This study examined activities used during elementary school math and reading instruction. Teachers reported their use of cooperative, competitive, and individual activities in math and reading, their subjective evaluations of teaching each subject, and their level of focus on promoting students' interests. Analyses indicated that teachers used more competitive activities in math than reading. Additionally, individual math activities increased across grades whereas individual reading activities...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teaching Methods, Reading Instruction, Learning Activities, Class Activities,...
This study examined the effects of scripted peer-tutoring reading activities, with and without programmed common play-related stimuli, on social interactions between a kindergartner with autism spectrum disorder and his typically developing peer-tutoring partners during free play. A withdrawal design with multiple baselines across peers showed no effects of peer tutoring on social interactions. A withdrawal design with 1 peer and continuing baselines across the other 2 peers showed that adding...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Stimuli, Tutoring, Play, Peer Teaching, Autism, Interaction, Reading Instruction,...
The present study assessed the effects of summer parent tutoring on 3 children with learning disabilities using empirically derived reading interventions. Brief experimental analyses were used to identify customized reading fluency interventions. Parents were trained to use the intervention strategies with their children. Parents implemented the procedures during parent-tutoring sessions at home and results were measured continuously in high-word-overlap and low-word-overlap passages to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Parents as Teachers, Intervention, Tutoring, Reading Fluency, Learning Disabilities,...
Research has shown that extensive reading offers a wide range of learning benefits to second language (L2) learners. However, most studies on L2 extensive reading are conducted collectively on groups of learners and do not provide a detailed picture of individual experience. Moreover, there are few studies conducted on the reading experiences of early L2 learners. This paper presents a longitudinal case study on the reading strategies and motivation of 2 Japanese middle school students...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Motivation, Reading Instruction, Longitudinal Studies, Case Studies, Middle...
In this article, the author talks about guided reading which she incorporated to second-language learners. First, she gives a brief description about guided reading and current myths about second-language learners. Then, she presents her goals whether she could integrate second-language learners into guided reading. She discusses what reading strategies work best with second-language learners. She presents three areas in which teachers can use scaffolding to support children in language...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teaching Methods, Reading Strategies, Language Acquisition, Reading Instruction,...
In this article, the authors review the research on curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in reading published since the time of Marston's 1989 review. They focus on the technical adequacy of CBM related to measures, materials, and representation of growth. The authors conclude by discussing issues to be addressed in future research, and they raise the possibility of the development of a seamless and flexible system of progress monitoring that can be used to monitor students' progress across...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Curriculum Based Assessment, Literature Reviews, Reading Achievement, Reading...
Many of us may not perceive a link between the traditional tale of "The Three Little Pigs" and Stein's "Goosebumps" series, but Ivan, a 6-year-old in my classroom, did. I had used the story of "The Three Little Pigs," along with other traditional tales, to point out the introduction, complication, and resolution structure of simple narrative. Ivan's mother spoke to me after the series of lessons and reported that her son had come out with a surprising comment....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Gifted, Identification, Reading Instruction, Reading, Classification, Reading...
Although numerous studies have investigated autism methodology case law, few studies have investigated case law regarding reading methodology, particularly the Orton-Gillingham approach, for students with reading disabilities. We provide the results of a systematic case analysis of all published Orton-Gillingham decisions from the original passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through 2005. Results indicate that in the past 30 years, hearing/review officers and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Difficulties, Autism, Courts, Disabilities, Court Litigation, Federal...
In this qualitative study, that took place in a coeducational government school in Western Australia, I adopt a social-constructivist perspective of learning (Rogoff, 1990; Vygotsky, 1986) to examine reading in an elementary classroom. The focus of this article is Nicholas, a grade-7 boy, who was identified as challenged by the literacy curriculum. The analysis utilizes a multiliteracies framework (The New London Group, 2000) and the four resources reading model (Luke & Freebody, 1999) to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Constructivism (Learning), Foreign Countries, Reading Instruction, Qualitative...
The main objective of this self-study is to reflect and document the development of our own praxis by using teacher research in our teacher education courses. By praxis we mean an ongoing interdependent process in which reflection, including theoretical analysis, enlightens action, and in turn the transformed action changes our understanding of the object of our reflection. Based on the examination of our reflective journals, collegial dialogue, and students' teacher-research reports, we have...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Inservice Teacher Education, Education Courses, Teacher Educators, Scaffolding...
