Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

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 …

The Simple Math Of Writing Well: Writing For The 21st Century, Jennie A. Harrop

Open Textbooks

Writing guides abound, but The Simple Math of Writing Well is one of a kind. Readers will find its practical approach affirming, encouraging, and informative, and its focus on the basics of linguistic structure releases 21st-century writers to embrace the variety of mediums that define our internet-connected world. As Harrop reminds us in the opening chapters of her book, we write more today than ever before in history: texts, emails, letters, blogs, reports, social media posts, proposals, etc. The Simple Math of Writing Well is the first guide that directly addresses the importance of writing well in the Google age.

The Book Of Thesis Books, Elizabeth Leeper, Jennifer Liese, Center For Arts & Language

Thesis Writing

89 pages : color illustrations ; 18 x 23 cm."This guide is intended to help future thesis writers understand the range of approaches to and content in RISD thesis books, locate some especially strong examples in the Library's vast thesis collection, and imagine and plan their own theses." - from the introduction. "Introduction by Jennifer Liese" - Colophon. Contents: Academic thesis -- Monograph -- Project document -- Mosaic essay -- Artist's book. "Designed by Elizabeth Leeper (MFA Graphic Design 2017). Set in Parry and Parry Grotesque, by Artur Schmal, and printed by Lulu."--Colophon.

Collaborative Action Research To Implement Social-Emotional Learning In A Rural Elementary School: Helping Students Become "Little Kids With Big Words", Donna M. San Antonio Dr.

Faculty Scholarship

Research has shown that social and emotional learning (SEL) can benefit students in affective, interpersonal, communicative, and academic realms. However, teachers integrating SEL face a variety of logistical, pedagogical, and skill development challenges, including how to effectively facilitate classroom conversations on social justice and personal loss. This article draws from classroom observations, teacher conversations, interactive journals, and field notes to describe a seven-month-long university-school partnership to carry out an action research project in a high-poverty rural elementary school in the US. Teachers grappled with how to address race, immigration, and gender discrimination in a predominantly White community. Classroom vignettes, and …

A Meaning-Based Approach To The Language Of The Toefl Test And Japanese Efl Textbooks: A Functional Analysis Of Patterns Of Lexico-Grammatical Meanings And Structures, Koshin Fukuyoshi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The primary objective of this research project is to show varying degrees of textual and semantic contributions that semantic density and grammatical metaphors make in the way that TOEFL iBT reading sections and Japanese EFL textbooks are used. This research is conducted from two theoretical perspectives within the theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics. The first analysis is to investigate logical and semantic relationships within clause complexes in order to identify structural variations and their textual distributions. The second analysis focuses on the use of ideational and interpersonal grammatical metaphors and on the way that they further compact or untangle textual …

A Systemic Functional Analysis Of Toefl Sample Writings, Yuki Nakamura

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to investigate the tendency of the structural and lexico-grammatical features between high score writings and low score writings by comparing some sample writings of TOEFL practice text books from the perspectives of Systemic Functional Linguistics. Especially, this study focuses on analyzing clause complex, grammatical metaphor, lexical density, and causality of the sample writings of TOEFL practice books. The analysis shows the tendency to get higher scores with appropriate and effective writing structure of the writing section of TOFL iBT. Actually, most practice textbooks briefly provide only the templates that enable the test takers to …

Literacy Leaders : An Analysis Of West Virginia Secondary School Principals' Self-Reported Literacy Leaderships Perceptions And Practices, Stephanie Adria Burdette

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sweeping changes, such as those ushered in as a component of contemporary school improvement initiatives, have created an educational culture in which all teachers are now considered to be literacy instructors with principals being placed in the role of instructional leader. Yet, review of research literature reveals a severe lack of funding and adequate professional development necessary to ensure that secondary school teachers and administrators have the training they need to provide such literacy services to students. The purpose of this research study was to examine the literacy perceptions and practices of West Virginia’s secondary school principals to ascertain the …

Relationship Between The Wj-Iv Ach Reading Tests And The Gort-5, Emily D. Nestor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present study examined the relationship between the Gray Oral Reading Test – Fifth Edition and the Woodcock Johnson-IV Achievement Tests in reading in a sample of 104 school age participants between the ages of 7 and 18. Pearson correlations tests indicated large correlations (r=.87, p=.01) between the GORT-5 ORI and the WJ IV ACH Broad Reading cluster. Additional comparisons for fluency and comprehension yielded comparable results (r=.85, p=.01; r=.84, p=.01). Similarly, a Fisher’s Exact Test illustrated that the odds of scoring at or below the tenth percentile on the WJ IV ACH was very high when a student scored …

Filling The Reading Void: Studying Reading Stamina In A Suburban High School Through Action Research: A Companion Research Study, Lindsey Weycker

Education Dissertations and Projects

A common practice in elementary schools is to allow students silent reading time during school. Experts agree this is best practice due to the benefits to students, especially in vocabulary development and reading stamina. As students age, however, this practice tends to decline in favor of activities that are meant to teach vocabulary in isolation and test preparation skills. In addition to these activities, English language arts classes typically read and study novels together as a class for the purpose of studying literary devices and literary analysis. Because of these practices, secondary students tend to read less, which in turn …

Tqaj Loi Tyqanh Jyanj Qnej, Michael Robelo, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Qnea, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Nah Ngwac Mihnyiqj Kanqg?, Joseph Waring, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Tsana Ntyqana Renqa Tqwaa Tyqai Tqoe, Miranda Worl, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

French And Spanish Teacher Experiences In Teaching Middle And High School Students In One North Carolina School District: A Mixed-Methods Study, Maguy Techer Yancey

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study examined French and Spanish teacher experiences teaching middle and high school students in one North Carolina school district. The themes derived from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Educator Questionnaire show several areas of concerns world language teachers face in the nation: large class sizes, lack of opportunities to enhance best practices and technology integration, teacher isolation, inadequate instructional material, limited resources, and limited funding.

