<p> This qualitative case study relates to the area of word study. The research examines how specific strategies support academic progress when students are stunted at one orthographic stage on the language continuum. Teachers and reading specialists who support language development for students in first through third grades were interviewed as sources of information for this study. The results of this study yielded nine key findings to guide teachers in their instruction of word study. The teachers observed utilized a student-centered hands-on approach for teaching spelling as opposed to a memorization-based traditional approach. They strengthened word knowledge through an approach that focuses on active engagement and small group instruction word study. In addition, these findings reinforce life skills in teachers and their students. Aligned with transformative learning theory, these results emphasize a focus on self-reflection and a transformation of ideas for teachers. These results also develop the mindset of students as active participants in the learning process. The findings of the research are significant because they are transferable to other content areas as well. </p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to delve into the literacy instructional strategies of selected high-performing K-2 teachers in a Clark County, Nevada school district. The study assessed the efficacy of teachers using five core literacy components: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension for student achievement. High performing teachers were defined as consistently demonstrating student performance gains of 25% in at least one of the five core literacy components over a 3-year period. The research question for this study was: What instructional strategies are used by selected high-performing K-2 teachers who work with diverse populations that have demonstrated a minimum gain of 25% in reading as measured by AIMSweb to develop (a) phonemic awareness, (b) phonics, (c) fluency, (d) vocabulary, and (e) comprehension? </p><p> The study used a qualitative method of data collection and analysis through in-depth teacher interviews, classroom observations, and district-wide data analysis. Interviews were open-ended and observations involved six teachers during their classroom literacy instructional time. Checklists were used to facilitate data collection during observations. Classroom pictures, teachers&rsquo; lesson plans, and AIMSweb data were used to support results. </p><p> The findings revealed that the most successful literacy strategies for teaching the five components of literacy were: phonemic awareness (word manipulation, word play, and word sort), phonics (word study, sound/spelling, and decoding/encoding), fluency (choral reading, repeated timed reading, partner/student-adult reading, and reading connected text with corrective feedback), vocabulary (explicit instruction on word meaning/independent word learning, direct instruction on new vocabulary, and context clues), and comprehension (predicting, inferring, making connections, using graphic organizers, and activating/building on prior knowledge). In addition, study conclusions revealed that the most successful strategies for teaching K-2 literacy included teacher collaboration and planning; strategic use of individual, small, and whole grouping; and integrating technology. </p><p> Several recommendations emerged from the study. Teachers need to be given ongoing professional development and resources for teaching the five component specific literacy strategies. Time needs to consistently be allotted for teachers to collaborate and plan for literacy instruction. Exploring diverse student populations, and their literacy acquisition needs, is vital to the education of youth. Placing emphasis on differentiated instruction, study replication, and analyzing literacy strategies and acquisition practices using varied methodologies will improve educational outcomes.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether a relationship existed between the physical and social elements of process quality within a preschool&rsquo;s language and early literacy environment and children&rsquo;s pre-reading and writing performance in the beginning of kindergarten in a rural school district. The study examined school readiness, quality preschool experiences, and early literacy development with theoretical concepts by Vygotsky providing the foundation for children&rsquo;s development. Four Keystone STAR preschools and ninety-seven kindergarten children participated in the study. Preschool observation data were collected utilizing the <i>Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale &ndash; Revised Edition (ECERS-R)</i> (Harms, Clifford, &amp; Cryer, 1998) and the <i>Early Language &amp; Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) Pre-K </i>(Smith, Brady, &amp; Anastasopoulos, 2008). Assessment data pertaining to children&rsquo;s pre-reading and writing performance in the beginning of kindergarten were collected from the <i> Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education (CIRCLE)</i> (Landry, Assel, Williams, Zucker, Swank, &amp; Gunnewig, 2014), <i>Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Next</i> (Good, Kaminski, Cummings et al., 2011), Concepts About Print tasks, and District Writing Samples scored using the <i>Conventions of Writing Developmental Scale</i> (Feldgus &amp; Cardonick, 1999). Demographic data were also collected about kindergarten participants to provide background information used for statistical analyses. Qualitative data were collected in the form of preschool observation notes and information reported on a <i> Response Survey for Participating Preschools.</i> Preschool observation data from the ECERS-R and ELLCO Pre-K revealed strengths and weaknesses in rating scores for elements of process quality related to language and literacy. Results of data analyses showed a significant relationship between the physical elements of process quality from the ELLCO Pre-K and children&rsquo;s performance on the <i>DIBELS Next.</i> Other factors that were found to have significant relationships included gender (female) with performance on the <i> CIRCLE</i> Rapid Letter Naming, gender (female) with performance on the <i>DIBELS Next,</i> and entry age to kindergarten with results from the <i>CIRCLE</i> PA Composite score. This study found the quality of preschool environments, among other factors, to contribute to children&rsquo;s early literacy development.</p>

