Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Finding Our Place In The Third Space: The Authority Of Not Knowing As Becoming In School-University Partnership Work, Hannah Carter, Jennifer Snow, Sara Digrazia, Sherry Dismuke

Literacy, Language and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

School-university partnerships have been a space for simultaneous renewal and teacher development for decades (Darling-Hammond, 1994; Goodlad, 1994; Teitel, 2003). As a case in point, this article takes a deeper look at how school- and university-based teacher educators experience professional growth and negotiation of partnership contexts, roles, and responsibilities. Recognizing the complexity of teacher development across the professional lifespan, and the tensions of school-university partnership work, we explore the diverse roles and positions from which we come to the work of clinical supervision and school partnership work. To highlight the varied levels of development and professional growth in these hybrid …

Lexical-Level Predictors Of Reading Comprehension In Third Grade: Is Spelling A Unique Contributor?, Kimberly A. Murphy, Laura M. Justice

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose:

Considerable research effort has focused on understanding reading comprehension and reading comprehension difficulties. The purpose of this correlational study was to add to the small but growing body of literature on the role that spelling may play in reading comprehension, by investigating the full range of lexical-level literacy skills and whether spelling makes a unique contribution. This study also explored whether these relations vary with the spelling scoring metric.

Method:

Data were collected from 63 children attending Grade 3 in a Midwestern state. In addition to measuring reading comprehension, word recognition, and vocabulary, 4 spelling scoring metrics were examined: …

La Maraca Perdida, Holly Beber

Open Access Books

La maraca perdida was written and illustrated in 2019 by Holly Beber. The original text was edited and translated by Mackensy Asbell and Madeline Strelec. New, original illustrations were created by Rina Sato.

Flame In A Jar, Katherine Whitcomb

High Mountain Valley Local Authors Collection Online Content

Containing poems in Spanish and English, Flame in a Jar is part of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, Cuba, in conjunction with the 2018 International Biennial of Poetry of Havana, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, and the Office of the Historian of the City. Katharine Whitcomb is the author of five books, the most recent being a collection of poetry, The Daughter's Almanac. She is a Distinguished Professor of English at Central Washington University, in Ellensburg, Washington, USA. Her website is katharinewhitcomb.com.

Examining Predictor Measures For Students' Testing In The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Shannon Siebe

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between both student achievement and growth in 9th and 10th grade English and math courses and achievement on International Baccalaureate English and math exams. The researcher examined student end-of-course exam scores, student growth values, and International Baccalaureate English and math exam scores from an International Baccalaureate World School across 4 graduating cohorts, including 305 students. The researcher concluded that while 9th grade math end-of-course exam achievement does not significantly predict International Baccalaureate math exam scores, student growth in 9th grade math does. The researcher also concluded that Advanced Placement Language …

Learning To Write In An Academic Genre: Adult English Learners’ Use Of Sociocultural Resources, Lyudmyla Ivanyuk

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

In this multiple case study, I examined what types of sociocultural resources adult English learners brought with them from their previous contexts and what new resources they drew upon in the U.S. while learning to write in the essay genre. The study also identified how the participants chose to use previous and new sociocultural resources as mediated by the essay genre in the U.S. The following research foci shaped this study: (1) What types of sociocultural resources do adult English learners use while learning to write in the essay genre prior to and after their arrival in the U.S.? (2) …

Cultivating A Sense Of Critical Consciousness In Teacher Candidates Within A Community-Based Adult Esl Program, Sarina Chugani Molina

School of Leadership and Education Sciences: Faculty Scholarship

As more teacher education programs commit to developing critically conscious educators, it has become increasingly important to provide teacher candidates with opportunities to engage in critical actions within authentic contexts. To this end, the TESOL program in partnership with community stakeholders instituted a language program, where candidates were provided opportunities to explore the role of advocacy in their work through engaging in iterative dialogic reflections with their students. This chapter illustrates how the candidates came to embrace their role as agentive forces that strived to contribute to the empowerment of their learners to advocate for themselves within their own communities.

