Education Commons^™

Perspectives On Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Executive Functions, Working Memory, And Language Disabilities, Carol Westby, Silvana Watson

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The conceptualization of the nature of attention deficit hyper-activity disorder (ADHD) has changed in the last decade. ADHD is now viewed as a neurologically based condition with primary deficits in executive functions and working memory (WM). Students with ADHD have deficits in discourse organization, inferring, and monitoring that are related to their executive function and WM deficits. A large number of students with ADHD also have comorbid reading and language disabilities that exist in addition to the deficits directly associated with the ADHD. Comprehensive evaluation of students with ADHD is essential to address their specific learning needs

Integrating The Six Traits Of Reading Into Literature Circle Discussion Groups : Moving Towards Thoughtful Literacy In A Title I Classroom, Kristin N. Carew

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of integrating The Traits of Effective Readers into student-led literature circle discussion groups within the Title I reading classroom. This research was conducted with fourth grade students in an attempt to see if this method of instruction improved students' reading comprehension and motivation. The researcher was the teacher in the Title I classroom, and acted as a facilitator within the literature circle discussions.

The study results showed gains in students' comprehension in varying degrees, depending largely on the assessment used. Results from the attitude survey, however, showed that student motivation toward reading was significantly improved. …

Morpheme Acquisition In Second Language Learners, Timothy Andrew Schuwerk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored morpheme acquisition in learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). Specifically, it looked at the development of eight selected individuals from Korea over the course of an intensive 8-week instruction program and tracked their acquisition of three specific English morphemes: indefinite articles used with singular count nouns, progressive -ing forms, and third person -s markers. The individuals were given an assessment test to place them at the correct level within the program prior to their selection for the study. The participants provided four sets of data in the form of writing samples at fixed intervals during …

Educational Change Process: A Case Study Of A Rural School District's Reading Reform, Barbara M. Havel Bohach

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Beginning reading instruction is the subject of much debate in educational fields as well as in the political arena. The product of such debates is often a push to reform reading programs and teachers are targeted as the ones to carry out these reforms. If reading educators have been actively involved in a reading change process, what are their concerns about change and the influence of mandated legislation?

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine how teachers and administrators initiated and implemented a balanced reading innovation. It also investigated how the Concerns-Based Adoption Model identified teachers' concerns …

Shared Reading For Teaching English As A Foreign Language To Young Learners In Russia, Inna V. Kuznetsova

Graduate Research Papers

Shared Reading has proven to be very effective in developing language and literacy skills of children in the West. This project introduces Shared Reading as a curriculum component of English as a foreign language for young children in Russia. Review of the literature regarding the effectiveness of Shared Reading is described. The project includes two units of four lessons each that illustrate implementation of Shared Reading, oral language and other literacy activities. The project concludes with specific recommendations for dissemination of this work.

Implementation Of Literature Circles, Dawn Lewis

Graduate Research Papers

Literature circles are a current and effective technique requiring a group of students to read the same text and then meet to discuss their thoughts on what they read. The purpose of the project is to explain to teachers the components of literature circles and the benefits they have for students. The project will look specifically at what both the student and teachers roles' should be throughout the implementation. It will also inform teachers of different ways to incorporate literature circles into their own classroom.

Vocabulary Development In A Literature-Based Instructional Program, Gwen Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

Teachers need to assist students in developing rich vocabularies in a variety of ways. As teachers present effective strategies for learning vocabulary, students will improve their speaking and writing abilities as they grasp newfound meanings of words. This project reviews the professional literature on vocabulary development instruction and then presents a staff development plan that will help teachers see the benefits of exploring different ways that students can increase their vocabulary knowledge in a literature-based instructional reading environment.

Implementing Writer's Workshop In A Kindergarten Classroom, Katie Hauschildt

Graduate Research Papers

Can children be taught to write in kindergarten? Should children be taught to write in kindergarten? How do you teach children to write in kindergarten? These and many other questions about the appropriateness of writing and how to teach writing have been swirling around the education community for many years. As a kindergarten teacher I myself began wondering about these questions and how to answer them. I was intrigued by the idea of providing a framework in my classroom that would encourage emerging readers and writers to create and manipulate their own text.

In an effort to better understand the …

Literacy Backpacks For Emergent Readers, Lori J. Logan

Graduate Research Papers

Schools and families are continually searching for ways to bridge learning between home and school. Partnerships that encourage literacy learning at home are especially important for young children. Literacy backpacks were designed to encourage parents and children to engage in meaningful literacy experiences in their homes. The literacy backpacks include a collection of literature, activities, and supplies that enable families to enjoy literacy learning in an informal setting. Literacy backpacks provide emergent readers and writers opportunities to see adults model literacy behaviors, to engage in meaningful interactions with adults and text at home, and to actively construct literacy knowledge independently.

Using Technology To Enhance Writing In Primary Grades, Lisa Butler

Graduate Research Papers

Computers in the primary classroom have been a controversial topic for many years. Many believe that computers do not benefit young children. In the past, very little research has been done in the primary classroom to prove or disprove the critics. Most of the studies focused on upper elementary, middle school, and high school. Three years ago, the federal government sought to validate the need for computers in the primary classroom. In doing so, the Natie (all names are pseudo names) Community Schools received a federal grant to study computers in the primary classroom. As a teacher in that school …

Bridging The Gap By Using Mini Shared Reading, Ljubica Radisich Quilici

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to investigate an alternative teaching strategy for assisting five first grade students who were struggling with learning how to read. This project examined how Mini Shared Reading, a melding of Shared Reading and Guided Reading, enabled these students to progress five to ten reading levels in five weeks.

The Role Of Imaginative Literature In First Year Composition, Randee Teresa Cowles

Theses Digitization Project

This study steps into a long running discussion of the place of imaginative literature in First Year Composition (FYC) courses. Chapter one surveys the scholarship, including the work of Erika Lindeman and Gary Tate, two compositionists whose debate has been at the center of this discussion, and three scholars' responses to the issues their debate raises. Instructors might be able to include imaginative literature in FYC courses if they use the literature to support the courses' rhetorical goals rather than to "teach the literature" itself.

Phonemic Awareness In The Kindergarten Classroom, Shelly Jelinek

Graduate Research Papers

There are two objectives that I hope to meet with the completion of this project. The first is to provide teachers with phonemic awareness activities to supplement the Marion Independent School District early childhood and/or elementary curriculum. The second objective is to provide activities that meet the requirements of my district's phonemic awareness assessment.

"Changing Tradition: New Frontiers In Spelling Instruction" : A Developmental Spelling Word Study Workshop, Melissa A. Adams

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this project is to create a three day workshop focused on a word study curriculum that is based on the developmental theory of spelling. The audience for this workshop would be elementary teachers (first through fifth grade) who are interested in developing a spelling curriculum that is based on current research and individual student needs. The workshop would introduce current research and teach teachers how to analyze student spelling errors. It would also focus on three main questions for developing a word study curriculum: How do I assess and evaluate students?; How do I group and manage …