<p>The primary goal of this study was to investigate, document, and understand the reasons that educators who use graphic novels in their classrooms choose to use them, rather than traditional text. Secondary goals were to identify the classes they teach, and to identify commonalities and shared best practices. Interviews were scheduled, to provide the with data about learning objectives, students? reactions, the books they use, types of assignments, the criteria that they use to define the critical elements for success in their classes, as well as the instructors? own relationships with graphic novels. The phenomenological methodology was determined to be the most appropriate method to understand the teacher?s experiences, and allowed the interview subjects to share and expound on their experiences, thoughts, feelings, images, and memories that described a baseline for the practice of using graphic novels in formal learning environment. The findings of the study were interesting, but not completely conclusive. The primary reason for using comics and graphic novels is teach and promote visual literacy, an important, and a critical skill in contemporary society. Another commonality is high level of student engagement and in the material. Although there are similarities among the other findings, including the encouragement of a love of reading, they actually illustrate the lack of standards and best practices and are based upon the preferences and practices of each individual teacher. The lack of standards also is seen in the teachers approach to using the genre to teach social justice, which ranges from a direct approach to addressing the issue through appropriate titles and assignments, to a more subtle and nuanced one, where individual panels are used rather than a complete book.

This study examined the pedagogical practice of a teacher educator who taught an elementary reading methods course in an urban teacher residency program. This single case study addressed the lack of a pedagogical structure and professional lexicon within an elementary reading methods course through an exploration of the how one teacher educator used the pedagogies of professional practice to teach emergent reading best practices (Grossman, Compton, Igra, Ronfeldt, Shahan, & Williamson, 2009). In addition, this study applied the pedagogies of professional practice framework to the study of a teacher educator’s pedagogical practice in an elementary reading methods course and explored what the process revealed about this approach as a research tool. The case established a pedagogical structure and lexicon for the reading methods course and determined that the application of the pedagogies of practice to the research process was a viable tool for data analysis. Findings revealed the teacher educator used the pedagogies of professional practice in coordinated ways, drawing on her understanding of reading acquisition and learning theory, to create a pedagogical structure for Emergent Reading. Additionally, the application of the pedagogies of professional practice framework to the research process articulated a structure to study pedagogical practice.

This study has been designed to describe how aspects of the behavior setting influence literacy events in kindergartens. A systematic investigation of literacy events in and across all areas of four kindergarten classrooms was undertaken to describe the conditions under which children had opportunities to become engaged in reading and writing activities through transactions with the environment. The framework for the study was the human ecological approach to early childhood education (Day, 1983). Quantitative data were collected using two instruments. A modification of The Behavior Checklist of Child-Environment Interaction (Day et al., 1982) was used in four neighboring inner-city kindergartens in the Western Massachusetts to simultaneously record literacy events, activity/areas, teachers' roles, teacher- or child-choice of activities, group size, materials use, and other behaviors. Precautions were taken to provide a sample which was internally consistent in terms of sites, subjects, and teachers. Children's naturally occurring behavior was recorded by two observers over a four-week period using a time-sampling-by-child methodology. High interobserver reliability was achieved on five days of simultaneous observations. A second instrument, The Survey of Displayed Literacy Stimuli (Loughlin and Cole, 1986), was used to measure the amount of literacy-related materials in each classroom. Qualitative data were collected in fieldnotes when literacy events were observed. Relationships were described between children's reading and writing activities and these three factors: design of physical space, amount and presentation of materials, and teacher-child interactions. Variation was found in the types and frequencies of literacy events in and across classrooms that were related to these environmental factors. The interaction of these factors explained the conditions in kindergartens under which children had opportunities to engage in reading and writing activities through transactions with the environment.

<p> This mixed methods study utilized a survey and semi-structured interviews to investigate upper elementary teacher knowledge for teaching reading to struggling readers to determine what a sample of third through fifth grade teachers knew and understood about the myriad factors that may have contributed to their students&rsquo; reading difficulties.</p><p> Quantitative findings revealed that the teachers possessed the strongest knowledge in the areas of comprehension, vocabulary, and reading fluency, and that their knowledge was the weakest related to foundational reading skills such as phonics and morphological awareness. Quantitative analyses also suggested that participation in certain types of professional development, most notably learning communities, may have improved the teachers' knowledge, but that in general, variables such as education, teaching experience, and professional development, had very little, if any, significant effect on the teachers' knowledge.</p><p> Qualitative findings included five themes, or five areas of teacher knowledge: knowledge about struggling readers&rsquo; foundational skills difficulties; knowledge gained from working with colleagues; knowledge gained from learning communities; knowledge about diagnosing students&rsquo; reading weaknesses; and knowledge about the effects of struggling readers&rsquo; lack of confidence. In each of these areas, teachers discussed the specific knowledge they felt they possessed or lacked, as well as the most significant sources from which they had developed this knowledge.</p><p> Comparisons of the quantitative and qualitative data suggested that experience teaching primary grades, effective work with reading specialists, and participation in learning communities may each have helped the teachers develop the knowledge needed to work with struggling readers. The quantitative and qualitative data comparison also indicated that while teachers did not always possess adequate knowledge for teaching foundational reading skills, they felt that this was an area of knowledge they needed and wanted to develop so that they could more effectively help their struggling readers.</p><p> This study concluded with a discussion of the implications of its findings, as well as recommendations for policy, practice, and future research. This study&rsquo;s findings may provide preservice and inservice teacher educators with valuable information they can use to inform their curriculum and support programs for upper elementary teachers.</p>

