Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Growing The Use Of Multicultural Literature Through Accretion, Robert Kelly Jr., Lunetta M. Williams

The Reading Professor

Children's books play a significant role in students' academic progress as well as in social and cultural learning. The opportunties afforded children through picture books should be a result of intentional choices. In this article, we provide guidance to preservice teachers on intentionally selecting multicultural literature. Current research suggests that authenticity and accuracy are two important elements of multicultural literature. We add to the body of research on multicultural literature by presenting accretion, the concept of expanding breadth of a cultural aspect. Included is a list of suggested picture books that demonstrate three expanded areas of accretion: content, illustrator studies, …

From Uncertainty To Confidence: Implementation Of A Cyrano De Bergerac Coaching Model In A Virtual Reading Clinic, Bethanie Pletcher, Gillian Benedetti, Marilyn Nicol

The Reading Professor

During the Fall 2021 semester of a Reading Assessment and Intervention course, an instructor and two doctoral graduate assistants piloted a study in which the instructor used "bug-in-ear" (BIE) technology to deliver teaching prompts to preservice teacher (PST) tutors while they listened to children read in a virtual tutorial setting. The course instructor joined virtual tutorial sessions over Zoom using a laptop computer and communicated with the tutors via phone, through a Bluetooth earpiece provided for them. The BIE coaching occurred during the 10-minute guided reading portion of the lesson, and during the child's oral reading of the text, the …

Learning To Lead Group Discussions: Teacher Education At The Intersection Of Content, Pedagogy, And Equity, Catherine M. Kelly, Elizabeth A. Fogarty, Suzanne Kabach, Kristi G. Tamte, Amy F. Smith

The Reading Professor

In this paper, five teacher educators explore the integration of practice-based teacher education pedagogies to support preservice teacher learning and enactment of large group discussion in fieldwork settings. We discuss our own insights into the shifts in our instruction as we focus more acutely on teaching high leverage practices through practice-based teacher education pedagogies. We share the units we taught with specific focus on the intersecting and overlapping knowledge related to content, pedagogy, and equity necessary for effective teaching through large group discussions. We discuss tensions that arose in our own practice and offer implications for teacher educators interested in …

Sugarcoated History: Turning The Spotlight On "Woke" Books To Expand The Narrative, Marguerite Penick, Katrena Leininger, Chelsea Faase

The Reading Professor

Opponents of books in schools that depict racial and LBGTQ+ histories and narratives argue that education should be raceless and avoid political advocacy. These sentiments are succeeding in states across the country. The result of their success is the loss of an empowering and comprehensive education for all the children in the United States. Educators, who are well informed on the diverse histories of our nation and are armed with a plethora of well-written and factually sourced information, are prepared to face rampant misinformation and culture war rhetoric in our society today. The purpose of this article is to share …

Guidelines For Authors

The Reading Professor

No abstract provided.

About The Cover

The Reading Professor

No abstract provided.

English Language At Secondary Level In Bangladesh: (Dis)Connections Between Policy And Practice Of Oral Skills, S.M. Akramul Kabir

The Qualitative Report

The development of curriculum, textbooks and assessment is a continuous process for better teaching and learning outcomes. The National Curriculum & Textbook Board (NCTB) revised its secondary curriculum in 2012 for English education considering the 2010 National Education policy. The only textbook for the whole country for secondary level, English for Today has been developed accordingly in 2013 for grades 6 to 10, to help students attain competency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews and content analysis of pertinent policy documents. The semi-structured interview data includes a set of English curriculum policy …

Integrating Multiliteracies In A Third Grade Classroom To Enhance Student Engagement And Motivation, Rebecca K. Mcdonough

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to investigate the growth in student motivation and engagement through a multiliteracy lens. The specific aim is to explore what happens when a traditional writing unit is replaced with a multiliteracy writing unit that utilizes multimodal components. The students demonstrated changes in how they perceived themselves as writers and how they viewed writing in general. The implications for teaching writing with a multiliteracy approach is also discussed.

