Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Falling Stars, Veronica D. Gollihue

New Jersey English Journal

A reflection and reminder that learning begins when we foster deeper connections with our students. As teachers, we can use our students’ experiences to help find new ways of learning, bridge gaps, and create positive classroom environments.

Moving Beyond Reading And Writing: Incorporating Historically Responsive Literacy Into Literacy Instruction In Content Area Classrooms, Andrea Lemahieu Glaws

New Jersey English Journal

This article describes the practices on teacher educator used to incorporate a historically responsive literacy framework into a disciplinary literacy course offered for pre-service teachers. This article begins with an overview of disciplinary literacy and Dr. Muhammad’s historically responsive literacy framework. Following, this article describes three assignments that the teacher educator used within her classroom to support pre-service teachers across multiple content areas in making connections between HRL and their content area discipline. These three assignments include: lab reflections, curriculum analysis, and mini-lesson facilitation. Connections to implications beyond teacher education are made.

Interdisciplinary Literacy: An Integrative And Inquiry-Based Effort, Melissa Bryan

New Jersey English Journal

This article outlines a multi-week student-centered social justice research project as a space through which educators may develop disciplinary reading skills. The piece considers culturally responsible and critical literacy practices as well as research on best practices in interdisciplinary reading in secondary education. Results reveal that motivation and discipline-specific reading strategies are key to student success.

Cover, Editors' Note, Front Matter, Susan Chenelle, Lauren Zucker

New Jersey English Journal

No abstract provided.

A Model For Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Literacy Education: Reflections On Teaching Graduate-Level Teacher Education Courses, Hyunjin Jinna Kim

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

This practice-oriented self-study examines the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) literacy education model grounded in my reflective teaching practices and journey in graduate-level teacher education courses. As AI tools become increasingly embedded in educational and everyday technologies, both teachers and learners often remain unaware of the algorithms, data ethics, and biases that shape AI-driven systems (Ghallab, 2019; Ng et al., 2022). Recognizing that many teachers and teacher candidates responsible for educating the next generation have a minimal understanding of AI tools’ limitations and the ethical risks involved in AI use, I drew on my own experiences and knowledge as …

Global Insight 2026, Masey Smith, Chance Carden, Hayley Pounds

Books

Global Insight 2026 is the annual publication of the International Institute at Mississippi State University, documenting the university’s global engagement across education, research, service, and institutional partnerships. This issue highlights Mississippi State University’s international impact through faculty‑led study abroad programs, international research and development initiatives, global fellowships, and comprehensive international student support services. Featured content includes narrative case studies of student and faculty experiences abroad, data‑driven insights into study abroad participation and international enrollment trends, and in‑depth examinations of international research collaborations spanning Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The magazine also showcases the work of the English Language Institute …

What Representation Looks Like: A Content Analysis Of African American Characters In Louisiana’S Young Readers’ Choice And Teen Readers’ Choice Graphic Novels, Samantha J. Green

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this content analysis is to show how African Americans are represented in the novels selected for the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice and Louisiana Teen Readers’ Choice programs. Twenty-one graphic novels and one graphic story were used in this study. The primary source of data collection was analyzing the texts using the African American text features list. Findings indicated that when included, the representation of African Americans in the graphic novels was accurate and authentic. However, there was not a large number of graphic novels that have been selected for the lists. It is suggested that future research …

Policy: District, State, And National: A Selected Annotated Bibliography For English Learner Research, Policy, And Practice, Center For Equity For English Learners

Annotated Bibliographies

Policy: District, state, and national: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice is comprised of 26 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding policies across various levels impacting the education of English Learners (ELs) and Multilingual Learners (MLs). These annotations build on the annotations regarding policy in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (Center for Equity for English Learners, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for …

English Language And Literacy Development/Proficiency: A Selected Annotated Bibliography For English Learner Research, Policy, And Practice, Center For Equity For English Learners

Annotated Bibliographies

English Language and Literacy Development/Proficiency: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice is comprised of 16 annotations from recent and seminal literature English language and literacy development and proficiency for English Learners (ELs) and professional development for teachers of ELs. These annotations build on the annotations regarding English language and literacy development and proficiency in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who …

Comprehensive National Research: A Selected Annotated Bibliography For English Learner Research, Policy, And Practice, Center For Equity For English Learners

Annotated Bibliographies

Comprehensive National Research: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice is comprised of 4 annotations from national research publications regarding English Learners (ELs) and Dual Language Learners (DLLs). These annotations build on the annotations of comprehensive national research in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (Center for Equity for English Learners, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs and DLLs.

The …

Biliteracy And Bilingualism: A Selected Annotated Bibliography For English Learner Research, Policy, And Practice, Center For Equity For English Learners

Annotated Bibliographies

Biliteracy and Bilingualism: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice is comprised of 25 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding biliteracy and bilingualism. These annotations build on the annotations regarding biliteracy and bilingualism in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (Center for Equity for English Learners, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.

