Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Espace Francophone Et Politiques Linguistiques : Glottophagie Ou Diversité Culturelle?, Zacharie Petnkeu Nzepa

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

This paper is illustrative of the conflict of languages in a sociolinguistic landscape. It asserts that in French-speaking world, notably Black Africa and the West Indies, politics in collusion with French language policies work for the imperceptible, but gradual disappearance of vernaculars on behalf of the prestige of French language. The International Organization of "Francophonie" is depicted as being instrumental in the ongoing strategy. The article ends up suggesting criteria for a harmonious cohabitation of languages in the above-mentioned ommunities.

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, …

Science Comprehension: Effects Of Text Coherence And Reader Aptitudes, Kimberly G. Cottrell

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

There is a significant need to improve reading comprehension as typical textbooks, particularly science textbooks, are often too difficult for the average student to comprehend. The overall purpose of this study was to examine which reader aptitudes, specifically prior domain knowledge, reading ability, metacognitive reading strategy knowledge, and motivation, were most predictive of science text comprehension, and whether these relationships varied as a function of text coherence. Further, the purpose entailed which factors (reading ability, metacognitive reading strategy knowledge, and motivation) may assist low knowledge readers to compensate for knowledge deficits, particularly when reading low-coherence texts. There were 241 undergraduate …

The Transnational Classroom: Connecting People, Languages, And Cultures, Lourdes Sánchez-López, Jessica Ramos-Harthun

Dimensions

With the aid of computer technology and students’ firsthand experiences, the Transnational Classroom (TC), a pilot innovative project created and developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), was implemented in the summer of 2002 for a duration of three and a half weeks. The participants were two groups of students from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures: a study-abroad group in Costa Rica and a Spanish class on the U.S. campus. The main objective of the project was to give the U.S. campus students the opportunity to participate in the foreign culture through their peers’ experiences and …

Stepping Out Of The Classroom To Increase Spanish Language Skills And Cultural Awareness, Betina Kaplan, Teresa Pérez-Gamboa

Dimensions

This article describes the experience of our college-level Spanish students who stepped out of their campus classrooms and into elementary school libraries, corridors, and classrooms to develop an exchange program. Chase Street Elementary School, like many other elementary schools in Athens, Georgia, has a large Hispanic student population composed mostly of recent immigrants with limited English proficiency. This experience served not only the Hispanic community of Athens, but our college students as well. Our students contribute to the reduction of the language barrier that separates teachers from students and their families, and, at the same time, they have the unique …

Merging Foreign Language Theory And Practice In Designing Technology-Based Tasks, Lara Lomicka, Gillian Lord, Melanie Manzer

Dimensions

While educators are aware of the benefits of technology in language instruction, one challenge they face is how to implement effective interactive technology-based tasks. Technology offers numerous advantages, yet it is not without some drawbacks. Terry (1998) notes that the purpose of using technology should be clear and pedagogical; it should not be used “to fill (or kill) time” (p. 282). The goal of this article is to integrate the theory of technology instruction with the creation of well-designed tasks. To that end, we examine recent research in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) as well as online learning. We offer ideas …

Creating Narrated Multimedia Presentations In The Second And Foreign Language Class, Janet Flewelling

Dimensions

With increasing frequency, teachers are being encouraged to integrate technology into their teaching programs. Their challenge is to find technological applications that promote and enhance learning on the part of their students. A further challenge for second and foreign language teachers is to ensure that the applications reflect principles associated with communicative teaching. This article discusses how students can create narrated multimedia presentations that can be published on the Internet. Suitable for second and foreign language programs at any grade level, this activity would facilitate and encourage authentic communication while developing technological and organizational skills. It would also lend itself …

Intasc Model Foreign Language Standards For Beginning Teacher Licensing And Development, Carmen Chaves Tesser, Marty Abbott

Dimensions

The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) is a nonprofit organization representing 57 chief education officers who, through the Council of Chief State School Officers, are responsible for setting state education policy. INTASC standards address what beginning teachers should know, how they should behave, and what they should be able to do. At the present time, 33 states and territories are members of INTASC. In May 2002, a committee of 18 practicing teachers and teacher educators with expertise in a variety of languages and nominated by their professional organizations completed the drafting of the INTASC Foreign Language Standards …

Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs In Foreign Languages, Anja Bernardy, Elaine Mcallister

Dimensions

For the past 20 years educators have debated whether alternative teacher certification, or preparation, is a valid solution to the critical shortage now facing the profession. In foreign language education, Kennesaw State University (KSU) has developed an alternative preparation program designed to give candidates the same knowledge, skills, and dispositions imparted in traditional undergraduate preparation and to hold these individuals to the same standards required of undergraduates in foreign language education. This article describes the program, discusses the disadvantages and rewards of the assessment plan, and offers observations on the future of nontraditional preparation of teachers.