Although fluency instruction is an essential part of teaching reading, there is limited information on providing this type of instruction with students who have physical disabilities. This article examines three case studies across two students, one with cerebral palsy and the other with both arthrogryposis and spina bifida. In the first study, the use of repeated readings with error correction was found to increase oral reading fluency. In the second study, the use of unison reading with error...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Fluency, Reading Skills, Special Needs Students, Case Studies, Error...
With the recent proliferation of college service-learning programs and tutoring programs, college students have more opportunities to serve as tutors in elementary schools than ever before. A number of reports have appeared in the research literature describing tutoring programs that could serve as models for tutoring initiatives. Based on this research, the authors developed a service-learning tutoring program for their undergraduate prospective teachers designed to provide support for them in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Elementary School Students, Program Effectiveness, Tutors, Elementary School...
Teacher preparation, now acknowledged for its impact on K-12 student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Darling-Hammond, Berry, & Thoreson, 2000), needs to be part of the discussions about ways to address emerging issues with testing and accountability. What then do teacher educators who work with those preparing to teach do to guide their students about their responsibilities with regard to high-stakes tests? How do they help teacher candidates learn to balance externally driven mandates...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Testing, High Stakes...
In Single Subject preservice programs across the U.S., literacy professors are coping with the demands of preparing their candidates to teach reading and writing across the content areas. The professors are challenged to establish a credible rationale for why teachers in content areas such as physical education, art, and music should be required to take a course in content literacy. While many candidates wonder why they must take a course in reading, many professors wonder how that course can...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Literacy Education, Methods Courses, Secondary School Teachers, Reading Skills,...
Research shows that after-school programs with structured literacy components can contribute positively to children's success in school, improvement in their reading and also in general social skills, and that successful programs involve partnerships with the community and continually expanding outreach to parents and caregivers. This program report describes just such an after-school and summer enrichment program, with the aim of identifying which aspects of the program are replicable, the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Enrichment Activities, Caregivers, After School Programs, Enrichment, Tutorial...
This article reports on a sample of 26 middle-class Chinese immigrant parents' perspectives on their children's reading, writing, mathematics learning, and homework, and on the parents' involvement in and communication with mainstream American schools. Findings suggested both consistencies and discrepancies between their beliefs and practices. Areas of discrepancies include their reported involvement in their children's reading and their attitudes toward homework. However, the parents were more...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Homework, Mathematics Education, Familiarity, Parent School Relationship, Literacy,...
Sometimes the first step towards making a new (mathematics) game is discovering an unexpected possibility in some hitherto unplayed-with piece of equipment. At other times the first step is inventing new equipment. But rarely is any "new" idea for a game wholly original, either as a way of playing a game, or in its equipment. As letter-based word games, "Cross Words", "Hang the Butcher" and the great classic word-spelling game "Scrabble are familiar"; but...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Games, Alphabets, Orthographic Symbols, Reading Instruction, Foreign...
Fourteen collections of children's reading materials were used to investigate the claim that collections of authentic texts with a common theme, or written by one author, afford readers with more repeated exposures to new words than unrelated materials. The collections, distinguished by relative thematic tightness, authorship (1 vs. 4 authors), and register (narrative vs. expository), were analyzed to determine how often, and under what conditions, specialized vocabulary recycles within the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Materials, Recycling, Reading Instruction, Vocabulary Development,...
Not too long ago, on a visit to two sixth-grade classrooms, the author saw very clearly the challenge teachers have before them when they try to differentiate reading. In both classrooms, 11-year-olds who read like fourth graders shared tables with classmates who read like the average ninth grader--a five-year span. How teachers approach this challenge can make a huge difference for all levels of readers. In this article, the author answers ten teachers' questions on how to differentiate...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Inclusive Schools, Classrooms, Grade 4, Reading Instruction, Grade 6, Individual...
It is easy for intermediate students to get the wrong ideas about the purpose of reading. Educators pay so much attention to decoding and fluency in the early years that children sometimes come to believe that flawless and rapid word recognition is the point. As texts get more demanding or unfamiliar, some of the "good readers" in classes begin to struggle, because they are not sufficiently engaged in constructing meaning. Lack of both engagement and intentional effort is a deadly...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Word Recognition, Intermediate Grades, Reading Instruction, Reading Comprehension,...
