Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Bridging The Gap Between Fiction And Nonfiction In The Literature Circle Setting, Deborah L. Stien

Graduate Research Papers

Third grade students experienced literature circles as part of balance literacy program. First, students learned about literature circles and its importance. After several fiction literature circle cycles, the classroom teacher bridged the gap between fiction and nonfiction in a literature circle setting. This allowed students read nonfiction and learn about a topic connected to their previous fiction read. Students were excited to read nonfiction and began choosing this genre on their own. They realized the power of learning that was available to them in nonfiction text.

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To Science, Brandee M. Alexander

Graduate Research Papers

Literature can link all areas of the curriculum. Extending a literature-based language arts program to the science area can provide a rich learning environment supported by many different genres of literature and related expressive activities that contribute to the dimensions of learning.

A science unit of study on the five senses, with special emphasis on touch, for kindergarten children, was expanded through literature experiences and related expressive activities. The literature presented offered much content on the senses and models of language to nurture the children's emerging literacy. During the one-week of study, learner enthusiasm and peer interaction for reading and …

Internet-Enhanced Esl Education : A Literature Review, Yu Cao

Graduate Research Papers

This paper intends to present some of the most current research on the tremendous benefits which the Internet can provide to ESL education. Some Internet applications which can be used as active teaching and learning tools in the ESL classrooms are being presented in this paper, such as electronic mail, electronic discussion group or "lists," electronic forum, chat room, and keypal. Additionally, this paper intends to bring educators' attention to those issues which affect language learners' interests in using the Internet in their learning. Issues include the lack of training, accessibility of technology, and lack of feedback.

Whales, Meg Gammon Schroeder

Graduate Research Papers

Children develop thinking-language abilities through involvement in the language processes. A print-rich environment representing the many genres of literature extended across the curriculum offers meaningful experiences with the language functions. Such literature experiences and related expressive activities can provide in-depth study in the content areas, expanding the understanding of units' concepts and related vocabulary.

A science unit on whales for kindergarten was enriched through literature experiences. The activities were presented through teacher-directed sessions and student-initiated activities available in the learning centers. The result of this extensive print-rich environment was in-depth study and enthusiastic responses on the part of the students.

Alternate Curriculum In Reading For Grade Four, Julie A. Schmit

Graduate Research Papers

Julie A. Schmit, a fourth grade teacher, specifically designed the two reading alternate units. These units were designed to provide challenging reading and learning experiences for talented and gifted students in grade four. These units provide challenging, above grade level materials and activities for the students whose reading, vocabulary, and language skills are advanced to such a degree that they would derive greater educational benefit from working with alternate materials.

The Effects Of Full Implementation Vs Partial Implementation Utilizing The Accelerated Reading Program In The Reading Classroom, Tamara Wilson-Saisa

Graduate Research Papers

Developing a full implementation program while staying within the guidelines of the Accelerated Reader program was the prime motivation for paper. Preparing our students to actively engage with the texts that they read daily, would provide motivation, and assist our students in their relationship with literature. Full implementation of the program in the classroom provides sixty minutes of accelerated reading time along with mini lessons provided to develop reading strategies, along with peer talks to provide resources and different literature available. Goal setting and individual conferences were also viewed as an essential tool for monitoring the students' progress. Students were …

Family Literacy, Dorothy Fay Bantz

Graduate Research Papers

This is a Family Literacy Program set up for second grade students and their families. The project includes thirty-six books and activities for the students to take home every Friday of the school year. The activities include both the student and the adults in the home. The picture books are both narrative and expository and written in a variety of genres. The book reviews are included for each book to show their quality. The adults are given support from the school through newsletters, a web page, family nights, and an initial home visit. The adults are encouraged to become part …

The Merits Of Kindergarten Readers' Workshop, Janet K. Hurley

Graduate Research Papers

Literacy is at the very core of our being, and as such a vital component of personal identity, creating an environment conducive to literacy development is an essential element of education. Knowing that attitudes are molded early in life, establishing a strong, meaningful literacy program in early childhood can affect children for a lifetime.

