Education Commons^™

Visual Literacies And Young Children’S Writing: Creating Spaces For Young Children’S Voices And Engaging In Authentic Writing Experiences, Elizabeth Presto

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Young children engage in multimodal written expression. The research in this study explores the spaces that were created, and the stories created by children in an after-school comic club. The club utilized the Writer’s Workshop model to support the Being a Writer program that is used in the Ocean View School District (Ocean View School District is a pseudonym). I created a supplemental writing program that utilized visual literacy instruction and taught the lessons in the club. The theoretical framework incorporated developmentally appropriate writing instruction, visual literacy elements, and sociocultural theory. This study employed an action research methodology with multiple …

Making Space For Student Agency: A Multilayered Exploration Of Agency And Writing In A First‐Grade Classroom, Kara Decoursey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Early literacy learning is crucial for later success in reading and writing. We have a limited understanding of generative writing (i.e., expressing ideas in writing) in first grade and further research is warranted. The socially situated nature of writing justifies a study of student agency during writing.

In this study, data were collected before, during, and after 10 writing sessions in a first-grade classroom. Students took a pre- and post-survey that revealed their self-perceptions of their agency and confidence as literacy learners. The participating teacher was interviewed three times and the teacher’s talk was recorded during all 45- to 60- …

Major Components Needed In A Literacy Curriculum To Promote Student Success, Brooke Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan focuses on what components are beneficial in a literacy curriculum to promote success in students' reading skills and improve FAST Test scores. Research has found phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, writing, and science of reading concepts should be included in a literacy curriculum to be effective. These components will help find a new literacy curriculum for a school district. In all success, an effective literacy curriculum will be found with creating a system to look through to find an effective literacy curriculum, piloting, and analyzing data. The objective in the end is to discover a …

Primary Grade Students’ Achievement Given Differentiated Process Writing Instruction In A Summer Learning Program, Kathleen F. Clark, Karen S. Evans, Christine M. Reinders, Kathleen A. O'Dell

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Struggling writers often need more instructional support than is present in commercially available process writing curricula. In this study, we employed a one-group, pretest–posttest design to evaluate whether 41 struggling primary grade writers who attended a university-based summer learning program would increase in writing ability, given a commercially available process writing unit differentiated to provide more support. A Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) unit was modified for use in the program: The content was streamlined, the volume of writing was reduced, the instructional explicitness was strengthened, increased feedback and student product goals were integrated, and the instruction was …

The Path To Self-Authorship: The Pre-Service Teacher-Writer, Shari L. Daniels Dr., Pamela Beck

Literacy Practice and Research

This literature review examined the relationship between the development of a teacher who writes (teacher-writer) and the phases of self-authorship, “the internal capacity to define one's beliefs, identity and social relations” (Baxter Magolda, 2001, p. 269). The narratives of three teacher-writer-authors show a correlation to Magolda’s self-authorship phases. The purpose of this examination was to explore the question: How might a writing support teachers in personally and professionally? Research suggests new teachers are unprepared for today’s classrooms. Could this unpreparedness may be related to a lack of self-authorship? Might a consistent writing practice propel teachers through the phases of self-authorship …

From Writer To Teacher: The Gradual Release Of Responsibility In An Early Childhood Education Writing Course For Pre-Service Teachers, Denise N. Morgan, Danielle G. Gruhler, Kristen I. Evans

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Teaching students to become confident, capable writers is imperative in today’s world. Growing attention has been paid to the amount and kinds of writing students are experiencing in schools with an urgent plea for more time and attention given to writing instruction (Nagin, 2003; National Commission on Writing, 2003). Yet, few teachers feel well prepared to teach writing.

In this special issue on writing methods courses, we discuss the evolution of our writing methods course for early childhood preservice teachers (PK-5). Specifically, we examine the current pedagogical practices within the course to support preservice teachers’ experiential learning. This piece examines …

Improving Writing Skills With Kindergarten Students Using Embedded Learning Opportunities In Dramatic Play, Samantha Tabor

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

How do kindergarten teachers meet the required instructional mins, get students to reach mastery of common core standards, and embed learning opportunities in play? Teachers will need to focus on creating environments that foster creativity, problem-solving, and will help their individual students grow academically, socially, and emotionally (Cress & Holm, 2017). There are very few studies that discuss embedding learning opportunities for kindergarten students using kindergarten common core standards. There are no current studies that address kindergarten teachers using embedded learning opportunities to increase kindergarten writing skills as outlined by common core standards. This study focused on just that: Do …

Book Review Of A Young Writer's World: Creating Early Childhood Classrooms Where Authors Abound., Hannah D. Szatkowski

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

A Young Writer’s World: Creating Early Childhood Classrooms Where Authors Abound (Giles, 2020) provides early childhood educators with the knowledge and resources in order to create an immersive learning environment conducive for developing pre-school and kindergarten’s writing development. This book review evaluates the layout and key components of the text in order to identify the potential implications it could provide within an early childhood classroom.