<p> Evidence indicates that first-grade students who struggle with reading and do not receive help are likely to become poor readers for their entire school careers and will have continued reading problems into adulthood. If a person cannot read well, the outlook is dismal for their employment, self-sufficiency, community participation, social inclusion, and overall well-being. Researchers have found that the solution for struggling readers is not to simply wait and hope they will catch up with their peers. Instead, it is essential to identify students who are at risk for reading failure and disabilities as early as possible and quickly provide evidence-based interventions. This regression discontinuity study examined the effects of Sound Partners, an evidence-based early reading intervention that was implemented by teacher candidates, on the correct letter sounds of 46 first-grade students identified as being at risk for reading failure. Findings indicated that the intervention was effective in raising participants&rsquo; reading scores. Additionally, stakeholder feedback from the participating university, schools, and teacher candidates helped to foster and develop a school-university relationship that yielded mutually beneficial results. Further research should be conducted that includes a larger sample of students using different measures and other evidence-based reading interventions, as well as following the students longitudinally. </p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> DIBELS, CLS, evidence-based practice, regression discontinuity, response-to-intervention, Sound Partners, teacher candidates </p>

<p> Noticeably absent from the critical literacy field are accounts of critical literacy written from the experience and perspective of school leaders. This qualitative practitioner study examined the enactment of critical literacy by four elementary teachers and an elementary school principal in a small rural school in south central Pennsylvania. A critical literacy practitioner inquiry community was an important feature of this study, an importance that cannot be overstated. The interdependence of critical literacy and the inquiry community enabled the participants to disrupt notions of learning, teaching, and leading and what it means to be a student, teacher, and leader. This practitioner action research study contributes to the field of critical literacy in important ways. The study took place in a small rural elementary school in south central Pennsylvania, and the participants/co-researchers were all White, female, Christian educators of predominantly White students. During the study, the participants transformed learning, teaching, and leading by developing stances of critical inquiry and spaces of mutuality. The transformation changed the roles of teachers, learners, and leaders. The participants also confronted the state&rsquo;s system of accountability and educator effectiveness, and through that confrontation re-imagined their own professional identities. I am the principal, co-researcher, and author of this work.</p>

