were 340 subjects in the sample, students in the Manteca Unified School District. Subjects were assigned to either the Experimental or Control Group based on their Reading Subtest scores on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills.

The Effects Of Chinese Character Recognition Instruction On The English Reading Readiness Skills Of Chinese- And Non-Chinese-Speaking Kindergarten Students, Victoria Wai Jew

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The Problem. Presently Chinese bilingual educators are divided in their opinions on the desirability of introducing initial reading in Chinese in an American school setting. A review of research studies found that data on the effects of Chinese reading instruction in a bilingual program was lacking. The present study was designed to examine the effects of Chinese character recognition instruction on the English reading readiness of Chinese and non-Chinese speaking kindergarten students. The study attempted to provide baseline data, information and recommendations for further research for Chinese bilingual education programs. Procedures. A quasi-experimental design using control and experimental groups was …

The Socratic Problem: Some Second Thoughts, Eric A. Havelock

The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter

In this paper, Havelock argues that the distinction between "early" "middle" and "late" dialogues makes little sense. All of the dialogues are Plato's construction; there is no reason to accept any of them as intended to be accurate representations of the historical Socrates. The Apology, often taken as a faithful representation of the historical Socrates, is rather a genre piece, in the tradition of Gorgias' Palamedes. Compare Isocrates' Antidosis. Havelock takes the movement from the orality of Socrates to the literacy of Plato as critical movement in the Athenian thought.

Preus

Methods And Materials For Esl Literacy, Ann Ebersole Strauch

MA TESOL Collection

Literacy education for adolescents and adults has been a perplexing problem for ESL teachers, who are generally unprepared for this specific type of instruction. Materials designed for native-English speakers are not suitable for ESL literacy instruction, and teacher-training institutions are not providing preparation for ESL literacy for prospective ESL teachers. Furthemore, very little research has been done on ESL literacy. In spite of this dearth of information and lack of suitable didactic materials available, substantial numbers of nonliterate students are seeking ESL instruction. This thesis addresses the need for methods and materials specifically intended for ESL literacy instruction.

Library research …

The Development Of English As A Second Language In Aboriginal And Migrant Children : A Pilot Study, A. L. Mcgregor

Research outputs pre 2011

Research programs developed in Queensland under the Van Leer Foundation Project and the Mount Gravatt Teachers College Language Research Project have yielded practicable approaches for the gathering and analysis of speech data from children of various age groups. On the basis of this research it has been possible to study patterns of language development in first language and to develop appropriate literacy materials for children at various levels of primary education. To date comparatively little is known about patterns of second language development. The question as to whether structures develop in the same sequence and at the same rates as …

Features Of Serbo-Croatian For Language Teachers, Eric G. Vaszolyi

Research outputs pre 2011

Teachers of migrant children experience a great many difficulties in trying to understand and resolve their pupils' language problems. One basic problem is all too familiar: the teacher speaks English and the migrant child does not understand it or only understands it to some, rather limited, extent. Another problem area: the pupil picks up some English in the classroom, on the playground and out in the street but speaks it with a peculiar accent and peppers it with phonemic, grammatical and semantic errors. The child's deviations from the generally accepted patterns of English (i.e. the prevalent variety of English spoken …

A Language Arts Curriculum For The Seventh Grade At Morgan Junior High School, Lois A. Fisher, Marianne Mcafee

All Graduate Projects

The goal of this project is to develop a meaningful program for Seventh Grade Language Arts. The factors to consider are the following: (1) handling large numbers of students, (2) meeting varied interests and abilities, (3) using available materials profitably and efficiently, (4) selecting specific skills and determining the amount of emphasis given the skills, (5) utilizing the physical setting.