Engaging Struggling Readers: The Significance Of The Aesthetic Response For Comprehension, Amy Won

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This research explores the relationship between aesthetic (emotional) responses to literature and reading comprehension. Bridging theory and practice, it presents a pedagogical approach that integrates comprehension strategies to support and deepen students' emotional engagement with texts.

A Validation Program For The Self-Beliefs, Writing-Beliefs, And Attitude Survey: A Measure Of Adolescents' Motivation Toward Writing, Katherine Landau Wright, Tracey S. Hodges, Erin M. Mctigue

Literacy, Language and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent findings reveal clear evidence that students’ low performance on writing tasks is often related to problems with motivation. Writing curriculum and interventions produce varying effects on adolescents’ writing outcomes, and such variations may be mediated by motivation. However, without a valid tool for measuring students’ motivation towards writing, these effects cannot be quantified. In this study we present the results of our multi-study validation program for the Self-Beliefs, Writing-Beliefs, and Attitude Survey (SWAS). This measure is designed for monitoring students' motivation towards writing, as well as identifying variables that mediate student achievement. We first addressed substantive validation through a …

Flipping The Jane Austen Classroom, Lynda A. Hall

English Faculty Articles and Research

The contemporary Austen classroom might appreciate cultural and racial diversity, examine popular culture’s distortions of the original texts, and consider multimodal ways of reading. This paper reflects on a course that “flipped” the research process in order to “find” Austen and her works in the popular culture and to evaluate our understanding in the twenty-first century. Students discovered the commodification and distortion of “Jane Austen” and conducted research for creative projects to learn more about the social, cultural, and historical contexts of the written texts.

What Do Middle Grades Preservice Teachers Believe About Writing And Writing Instruction?, Tracey S. Hodges, Katherine Landau Wright, Erin Mctigue

Literacy, Language and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

After third grade, students’ motivation and enjoyment of writing begins to wane, and this trend continues through most of their education. Middle grade students especially need high-quality writing instruction; however, many teachers report feeling inadequately prepared to teach writing. To combat these issues, teacher preparation programs should understand how their preservice teachers feel about writing and teaching writing. The present study surveyed 150 middle grade preservice teachers to determine their self-efficacy beliefs about writing and writing instruction. Results indicate that preservice teachers valued writing, but did not feel confident with many specific aspects of writing instruction.

The Effect Of The I-Ready Reading Program On Student Scores On The Northwest Evaluation Association (Nwea®) Measures Of Academic Progress (Map) Reading Assessment, Ricardo A. Torres

ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect on student scores on the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA®) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Reading Assessment when students are engaged with on-line adaptive diagnostics and instruction via the Curriculum Associates (CA) i-Ready Reading on-line platform. Outcomes were explored based on usage of the i-Ready program, ethnicity (Hispanic, or Non-Hispanic), and sex (male, or female) of the participant. Participants were students in a K-8 environment in an urban setting in the Mid-West United States. There were two groups of students: one group who used the i-Ready Reading program by CA, and …

Building Dialogue From The Ground Up: Framing Classroom Discussions, Dawan Coombs

The Utah English Journal

Recently a builder friend and I wandered through a house under construction in a nearby neighborhood. As I looked at the cement pad, I confess that I could not envision how what I saw in front of me could become an inhabitable structure. Seeing just wooden beams and supports separating one room from the next, I had a hard time making sense of what was going to be. Shrugging my shoulders, I sighed and asked, "Call me when you've put up the walls?"

Book Review: Ink Knows No Borders: Poems Of The Immigrant And Refugee Experience, Kaelin Stanley

The Utah English Journal

At a time when terms such as immigrant and refugee are seen daily in the news and media, the collection of poems found in Ink Knows No Borders is not only refreshing but strikingly relevant to society today. The 64 talented poets whose experiences are beautifully shared in the book provide a unique insider view of the heartache, growing pains, and unconquerable spirit of first- and second-generation immigrants and refugees.

Book Review: What If It's Us, Zach Searle

The Utah English Journal

Ben and Arthur, the co-protagonists of Albertalli and Silvera's first collaborative novel, are brought together by the universe--depending on who you ask. Arthur is in New York City for a summer internship with his mother's law firm, and he firmly believes the universe has a plan for him when he runs into Ben at the post office. Ben is only at the post office to mail off his ex-boyfriend's break-up box, and he is convinced that the universe is out to get him. However, after their chance encounter, Ben and Arthur aren't so sure about what the universe wants. If …

The Utah English Journal, Volume 47, 2019: Full Issue

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.