The contributors provide a comprehensive selection of …

Teaching/Professional Development: A Selected Annotated Bibliography For English Learner Research, Policy, And Practice, Center For Equity For English Learners

Annotated Bibliographies

Teaching/Professional Development: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice is comprised of 36 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding teaching English Learners (ELs) and professional development for teachers of ELs. These annotations build on the annotations regarding teaching and professional development in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (Center for Equity for English Learners, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for …

Teaching Matters: What Students Value In Writing Classrooms, Kristen W. Burningham, Amy Williams

The Utah English Journal

As teachers of first-year writing at Brigham Young University, we eagerly welcome young writers to our campus. While we know that moving from high school to college marks a significant change for students, we intentionally look for connections between these two sites of writing to understand the continuity of students’ writing beliefs, assumptions, concerns, and confidence, or lack thereof. Because we know that writing development requires practice, time, and effort (Adler-Kassner & Wardle, 2015), we view high school and college as adjoining spaces for writing practice.

Using Author's Craft In Writing Instruction For Preservice Teachers In The Age Of Ai, Stephen Winton

The Utah English Journal

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) for writing has increased, but it may limit writers’ creativity. Author’s craft instruction is one way to support teaching writers to make purposeful choices. This article reviews literature on the use of AI for writing in university courses and author’s craft instruction. Then, it offers an example of introducing author’s craft instruction in a methods course on writing for preservice teachers. It discusses ways utilizing author’s craft might support future teachers of writing in the age of AI.

Confessions Of A Beginning Dutch Learner, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

I have studied, taught about, and learned new languages throughout my lifespan. In fact, it has been the very core of my teaching career.  Now, I have the humbling experience of testing those truths against a new enterprise:  learning Dutch.  I spent last summer in the Netherlands, pursuing family roots and acquiring what Dutch I could.  I took no formal classes but did attend a free dropin class at the local library, where - believe me - I was the lowest learner in the lowest group! Here are some of my insights, from notes taken during that summer:

Visual Word Recognition And The Role Of Diacritics: Evidence From Arabic Vowelization., Maram Alharbi

Linguistics & TESOL Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the role of vowelization diacritics in Arabic visual word recognition and their contribution to early stages of lexical processing. Across writing systems, diacritical marks differ in their functional role and in whether they are part of letter identity, raising fundamental questions about how such features are encoded during word recognition. Arabic provides a particularly informative testing ground for these questions: vowelization diacritics in this language carry rich phonological information yet are systematically absent from the texts that skilled readers encounter daily. This interaction between the linguistic value of vowelization and its near-total omission in naturalistic reading positions …

Teachers Teaching Teachers: Sharing The Genius Already In Our Classrooms, Joseph Wierderhold, Whitney Lindsey Sorensen

The Utah English Journal

The purpose of this article is to share two simple—but revolutionary—truths that have shaped us and our classrooms:

1. Teachers who write make better writing teachers (and happier people)

2. Teachers make the best teachers of other teachers (that means you)

We Need New Books, Liz Thackeray Nelson, Mandy Luszeck

The Utah English Journal

It’s College Day for incoming freshmen, and several English Department faculty and prospective students gather together for lunch to discuss English Department culture, tips for student success, and any other questions students have. Partway through, one freshman student asks what our favorite classical works are. My mind draws a blank, and I (Mandy) keep my mouth shut. It has been years since I have engaged in classic works. Or picked one up for that matter. I know the handful I taught in high school fairly well—To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby (so much Gatsby), The Crucible. …

Book Review: Big Jim And The White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined, Michael Handy

The Utah English Journal

Upon first opening this beautiful book, I regretted that my district may never approve it for my classroom. Policy in my school district prohibits classroom use of texts that use racial slurs. An initial author’s note uses a specific racial slur numerous times, repeating it throughout the book—always stricken when a character says it, but still appearing in scenery. This is a shame, because Big Jim and the White Boy is magnificent.

Literacy Professional Development: Evidence-Based Practices And Insights From Virginia, Meleah Ellison, Shelby Garofalo, Vanessa Sekinger, Joan A. Rhodes, Sharrie Merritte, Maggie Szydlowski, Meera Mehtaji, Valerie Robnolt, Thea Racelis

MERC Publications

This report is part of the MERC Literacy Study. It explores recently published research and publicly accessible professional development (PD) offerings frequently used across the Commonwealth to support the implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA). Findings from this report support the ongoing PD of school staff and relevant partners in the VLA’s purpose of improving literacy outcomes for students in grades K-8 across Virginia.

