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L1 Literacy And Its Implications For Leslla Immigrant Women In Canada, Theresa Wall
L1 Literacy And Its Implications For Leslla Immigrant Women In Canada, Theresa Wall
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative study addresses two questions related to access to social services for adult newcomers with limited L1 print literacy skills: First, what barriers do LESLLA clients experience to accessing social services and to settlement? Second, what resources are they employing in order to access these services? Five LESLLA learners, a LESLLA instructor and a settlement counselor were interviewed about barriers and enablers to accessing social services where a disconnect between assumed and actual print-literacy skills exists. Participants also discussed work-arounds for accessing those services. While LESLLA participants reporting greater length of residency also described increased cultural capital, all LESLLA …
What Effect Does A Spanish Vocabulary-Through-Music Instructional Intervention Have On The Development Of Early Literacy Skills Of Preschool Students In A Bilingual Setting?, Natalie Ehalt-Bove
What Effect Does A Spanish Vocabulary-Through-Music Instructional Intervention Have On The Development Of Early Literacy Skills Of Preschool Students In A Bilingual Setting?, Natalie Ehalt-Bove
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This study measured the effects of a music-based Spanish instructional intervention on the Spanish vocabulary acquisition of four- and five-year-old students of varying language backgrounds who were enrolled together in a dual immersion preschool program. Research by Christ & Wang (2010), Schwartz (2014) and others concludes that young, pre-reading children with underdeveloped vocabulary can encounter difficulties achieving literacy. Thus, this project set out to determine the effectiveness of one specific vocabulary teaching strategy, in an effort to aid teachers in choosing effective instructional methods. Twenty participants were divided into two groups, including a control group receiving a nonmusical instructional intervention …
How Can An Intermediate Elementary Educator Use Critical Literacy To Promote Social Justice Through Book Clubs?, Grace Shields Mevissen
How Can An Intermediate Elementary Educator Use Critical Literacy To Promote Social Justice Through Book Clubs?, Grace Shields Mevissen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this action research is to better understand, “How can an intermediate elementary educator use critical literacy to promote social justice through book clubs?” The author researched and defined social justice, critical literacy and book clubs. After, the author administered a pre assessment, helped facilitate book clubs and a post assessment. The action research was conducted in a suburban school that is mainly comprised of white students. Two groups, having selected the same text, were chosen as a focus group. The author notes and highlights themes across all seven of the students’ experiences throughout the unit. The author …
Transitioning From Teachers' Words To Students' Words: Strategies To Promote Comprehension During Literature Circles, Tiffany Tozke Brian
Transitioning From Teachers' Words To Students' Words: Strategies To Promote Comprehension During Literature Circles, Tiffany Tozke Brian
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Literature circles can be a powerful tool for motivating students to take part in discussions around text. The power of these literature circles lies in the success of the conversations students have. Those conversations are shaped by the words the teacher uses to facilitate them, and by the words students use within them. This capstone addresses how teachers can focus on words in a student-focused manner that supports students in having in conversations that deepen their understanding and connection to novels.
Using A Functional Language Approach To Modifiy Guided Reading For English Langauge [Sic] Learners, Kristen A. Young
Using A Functional Language Approach To Modifiy Guided Reading For English Langauge [Sic] Learners, Kristen A. Young
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The first research question addressed in this study was, how can one modify the standard methods of teaching guided reading to better meet the language needs of non-native speakers? The second question was, what adjustments need to be made to include the teaching of academic language functions with guided reading instruction? This study documents the teacher’s exploration of the most effective strategies for teaching English learners (ELs) to learn the language needed to accelerate reading levels. The author uses the Modified Guided Reading for ELs lesson model produced in the work by Avalos, Plasencia Chaves and Rascon, and combines it …
Relationships Between Comprehension And Fluency Levels Within Reading At A Second Grade Level, Erika Gregor
Relationships Between Comprehension And Fluency Levels Within Reading At A Second Grade Level, Erika Gregor
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this action research is to investigate the relationship between comprehension and fluency levels in a Spanish Immersion second grade setting and answer the question of: What is the effect of daily use of comprehension strategies, including inferencing, summarizing and visualizing, on fluency within a Spanish Immersion program? The literature review served the purpose to explore and deliver vital components in understanding the process of reading and how comprehension and fluency are achieved. I used a quantitative approach and utilized assessments throughout the school year to observe fluency levels when implementing comprehension strategies and assessments. The data revealed …
Grammatical Acquisition Of Present And Past Tense Verb Forms In A Communicative Setting, Katherine N. Nelson
