Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Interactive Writing In A Kindergarten Classroom, Amy Henze

Graduate Research Papers

This research study focused on the use of interactive writing as the primary method of writing instruction in a kindergarten classroom. The purpose of the study was to find out the extent to which and in what ways interactive writing supports the needs of all students at various emergent writing stages. The study also examined students' writing samples to see if there was carryover of skills from the interactive writing lessons to the students' independent writing. Results indicate a variety of skills were taught during the interactive writing lessons, and all of the students showed growth in the use of …

The Influence Of High-Quality Early Childhood Education Programs On At-Risk Children's Literacy And Language Development, Gwendolyn M. Kellen

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review addressed the impact that high-quality early childhood education programs have on at-risk children's literacy and language development. The purpose of this review was to focus on the impact and benefits that high quality early childhood education programs have on the literacy and language development of at-risk young children, and the influence that the early childhood teachers, the early childhood classroom environment, and the early childhood classroom activities have on the literacy and language development of young children who may be at-risk of developing reading difficulties when they begin formal education.

The research concluded that at-risk children who …

Reading Intervention Support For The Older Struggling Reader : A Desk-Reference For Reading Interventions, April L. Kleinschmidt

Graduate Research Papers

Reading interventions for the older student are a topic of discussion in school districts, especially when an increasing number of middle schools and high schools are in need of improvement in the area of reading. Because of this increase in literacy concern in the middle and high schools, there is a need to better understand areas of reading that would assist struggling adolescent readers. Research affirms the importance of including intervention assistance in the upper grades. Research indicates key areas to target: structures and features of text, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, writing and technology, as well as the incorporation of …

What Every Kindergarten Teacher Should Know About Spelling, Gjoa King

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this article was to determine what research stated about writing and spelling instruction at the kindergarten level. I looked specifically at research concerning spelling and writing development in kindergarten children, the role of invented spelling, and the effects of instruction on spelling outcomes. This was done for the purpose of synthesizing the research in order to help teachers implement a developmentally appropriate spelling curriculum for kindergartners.

Integrating And Implementing Literacy In A Toddler Classroom, Emily Knutson

Graduate Research Papers

This Project examined the topic of literacy in a toddler classroom. Research on toddler language, reading, writing, and parent involvement with literacy was discussed. The Infant/Toddler Environmental Rating Scale and Iowa Early Learning Standards were used to rate a toddler classroom in regard to literacy activities. Guidelines were presented for establishing quality literacy activities for toddler children. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and the classroom project for the future of literacy development for toddlers.

Meeting Academic Needs Through Explicit Vocabulary Insturction, Ann D. M. Langenfeld

Graduate Research Papers

This project focused on meeting the academic needs of students through explicit vocabulary instruction. The project consisted of nine professional development sessions delivered over one academic year and targeted reading teachers and Language Arts Resource Specialists (LARS) in a Midwestern suburban school district. Participants engaged in collaborative and interactive sessions that included colleague visits to aide in implementation of at least one method of explicit vocabulary instruction. Through a series of two different questionnaires, participant responses were used to assess background knowledge, teacher beliefs and practices, teacher perceptions, implementation, and relevance regarding explicit vocabulary instruction.

The Learning Of Numeracy And Literacy In South Australian Primary Schools: An Investigation Into The Performance Of Students And Schools In Numeracy And Literacy In Rural And Regional South Australia., Carol Aldous

Shannon Research Press

Success in science and mathematics is predicted on successful literacy and numeracy learning. Yet schools and communities across the country struggle to negotiate factors that both impede and facilitate such learning - particularly factors over which they have no control. Working with data more comprehensive than that used previously and applying statistical methods only recently developed, researchers from the South Australian hub of the National Centre for Science, Information and Communication Technology and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR-SA) seek answers to three basic questions. What factors influence performance in literacy and numeracy? Does living in a rural …

Linguistic Moments: Language, Teaching, And Teacher Education In The U.S., Brandon Lavada, Denise Marie Baszile, Theodorea Berry

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A New Vision: An Integrated Unit Of Study For Ells And Children With Special Needs, Sophy Aponte

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis presents a curriculum that integrates science and bilingual education based on the principles of Understanding by Design (Ubd), Carol Tomlinson's thirds approach to differentiated instruction and Mel Levine's theories for children with special needs.