Rafe Esquith has taught for 23 years at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in Los Angeles. In a neighborhood plagued by gangs, guns, and drugs, his is a special classroom known as Room 56. Within its walls, children living in poverty play Vivaldi concertos, perform unabridged plays by Shakespeare, and go on to attend top universities. In 2003, President Bush presented Esquith with the National Medal of Arts. He is the only teacher ever to receive this honor (but hopefully not the last). In...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Trust (Psychology), Fear, Reading Instruction, Personal Narratives, Elementary...
This article explores the factors behind the success of a reading workshop at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb, Maine. In the workshop, teachers start by being honest with students about what they do as readers. They acknowledge the guilt many of them grew up with--the feeling that there's a proper, rigorous way to read and that somehow they're not doing it right--so they can help their students navigate books with pleasure and confidence. Teachers in a reading workshop help...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Workshops, Reading Instruction, Reading Habits, Reading Skills, Reading Material...
This study examines the effect of training in think alouds on literal and higher-order reading comprehension. Thirty-two (n = 32) eighth grade students of English as a foreign language (EFL) participated in the study. The participants were randomly assigned to control and experimental conditions. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, and a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test were conducted. The results indicated that think alouds is positively related to overall reading...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Comprehension, Multivariate Analysis, Correlation, Grade 8, Reading...
In this article, the author shares the lessons he learned from Aaron, a 12-year old kid who had never been to school, on the importance of crafting systematic fluency lessons. The following are strategies that worked for them: (1) Demonstrate what fluency sounds and feels like; (2) Read aloud to the students at least three times a day from a variety of reading materials; (3) Craft welcoming morning messages for students; (4) Have students read short texts; (5) Have the students reread for a...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Materials, Reading Strategies, Prior Learning, Reading Fluency, Reading Aloud...
Teachers sometimes try every intervention strategy they can think of to help struggling readers. However, some teachers still feel that they are not getting through. This article presents the reading strategies offered by two literacy researchers Michael Pressley and Nell K. Duke, of Michigan State University.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Intervention, Reading Strategies, Reading Instruction, Reading Difficulties, Reading...
The reasons some children struggle with reading are as varied as the children themselves. From trouble decoding words to problems retaining information, reading difficulties are complex. All kids, says the International Reading Association, "have a right to instruction designed with their specific needs in mind." The question is how to identify and address these needs. It can seem a daunting, if not impossible, task. In this article, the authors share several strategies on how...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Difficulties, Reading Improvement, Teacher Role, Reading Instruction,...
This study compared graded-reader wordlists with the General Service List (GSL; West, 1953) and investigated the words in those lists and the words actually used in graded-reader books. The wordlists from the 2 major graded-reader series, the GSL, and the words actually used in the graded readers were examined using the Range program. The comparisons showed that the lists are different from each other largely because of the different sizes of the lists and because of the words they contain and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Programs, Reading Instruction, Comparative Analysis, Word Lists, Vocabulary,...
In reading research, studies on good and poor reader characteristics abound. However, these findings remain largely scattered in applied linguistics and cognitive and educational psychology. This paper attempts to synthesize current theory and research on the topic in the past 20 years along 3 dimensions: language knowledge and processing ability, cognitive ability, and metacognitive strategic competence. A profile of good readers follows a review of the literature. With a special reference to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Research, Educational Psychology, Applied Linguistics, Second Language...
Students and teachers at Hand Middle School in Columbia, South Carolina, were in the midst of a two-year, comprehensive renovation and construction project in which some sections of their 75-year-old, historic building were being renovated and new sections added. When parts of the school were boarded up and oversized machinery first moved onto campus, approximately half of the students moved into portables. Classrooms and other academic areas were closed, including the school's media center,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Learning Resources Centers, Media Specialists, Middle School Students, Middle School...
A recent article by Stuebing, Barth, Cirino, Francis and Fletcher critiqued the findings of Camilli, Vargas, and Yurecko (2003) and Camilli, Wolfe, and Smith (2006). With a methodological argument, they attempted to resolve the conflict between these studies and the original report Teaching Children to Read (National Reading Panel, 2000). In response, it is argued that three issues must be considered in a fair assessment of the NRP report--program labels or bins, alternative bins, and the role...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Phonics, Reading Instruction, Literacy, Effect Size, Meta Analysis, Camilli, Gregory,...
