Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Increasing Writing Skills For Students With Significant Multiple Disabilities, Heather Lyne Mcdermott

Theses and Dissertations

Students with severe disabilities struggle greatly in the area of writing. The purpose of this study is to discover how implementing a writing program created for students with disabilities can increase students' letter writing ability. The study used a single subject, repeated measures crossover design using 2 kindergarten aged students during a public school Extended School Year Program. Students were given the Sensible Pencil Pretest, 3 weeks of writing instruction and the same Sensible Pencil test after instruction. This 5-week model showed that students grew in their writing ability at different rates, but all in a positive manner. It was …

How Cultural Responsiveness Informs The Development Of And Decision-Making About K-12 Ela Curricula: A Mixed Methods Approach, Christa Tamanas Wade

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore how cultural responsiveness informed the development of and decision-making about K-12 English Language Arts curricula in New Jersey. Through the use of a survey and interviews, twelve curriculum supervisors offered an array of insight regarding their professional agency, curriculum processes, and factors that influence the areas associated with the program of study. Findings revealed that although supervisors do not have autonomy in the curriculum development process, they do have greater agency when it comes to selecting supplemental instructional resources and classroom supports. Another key theme was how a district's demographics …

Using A Shared Vocabulary To Teach Key Qualities Of Good Writing In A Fourth Grade Classroom, Kristi Schoppe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to investigate what happens when teachers replace traditional grammar instruction methods with small group guided instruction focused on a set of vocabulary terms used in writing. The vocabulary terms represent the key qualities of writing; the terms for teachers and students is word choice, ideas, conventions, organization, voice, sentence fluency, role, audience, format, and topic. This study aims to learn more about this topic by investigating how using a shared vocabulary during writing instruction in a fourth grade classroom will engage students longer to improve their writing through the writing process.

Using Wordless Picture Books To Develop Oral Language Skills With Kindergarten Students, Jennifer M. Natale

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to study the oral language development of the average kindergartner, through the use of wordless picture books, as he or she is provided with practice in which to build oral language. The specific aim is to implore whether the addition of oral language activities using wordless picture books, into the regular kindergarten program, will enable students to better express themselves orally through storytelling, as well as to transfer that skill into orally dictating a written story. This study is significant in that, as academic demands increase in the kindergarten classroom, it appears that students …

Utilizing Series Books As A Vehicle To Cultivate Motivation And Reading Development In Literature Circles, Heather E. Guerci

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to document the changes in student achievement, motivation, and engagement. The specific aim is to see what happens when series books are discussed in literature circles. Engagement during literature circles, growth in reading level, and behaviors exhibited during the literature circle discussions are analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in their reading preferences and level of motivation to read texts. Implications for utilizing series books in literature circles are discussed.

The Effectiveness Of Rotated Centers During A Reading Block For Students With Learning Disabilities, Stacey B. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Selecting the most efficient reading program for students with special learning disabilities has become a challenge in schools today. Currently the programs that are being produced today are either in a traditional or conventional format, which are typically designed for mainstream and general education students. Neither platform gives much thought to students with learning disabilities. The traditional and conventional reading framework is block teaching for sixty minutes. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of modifying a traditional or conventional reading framework by incorporating reading stations for students with special learning disabilities. This study was conducted over …

Literacy Connection: An Examination Of The Instructional Practices Of Fourth Grade Reading Teachers In The Dougherty County School System For Struggling Readers, Jamaul Rashard Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

Societal expectations center upon the belief that children in grade four should be competent in terms of literacy skills and having acquired the necessary foundational skills to be successful in grade four. Instructional practices, reading programs and resources are linked to reading achievement and literacy acquisition of students. In Southwest Georgia, teachers’ instructional practices from twelve schools in urban Dougherty County were examined. The researcher examined the instructional practices of fourth grade reading teachers in the Dougherty County School System to determine the perceived impact on reading achievement and literacy acquisition of struggling fourth grade readers. The fourth grade reading …

Using A Culturally Responsive Approach To Shared Reading, Elizabeth A. Procida

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate and document changes in the motivation and engagement of basic skills students. The specific goal was to determine whether or not the replacement of purchased traditional intervention texts with authentic multicultural texts affected motivation in a basic skills classroom.