<p> The ability to read is the foundational skill which is taught in elementary schools across the state of Indiana. It is a complex process which allows children to derive meaning from printed text. Reading is the basis for learning and growth to continue during a child&rsquo;s educational life (Opitz &amp; Rasinski, 1998). Over time throughout history, the ability to read is and has been the great equalizer for people (Ruddell, Ruddell, &amp; Singer, 1994). </p><p> Reading has been taught and evaluated in many different ways (Groves, 2009). The state of Indiana has developed a standardized assessment to measure a child&rsquo;s reading ability and comprehension skills at the end of third grade. This summative assessment is known as the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination or IREAD-3 (IDOE IREAD-3, n.d.). The assessment is based on Indiana Academic Standards to measure the foundational reading skills a child has developed by the end of third grade. It is used to determine promotion to fourth grade or retention in third grade (Title 511 Indiana State Board of Education, 2011). </p><p> A mixed method study was conducted to determine if relationships existed between the predictor variables of vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and teacher pedagogy and the criterion variable of passing percentage rates on the IREAD-3 assessment. In the quantitative survey, two null hypotheses were tested. The first null determined if the composite scores for vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and classroom pedagogy of elementary primary literacy teachers predict a statistically significant proportion of the variance on the IREAD-3 pass rate among schools of affluence. The second null determined if the composite scores for vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and classroom pedagogy of elementary primary literacy teachers predict a statistically significant proportion of the variance on the IREAD-3 pass rate among schools of poverty. A multiple linear regression was utilized to examine both hypotheses. The results of the regression analysis found that a linear combination of predictor variables did not explain a statistically significant amount of variance with IREAD-3 passing rate percentages for schools of affluence or schools of poverty. Therefore, the null hypotheses were retained. </p><p> The second part of the mixed method study focused on qualitative case study interviews with three building level principals and one teacher. During the interviews, five themes developed after the field notes and interview transcripts were coded and analyzed. The common themes which emerged were: </p><p> 1. Teachers have time during the school day to meet together to collaborate, plan, and discuss literacy skill development of their children. 2. Schools promote and embrace parents and volunteers as essential components which are included in the learning process during the school day. 3. Teachers voluntarily spend time after school to tutor students on a school-wide basis. 4. Learning is intentionally broken down into small groups based on reading level or ability. 5. Schools have a support network in place and literacy professionals to assist classroom teachers in teaching children to learn to read based on the use of data. </p><p> Several implications for teachers, principals, and district administrators were discussed as a result of the findings and conclusions. Finally, recommendations for further research were proposed.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative research project is to describe the scaffolding strategies used by a teacher to engage and support students as they work within the continua of biliterate development in the fifth-grade Spanish language immersion classroom. As language immersion programs and dual language schools continue to grow in popularity in Canada and the United States, this study seeks to illuminate and interpret a teacher&rsquo;s work with students in the Spanish Language Immersion Program (SLIP), a research site located in the urban Midwestern United States.</p><p> This instrumental case study employed the lens of Sociocultural Theory to explore the principal research question: How does the teacher scaffold student development of biliteracy within language and content instruction in the immersion school context? The research also explores pre-planned scaffolding versus interactional scaffolding, as well as the tensions and forces within the broader context that the teacher encounters while working with students in this bilingual educational environment. Classroom observations, teacher interviews, administration interviews, and artifacts were analyzed using methods borrowed from Grounded Theory.</p><p> Findings from this study highlight the characteristics of the Community of Practice created by the teacher in this classroom that include a focus upon encouragement, knowledge, organization, and literate habitus. Additionally, two visual models were created to present the data including: &ldquo;Scaffolding Episodes in the Development of Biliteracy,&rdquo; to illustrate the task-oriented support provided by the teacher, and &ldquo;Centripetal versus Centrifugal Forces,&rdquo; to present the forces and tensions that the teacher faced within the historical phases of the Spanish Language Immersion Program.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher&rsquo;s roles and children&rsquo;s responses during small group read aloud with fiction and nonfiction literature in one preschool classroom. This instrumental case study draws from three theoretical orientations: sociocultural theory, reader response theory, and the emergent literacy perspective. Two preschool teachers and 19 children were video and audio recorded as they participated in small group read aloud events that occurred during choice time in their classroom twice per day. Transcripts of interviews and small group read aloud sessions were analyzed. Analysis included open coding, axial coding, and constant-comparative techniques to reach data saturation.</p><p> Research findings suggest that teachers employed similar and different scaffolding and modeling strategies when reading fictional and nonfiction literature, differentiated instruction for younger and older children, as well as responded aesthetically to fictional stories and efferently to nonfiction texts. Children utilized a range of meaning making strategies and responded both aesthetically and efferently to both types of text. Older children served as peer models for their younger classmates.</p><p> This study has several implications. Future research should investigate read aloud with fiction and nonfiction literature with different populations of teachers and children, repeated readings of nonfiction literature, and large versus small group read aloud in preschool. Implications for preschool teachers include careful selection of fiction and nonfiction literature, employing additional reading strategies for nonfiction, differentiating instruction for younger and older preschoolers, and reading across the efferent-aesthetic continuum with both types of text. Preschool administrators should make reading instruction with fiction and nonfiction texts a priority. Early childhood teacher education faculty can support preservice teachers&rsquo; capacities to read fiction and nonfiction literature with children.</p><p>

<p> This was an evaluation of the pilot program Paws for Reading along with other children&rsquo;s programs ages 5&ndash;11 or Kindergarten through fifth grade, according to their mission in a Midwest public library setting. Public libraries were incorporating more programming into the schedules for the benefit of the patrons and growing communities. In this mixed- methods study, the researcher created instruments including a survey, questionnaire, and observation form to evaluate library programming. The library patrons, staff, and managers gave their opinions about the children&rsquo;s programs provided by the library and the Pilot Program Paws for Reading. Questions included preference in library schedule, program visitation, and if the programs were developed with the library&rsquo;s mission in mind. Growing concerns stemmed from understanding if the programs were following the Midwest public library&rsquo;s mission, and liked by both patrons and staff. Additional concerns were centered on finding best timing of presentations, whether that was time of year or day. Another concern was understanding how the patron received news and updates from the library. No distinct study has been done in regards to the evaluation of a pilot program and the evaluation of similar children&rsquo;s library programs. </p><p> To answer the researcher questions the investigator created evaluation tools for managers, staff, and patrons to respond to after attending the programs. A researcher created observation tool was used to examine the presentation, patrons, and staff during set up, program time, and clean up. The groups evaluated can help determine the usefulness, quality and longevity of the program presented. Multiple themes were represented during the evaluation and included the Midwest public library&rsquo;s mission for the community, convenience of the program, and if the respondents believed the program should continue or if there were changes needed. The program evaluation, according to the hypothesis, declared that participation rates for Paws for Reading was expected to significantly increase compared to the other programs implemented during the evaluation period. In addition, perceptions and perspectives of library programs from managers, staff, parents and caregivers were used to determine if the children&rsquo;s programs were successful and aligned with the library&rsquo;s mission. The results did not yield a significant increase in attendance, but positive and helpful reactions from patrons and staff resulted in an evaluation process that was beneficial for the library and community.</p><p>