Weaving A Workshop Into Your Writing Instruction, Jacob Rees

The Utah English Journal

Why workshops? When we put students together in groups to discuss their writing, we dramatically expand their audience and increase the opportunities for students to write without increasing our grading load. More importantly, we shift the responsibility back to the students to identify what makes writing work. As it is in our own writing process, the ability to assess always precedes our ability to revise. Always.

Identification Of Hispanic English Language Learners In Special Education, Gail I. Becker, Aaron R. Deris

Special Education Department Publications

Overrepresentation of English language learners (ELLs) in special education is a current problem. Urban school professionals indicated that inappropriate placement is linked to a multiplicity of factors. Scarce data exist regarding the relationship between school professional efficacy beliefs, the availability of bilingual programs and personnel for ELLs, and successful academic outcomes. School employees are still confused about the proper placement of English language learners (ELLs). What is enough time to acquire a second language and learn with success? Without other substantial program choices, children are referred to special education. Furthermore, many students in need of special education may be overlooked …

Willingness To Communicate And International Students' Use Of L2, Michelle Verbitskaya

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in the second language (L2) is the "readiness to enter into discourse" which is considered to be the direct precursor of students' communication in L2 (MacIntyre et al., 1998). Oral language is thought to precede written language which creates an assumption that ongoing refining of oral skills may impact writing fluency. In respect to WTC model, there have been several versions that describe the construct (MacIntyre et al., 1998; Wen & Clement, 2003; Matsuoka, 2006). This study references self-efficacy, a cognitive variable in Matsuoka's (2006) proposed model, when analyzing writing as a phenomenon in relation to …

Is There A Correlation Between Oral Reading Rate And Social Conversational Speaking Rate?, Sarah C. Mason

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine if there was a correlation between oral reading rates and social conversational speaking rates. This research was conducted using a sample size of 25 students, ages 8-12, in one elementary building in Southern Iowa. Student data were collected from a previous district’s fall assessment in the area of oral reading rate. Students were given specific prompts when providing their social conversational speaking. When comparing oral reading rate with their social conversational speaking rate, it was found that there was a correlation when measured in words per minute suggesting that students’ reading rates …

The Information-Fluent English Language Learner: Cultural And Pedagogical Considerations, Megan Hodge

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Identity And Second Language Acquisition: Adult Puerto Rican Migrants Living In The United States, Marcio Rubens Soares Gomes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drawing on the poststructuralist construct of identity and on Norton's (1995) concept of investment, as well as on Bourdieu's (1977) notion of capital, this qualitative research study relies on data gathered through interviews conducted with two adult female participants from Puerto Rico, who migrated to Central Florida approximately ten years ago. It aims at answering the following questions: (i) what identity-related factors facilitate or hinder the acquisition of the target language by Puerto Rican migrants? (ii) what social forces or barriers impact learning ESL in the context of Puerto Rican migration to the United States? The findings indicate that investment …

Teacher Perspectives Of Their Implementation Of Guided Reading Instruction, Kristi Presley

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of guided reading in the classroom and the perception teachers had related to their own self-efficacy in their implementation of guided reading instruction. Using an interpretative qualitative methodology, this researcher interviewed twelve teachers in Tennessee concerning their implementation of guided reading instruction in their classrooms. This researcher designed and utilized a Guided Reading Fidelity Checklist for the purpose of analyzing the collected data. This researcher identified misalignments regarding the fidelity of the implementation of guided reading instruction. The findings of this study demonstrate a need for teachers to have further …

The Effect Of Comprehensive Instructional Program On Grades 3-8 Student Achievement, Marcia Shortt