No description available.

<p> The overarching goal of this study was to obtain the perceptions of 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade English Language Arts teachers of their students&rsquo; reading skills, specifically comprehension and fluency, and those students&rsquo; readiness for high school English. The study proposed a comprehensive conceptual model of effective strategies reading teachers use and what prepared middle school students have in order to matriculate into high school. This research advanced the discussion of basic skills students need to matriculate into high school ELA and what hinders their matriculation. A mixed methods study with a threefold purpose was conducted. First, the study explored and described the perceptions of teachers of middle school students&rsquo; reading skills specifically those skills associated with comprehension and fluency. Second, it explored and discussed if middle school students exhibited sufficient basic skills associated with comprehension and fluency in ELA to matriculate into high school courses and succeed. Third, the study explored and described teachers&rsquo; perceptions of essential skills needed to transfer into high school ELA. Student readiness was explored in six focus groups with 25 teacher participants and three district supervisor interviews. Teachers and supervisors provided data on student readiness and skill deficiencies and proficiencies in comprehension and fluency. Data collection methods included teacher survey and district supervisor and teacher interviews. Findings indicated that student readiness for high school ELA is average; students&rsquo; basic skills in comprehension and fluency is also average; and students&rsquo; are lacking in basic skills needed to succeed in high school ELA courses. Narrative and descriptive statistics detailed students&rsquo; preparation, students&rsquo; reading skills, and students&rsquo; comprehension and fluency.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to investigate the meaning of a class of second graders&rsquo; fairy tale learning experiences. This study is unique four key reasons. First, it focuses on a group of students whose school has been lagging in state English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency tests; second, it provides perspectives on how fairy tales affect the reading and writing of this group of students; third, it contributes to educational theory in terms of how to understand literacy practices by utilizing sociocultural theories; fourth, it implies that when it comes to educational policy, policy makers and educators should call for attention and efforts to tackle the problem of low ELA proficiency instead of putting students on the front line of low ELA test results and having them suffer the consequences of the outcomes. The current study employs a qualitative case study methodology supported by class observation and its fieldnotes, interviews, and materials that document second-grade students&rsquo; fairy tale learning experiences. Grounded theory was used as analytical tool. The study found that students&rsquo; fairy tale learning experiences were social practices built up in the community of fairy tale practices learning and expanded the capacities of students&rsquo; reading and writing.</p><p>

<p> This quantitative causal-comparative <i>ex post facto</i> research study aimed to investigate if a particular literacy approach impacted third grade English Language Arts (ELA) Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores in Missouri school districts. Specifically, the approaches examined included: A balanced literacy instructional framework with teacher instructional decision-making based on student needs; a balanced literacy instructional framework with district prescribed or scripted curriculum; and/or a curriculum-centered instructional framework with use of a published text (e.g. basal reading program). Additionally, the study analyzed the impact of intervention approaches (such as Reading Recovery and expert tutoring) and embedded professional development (such as literacy coaching and Professional Learning Communities) on third grade ELA MAP scores. </p><p> Survey responses from 61 districts were analyzed using district 2016&ndash;2017 ELA MAP scores. The findings showed a significant difference between MAP scores of districts using some type of balanced literacy approach to teach literacy and those relying on a scripted (e.g. basal reading program) approach. Therefore, the data indicates that balanced literacy approaches may be more effective for achieving higher ELA MAP scores than the basal approach.</p><p>