The intervention group of students during enrichment period demonstrated motivation to read and enhanced the way they saw themselves as readers. There was a renewed interest in literacy when experienced as an active activity. The implications discussed were for a culturally responsive shared reading environment.

An Exploratory Research On Aesthetic Reading Of A Multicultural Novel In A Book Club Setting Amongst Fifth Grade Students, Kasey Leigh Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to see if the use of a multicultural novel in a book club setting would produce aesthetic reading. The specific aim was to see if this would happen to fifth graders in an after school program club. Conversation recordings, pre and post surveys about aesthetic reading, reader's notebooks, and the teacher's journal have been analyzed. The focus group demonstrated growth in making aesthetic responses. The implications for using the components in a classroom are discussed.

Fourth Grade Students' Use Of Active Reading Strategies During Independent Daily Reading Time, Stephanie Bradfield

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine how fourth grade students implement active reading strategies during independent reading time. Data was recorded over a one-month period and tracked through student response journals, individual reading conferences, and teacher anecdotal notes. Throughout the study, student responses developed to include discussion of strategy use and metacognition. Student stamina and comprehension was supported through the practice. The structure of the independent practice helped students' to build their skills of strategy implementation and metacognition to monitor their independent reading.

How Do Students Structure Their Silent Reading When Situated In Inquiry Based Pedagogy?, Michelle Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to document the engagement levels and classroom discussions students have after reading their independent reading novel. The specific aim was to see how students respond using their independent reading books when class discussions are centered around an essential question. Classroom reading behaviors, student-led classroom discussions, interviews, and exit tickets were analyzed. The students were engaged as active readers when reading their chosen silent reading book to find the answer to an essential question. After, the students engaged in meaningful conversations using their silent reading books as guides before some students offered personal responses while …

What Happens When Multi-Disabled Students Are Presented With Functional Sight Words In The Real World Opposed To The Classroom?, Jennifer Nicole Roselli

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to document how students with learning disabilities use vocabulary outside of the classroom and more specifically the importance of functional sight word recognition. This study will support how functional reading instruction can benefit students with learning disabilities by promoting independence. It will also recognize the importance of choosing instruction to best prepare students for their futures outside of school.

Close Reading Strategies Applied By English Language Learners When Reading Challenging Content Area Texts, Laura Barry

Theses and Dissertations

The study introduced high school English Language Learners to close reading strategies to use when reading difficult content area texts, with a particular focus on discussion, prior knowledge, vocabulary, and self-generating questions. The students participated in multiple measures to see if they developed metacognitive awareness in employing the strategies. Findings revealed that the students adapted quickly to using the strategies with teacher support, and that they began to internalize them. Implications for teacher research are discussed.

A Qualitative Study On The Effects Of Second Grade Students Forming Partnerships With Their Teacher And Peers To Set Reading Goals, Sandra L. Shevlin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study is for second grade students to form a partnership with their teacher and peers to set reading goals. One goal of the study is to examine how forming partnerships with peers and the teacher helps students better understand themselves as readers. Another goal is to investigate how the created partnerships motivate students to set reading goals independently. A variety of data was collected and analyzed, including notes, observations, student conversations, and charts reported in a teacher research journal, along with the pre and post assessment data, such as the Reading Attitude Survey, student written …

The Most Efficient And Effective Ways To Address New Literacies For The 21st Century Classroom, Catherine Elizabeth Mcgowan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide an extensive review of literature that focuses on the most efficient and effective ways to implement new literacies in the classroom. It focuses on how to maximize the impact of new literacies instruction on student learning through curriculum, and professional development and discusses the impact of new literacies on student motivation. The thesis provides information on how to define new literacies and discusses the impact they are having on the school environment and learning process. It discusses the importance of new literacies and why they should be integrated into today's classroom. The …

A Conceptual Study On Effective Independent Reading Practices To Foster An Enjoyment Of Reading, Diana Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this conceptual study was to analyze what factors impact students' engagement and motivation to read independently. Further, the study sought to determine effective modifications to independent reading for today's students. Because this study is conceptual in nature, an extensive review of the current qualitative and empirical literature on independent reading was conducted. From there, the data was coded inductively to generate new ideas about what independent reading should entail for students today. Some clear patterns emerged. First, student choice and autonomy were cited as important factors for fostering students' motivation and engagement with reading. Second, simply providing …