The Teachers’ Perceptions And Knowledge Of Reading Assessment Survey: A Validation Study, Rachel Beachy, Daibao Guo, Katherine Landau Wright, Erin M. Mctigue

Literacy, Language and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite many calls, there is little research addressing teachers’ knowledge of reading assessments and how they utilize assessments for reading instruction. Therefore, the current research developed and validated a reliable measure of teachers’ perceptions and knowledge of reading assessments, called the Perceptions and Knowledge of Assessment in Literacy Survey (PKALS). Through the analysis of two separate administrations, we provide evidence for validity of the PKALS and examine the associations between teachers’ characteristics and their performance on the PKALS. This research also found that teacher experience was correlated with higher knowledge; however, teachers’ certification and graduate degree status were not. The …

Letras 14

Letras

No abstract provided.

Explanation Needed: Understanding The Low Graduation Rates Of Spanish-Speaking English Learners In Southeastern Louisiana, Alice I. Garcia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative research study used the case study method of one-on-one interviews to collect and examine the experiences of former English learners (ELs) who were unable to finish high school in southeastern Louisiana. This study aimed to identify specific factors that, using Everett Lee’s theory, pushed or pulled these ELs from school and affected their ability to graduate. The push factors that were identified included language, inadequate support, academic performance, discrimination, and lack of connection with school and culture. Pull factors that were identified included lack of prior education, immigration, poverty, pregnancy, being far from family, financially supporting family, and …

Ethno-Pedagogical Expressions In The Ndambu Culture Of The Kimaima Community, Papua, Tobias Tobi Nggaruaka, Endah Tri Priyatni, Heri Suwignyo, Wahyudi Siswanto

The Qualitative Report

The Ndambu culture is one of the local wisdoms of the people of Kimaima, Papua, the eastern part of Indonesia, which must be preserved in today's globalized world because cultural values are now being abandoned by the development of globalization. The current generation is also starting to leave the culture of child initiation, so efforts are needed to preserve culture in traditional ways. Preserving cultural values has importance because it contains an ethno-pedagogy about parenting children to be personally responsible, independent, and autonomous. Even though there have been many studies on the local wisdom system of the community, there lies …

Report Highlights: Evaluation Of Australia's Investment In Teacher Development In Lao Pdr: Final Report (Lao Version), Debbie Wong, Hilary Hollingsworth, Prue Anderson, Payal Goundar, Agnes Mercer

Education Analytics Service

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Lao PDR to undertake significant primary education reforms through its flagship Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR program (BEQUAL), including a new primary curriculum. Phase 1 of BEQUAL (2015-22) supported the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) to rollout the new primary curriculum in schools, starting with Grade 1 (G1) in 2019. Specific teaching practices were introduced, including active learning, student-centred learning approaches, formative assessment, and a phonics approach to teaching reading. New practices were complemented by face-to-face orientation training and grants in BEQUAL target districts to strengthen communities of …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series. Report Highlights. Vanuatu: Final Report (Bislama Version), Elizabeth Cassity, Debbie Wong, Jevelin Wendiady, Jennie Chainey

Education Analytics Service

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Vanuatu (GoV) through its Vanuatu Education Support Program (VESP) to undertake long-term education reforms. A key focus is the rollout of a new national curriculum in conjunction with the National Language Policy (2012), intended to introduce new content and pedagogies, better sequence content, and support the use of Bislama or the vernacular in the early grades. Together, these reforms are intended to improve teaching quality and student learning outcomes. The multi-year study was commissioned by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), to investigate teaching and learning development initiatives …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series. Report Highlights. Vanuatu: Final Report, Elizabeth Cassity, Debbie Wong, Jevelin Wendiady, Jennie Chainey