<p> This study used Culturally Relevant Reading materials (CRRM) with a proprietary, culturally relevant pedagogy for Reading. It was focused on results in Reading Achievement, both reading fluency and comprehension, involving 7^th and 8^th grade students in a twelve (12)-week program of Reading Language Arts. It was an exploratory sequential mixed methods study using a quasi-experimental design, with two student groups, A and B, experimental and control respectively. The results are situated within cultural expert views of Native perspectives on reading from the community as well as student surveys on motivation. </p><p> Results from the study indicate that student achievement in Reading using the CRRM program, as measured by standardized tests, namely Edformation&rsquo;s AIMSweb&reg; (2002) tests of both R-CBM and MAZE, met with similar results in student Reading achievement using a Western curricular program. Both control and experimental groups in the quasi-experimental, exploratory sequential mixed methods study showed significant growth in Reading achievement in both fluency and comprehension, on standardized tests over a 12-week interval. </p><p> Results from the study showed students in the CRRM program showed no significantly greater growth in reading comprehension or fluency during the study, as measured by AIMSweb&reg; tests of MAZE and R-CBM. Student survey results showed increases in student motivation to read, enjoyment of reading class, and desire to read CRRM. Written questionnaires from community members outlined criteria for student success in reading. </p><p> The results indicate that Alaska Native culturally relevant materials and teaching techniques can be used interchangeably with Western curricular materials in Alaska Native village schools with expectation of similar success in student Reading achievement. Students are eager to have CRRM in Language Arts classes, and the community is encouraged by the promising results.</p><p>

<p>Abstract Currently, students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) are predominately exposed to a functional curriculum commonly delivered through behaviorists? methods (Keefe & Copeland, 2011). The most recent research has established that students with SCD who are presented with a high-quality comprehensive approach comparable to the best practices associated with general education practices can and do make positive gains in literacy skills (Bock, 2013; Browder, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Courtade, & Flowers, 2008; Erickson, Clendon, Abraham, Roy, & Van de Karr, 2005; Koppenhaver& Erickson, 2003,). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine potential barriers to implementing a comprehensive balanced literacy instructional program to students with SCD. The central question in this study was, what are the barriers to implementing a balanced literacy approach for students with significant cognitive disabilities? Three research questions guided the study, 1) What is the current knowledge base and understandings of administrators and teachers as it relates to teaching literacy skills to students with significant cognitive disabilities, how is this knowledge acquired, and how has it changed over time, 2) what are the perceived needs that need to be fulfilled in order for a systemic shift from a functional literacy curriculum to a balanced literacy curriculum approach to occur, and 3) how does the efficacy and beliefs held by teachers and administrators relate to the translation from research to practices as it corresponds to literacy instruction? Data was collected through interviews with administrators, special education teachers, and researchers. The analysis of the data from this study lead to the emergence of five key themes related to potential implementation barriers: acquisition of knowledge, current perspectives and understanding of literacy education, factors influencing curriculum decisions, high quality and relevant resources and supports, and systemic changes.

<p> The researcher investigated the corrective reading interventions implemented in an urban middle school&rsquo;s after-school program to determine if the interventions were helping students perform better in English Language Arts (ELA) classes and improved their overall achievement on the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA). The researcher also investigated teacher perceptions of professional development hours and student achievement in ELA. This study primarily focused on students in fifth-eighth grade, due to the low academic performance in ELA scores at the middle school. The purpose of this study was to determine if students in middle school would perform better if they received additional supports with reading interventions at the middle school during the after-school program between the hours of 3p.m. and 6 p.m. </p><p> A mixed methods study was conducted to determine if a relationship existed between teacher perception and student reading achievement for 73 middle school students in grades three through five. The researcher evaluated the teachers&rsquo; perception pre- and post-survey data and student pre- and post-NWEA data. The researcher also examined the number of hours that teachers participated in professional development, and if a relationship existed, the researcher could make a research-based recommendation to the district to continue to provide professional development to strengthen teachers&rsquo; instructional practices and improve student achievement. The researcher finally examined student pre- and post-NWEA data to determine if there was a difference. The study revealed that there was not a relationship; therefore, findings could possibly help the school district administrators make future decisions for professional development and interventions for students in the after-school program for grades five through eight.</p><p>