Taiwan's Language Curriculum And Policy: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Dpp's Claims-Making, Yi-Hsuan Lee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This case study of Taiwan's language curriculum and policy is a rhetorical analysis of the claims-making regarding changes with Taiwan's native languages and Chinese education.

To answer the research question of whether or not the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government claims support its language curriculum and policy changes, this study applied (a) Social problems research, and (b) Burke's dramatisim to analyze the claims. Two statements by the Taiwanese government about its educational policy, during the 2000-2008 presidencies, were analyzed along with the actual curriculum guidelines. Also, the opponents' opinions regarding the government's actions, which were represented in the newspapers, were …

An Interview With Sara Zarr, Mary Rice

The Utah English Journal

Sara Zarr is a California native who currently resides in Utah. She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels for young adults, Story of a Girl (a 2007 National Book Award finalist) and Sweethearts. Her third novel, Once Was Lost, will be published this fall. Mary Rice, current board member of the Utah Council of Teachers of English, recently interviewed her.

Persuasion At The Sentence Level: Teaching The Grammar Of Influence, Deborah Dean

The Utah English Journal

Why do we teach students to write persuasively, to craft arguments that assert a point, take a stand, propose a solution, or seek common ground? Isn’t part of it because the ability to formulate effective arguments is an “important literacy practice” (Beach & Doerr-Stevens, 2009, p.125), and our capacity to be persuasive is an essential part of our interactions with the world? It is also a kind of writing that is often found in state and district writing tests—another possible reason we might want to teach students to write for the purpose of persuading.

My Favorite Novel: A 7-Point Folkloric Reflection, Jacqueline S. Thursby

The Utah English Journal

This project, the 7-Point Folkloric Reflection Paper, has been successful and popular according to feedback from my English students in various folklore classes. It is based on a novel they have already read, and I suggest that they choose a novel they have enjoyed because they are going to spend a lot of time with it. This project is not a book report. It is a writing project that includes an introduction to the often misunderstood discipline of folkloristics. This assignment requires some groundwork by the teacher, but besides being interesting, it demonstrates that folklore is present in most of …

The Secret Realizations Of An Okay Teacher, Michelle Barney

The Utah English Journal

A Personal Narrative by Michelle Barney

As I collected the little writings we did every day, I realized something. These kids were good. These kids had style, voice, and something to say. And I was holding them back.

Thirteen Ways Of Looking At Poetry Writing (Minus Twelve): Using Bad Poetry To Make Good Poetry Accessible, Sheila Benson

The Utah English Journal

This article presents my effort to move students past their belief that poetry is inaccessible by requiring them to write bad poetry. My original goal was to bring back the fun of poetry by letting students play with words and sounds rather than obsessing over rhyme schemes. I wanted my students to see that they knew more about poetry than they thought they did, that poetry and language play are a natural part of how we think. As students created bad poetry and discussed what they believed poetry was (and wasn’t), we discovered together that much of our fear of …

How Can I Know What I Think Until I See [And Hear] What I Say? - Getting Students To Start Taking Responsibility For Their Own Writing Through Oral Revision, Joseph Anson

The Utah English Journal

Peer conferences and PVC phones are but two methods I’ve found to get students up to their elbows in their own revising, and for the most part, enjoy it. Both can be used effectively to reinforce the effectiveness of oral revision. Once they can see and hear what they have to say, their thoughts and writing become clearer.