A Social Stories[TM] intervention package was used to teach 2 students with autism to read Social Stories, answer comprehension questions, and engage in role plays. Appropriate social behaviors increased and inappropriate behaviors decreased for both participants, and the effects were maintained for up to 10 months. This intervention package appears to be useful in inclusive classroom environments and does not require intensive supervision of the child's behavior. (Contains 1 figure.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Comprehension, Intervention, Autism, Interpersonal Competence, Inclusive...
This year-long case study examines how a struggling reader in a sixth-grade social studies class, a seventh grade mathematics class, and an eighth grade science class "transacted" with the reading task demands of her specific classroom. Through regular classroom observations and interviews, the researcher documents how each student responded to and worked with text and reading instruction provided by her respective content area teacher. The results suggest that each student attempted...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Content Area Reading, Social Studies, Science Education, Mathematics Education,...
In this manuscript, the author explores the question, What does research suggest for middle level readers? To answer it, she conducts a synthesis of empirical studies published between 1990 and 2001 that appeared in journals linked to the author's professional membership (i.e., "Research in Middle Level Education" ("RMLE"), "Reading Research Quarterly" ("RRQ"), "Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy" ("JAAL"), "American...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Research, Reading Instruction, Middle School Students, Early Adolescents,...
The goal of the middle school organization is to create a learning environment that matches the developmental abilities and needs of young adolescents. This research attempts to operationalize that goal by integrating reading and English classes in large urban middle schools. The Student Team Reading and Writing (STRW) program reconfigured instruction to actively engage students in learning. The program used cooperative learning processes to take advantage of the cognitive, social, and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Comprehension, Cooperative Learning, Learning Processes, Teaching Methods,...
The enigmatic author Lemony Snicket is quick to establish from the start that happy events are not to be expected in his collection, "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Every happy event in the lives of the three clever and charming Baudelaire children is countered with an even more unfortunate one, events rife with misery, misfortune, and despair. Violet Baudelaire and her brother, Klaus, a gifted reader, use their wits and intellect to create a sanctuary for themselves and their...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academically Gifted, Depression (Psychology), Reading Instruction, Teaching Methods,...
In the current study, 42 secondary students (10th, 11th, and 12th grade students) and 51 elementary students (4th and 5th grade students) read 400 word passages silently and aloud. During aloud reading, words correct per minute (WCPM) were recorded. After reading each passage, students answered 10 multiple-choice comprehension questions. Results showed comprehension was significantly higher when students read passages aloud, as opposed to silently. No interaction was found between comprehension...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Comprehension, Curriculum Based Assessment, Reading Instruction, Secondary...
As educators we talk a great deal about theory to practice, and we hope our candidates will understand and make the connections needed in order to apply their theory to practice. Often though, we do not spend enough time helping our candidates discover what their own theory base is and thus that theory to practice (praxis) connection gets broken. One of the ongoing assignments for our graduate program in reading requires students to write and then revisit and rewrite their literacy philosophy....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading, Reading Programs, Grade 12, Teachers, Reading Instruction, Transformative...
Research has identified certain comprehension strategies that seem to work in an optimal manner to increase the reading comprehension of K-12 students. However, little evidence exists about whether teachers use identified, research-based strategies when teaching. In view of the critical nature of literacy achievement for diverse populations and demographics, research on this topic is critical. The study reported was conducted with graduate students in San Diego State University's (SDSU)...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Credentials, Graduate Students, Reading Comprehension, Reading Consultants,...
The foundation of all learning is rooted in the development of language and literacy abilities. Literacy development begins well before children enter school and can accelerate in an early childhood classroom setting. Teacher educators often hear about the importance of literacy development. In particular, the significance of phonological awareness to emergent readers and writers is emphasized. Teachers must be adequately prepared to teach important phonological awareness skills and must have a...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Phonological Awareness, Young Children, Emergent Literacy, Knowledge Level, Preschool...
This pilot study investigated the efficacy of "Phonics Alive 2: The Sound Blender", a computer-based phonological skills training program, delivered with both at-home and at-school components over a 10-week period, as a potential treatment of phonological dyslexia. Participants were 20 dyslexic primary students with an average delay of 13 months on a word reading task; 11 months on a reading comprehension task, and 25 months on a pseudoword decoding task. Results indicated significant...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Comprehension, Dyslexia, Interaction, Decoding (Reading), Computer Assisted...