Grammatical Acquisition Of Present And Past Tense Verb Forms In A Communicative Setting, Katherine N. Nelson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, “Does the communicative approach to teaching language increase 5th grade English Learners’ proficiency in their grammar acquisition of present and past tense verb conjugation?” This study looked at ELs’ challenge in conjugating present to past tense verbs and the subsequent effect on their ability to comprehend age-level literature, to create comprehensible original written works, and to perform well on high stakes testing. Research is reviewed in the areas of communicative language teaching (CLT), fifth grade grammar proficiency, grammar acquisition, and correct verb tense conjugation. Communicative language teaching is hallmarked by the understanding …
Factors That Influence Motivation To Read With African American Middle School Males, Brandon Tuttle
Factors That Influence Motivation To Read With African American Middle School Males, Brandon Tuttle
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, what factors influence motivation to read with African American middle school males? Current research suggests that many African American males are performing poorly nationwide in reading. As the author researched the topic, four recurring categories emerged in searching for factors that would influence motivation in reading with African American middle school males. These categories included culturally relevant instruction, choice with literacy, building relationships and parental involvement. These four categories helped build the framework for a strategy guide that educators could use in reading intervention classes to help build proficiency in reading with …
Incorporating Effective Practices Into An Intermediate Classroom To Improve Student Writing, Heidi M. Shannon
Incorporating Effective Practices Into An Intermediate Classroom To Improve Student Writing, Heidi M. Shannon
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, How can the teaching of effective writing practices support struggling intermediate students? This study documented the experience of an intervention coach working with fifth grade teachers to improve writing instruction using research based practices. The motivating factor for this capstone was to improve student writing. The study documented lessons and resources that were implemented during the teaching of three fifth grade writing standards and how students improved in their writing. Data was collected through the use of proficiency scales, spreadsheets, reflections and surveys. Results of the study showed student growth in writing. …
Close Reading As A Means For Increasing Self-Perception In Struggling Middle School Readers, Megan Slinger
Close Reading As A Means For Increasing Self-Perception In Struggling Middle School Readers, Megan Slinger
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone was: How does explicit instruction in close reading skills impact self-perception as a reader in struggling middle school students? In this project, action research was conducted over a four week period in a seventh grade suburban summer school classroom with eleven students. All of the participants were categorized as struggling readers. At the beginning of the research, students were administered a survey to gather information about their self-perception as a reader. Over the next four weeks, students received explicit instruction in three close reading strategies. During this period, students were also interviewed one …
How Can I Best Support Classroom Teachers With Their Use And Understanding Of Tier Two Interventions?, Shelley Harris
How Can I Best Support Classroom Teachers With Their Use And Understanding Of Tier Two Interventions?, Shelley Harris
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was, how can I best support classroom teachers with their use and understanding of Tier Two interventions? It documents one teacher’s use of qualitative research to create a Tier Two intervention toolkit for classroom teachers. The author documents what the RtI process looks like at each tier and how to implement the Tier Two interventions into the classroom. She also created the toolkit digitally to help teacher access the interventions quickly and easily put them into practice. Each intervention can easily be found by clicking on the link on each skill page. In …
Using Repeated Oral Assisted Reading To Improve The Fluency Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Angela J. Leyk
Using Repeated Oral Assisted Reading To Improve The Fluency Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Angela J. Leyk
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This study explores the research question: How much does repeated reading improve the reading rate, accuracy, and prosody of students with learning disabilities in fifth grade? Three key topics: learning disabilities, fluency, and repeated reading are discussed. The author was greatly influenced by Timothy Rasinski and his work in the area of fluency. Repeated Oral Assisted Reading was administered to monitor and document accuracy, rate, and prosody utilizing both daily instructional-level reading probes and monthly grade-level reading probes as well as prosodic reading rubrics and a daily journal. The improvement in rate was compared to scores on nationally normed fluency …
How Can Teachers Enhance The Acquisition And Retention Of Vocabulary In Their Urban Learner?, Sarah K. Norenberg