Ready To Read: Incorporating A Reading Workshop, Amy Lavin

The Utah English Journal

As Kelly Gallagher (2009), the author of Readicide, states on the English Companion Ning (an online network for English teachers) during a discussion about his book, “There are two kinds of teachers in the world: those who have taught twenty years, and those who have taught one year twenty times.” Trying to be more like the former teacher, I attempt to incorporate something different in my classes each school year. As I started my sixth year of teaching, I wondered, what would happen if I offered my students more freedom? Certainly, I didn’t mean a free-for-all where fun and games …

Inquiring Into Ivanhoe: A Study Of Student-Teacher Collaboration, Caleb Mcclellan, Mary Rice

The Utah English Journal

This paper traces the individual and collaborative history of a student and his teacher in terms of their writing experiences, particularly with feedback. After sharing their own perspectives about writing, reviewing the current literature on writing feedback and discussing the ways in which the inquiry was conducted, the revisions of an in-class assignment are analyzed, revealing a new way for both authors to think about writing feedback.

The Power Of Tweeting, Brenda J. Anderson

The Utah English Journal

Libraries and English classrooms will evolve to include social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and more. Just as email has become commonplace in schools, the information technologies built to increase dialogue and to expedite the transfer of knowledge to others will blend in with everyday language arts practices.

Structured Revision: A New Model In Rethinking, Rewriting, And Reiterating Text, Tom Henry

The Utah English Journal

Many procedures offered by textbooks, including the process model itself, fall short of actually encouraging students to successfully revise and/or make significant changes to their texts. Yet a form of revision which is more carefully structured may help students to make more specific changes while improving the quality of their diction, syntax, paragraphing, and the overall quality of their writing.

Creating A School Garden: Food For Thought, Kenna Rodgers

The Utah English Journal

We are coming into a time where our knowledge of food, its connections, and its significance is blossoming as a national and global conversation. This food conversation must become pertinent in our schools as well.

Sudden Sky, Davide Trame

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.

Just Write, Steve Shilling

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.

English Teacher's Pay, Sharon Nauta Steele

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.

Reading Time, Stephanie B. Thompson

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Professional Development On Early Reading Skills : A Comparison Of Two Approaches To Word Solving, Kimberly L. Anderson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Family Literacy And Digital Literacies : A Redefined Approach To Examining Social Practices Of An African-American Family, Tisha Yvette Lewis

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Engaging And Motivating Young Readers, Alisha Briggs

Graduate Research Papers

It is well accepted in the teaching world that a student's success in reading is greatly influenced by the student's own motivation. A student needs to be engaged in a subject to be successful. An engaged and motivated reader chooses to read for a variety of purposes including reading for enjoyment and seeking information. A student may find this motivation within himself/herself or they may need the help of the teacher and learning environment to do so. This paper will look at the various aspects of motivation and engagement including self-determination theory, social contexts, and classroom strategies.

Literature Circles And Improved Comprehension In Struggling Readers, Christine Lynn Marxen

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this project was to examine Literature Circles for their effectiveness with struggling readers in upper elementary classrooms and reading rooms. Research questions include, what is the impact of Literature Circles on struggling readers in upper elementary grades? and, what scaffolds help struggling readers be successful in Literature Circles?

The literature review defines Literature Circles in their various forms, and details how to begin using this method in the classroom with groupings including struggling readers. Procedures and scaffolds are identified that have had proven results with struggling readers through various research methods. Ideas for teacher assessment, self-assessment and …

Digital Storytelling, Erin Alynn Miller

Graduate Research Papers

The need for students to use effective written communication and to be technologically literate · remains strong. Meanwhile, educators charged with developing these skills are searching for ways to engage students in the writing process and integrate technology into daily learning activities. Digital storytelling aligns with both of these objectives. This strategy invites students into the writing process on a personal level and integrates several technologies into the final product.

This paper describes the digital storytelling process, including the benefits students attain from storytelling and technology integration as well as suggestions for classroom implementation. Additionally, research-based conclusions and recommendations for …