Intermediate learners of Spanish read a Spanish newspaper article with vocabulary assistance either before reading, while reading, both, or without any such assistance. Reading performance was significantly better for students receiving vocabulary assistance during reading, but not for those receiving it before reading. Reading time of the newspaper article was less for students receiving prereading vocabulary assistance, but total lesson time (the prereading time plus reading time) was more...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Comprehension, Reading Instruction, Vocabulary Development, Second Languages,...
In most elementary classrooms, students with autistic characteristics are too often dismissed from the literate community. The autistic child is frequently asked to practice memorizing sight words while classmates are introduced to literature. Although autistic children are increasingly being taught in general education classrooms, they are often excluded from rich and meaningful literacy experiences like storytelling, play-acting, journal-keeping, and writing workshop. In fact, it is not...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Ability, Elementary School Students, Inclusive Schools, Mainstreaming,...
Currently, schools are under pressure to reform their curriculum and instructional practices so that all students can perform successfully on high-stakes test. One essential requisite skill for success on all of these assessments is reading. Because the classroom is typically made up of students who exhibit a broad range of performance levels, it can be quite challenging for even the most experienced classroom teacher to successfully teach the content to all students. Research has revealed that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Skills, Teaching Methods, High Stakes Tests, Academic Achievement,...
This article describes an unconventional method to teach un-contracted braille reading and writing skills to students who are blind and have additional disabilities. It includes a keyboarding curriculum that focuses on the whole language approach to literacy. A special feature is the keyboard that is adapted with braille symbols. Un-contracted braille reading is not taught, but is acquired simultaneously while embedding essential concept skills.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Braille, Whole Language Approach, Functional Literacy, Writing Skills, Keyboarding...
The purpose of this study was to determine if phonemic awareness skills improved for first grade students classified as at-risk whose teachers used the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program (LiPS; Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998). Students' scores on a Kindergarten screening tool (Learning Disabilities Working Committee-LDWC, 2005) were compared to their respective scores on a Grade One screening tool (LDWC, 2002). Comparison of progress for all students was evaluated as well as assessment of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Phonemics, Learning Disabilities, Reading Failure, Phonemic Awareness, Kindergarten,...
This article examines in detail the Ohio WINS (Writing Institute Network for Success), a program whose goal is to provide continuing education for teachers. The aim of the program is to use up-to-date research to help teachers improve students' critical thinking and to better prepare them for both the rigorous Ohio Graduation Tests (OGTs) and college. With the Ohio Academic Standards at the heart of its inception, the summer program immerses the teachers in current writing and educational...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Summer Programs, Educational Theories, Continuing Education, Academic Standards,...
This study investigated whether cultural familiarity influences comprehension of short stories and whether nativizing the story or using reading activities can compensate for the lack of such familiarity. The study was conducted with 44 advanced-level students of English at a state university in Turkey. In a 2 x 2 experimental research design, the 1st group of students read an original short story without any activities while the 2nd group of students read the original short story with some...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Reading Comprehension, Familiarity, Foreign Countries, Literary Genres, Statistical...
This paper reports findings from a study that assesses metacognitive awareness and reading-strategy use of Chinese senior high school students who are learning English as a foreign language (EFL). A total of 270 students responded to a 28-item survey of reading strategies (SORS). The strategies were classified into 3 categories: global, problem-solving, and support. The results showed that the students reported using the 3 categories of strategies at a high-frequency level. Both the main effect...
Topics: ERIC Archive, High Schools, Reading Strategies, Problem Solving, English (Second Language), High...
Personal processes, the environment, and individual behaviors of both teachers and students are factors that facilitate students' use of self-regulation learning strategies in reading. Some environmental conditions, such as organization of materials and clear expectations, support the development and use of self-regulation learning (SRL) strategies in reading. Teachers who use explicit instruction and modeling of SRL strategies have more students who can use self-regulation to read for longer...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academically Gifted, Learning Strategies, Goal Orientation, Reading Instruction, Self...
Based in a constructivist paradigm, socio-cultural views of literacy place a high degree of importance on how students connect to what they read. This means that instruction must follow constructivist principles and allow ample opportunity for discussion and learner-centered activities. In addition, this framework requires careful attention be given to text selection. Since readers construct meaning by connecting new material with prior knowledge, it is important that learners have...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Constructivism (Learning), Reading Comprehension, Prior Learning, Adult Learning,...