The purpose of this article is to illustrate the merits and power of Readers ' Workshop at the kindergarten level. First I will define and discuss components of the workshop format. I then will share what I see as the greatest benefits of the workshop approach …

Moving Students Forward In Spelling, Catherine Miller

Graduate Research Papers

This article describes how one teacher integrated additional spelling instructional strategies into her current basal program. The purpose of this article is to give an overview of research about methods of spelling instruction and describe strategies that can be incorporated into an existing program to motivate students toward becoming conventional spellers. The article emphasizes the importance of purposeful writing experiences to give students ample opportunities to practice their growing knowledge of spelling.

Integrating Literature-Based Language Arts And Science : A Unit On Frogs For Kindergarten, Ruth Rysta

Graduate Research Papers

Classrooms providing a literature-base program allow children to engage in the language processes and present opportunities for children to create meaning by surrounding them with high-quality literature representative of different genres. Many of the language arts and science processes are related and can be integrated in themes or units to connect children's learning.

A unit on the life cycle of frogs offered kindergarten children a rich learning environment through quality literature and related expressive activities. The literature-base extended to science developed a sense of community, increased science knowledge and connected reading and writing to the science study.

Computer Assisted Instruction: Successmaker™ Reading And Math, Melissa M. Haley

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine whether the SuccessMaker™ reading and mathematics program being used at Collins-Maxwell Elementary School, Collins, Iowa, has increased the reading and mathematics scores. The elementary classroom teachers, the reading teacher, elementary principal, and two student key informants were all surveyed to obtain their opinions of the SuccessMaker™ program. Survey results indicated that while most of the teachers felt that this program had been beneficial to the students, they did not feel that computer-assisted instruction should replace classroom instruction.

Discussion And Literature Circle Study In The Content Area Classroom, Deborah L. Meade.

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this project is to train content area teachers in the use of literature circles for the content area. A workshop format is used in order to accommodate staff schedules and to include the maximum number of participants possible. The audience for the workshop will be 20-25 secondary content area teachers. A review of the literature concerning content reading, discussion, and literature circles confirmed that the implementation of literature circles would have a positive effect on the content area classroom. Literature circles are an effective method for all disciplines.

Implementing Portfolio Assessment In Grade Four, Marilyn L. Browder

Graduate Research Papers

Writing is a process. To assess this process, it needs to be described through qualitative techniques. One of these techniques is portfolio collection: Writing · . exhibits, collected over time, can facilitate students' self-reflections on their writing activity, interests, progress, and instructional needs. Such a collection is also valuable evidence for teachers in planning and maintaining their language programs and in reporting to caregivers.

This project involved the implementation of portfolio assessment in grade four by a first-year teacher. Through portfolio collection, the teacher as well as the students received much information that promoted writing and led to much interest …

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To Science, Jennifer Bruce

Graduate Research Papers

The development of a print-rich learning environment can facilitate the integration of the curriculum. A literature base representative of the different genres can contribute to the dimensions of learning. A literature-based unit on apples provided kindergarten children with quality literature experiences and many expressive activities that extended the students' understanding of the concept of apples. The unit was presented through teacher presentations and learning centers.

An Investigation Of Cooperative Consciousness-Raising As An Innovative Teaching Practice, And Of Reactions To Its Introduction Into A High School, Sahoby Solo Raharinirina

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The language pedagogy literature stresses the importance of the quality of second/foreign language teaching/learning in learners' acquisition, development of communicative competence, or both. The change literature equally emphasizes the importance of the quality of innovation in change audience’s resolution to reconceptualize current practices and espouse the new practice being advocated. Both literatures underline the need to use multiple research strategies in order to depict the product and process of learning and/or shifting experiences. To contribute to the educational literature in these areas, the present research incorporated two different but interrelated studies.