How Can Teachers Enhance The Acquisition And Retention Of Vocabulary In Their Urban Learner?, Sarah K. Norenberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research was to identify high impact vocabulary strategies for urban learners and create professional development for the staff at my elementary school. I determined what would be high-impact by looking at my students three different ways. First, I examined students who are English language learners, second, students who live in poverty, and third, standard English learners. Next, I read research about the best practices for teaching vocabulary in all three categories. Finally, I looked for similarities, ultimately identifying and synthesizing what works best for all three types of students, keeping in mind that the urban classrooms …
Guided Reading For Beginning English Learners In The First Grade Classroom, Alexis L. Lundberg
Guided Reading For Beginning English Learners In The First Grade Classroom, Alexis L. Lundberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to examine how guided reading can support beginning English learners (ELs) in the first grade classroom. Three first grade English learners were observed in twelve guided reading sessions and their observation survey results were analyzed. This is a mixed methods study conducted in a mainstream classroom. Data collected for this study consisted of observation survey results from the fall, winter, and spring, three video recorded guided reading lessons which were assessed using a rubric, and an electronic teacher observation journal. The primary finding of this study is that when guided reading is modified to …
Blue Collar Literacy: Using Situated Literacy To Build A Curriculum In Support Of Vocational Education, Kathleen Drahosh
Blue Collar Literacy: Using Situated Literacy To Build A Curriculum In Support Of Vocational Education, Kathleen Drahosh
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Through building a curriculum, the author addressed the research question: through projects founded in situated literacy, how can high schools give vocationally-inclined students the literacy skills they need in their chosen field? Research delves into job market implications for the coming future as well as how situated literacy and collaboration can help students engage in school and acquire literacy skills needed in their future careers. The curriculum teaches technical writing and reading skills and applies those skills in a project. The project has students use those writing skills to create the technical literature for a creation or task from a …
How Reading Through Literary Lenses Impacts The Quality Of High School Students’ Arguments, Craig D. Zimanske
How Reading Through Literary Lenses Impacts The Quality Of High School Students’ Arguments, Craig D. Zimanske
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was: how does teaching high school students to analyze text through literary lenses impact the quality of students’ arguments? Topics explored in the review of the literature include the context of struggling readers, literary theory and literary lenses, teaching literary theory to secondary students, and argument writing. A cohort of 18 struggling readers in a co-taught high school English class were instructed to shift their reading focus from finding meaning to constructing meaning. To accomplish this, students were familiarized with the tenets of three literary lenses (social-class, gender/feminist, and psychological) and guided through …
Fourth Grade Curriculum To Increase Literacy Achievement In Ell Students, Shannon Baker
Fourth Grade Curriculum To Increase Literacy Achievement In Ell Students, Shannon Baker
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This curriculum project answered the question: How can I make the Units of Study more accessible to English Language Learners by incorporating balanced literacy techniques? The author incorporated ideas from best practices in literacy, and combined them with best practices for ELL students to create a curriculum unit. The unit is comprised of ten lessons. It includes graphic organizers and best practice ideas for ELL students. In this paper the author describes the research involved in creating this unit. She also discusses limitations, implications, and ideas for future research.
An Investigation Into The Allophonic Split Of /B/ And /P/: Is There A Relationship Between Noticing And Pronunciation For Adult Somali Els?, Amy Christine Carruthers
An Investigation Into The Allophonic Split Of /B/ And /P/: Is There A Relationship Between Noticing And Pronunciation For Adult Somali Els?, Amy Christine Carruthers
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
My study sought explore the relationship between an adult Somali EL’s ability to notice the difference between the allophonic split of /b/ and /p/ in two-letter syllable minimal pairs and each participant’s ability to pronounce the same minimal pairs. I also explored whether the use of color photos in targeted pronunciation instruction was significant in improving noticing and pronunciation ability. I conducted a quasi-experimental study using the framework of Schmidt’s noticing theory, and his definition of focal awareness, in a one-time session with two treatment groups; one group utilized the independent variable, color photos of minimal pairs. I conducted a …
Teaching Math Academic Language In Chinese Immersion Middle Schools, Xu Zhu
Teaching Math Academic Language In Chinese Immersion Middle Schools, Xu Zhu
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The guiding question of this capstone is: How should teachers teach math academic language and support students using math academic language in Chinese immersion middle schools? Academic language is the language that students need in acquiring new knowledge, while teachers in language immersion schools need help with teaching academic language. This capstone presents a curriculum project to guide teachers in Chinese immersion middle schools to teach math academic language with a concentration on students’ communication and collaboration. Integrating the ideas in the studies of academic language, language immersion education, teaching middle school math, and student-centered learning, the project plays a …