Group Study Abroad And Thematic Units, Sue Barry

Dimensions

This article describes the model for a Group Study Abroad Project to Peru for K-12 teachers of Spanish that took place during the summer of 2001. The model has a pre-travel, overseas, and post-travel component. All three are described, with special emphasis on the program exit evaluation and the participants’ reactions one year later. Participants were generally positive about their experience, but some expressed a need for more preparation in creating thematic units. Selected units are described in the appendices along with Web site references where readers can find complete lesson plans and e-mail addresses of authors.

Creating A Language Learning Community Within And Beyond The Classroom, Denise M. Overfield

Dimensions

This article describes an interdisciplinary project that joins a popular curricular model, the learning community, with an increasingly popular pedagogical technique, community-based learning. The combination of the two gives students the opportunity to use language as both an object of and tool for learning, thus situating language at the heart of the learning experience. The development of a learning community creates a curricular space in which faculty and students work together as novices and experts in a specific situation to resolve linguistic and sociocultural issues. This article presents the field experience of 1st-year nursing students who were enrolled in a …

Teaching Children To Be Storytellers: A Handbook For Educators, April Nicole Cross

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design a handbook for second grade teachers interested in teaching storytelling. By introducing children to the world of storytelling, teachers can bring the true nature of storytelling into the classroom and take full advantage of its educational benefits. Through the storytelling process, children's listening, reading, and oral language skills are enhanced. Although storytelling is only one part of a literacy program, it is the means to a very important literacy goal: the development of independent, lifelong readers. The handbook includes a five-week storytelling unit that gives an explanation of how to realize and …

Incorporating Literature Circles Into A Fifth Grade Classroom, Kenneth Michael Kron

All Graduate Projects

The focus of this project was to review available literature on literature circles within the framework of a balanced literacy program, and create materials to be used by fifth grade teachers as they work toward improving their language arts curricula. The results of the research review show that students are motivated to read when they choose their own reading material and can comprehend the material after engaging in collaborative, meaningful discussion of the text with peers. The project includes instructional frameworks, lesson plans for after-reading activities, and book selections for three rounds ofliterature circles.

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, Rosemary Chance, University Of Southern Mississippi

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the thirty-sixth annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2003.

Model Title I Reading Program In Allignment With The Essential Academic Learning Requriements, Jeanne O'Hara Maxwell

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of the project was to design and develop a model Title I reading program for John Campbell Elementary School, Selah, Washington, in alignment with the state Essential Learning Requirements. To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature related to the fundamentals of reading/literacy and instructional strategies related to student mastery of this essential academic skill were reviewed. Additionally, related information/ materials from selected sources were obtained and analyzed. The model consists of a number of separately usable components, organized into four units: Student-Centered Classroom, Homogeneous Grouping, Building Fluency, and Phonics & Whole Language. Each unit contains its own …

Reading With Your Preadolescent Children At Home: A Workshop For Parents, Elizabeth Jane Keefe

All Graduate Projects

Reading comprehension is a continuous process of evolving thinking. When readers read, they carry on an inner conversation with the text. Readers respond with wonder, delight, and even outrage. They question the text, argue with the author, and nod their heads in agreement. They make connections, ask questions, and draw inferences to better understand and learn from what they read. Programs that involve parents in their children's education have been found to have a positive influence on a child's academic performance and cognitive development. Secondly, book-reading experiences have correlated strongly with success in reading, leading experts to conclude that preparing …

Supporting Reading Instruction Of High School Students With Learning Disabilities By Using Wynn Software, Linda Kilgore

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a student/teacher handbook, which contained information for the successful integration of the WYNN computer software into the general and special education classroom. Students with learning disabilities struggle with the general education curriculum and new technology provides an individualized approach to the accommodation of their needs. Research concerning learning disabilities and how the use of computers can support these students in the classroom was included.