Closing The English Language Proficiency Gap In Post-Secondary Education In Canada, Priscilla Lothian-Hendrix

Dissertations

The proposed research employed a mixed-method approach to investigate why the linguistic standards of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) (levels 5–8) are deemed satisfactory for English as a second language (ESL) learners at the college level. An examination of the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) identified why an ESL learner with a CLB level of 5–8 requires English support services in post-secondary education to achieve academic success in Canada. The CLB levels of six female participants were analyzed using a questionnaire in reading, writing, listening, and speaking to explore their English levels in articulating the language, pronouncing words, …

Extending Literacy Work Beyond Our Buildings: The Collaborative Work Of Creating A Community Writing Center, Catherine Calabro Cavin, Cathy Fleischer, Ann Blakesee, Mary Garboden

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

YpsiWrites, a community writing center that supports youth and adults, is a collaborative effort among 826michigan, Eastern Michigan University’s Office of Campus and Community Writing, and the Ypsilanti District Library. The authors share the background for this work, the partnerships that sustain it, and the day-to-day realities of operating it. They conclude with ideas for how others might create similar collaborations to extend literacy beyond the walls of schools.

Writing, Researching And Reading Bilingual, Regional Children's Literature, Anna M. Nogar Phd

LAII Events

Do you remember reading or being read children's books? Were they about leyendas y mitos, historias or places you had been near home? ¿Was there a vaivén between languages? In this talk, Dr. Anna M. Nogar will discuss the research involved in creating illustrated, bilingual books with a regional focus for children; how such books are written; and what is involved in their reading for young audiences. Teaching and working with current students in an online undergraduate class on "La vida juvenil bilingüe" in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Dr. Nogar shares that experience and helps us think about …

I'M New Here, David Glickstein

Diverse Families Bookshelf Lesson Plans and Activities

No abstract provided.

Text-Influenced Expressions Of Understanding: Differences In Kindergartners’ Discourse And Written Retellings Of Traditional And Digital Texts During Buddy Reading, Julie Parrish

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Buddy reading a text is a collaborative act that typically generates discourse that provides researchers with a glimpse of the comprehending taking place. However, in recent years, the infusion of technology in classrooms has resulted in many traditional texts being replaced by digital versions. Thus, this qualitative case study examined the spoken and written discourse of 12 kindergartners (6 dyads) as they buddy read a traditional and digital text.

Drawing upon two distinct lenses—sociocultural and comprehension signifier—video recordings, transcriptions, and written retellings were analyzed. Specifically, process coding and in vivo coding were used to construct categories and uncover sociocultural patterns …

Should An Effective Language Learning Be Through The Development Of Just One Language Skill?, Victor Daniel Gil Vera Vdgv, Bairon Jaramillo Valencia, Nancy Biviana Cardona, María Alejandra Cifuentes, Shirley Alejandra Jimenez, Laura Marcela Martínez

The Qualitative Report

This paper is intended to identify how teachers’ emphasis on writing influence the learning process in an English class, taking into account that the development of the four language skills is essential for learning a second language to gain an effective communication. this study adopts some main concepts related to English teaching and learning, which are: language skills, writing and learning process. Then, in order to recognize this educational case, this study follows a qualitative approach, a hermeneutic paradigm and a case study, using a non-participant observation, a participant observation, a semi-structured interview and some task-based learning (TBL) sessions which …

Who Counts As A Writer? Examining Child, Teacher, And Parent Perceptions Of Writing, Anna H. Hall, Kelley M. White, Ying Guo, Andrea Emerson

Publications

The current study used a mixed method design with 245 preschool children, 255 teachers, and 156 parents. Researchers interviewed children and surveyed teachers and parents about their perceptions of preschool children’s writing abilities and developmental writing stages. The results of the study showed that each group defined writing differently and parents were less likely to have positive perceptions about preschool children’s writing abilities than children and teachers. Correlation analysis demonstrated that teacher and parent perceptions of children’s writing abilities were not related to children’s own perceptions of their writing abilities in this study. This study illuminates that alignment of home …

Infographic: High Frequency Words Used By Young Students In Australia, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

New research explores the words most frequently written by students in Australia in their first three years of schooling. Today’s infographic looks at the words that were written at a high frequency, unique to each year level.

The Critical Relationship Of Dramtic Play And Literacy Development: Primary Plays Handbook, Activity Packets And Dramatic Play Kits For The Primary Classrooms, Connie Lewellyn

All Graduate Projects

Dramatic play is a critical element of programs for young children as a means of acquiring literacy. Literacy-enriched play encourages children's exploration of reading and writing in the world around them. Although child-structured dramatic play is widely recognized as being important, few opportunities are provided for primary educators to incorporate this type of drama into their reading curriculums. This project provides a foundation to implement dramatic play activities in the preschool through third grade reading curriculums.