The Impact Of Effective Guided Reading Practices, Emily O'Rourke
The Impact Of Effective Guided Reading Practices, Emily O'Rourke
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This research question purpose was to see how the impact of guided reading can positively improve second grade reading comprehension, fluency and word recognition. Various researchers, such as Jennifer Berne and Sophie C. Degener who have contributed to guided reading research are studied in this capstone. Guided reading is a pivotal element in a child’s journey in the reading process. It explores the specific teacher practices that are necessary to a beneficial guided reading experience. The author used quantitative method of study using district reading assessment and more specifically assessing comprehension, fluency and word recognition. As well as, studying the …
Is A Single Or Multicomponent Reading Intervention Program More Effective At Enhancing Outcomes For Struggling Readers In Intermediate Grades?, Barbara Klun
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
In 2015-2016, the selected school-site realized that reading instruction needed to change for the bottom quartile of readers. Struggling readers in grades five through eight were not making significant gains in reading. On the annual state assessment, students who scored a one the previous year remained at the same level the following year. In addition, students reading two or more grade levels behind their peers made the smallest gains throughout the school. This research project addressed the question, “Is a single or multicomponent reading intervention program more effective at enhancing outcomes for struggling readers in intermediate grades?” The purpose of …
Reciprocal Teaching: Improving Students Reading Comprehension, Nora O'Malley
Reciprocal Teaching: Improving Students Reading Comprehension, Nora O'Malley
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project is: How can reciprocal teaching be used to increase comprehension skills with fluent readers in the primary grades? Reading comprehension has been highlighted as a problem among students. While many students can read the words, they lack the proper strategies in order to comprehend the text. This capstone provides current research on fluency and comprehension instruction including the connection between the two. Additionally, research on reciprocal teaching is examined. It will discuss how to incorporate this strategy into classroom instruction to increase comprehension. Included in this capstone is a reciprocal teaching curriculum to …
The Use Of Graphic Organizers When Writing With Dual Identified El And Ld Students, Katherine Corrigan
The Use Of Graphic Organizers When Writing With Dual Identified El And Ld Students, Katherine Corrigan
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This study will focus on the growth and student attitudes and their perceptions of their own ability regarding argumentative and expository writing tasks, specifically in the area of organization and development for dual identified EL and LD Hispanic, middle school students. This study seeks to answer the following guiding questions: Can a graphic organizer help improve organization and development in an argumentative or expository writing task? and How does the explicit instruction and use of an intentionally designed graphic organizer improve student perception of their own abilities and attitudes towards completing an argumentative or expository writing task? The quantitative data …
Cultural Dissonance Of Elder Learners In Beginning Literacy And Language Classrooms, Lisa Vogl
Cultural Dissonance Of Elder Learners In Beginning Literacy And Language Classrooms, Lisa Vogl
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Elder learners face unique barriers in LESLLA classrooms. Using qualitative research and semistructured interviews, this study analyzed data from fourteen low-literate elders and their instructor participated in interviews with a bilingual interpreter and observations in a beginning language and literacy classroom. Elders compared their prior learning experiences, based in Indigenous Knowledge, with their experiences in Western classrooms. Themes identified provide important implications for further LESLLA research.
A Family Literacy Approach In A Second Grade Classroom, Katie R. Coder
A Family Literacy Approach In A Second Grade Classroom, Katie R. Coder
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, how does a family literacy approach affect students reading comprehension growth in a second grade classroom? It documents one teacher’s creation of a before and after school family literacy program. The family literacy program focused on teaching students and families explicit reading comprehension strategies that were being used in the classroom. The author documents the research analyzed that led to the creation of a family literacy program based on the parent involvement family literacy model. The author describes the implementation of the program and concludes that: 1) using a family literacy approach …
Teaching Vocabulary To Ninth Grade Students From Context, Ned Nelson Jr
Teaching Vocabulary To Ninth Grade Students From Context, Ned Nelson Jr
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Learning new words from context is a skill that many ninth-grade students lack. Although there are many methods to teaching vocabulary, many of the methods are outdated or riddled with issues. The methods help students, but no method is well rounded, leaving students with a skill set that is not completely developed. The integrated vocabulary curriculum that is proposed in this capstone explored the variety of methods and best practices to create a hybrid version to fully support students in learning vocabulary from context. Overall, the capstone addressed the need for a vocabulary curriculum that is flexible and can support …