Study One utilized both between- and within-method approaches (Denzin, …

Improved Literacy In The Content Areas, Mauri Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

Many sixth graders struggle with the reading process. As they progress through middle school, they need to learn to improve vocabulary and comprehension skills while learning content material. This project considered the best practices for strengthening reading skills described in current literary sources. The purpose of this project was to provide middle level teachers instructional ideas designed to strengthen reading skills in the content area of social studies.

Implementing Response Journals In A Reading Workshop : One Teacher's Study Of The Effectiveness Of Reader Response Journals In Evaluating Individual Progress, Molly A. Knipper

Graduate Research Papers

This article reports on the development and implementation of reader response journals in a Reading Workshop. It is based on observations related to the effectiveness of response journals and self-evaluation in literacy instruction. Included in this article are descriptions of one teacher's previous reading practices, her desire for change, and the decisions she made regarding literacy instruction. The author guides readers through the steps involved in implementing a Reading Workshop, and also details the impact journaling and self-evaluation had on her literacy program.

Using Technology To Support The Implementation Of Vocabulary And Comprehension Strategies, Lisa Beames

Graduate Research Papers

This project is a workshop intended to enhance teacher knowledge of assisting students in comprehending informational text. It is supported by research and maintains the instructional goals of providing participants with not only knowledge of current research, but also provides for the development of age and content appropriate hands-on graphic organizers. Graphic organizers are a strategy that have been documented to hold great potential in improving reading comprehension.

Development Of Writing Through Journaling With Senior Educable Mentally Handicapped, Bonita M. Custer

Graduate Research Papers

Recognizing that many senior high school students who are labeled Educable Mentally Handicapped (the term used in Nebraska) have had few opportunities to have fulfilling experiences in school, a rich literature-based language arts program was developed for a class. This group had many opportunities to respond with their ideas and feelings, one of which was journaling.

As the school year progressed, I, as their teacher, found that I was modifying and changing my daily instructional plans because their reading and writing generated ideas and instructional needs. In their journals, they began to write more freely with more skill and creativity. …

Writers Workshops In A Second Grade Classroom, Marilyn M. Brown

Graduate Research Papers

A writers workshop is a community of writers who work together to promote the thinking, language, and specifically writing abilities of its members. Writers are encouraged to take risks and engage in print in purposeful ways. The emphasis of writers workshop is creating meaning. When writers realize that they are in charge of their writing, it becomes meaningful and authentic.

This discussion describes the implementation of writers workshops in a second grade classroom. The writing development of three students was focused on in this implementation stage. The students chosen represented a range of abilities and backgrounds.

Writing Portfolios In Grades Three And Four, Debra A. Carlson

Graduate Research Papers

The concept of assessment is broadening in some exciting ways. Assessment may include descriptive or qualitative techniques, such as portfolios. Portfolios have the potential to relate instruction and assessment more closely.

Writing portfolio implementation in a third and fourth grade classroom is discussed.Three children with different abilities were focused on as they. developed their portfolios with the support of their teacher. Through conferences with their teacher, the students selected writing exhibits for their portfolios, discussed their progress and instructional needs, and then set future goals for writing.

Using Literacy Booster Lessons To Maintain And Extend Reading Recovery Success In The Primary Grades, Karla K. Kittelson-Mackenzie

Graduate Research Papers

This manuscript focuses on using small group literacy booster lessons to provide former Reading Recovery students with opportunities to apply effective literacy strategies in instructional-level text. The goals of these group lessons are encouraging students to independently process increasingly difficult texts and providing a smooth transition from individual Reading Recovery lessons to classroom learning.

Reading Portfolios In A First Grade Classroom, Donna L. Lowe

Graduate Research Papers

The current move toward authentic assessment encourages teachers to use qualitative methods in evaluating children's reading. One such method is the use of portfolios. This method empowers children and teachers with control over goals and methods of instruction. Students take responsibility in collaboration with the teacher for establishing the goals for their own learning. Thus, portfolios can link instruction and assessment more closely.