Emergent Writing Practices For A Kindergarten Classroom: A Handbook For Kidergarten Teachers, Tori Lyn Bennan

All Graduate Projects

A handbook has been developed to aid in the design of a kindergarten writing program and/or to be used as a supplement to any existing kindergarten writing curriculum. The handbook consists of four main content areas of discussion regarding current writing practices used in a kindergarten writing curriculum: Writer's Workshop, journals, partner writing, and parent involvement. Each section consists of a brief definition of the term and five distinctive lesson plans implementing the above practices. Current literature and research regarding the topic of young children's development in writing were explored.

Reading And Writing Workshop In A Multiage Primary Classroom, Pamela Evanshen, Susan Lewis

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Determining Best Practices For Supporting The Emergent Writer In Kindergarten And First Grade Classrooms: A Handbook For Educators, Lynn Pearl

All Graduate Projects

Best practices for supporting the emergent writer in kindergarten and first grade were researched. The research suggests ways to assist emergent writers as they move through the developmental stages of writing. A handbook for educators was created to not only compliment existing curriculum, but also to help educators organize a writing workshop in their classrooms. This handbook contains activities already field tested in many classrooms, and organized procedures for conducting a writer's workshop. iii

Daily Journal Writing In The Early Childhood Classroom, Kristin Fisher

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop a handbook to assist teachers who wish to use daily writing journals as a part of the reading and writing curriculum in a preschool, kindergarten, first, or second grade classroom. The project describes procedures, materials, activities, and routines needed to institute such a program. The Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements and assessment methods are addressed. Variations on the journal format that have been used in other early childhood classrooms are mentioned. Current literature and research on the topics of emergent literacy and journal writing is explored.

Elements Of A First Grade Writing Program, Julie Laree Fry

All Graduate Projects

Literature regarding the early developmental processes of (1) writing, (2) spelling, and (3) phonemic awareness for children between the ages of five and seven were reviewed. The literature stated that all three of these processes develop simultaneously through a series of very specific stages. Writing in kindergarten and first grade needs to be practiced daily and treated like a free activity without restriction of copious spelling rules. It was further regarded that spelling should be considered a life long evolving skill that should not stifle the early writer. A program to guide teachers as they help first grade children to …

An Inservice Training Manual Of Selected Writing Techniques To Improve Reading Achievement In Primary Grades, Roni L. Rumsey

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a manual of writing techniques that could be used in kindergarten and first grade classrooms, in order to increase reading achievement. To accomplish this, current research and literature on emergent literacy, reading, writing, and communication was reviewed. Additionally, information and selected materials from selected schools and school districts related to the utilization of writing techniques to improve reading skills was obtained and analyzed.

Supporting Emergent Writing In Kindergarten, Lynne L. Dufault

All Graduate Projects

The development of emergent writing and the factors which support writing were studied. Five ways that teachers support emergent writing in the classroom were identified and used as the foundation for the developed activities in this project. The activities were designed by the author for use in kindergarten and can be adapted to fit other primary levels. Recommendations for supporting emergent writing in classrooms were given. iii

Activities For Teaching Letter Identification, A. Kristin Seibel

All Graduate Projects

The focus of this project was to compile and design research based letter identification activities. Emphasis was placed on the highly confusable letters "b-d", "p-q", and "n-u". The activities were for use in the first grade curriculum. Learning objectives were stated for each activity. The activities, utilizing a variety of materials, were chosen and designed for hands-on application. Needed materials were listed, directions and patterns for construction were included, directions for use were provided, and classroom management was suggested. Use of the activities was divided into three parts: whole group introduction, guided practice, and small group activities.

Take Home Reading/Writing Activity Packets For Kindergartners, Jean Marie Czubin

All Graduate Projects

This project was developed to provide meaningful reading/writing activities which would involve the parents of kindergartners in the reading process. Research studies reviewed in literature supported the theory that kindergartners should be taught basic reading skills and parents need to be involved in the reading process. It is currently recognized that parents can do a great deal to develop reading and writing skills at home. Therefore, the role of the teacher is extended beyond the school into the home.

A Handbook For Teaching Journal Writing, Kindergarten Through Third Grade, Linda Rae Donofrio

All Graduate Projects

This masters project provided a teachers' manual for use by teachers who want to establish a journal writing program. It was intended for teachers of grades kindergarten through third grade. In addition to the teachers' manual, this project also provided an overview of the literature of journal writing as part of a language arts program. Examples of students' journal entries were also included. The manual itself was prepared for use in a suburban, middle class school district and it contains a step-by-step approach to establishing a journal program.

A Curriculum Guide Based On Developmental Stages Of Kindergarten And First Grade Writing, Heidi E. Borrud

All Graduate Projects

The relationship between the developmental stages of a child and the acquisition of written language was studied. Through research, developmental stages were identified. The stages were used to develop objectives for a kindergarten and first grade writing curriculum guide. Activities that would aid in the achievement of the given objectives are suggested.