Education Analytics Service

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Vanuatu (GoV) through its Vanuatu Education Support Program (VESP) to undertake long-term education reforms. A key focus is the rollout of a new national curriculum in conjunction with the National Language Policy (2012), intended to introduce new content and pedagogies, better sequence content, and support the use of Bislama or the vernacular in the early grades. Together, these reforms are intended to improve teaching quality and student learning outcomes. The multi-year study was commissioned by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), to investigate teaching and learning development initiatives …

Addressing Equity And Antiracism In A Reading Specialist Program, Sophie Degener, Tina Curry, Mary Hoch, Gloria Mcdaniel-Hall, Ruth Quiroa, Courtney Brookins

NCE Research Residencies

This study deeply examined the Reading Master’s program at our university to understand better how the program itself and the courses within it perpetuated or pushed back on oppressive approaches to reading instruction, assessment, and intervention and how we could make program and course revisions to reflect anti-bias/anti-racist beliefs. We utilized a case study approach, seeking feedback from all involved in or impacted by our program. Beginning with self-study, we (the researchers) met monthly to discuss shared readings on equity-focused topics and interrogate our teaching to understand how our pedagogy and course assignments and readings either upheld or resisted racist …

What Makes A Best Book?, Zach Libresco

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Stories affect how people see the world and themselves. Stories matter. This is a study of what makes a “best” book. This study considers conversations that discussed and evaluated whether a book should be on a “best of the year” list, how evaluators thought about selecting books for children, and how the lens of looking at children’s literature has changed over time. The researcher conducted six interviews with members of the Children’s Book Committee, observed over fifty hours of Children’s Book Committee meetings, eight hours of awards committee meetings, and reviewed relevant literature. Three topics emerged as central to the …

Hangul Zoo: Alphabet Book On Korean Consonants, Alice Kang

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study is focused around the development of an original alphabet picture book (Hangul Zoo) that aims to support Native English Speakers with their learning of Korean as a second language. Those who have prior experience and knowledge of the English alphabet will benefit from using this book as a tool for bilingual learning. This book will help bilinguals be able to differentiate the two unique alphabets (English and Korean), while still making cross connections. While most alphabet books are catered towards children of ages birth through 5 and are often used in early childhood settings (daycares and preschools) …

Indigo Letters: Supporting Children Navigating Endings Through Letter Writing, Maggie Brummer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In the realm of children’s literature, substantial resources are missing as it pertains to supporting students through the universal experience of navigating change, specifically something ending. Indigo Letters was inspired by Blue School’s closure at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. In conducting my own research, I quickly learned resources regarding this type of ending are nonexistent. Stories touching school closures are missing on Early Childhood bookshelves because prior to COVID-19, that was rarely a reality of private institutions. According to the Center For Educational Freedom, as of April 2021, there were “132 private schools that announced closures due …

Experiencing Dyslexia Through The Prism Of Difference, Keith Murphy

Articles

According to research by AHEAD (2021), students with specific learning difficulties (SLD) are accessing third level education in greater numbers than ever before. Within the body of research conducted few studies have focused on the overall experiences of students with dyslexia studying in third level education. The current study addresses this gap in knowledge as it provides an insight into how students with dyslexia, as an SLD, navigate third level education. Ethnography was used as the principal method of research in this project, and 17 participants, ranging in age from 20 years old to mid-40 years old, took part. The …

The Not-So-Silent Period: Testimonios Of Recently Arrived Latinx Students, Teri M. Hutchinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and amplify the experiences of recently arrived Latinx¹ students as interpreted through their testimonios in educational borderlands. Through increasingly xenophobic discourses around immigrants and their children (Pérez Huber, 2015), U.S. public schools have become entrenched borderland spaces wherein the humanity of recently arrived students is voided through silencing them with labels of linguistic deficiency and cramming them into one-size-fits-all educational programming (Fine et al., 2007; Flores & Rosa, 2015). There is demand for research that explores the experiences of these children, especially in light of their continued marginalization through neoliberal programming …

Utilizing The Classical Christian Study Of Latin To Promote Intentionality, Erin Lamont