This dissertation was designed to analyze the experiences of middle and high school teachers of French, Spanish, and Spanish for Native Speakers.

The researcher conducted a digital survey using …

Filling The Reading Void: Studying Reading Stamina In A Suburban High School Through Action Research: A Companion Research Study, Lindsey Ruth Weycker

Education Dissertations and Projects

A common practice in elementary schools is to allow students silent reading time during school. Experts agree this is best practice due to the benefits to students, especially in vocabulary development and reading stamina. As students age, however, this practice tends to decline in favor of activities that are meant to teach vocabulary in isolation and test preparation skills. In addition to these activities, English language arts classes typically read and study novels together as a class for the purpose of studying literary devices and literary analysis. Because of these practices, secondary students tend to read less, which in turn …

The Use Of Response To Intervention With English Learners, Anna Burnley

ECTESOL Review

RTIs assist teachers in adjusting instruction to support ELs in acquiring English and content-area knowledge and learning behaviors. The use of RTIs with ELs can supplement support for ELs as an integrated concept of the sheltered instruction (SI) commonly provided for this student population.

Connecting North And South: Engaging Latin American English Learners, Kenyan Intercultural Communications And American Undergraduate Students Through Reciprocal Service Learning, Laureen Fregeau, Ukaiko A. Bitrus-Ojiambo, Suhana Chikatla, William Cornejo

ECTESOL Review

Reciprocal Service Learning through videoconferencing is an efficient tool for connecting native English speakers of various world Englishes and ELs in other nations for the benefit of all. The authors of this study recognize the reciprocal nature of teaching and learning and the social justice of equalizing power structures through the inclusion of participants and researchers from both North and South as members of a project and research team. Through participant observation and document review the authors examine the experiences of educators and learners in the phenomenon of reciprocal service learning through videoconferencing focused on cultural competence and English language …

Qnea, Tyqanh Qoe Ntkwaj Renqe, Skyler Kuczaboski, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

From The Editor, Laureen Fregeau

ECTESOL Review

No abstract provided.

Employing Word Study With Spanish-Speaking Els, Timothy Rodriquez

ECTESOL Review

Phonics Instruction has had a controversial history. How to teach phonics to Spanish-speaking ELs is also controversial. Understanding the differences between Spanish and English and how phonics instruction occurs in each language would be insightful. Also, knowing how the nature of the two languages affects instruction would be beneficial. Furthermore, exploiting similarities between English and Spanish and examining differences will bolster instruction. This paper will discuss the reasons for word study and how it may be utilized to teach spelling and decoding to Spanish-speaking ELLs.

Context-Focused Grammar Teaching: A Comparison Between English Present Perfect And Past Tenses And Affects On Korean English Learning, Seungheui (Ellie) Lee

ECTESOL Review

Despite massive amounts of time Korean English Learners (KLL) study English grammar, they continue to have problems becoming proficient in verb tenses, especially the present perfect. This study examines this problem through a linguistic comparative analysis of Korean and English present perfect and past tenses. Two possible reasons for KLL difficulty with verb tenses could be mode of instruction and L1 interference.

Not “One China,” Not “One Culture”: Multicultural Exploration Of Differences And Similarities Between Mainland China And Taiwan, Philip J. Ward, Michelle Loo

ECTESOL Review

This study focuses on the outwardly similar cultures of Taiwan and mainland China and the subtle differences within them. The study was conducted as part of the requirements of doctoral program in Instructional Design and Development at a public university in the southeastern United States. Using a qualitative case study approach, the study demonstrates that there are cultural similarities between mainland China and Taiwan, however instructors should also be aware of the differences when developing relationships with students and developing course content. A mini-workshop was developed for the study to help teach instructors about the two cultures. However, the mini-workshop …

Beginning Readers’ Interest In Animal Books: An Analysis Of Data Collected From The Children’S Choices Project, Petros Panaou, Eun Hye Son, Maggie Chase, Stan Steiner

Literacy, Language and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article describes a reading interest study, which analyzed 330 titles selected over a ten-year period by beginning readers (Grades K-2) across the United States (U.S). [sic] for ILA's Children's Choices project. Its aim was to determine if young children's reading interests have changed since earlier studies were conducted in the US. Specifically, a team of four researchers analyzed Children's Choices books selected by 5,000 beginning readers (K-2) every year, from 2005 to 2014. This article illuminates the study's methodology, its findings, and implications for understanding the reading interests of contemporary young children. By examining and comparing the books that …

La Variedad De Los Cráneos, Michael Wheeler

Open Access Books

La variedad de los cráneos was written and illustrated in 2018 by Michael Wheeler. The original text was edited and translated by Mackensy Asbell and Madeline Strelec. New, original illustrations were created by Rina Sato.

Un Cumpleaños Colorido, Tejas Kandharkar

Open Access Books

Un cumpleaños colorido was written and illustrated in 2018 by Tejas Kandharkar. The original text was edited and translated by Mackensy Asbell and Madeline Strelec. New, original illustrations were created by Rina Sato.

Agindaasodaa!, Skyler Kuczaboski, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Qoe Jic Tae Qae Yaqf Nteqi Riqc Qine, Muriel Ammon, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.