Reading, Thinking, Developing Responses: An Investigation Of Independent Reading In A First Grade Classroom, Heather Pence

Theses and Dissertations

What happens when first grade students engage in independent reading in which they are reading, thinking, and developing responses about texts at their independent reading level? The purpose of this study is to investigate what type of work and learning first grade students engage in during independent reading time. The focus will be on the type of thinking the students are engaging in and what strategies the students are utilizing while reading independently. This qualitative teacher research study consists of 12 first-grade students in the first-grade classroom during independent reading time of Reader's workshop. The data collected revealed students utilizing …

Improving Student Engagement And Acceptance Using Multicultural Texts, Bianca Rouse

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to investigate how students in a third-grade classroom engage in multicultural texts when reading about cultures other than their own. Furthermore, it will investigate how the use of multicultural texts will impact their understanding and acceptance of diverse cultures. Throughout the six-week study, students read and engaged in discussions after reading two multicultural texts. They participated in activities expressing their thoughts and beliefs related to the content read in class. The strategies used for this qualitative research study were questionnaires, observations, accountable talk discussions, artifact analysis, and interviews. Finally, after discussing and analyzing the …

Picture Books In High School: How Picture Books Impact Student Understanding Of Revolutionary Literature Curriculum, Larae Drinkhouse

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to document student engagement and understanding of American literature when picture books supplement 11th grade curriculum. The specific aim is to see what happens when 11th graders use picture books to make sense of Revolutionary era literature and persuasive rhetoric found in texts such as Common Sense by Thomas Paine, Speech to the Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry, and The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. Student questionnaires, interviews, artifacts, and observations were analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in the overall value of picture book usage in the 11th grade classroom. …

How Choice In Daily Independent Reading Affects Book Talks With Peers, Deirdre Rae Glynn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine any effects that daily choice independent reading had on peer book talks in regard to reading motivation and engagement. The specific aim was to see what happened in weekly peer book talks when students were given daily independent reading time with a book of their choosing. Motivation profiles, audio recording of student talk, anecdotal notes, and student interviews are all analyzed. The implications for implementing daily independent reading with a choice book and peer book talks are discussed.

Background Knowledge Conversations About Informational Text, Vanessa Gottesfeld

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover what happened when students are given opportunities to discuss their background knowledge before reading an informational text and to discuss how their background knowledge changed and grew after reading the text. The specific aim of this project was to find out how students interacted with each other during these structured and scaffolded conversations. Transcripts of student conversations, student artifacts, observations of conversations, and a teacher research journal were analyzed. The group of students studied demonstrated the ability to learn from each other, expand on each other's comments, and address misconceptions. The implications …

Effectiveness And Impact Of The Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol On Ell Student Academic Achievement, Gladymar Soto-Huertas

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the effectiveness of using the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol with fidelity for English Language Learners (ELL) and its impact on student academic achievement through FCAT Reading and FSA scores. In a high school located in Central Florida that served approximately 2,244 students there were 1,129 (50.6%) students classified as English Language Learners (ELLs), by the 2016-17 school year the school expected to have 62% of their entire student body passing state mandated assessments in order to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) (PCSB, 2013).

In order for the aforementioned to take place it was …

Factors Affecting Adult Speakers Of Other Languages' (Esol) Enrollment In English For Academic Purposes (Eap) Courses: A Multicase Study, Jacklyn Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation provided insight and identified impediments and obstacles in the areas of educational and societal assimilation, career and monetarist support, and academics to ascertain the effects they have on students transitioning from ESOL classes to EAP courses. Adult non-native speakers have evolved into an important segment of the adult population in the United States. Many Limited English Proficient (LEP) students lack the aptitude as it relates to the English language, often translating into lower wages, higher rates of poverty, and limited upward movement in the workplace. Researchers have identified several factors that may potentially influence the program participants …