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

It is well known that the study of Latin increases English vocabulary, helps one understand grammar, raises standardized test scores, and helps one learn other languages. As modern education sees itself as an agent for change and social reform set on reconstructing society, fewer schools are offering Latin to students. Of those that do offer it, many are veering away from the traditional approach which has a goal of being able to read and connect with the writing of the great thinkers of the past while utilizing a methodology that focuses on grammar and syntax. This paper looks at three …

The Effect Of A Self-Regulated Intervention On Vocabulary Knowledge And Self-Regulated Learning Skills For English Language Learners, Qizhen Deng, Guy Trainin

Literacy, Language and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

English language learners (ELLs) lack academic vocabulary knowledge, an essential component that explains much of the persistent achievement gap between students who start schools as ELLs and their monolingual peers. This single-subject experimental design study addressed this issue by focusing on self-regulated vocabulary learning that helps ELLs become effective and independent word learners. Nine upper elementary ELLs participated in an intervention for 16 sessions, with about 35 minutes per session. The intervention included the instruction of task-specific cognitive strategies (i.e., morphological and contextual analyses) and metacognitive strategies (i.e., goal-setting and monitoring) in authentic reading texts in social studies. Results indicated …

Responding To Multilingual Learners’ Writing Through Interactive Group Portfolios, Hongye Zeng, Faith Thompson

Journal of Response to Writing

This teaching tip presents a strategy for teachers in all grade levels to use interactive portfolios to better document, scaffold, and assess individual multilingual student's writing progress in group writing tasks.

Educating English Language Learners In New York City Following The Covid-19 Pandemic: Observations And Recommendations For Primary Instruction, Emilia Curcic

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This literature study addresses the unique experience of educating English Language Learners (ELLs) in New York City during and following Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) that occurred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Plain Sight: Oppressive Dynamics And Learning Challenges In Adult Esol Programs In The United States, David A. Housel

Publications and Research

A previous convergent mixed methods study conducted by the author revealed that, based on their preservice preparation and access to in-service professional development, instructors of adult emergent bi/multilingual learners (EBLs) in the United States often felt ill-equipped to address the oppressive dynamics and learning challenges that might manifest in their adult ESOL classrooms. This follow-up interview study explored the prevalence of these oppressive dynamics, such as racism, sexism, and linguicism, and learning challenges, such as neurodiversity, and investigated how preservice preparation, continuous professional development, program administration, and the field of TESOL might address these issues more consistently and equitably. Semi-structured …

The Utah English Journal, Volume 51, 2023: Full Issue

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.

Best Practices In Online Course Design That Help Eliminate Learning Fatigue, Valarie Anderson O'Bryan

The Utah English Journal

Even though students have returned to learning in-person in schools, many districts require teachers to maintain an online course (usually using Canvas). When teachers use best practices when designing online learning content, students are less likely to experience frustration and learning fatigue.

Combatting The Inevitable: Reflective Writing In Response To Student Struggles, Kaylee Smedley

The Utah English Journal

'Teachers and students, we need all of you to immediately go into lockdown procedures. Again, please begin lockdown procedures."

That announcement had interrupted our freshman English class nearly two hours earlier, and yet the only updates we had were frantic texts and social media updates from friends and family members regarding a report of someone with a weapon on Provo High's campus. As I huddled in the book corner surrounded by my fifth period class, a million different thoughts rushed through my head. More than fear, all I could think about were the logistics. What if the culprit came to …

Voices With Power: Writing To Effect Change In 8th Grade, Emily Brown

The Utah English Journal

"Slow walkers."

"Seniors crowding the hallways."

"When teachers write crookedly on the board."

The minute I read the writing prompt for the day-"What is one of your biggest pet peeves?"-the response from my 8th graders is electrifying and instantaneous. Responses like the ones above begin flying around the room, and I have to loudly remind them, "Write first, share second!" because everyone is immediately ready to rant. I call this my Soapbox Day. It's a day where I make sure to devote enough time for students to write substantial responses and then "get on their soapboxes" to share these rants. …