The following discussion describes the implementation of reading portfolios in a first grade classroom. The portfolio development of two students was focused on in this implementation stage. The students were chosen because of their strong interest in …

Portfolios As A Qualitative Writing Assessment Technique In A First Grade Classroom, Nancy F. Miller

Graduate Research Papers

Writing is a process. To assess involvement in a process, it needs to be described. Therefore, qualitative assessment needs to be applied. Portfolios, supported by other descriptive techniques, can be used not only to assess children's writing progress and instructional needs but to connect instruction and assessment. A collection of writing exhibits in a portfolio collected over time can show children, their teachers, and their caregivers progress and can assist them in setting goals for language activity and instruction in the future. Use of qualitative assessment rubrics, surveys, and parental involvement in the process of self-assessing are techniques from which …

Reading Recovery, Wendy Neagle

Graduate Research Papers

This study reviewed the literature on Reading Recovery, an early intervention program designed to improve first grade students reading performance. A review of the theoretical and research basis for Reading Recovery examined the effectiveness of the intervention.

The following questions were addressed: (a) How was the Reading Recovery program developed? (b) What are the components of a Reading Recovery lesson? (c) What is the process of implementation for Reading Recovery? (d) What are the strengths and weaknesses of Reading Recovery? (e) What determines the effectiveness of this reading program? (f) Do students who participate in Reading Recovery have continued success? …

Poetry Experiences Across The Fourth-Grade Curriculum, Linda M. Nelson

Graduate Research Papers

The genre of poetry can.foster children's personal-social and thinking-language abilities. Poetry offers much pleasure for children, insight into their lives' and those of others, and models for their expression.

When teachers understand children's poetry preferences and ways to present this genre, it can add another dimension across the curriculum. Poetry experiences reported m this article were presented incidentally and in the social studies program of a fourth-grade classroom. Webbing conducted to identify important concepts in a social studies unit supported the fourth-graders poetry writing. Poetry forms were taught for children to use as structures for their writing.

Circles Of Literary Learning In The Kindergarten Classroom, Jayne Purdy

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of literature circles on literary learning for kindergarten students. Fourteen children were divided into groups for the purpose of reading and discussing several different fictional stories over a 6-month period. A wide variety of literature was used that reflected the units of study for each month. The children met in literature circles weekly to discuss a story with their peers. Anecdotal records and observations indicated that the students were demonstrating an increased interest in literature. A comparison of pre- and post-tests showed growth in the students' abilities to analyze and interpret stories. (Real names of …

Writing Portfolios In A First Grade Classroom, Mary J. Rezac

Graduate Research Papers

The portfolio is one of several authentic, qualitative assessment techniques used to describe children's involvement in the writing process. Portfolios provide opportunities for children to become active participants in their own learning and assessment. They can become partners with the teacher as together they assess progress and set goals for future learning.

This paper examines the implementation of writing portfolios in a first grade classroom. The focus is on two reluctant writers. Throughout the school year, they collaborated with the teacher in selecting exhibits for their portfolio collections. While engaging in the portfolio collection process, the children assessed progress and …

Implementing A Writing Program In Grade Two, Denise A. Sasse

Graduate Research Papers

Writing is a process to create meaning. This process consists of many components: prewriting, drafting, redrafting, editing, and publishing. Children need the following support measures: oral storytelling, genuine audiences, teacher modeling, literature experiences, the reading-writing connection, time to write, and emphasis on the use of one's own voice. The connection of instruction and assessment is another important aspect of a children's writing program. The following qualitative assessment techniques provide this connection: journaling, student-teacher conferences, checklists, and portfolios.

Reading Comprehension Through Technology : The Accelerated Reader Program, Janette Schmidt

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to research the Accelerated Reader program, a computerized reading program, to see if it did improve reading skills. The Accelerated Reader program has received a lot of attention because of the belief that students are not learning to read. This is a program that has been marketed well and promises to produce results in reading skill performance. Some educators have questioned the Accelerated Reader program because of the expense and the method of motivation. Both sides of this issue will be discussed in this paper.