Exploring Literacies In The Assemblage Of Adult Education English For Speakers Of Other Languages Classrooms, Susan Watson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a posthuman perspective of adult second language and literacy learning using the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and his collaborative work with Félix Guattari, Masny’s (2005/6) multiple literacies theory or MLT, and DeLanda’s (2016) assemblage theory. Thinking with these scholars, I employ a post-qualitative, posthuman MLT conceptual framework to study literacy as a process that flows through and connects with globally-diverse students, languages, worldviews, and texts in the assemblage of adult education, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) classrooms. I posit this assemblage as a remarkable and important context for literacy research …

Comparing Online English Language Learning And Face-To-Face English Language Learning At El Bosque University In Colombia, Marta L. Montiel-Chamorro

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is significant research surrounding online foreign language education, there are still questions on whether the outcomes are comparable to those obtained in the traditional face-to-face classroom. This study examined four classes, two online and two face-to-face, where students took the second course of a 6-level program of English as a Second Language at El Bosque University in Colombia. The International Test of English Proficiency (iTEP) was administered to students before classes started in order to establish a baseline, and then again after the courses finished. This test evaluates English language proficiency per skill: speaking, listening, reading, writing and …

Language, Literacy, And Conscientização In American Public Schools, Julie Ward

Theses and Dissertations

Language, Literacy, and Conscientização in American Public Schools synthesizes poststructural language theory to critique literacy teaching and assessment norms in American public schools in order to theorize a pedagogy of racial and economic justice that embraces globalization and immigration. Chapter I creates a theoretical framework for language that rests firmly on both Lev Vygotsky’s and Jacques Lacan’s sociohistorical approach to language acquisition and language use. Mikhail Bakhtin’s work demonstrates the heteroglossic nature of discourse, while Antonio Gramsci politicizes this framework through an understanding of hegemony. Chapter II sketches ethnographic research on teaching practices of various American communities, focusing on ideology …

The Impact Of Song And Movement On Kindergarten Sight Word Acquisition, Katy Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this naturalistic, qualitative study was to document the impact that song and movement had on kindergarten sight word acquisition. To investigate this, 18 kindergarten students were taught 20 new sight words using songs and movement over the course of four weeks. Data was systematically collected and analyzed to determine the specific benefits that song and movement had on kindergartner's sight word learning in regard to automaticity, motivation, and engagement. The kindergarten students were administered a pre-and post-sight word assessment along with a pre-and post-song and movement motivation and engagement student survey. Throughout the study, a qualitative journal …

Spelling Instruction For Students With Learning Disabilities, Rebecca Grochowicz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the success of phonetic-based and memory-based spelling instruction on students with learning disabilities. This study implemented a pretest-posttest design. The participants were six learning disabled second grade students in a resource room setting. All participants were performing below grade level in Language Arts and Reading. Data was collected during a baseline phase, intervention phase, and post-intervention phase. Students were taught list spelling words using both phonetic-based and memory-based strategies on alternating weeks. Their weekly progress and retention rates were recorded and compared to the baseline data. Overall, the results of the study …

Applying Intertextual Literary Theory To The Secondary Literacy Classroom, Holly Sheppard Riesco

Theses and Dissertations

In secondary literacy classrooms, teachers work with students on developing critical thinking skills that translate into their writing. This thesis focuses on using intertextuality in literacy and other texts to create more effective critical thinkers and more socially conscious writers. In using an intertextual process, a teacher must combine several disciplines for it to be effective, including social constructionism in writing, reader-response theory, collaboration within in the classroom, and conflict pedagogy. All of these concepts combine to create the intertextual process presented in this thesis. Applying the intertextual process within a secondary literacy classroom can create a more socially aware …

The Power Of Partners: A Qualitative Study On The Effects Of Long-Term Partnerships During Writing Workshop, Nicole Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine how long-term partnerships will support second grade students during Writing Workshop. The specific goals of the study are to examine the effects long-term partnerships utilized during Writing Workshop will have on both student achievement and student engagement. Student interviews pre and post study, student writing, along with weekly student reflections were analyzed. The group of students who were the focus of the study demonstrated increased engagement when participating in Writing Workshop. The students also demonstrated increased writing proficiency throughout the duration of the study. The benefits of utilizing long-term peer partnerships during …