Parents’ Utilisation Of The Literacy-Based Text Message Program Kindytxt, Amanda Binns

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Text messaging programs have emerged as effective tools for enhancing parental engagement in children’s home-based literacy development, as substantiated by a growing body of research. This paper presents findings from a doctoral study that examined parental experiences and perceptions of a literacy-based text messaging program, with particular emphasis on how such initiatives inform and shape literacy practices in families with kindergarten-aged children. Rooted in the frameworks of social constructivism and interpretivism, the research privileges participants’ unique perspectives to explore the varied meanings parents construct around their use of the Kindytxt program. The study was theoretically informed by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, …

Does Class Ability Grouping In Secondary Schools Improve Students’ Literacy Scores On Australia’S Naplan Tests?, Olivia Johnston, Christa Norris, Peter Palamara

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Many schools choose to use ability grouping, despite longstanding evidence that it is inequitable and does not improve overall academic outcomes. One reason that the practice of grouping students by ‘ability’ continues is because of pressure to perform on standardised tests. Educators hold beliefs that grouping students for English classes, for example, will improve their literacy scores. This paper presents findings from a study about class ability grouping for English in Australia and how different class grouping practices relate with students’ achievement on Australia’s standardised literacy test. The findings draw on data from our Class Ability Grouping Survey, where participant …

Text Messaging Programs To Support Family Literacy Practices: A Scoping Review, Lennie Barblett, Leanne Lavina, Nicola Johnson, Caroline Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Using bulk digital text messaging has been shown to be effective in many different fields such as health program interventions and supporting parents/carers. Evaluations of these interventions indicate positive changes in practice; however, it appears the potential of digital messaging through short message services (SMS) have not been fully taken advantage of in early childhood education. This scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) approach investigates the current practices of text messaging programs to support families in the development of preschool aged children’s language and literacy learning. Searches of five databases identified 16 articles that fitted our criteria. Results indicate: …

Improving Expository Reading Comprehension In College Students, Danielle M. De Lucia, George Noell

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study investigated the impact of the Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) method on reading comprehension and psychological well-being among college students, addressing a gap in research on expository reading comprehension at the post-secondary level. A total of 47 students from Introduction to Psychology courses participated in the study. Participants initially completed pre-test assessments, including a cloze test, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and scales for self-worth, depression, anxiety, and stress. Of these, 23 students underwent CSR intervention sessions, conducted over three weeks with bi-weekly 50-minute sessions using their course textbook. Post-intervention data from 44 students were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. …

Reading Comprehension And Secondary Education, Noah W. Hillman

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review is designed to look at how reading takes place in a classroom setting and how teachers might support students as they read - primarily in secondary education (middle and high schools). Students at all levels need scaffolding and support to be successful when interacting with challenge texts. The instructional role of the teacher as it pertains to reading comprehension impacts the success of students’ skills. The literature review examines teacher practices and instructional strategies that can be used to support students’ reading comprehension at the secondary level.

Teaching Primary Sources To Increase Engagement And Build Literacy, Lindsey L. Beaulieu

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reviews the use of primary sources in education. This literature review analyzes 30 articles regarding educators’ use of primary sources. There are four major themes within the articles: literacy with primary sources, engagement with primary sources, comprehension with primary sources, and examples of primary source units or lessons. While specific teaching topics vary, the overall consensus is that primary sources can help students’ skills with literacy, engagement, and comprehension. A main topic among the research is the educators’ understanding of scaffolding, pre-teaching, choosing primary sources, and re-using the primary sources, to be able to teach students effectively.

To Become More Fully Human, Mandy Luszeck, Rachel Knecht

The Utah English Journal

On September 10th, 2025, I joined a club I never wanted to join—the club of teaching at a school where an act of senseless gun violence took an individual’s life during hours meant for open dialogue and education. On the same day, the teachers at Evergreen High School also joined that club.

Engagement Is Not A Checklist, Michael S. Bowden

The Utah English Journal

A Familiar Classroom Scene

A teacher stands at the front of her classroom, mid-lesson, and scans the room to check for understanding. She sees what many teachers recognize in their classrooms every day: a sea of students, each seemingly in a different place. In the projector’s glow, she sees a few students intently taking notes on the lesson; a couple are scratching doodles on their page, one is staring straight ahead but not really interacting, and she can hear two more click-clacking on their keyboards as they are looking at something on their Chromebooks.

Four Feedback Tips For A Fifth Year, Annika Nielson

The Utah English Journal

Over the past four years of teaching writing, I’ve picked up a few lessons. One is that students will wait until the very last minute to submit a piece, no matter how much in-class drafting time I build into the schedule. Another is that many students see writing as big, bad, and boring: they have been trained to think that their writing will be corrected with red pens and long lists of mistakes.

Book Review: The Bletchley Riddle, Tiffany Bills

The Utah English Journal

Protagonist Lizzie Novis has many labels: half-Jewish, half-American, half-Polish-British, and precocious little sister. One label she refuses to adopt is orphan. The news of her mother’s presumed death upon Hitler’s invasion of Poland reaches her in 1939 London, but she refuses to let it reach her heart. She can’t believe her vibrant, independent mother Willa is not returning from an embassy assignment in Warsaw. She is determined to find out what happened to her, whether or not her older brother Jakob, busy with a mysterious new job, will help or not. But perhaps Jakob isn’t as clueless about Willa’s disappearance …