Education Commons^™

Torch : Tests Of Reading Comprehension, Leila Mossenson, Andrew Stephanou, Margaret Forster, Geoff N. Masters, Margaret Mcgregor, Prue Anderson, Peter Hill

Prof Geoff Masters AO

This set of twelve reading tests is designed to assist teachers of students from Year 3 to Year 10 in their assessment of students' reading comprehension skills. Each of the twelve reading tests consists of a reading passage and a corresponding answer sheet.

The Writing Observation Framework: A Guide For Refining And Validating Writing Instruction, Bill Henk, Barbara A. Marinak, Jesse C. Moore, Marla H. Mallette

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The Writing Observation Framework (WOF) is a new tool for enhancing writing instruction in schools. The WOF organizes principles of writing instruction In a way that improves the evaluation of teachers' writing practices, encourages a shared philosophy of the writing process and its instruction, and assists schools in demonstrating the integrity of their writing programs.

Pisa : Providing International Comparisons, John Cresswell

Dr John Cresswell

The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) aims to measure how well students nearing the end of their compulsory schooling are prepared for adult life. The assessment is forward looking, focusing on students' ability to meet real-life challenges, rather than testing whether they have mastered a particular curriculum. This article reports

Chocolate Bunnies And Pork For Passover: The School And Home: A Symbiosis For Family Literacy, Karen C. Waters

Education Faculty Publications

This article explores the literacy partnership between school and family when intergenerational stories are made public.

Operationalising The Construct Of Scientific Literacy, Gayl O'Connor, Mark Hackling

Gayl O'Connor

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Of Reading Education For Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities, John Arthur Sargent

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate The Achieve Reading Curriculum, a reading curriculum based on whole language principles designed for middle school students with learning disabilities. A qualitative intrinsic case study was conducted using four sixth grade middle school students with learning disabilities as participants. Ethnographic methodology was used to focus on the multifaceted structure of classroom life and to acquire a thorough understanding of the connections between participants and teacher. A teacher as researcher approach facilitated insights on a daily basis due to the interaction between participants and teacher.

Data collection procedures included observations/field notes, teacher journal, …

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.

Parent And Community Involvement: A Plan For Monthly Family Reading Nights, Lee Ann Fletcher

All Graduate Projects

Parent and community involvement in early reading education are crucial for the success of young children. Children are greatly affected by their parents' beliefs and reading practices. Parents need to know what they can and should do to foster reading development and success. It is essential that parents, teachers, and community members work together to provide quality, meaningful literacy experiences and activities for young children. This project outlines the development and implementation of monthly Family Reading Nights at North Omak Elementary School in Omak, Washington.

First Grade Classroom Web Site Featuring Components Of A Balanced Literacy Program, Jennifer Renee Kummer

All Graduate Projects

A classroom web site for first grade families and community members of the llidgefield School District was designed for the World Wide Web. It was created as a resource to explain the components of balanced reading and writing programs in a first grade classroom. These components include reading aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, shared writing, guided writing, and independent writing. Included on the web site are photographs documenting monthly events in the first grade classroom, as well as, literacy internet resources for parents and children. Featured is research regarding balanced literacy programs, parent involvement, and effective web site …

Creating A Balanced Literacy Program For Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Students, Shayne T. Wrzesinski

All Graduate Projects

Balanced literacy instruction can be defined in a variety of ways. The important characteristic about a balanced literacy program is that it is neither phonics nor whole language. Creating a balanced literacy program within a classroom encompasses both phonics and whole language in a literature rich environment. Students who participate in a balanced program have opportunities to read and write daily through a variety of meaningful approaches including shared, guided, independent and direct instruction. The literature rich environment provides growth for all students, by teaching skills and strategies through literacy in a natural setting not in isolation. Teachers in the …

Literacy As A Performing Art: A Phenomenological Study Of Oral Dramatic Reading, Neva Virginia Cramer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Based on semiotic, aesthetic response, reader response, and drama in education theories, this phenomenological study seeks to describe the literary experience of text through oral interpretation for middle to high SES, fourth and eighth grade students as compared to Low SES fourth and eighth grade students. Using the research methodology of Moustakas (1994) and data analysis of Teddlie (2000), this study proposes to describe and understand the relation of literary understanding and oral dramatic expression implicit in the descriptive paralinguistic and chronemic patternizations of the oral rendition of text and describe the act of reading as phenomenology. Descriptions of the …

Beyond The Middle: A Report About Literacy And Numeracy Development Of Target Group Students In The Middle Years Of Schooling, Allan Luke, John Elkins, Katie Weir, Ray Land, Victoria Carrington, Shelley Dole, Donna Pendergast, Cushla Kapitzke, Christa Van Kraayenoord, Karen Moni, Alistair Mcintosh, Diane Mayer, Mark Bahr, Lisa Hunter, Rod Chadbourne, Tom Bean, Donna Alverman, Lisa Stevens

Mark Bahr

The Report, Beyond the Middle: A Report about Literacy and Numeracy Development of a Target Group Students in the Middle Years of Schooling, provides a useful national coverage of approaches assisting the literacy and numeracy development of Australian students in Years 5 to 10.

The work was undertaken by a research team headed by Professor Allan Luke and Professor John Elkins from the School of Education, University of Queensland and is a study of the efficacy of middle years programmes in all States and Territories for improving teaching and learning, and student outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

The project involved …

Homogenous And High Performing Classes : The Case Of Optimal Classes, K Schwippert, Maurice Walker

Maurice Walker

Students enter schools with different levels of reading literacy and this study concentrated on the school's influence on students' subsequent development in reading literacy. The question is whether teacher and school characteristics, by themselves, have a systematic influence on the development of students' reading literacy. It has been and continues to be a goal of schools, in tandem with social policies, to compensate for student disadvantage arising form the out-of-school environment. Schools should not therefore aim to offer uniform educational opportunities to students without regard to differences in students' background and learning profiles. This article demonstrates it is classes where …