Ed.D. Dissertations

Student achievement and the state Standards of Learning testing was a critical criterion for success for school districts, administrators, and teachers. The researcher in this study investigated the efficacy of the Comprehensive Instructional Program in improving student achievement in reading and mathematics and whether school configuration impacted student achievement. The population consisted of all students in District A in Virginia who took achievement tests in reading and math in 2012-2018. The researcher determined there was a significant difference in reading and math scores between pre‑implementation and post-implementation in grades 3-8 as measured by the Virginia Standards of Learning testing program …

“This Is The Oppressor’S Language, Yet I Need It To Talk To You”: A Critical Examination Of Translanguaging In Russian Speakers At The University Level, Nora Vralsted

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The author critically reviews the TESOL practice known as translanguaging which incorporates the student’s acquired language(s) within the syntax of the target language (TL) as a means to foster understanding. It is suggested that the learner’s entire linguistic repertoire better fosters the learner’s understanding of the material. Within the last 20 years, the practice has gained popularity, and proponents’ advocacy for incorporating home languages within the writing classroom has come to be understood as a necessity for student success. Leonard (2014) identifies students' drawing upon all of their linguistic resources as "rhetorical attunement" and argues that multilingual writers become better …

Writing Beyond The Walls: Five Questions To Promote Authentic Writing Experience In The Classroom, Christine C. Thompson

The Utah English Journal

In the fall of 2018, I established the writing objectives in my eighth grade classroom with student and teacher sanity in mind. Heading into my twelfth year of teaching, I was tired of reading predictable, formulaic paragraphs that all but screamed, "This is my topic sentence. Here are my ideas and supporting evidence. And now, let me conclude by restating my topic sentence." Sure, this type of writing is easy to assess; even a computer can grade this structure with moderate accuracy, but there are so many problems with it-problems that generate impersonal pieces lacking in passion, creativity, and risk-taking. …

Scandal, Pop Culture, And Crime In The Classroom: Using Documentaries To Teach Twenty-First-Century Literacy Skills, Johanna Chausow

The Utah English Journal

When two new documentaries appeared on my "Recommended For You" list this past year, I had an epiphany that has enriched my teaching. Fyre Fraud (2019) is a film made for Hulu by Lana Barkin and Julia Nason, while Fyre (2019) was made for Netflix by Chris Smith and Danny Gabai. Both films address the failed music festival in the Bahamas that was heavily promoted by Instagram influencers. The films cover the same topic but present drastically different interpretations of the events leading up to the disaster. While I could never show these documentaries in their entirety to my students …

Juxtaposing Primary- And Intermediate-Elementary Trade Books’ Historical Representation Of Amelia Earhart, Rachael A. Burkhardt

Masters Theses

Amelia Earhart can be used in the classroom not only to interest students but can also be used to cover Common Core State Standards (CCSS), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) framework, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). When teaching Amelia Earhart, textbooks, trade books, and primary sources can be used, however one must be careful with the misrepresentations each resource can portray. To look at what is misrepresented, omitted, and included within primary and intermediate grade level trade books, 32 books were scrutinized. The trade books being analyzed were found to have some historically representative and misrepresentative elements …

Implementing Reading Strategies With Ell Elementary Students, Nelofar Khamisani

Masters Theses

This study shows the challenges the English Language Learners face in learning reading at the Elementary level; implementing reading strategies for them; and choosing effective strategies for the students to learn reading more easily. The findings of the study show that teachers use different strategies according to the language proficiency level of the students. ELL students face challenges in communication, pronunciation, sound recognition, and vocabulary. As a strategy to overcome these challenges, the teachers emphasize learning phonics and vocabulary. Observations of three teachers in three mainstream classrooms show that teachers implement nearly similar strategies for teaching phonics and vocabulary. The …

Juggling The Curriculum: Integrating Vocabulary Into The Rhythms And Routines Of Our Classrooms, Rachel Knecht

The Utah English Journal

At the end of my third year of teaching, I finally felt like I was successfully juggling the many moving parts of an English curriculum. Literature units focused on an essential question? Check! Daily routines including Writer's Notebooks and independent reading? Check, check! Writing units using mentor texts, authentic audiences, and grammar in context? Check, check, and check! And, through all of these practices, I believed I was on my way to creating a student-centered classroom where students' voices, backgrounds, and skills were valued.

I had this English teacher thing down! Or at least I thought I did. There was …