Creating Motivation And Oral Reading Fluency Through Readers' Theatre, Kelly Leaverton

All Graduate Projects

Readers' Theatre is a wonderful teaching tool in which students practice and rehearse scripts in order to put on plays in front of an audience. The focus is on word accuracy and expression in reading without having to memorize lines. Studies have shown that Readers' Theatre can strengthen oral reading fluency by repeated readings, and increase confidence and motivation to read as students learn to read their parts with fluency and precision. Unfortunately, due to lack of availability and training, Readers' Theatre is not used in the classroom to the extent it should be, and many educators are uncomfortable with …

Comprehension And Vocabulary Strategies Using Related Tradebooks With Social Studies For Bilingual And Bicultural Middle School Students, Jennifer Suzanne Tindall

All Graduate Projects

In many schools, students from ethnic minority groups are immersed in secondlanguage reading curricula with minimal attention to their native language literacy (Droop & Verhoeven, 2003). These children face the challenge ofleaming to read in languages that they have not mastered orally. As a result, these second-language students can then experience considerable gaps in their understanding ofreading because reading instruction in any language strongly builds on oral language proficiency. For these reasons, second-language literacy learning is an enormous issue in our schools today (Goodman, Goodman, & Flores, 1984). This is why the author chose to research effective reading instruction for …

Effective Strategies For Emergent Readers: Practical Ideas For Everyday Reading With Your Child, Kristin Claire Williams

All Graduate Projects

Three workshops, supported by research in the areas of parent-school involvement, family literacy, the development of the reading process, and reading strategies, were developed. Each workshop provides families with specific reading activities and strategies to use at home. The intent of this author is to provide valid research to demonstrate that learning to read involves the semantic, syntactic, and grapho-phonic cueing systems.

Literature Response Journals : Successful Implementation In A Balanced Literacy Program, Michelle Heiserman

Graduate Research Papers

When balancing their literacy program, classroom teachers take into consideration many components of reading. They know that they must look at each student to see where his or her strengths and weaknesses are. They then plan instruction based on this assessment. One way is to teach how to respond to literature, which is a valuable way to reflect and clarify while reading. It allows the students to work at their own level and become engaged in literature. The literature response journal can be used in conjunction with any literacy program. It provides a way for the teacher and student to …

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 …

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.

A Practical Guide Using A Variety Of Instructional Methods For Teaching Reading To Gifted Students, Melissa Caveness

All Graduate Projects

Gifted students spend most of their school day, if not all, learning in the regular classroom. Often, this environment is not conducive to their learning needs, and there is a lack of readily available supplemental materials that teachers can use to meet the needs of the gifted students. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to create a handbook that provides different strategies for teachers to use when teaching gifted students in the regular classroom. The project contains five thematic units that incorporate and utilize literature and comprehension strategies. This project first focuses definitions and identifiers of gifted students academically …

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.

Using Literature Circles To Teach Comprehension Strategies To Low-Achieving Middle School Readers, Rachel Grace Gossett

All Graduate Projects

Discussion is an integral part of our society and a natural way for students to learn. When discussion is brought into the classroom, students are able to use their background knowledge to create their own meaning and take their thinking to a higher level. Because of these attributes, discussion of reading material in the classroom leads to a greater comprehension of what was read and opens more doors for learning more strategies to increase reading ability. The teacher's role changes from being the one with all of the answers to a member of the group looking for the meaning. Teachers …

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 …

A Handbook Of Strategies For Making Intertextual Connections During Read-Alouds To Build Schema For Elementary School Students, Andrea Kay Manion

All Graduate Projects

A handbook has been created to give primary teachers strategies for building valuable schema and an awareness of text connections during their read-aloud time. The handbook consists of an introduction, ten read-aloud lessons which include some student responses, reviews and classroom activities for twenty read-aloud books, as well as a critique of popular web sites for quality children's literature. Current literature and research regarding schema theory, intertextuality, and reading aloud were reviewed.

Using Computer Software To Enhance Instruction Of Early Literacy Skills In The Kindergarten Classroom, Janann Dostal

Graduate Research Papers

This review investigates skills vital to early literacy instruction, technology use in early childhood classrooms, and software available to enhance early literacy skills of kindergarten students. Letter naming, phonological awareness, concepts about print, and language development are early literacy skills vital to a student's future reading success. Studies have shown that technology has been used in early childhood classrooms as an effective teaching tool, to promote active student involvement, and as a tool for motivation, showing that computers can be utilized successfully with young students. Research indicates that early literacy software used to supplement teacher instruction has great potential to …

Reading Between The "Signs", Sarah Durchenwald/Williamson

Graduate Research Papers

Teaching reading to hearing students, with the supplemental support of American Sign • Language, is a relatively new concept. Many components associated with sign language reinforce basic concepts of English. It teaches individual letter sounds, and names, and many of the signs for words emphasize beginning sounds, as well as meaning. Another important component of sign language is its bodily kinesthetic form of learning. Many students in public schools today are not learning through traditional teaching strategies. Incorporating sign language provides a multi-sensory approach to literal hands-on learning.

The following research outlines the principles behind teaching effectively using sign language …