Literacy expectations on elementary classrooms are intensifying with each outcry for accountability by the public and by educational policy makers (Hoffman & Pearson, 2001). Many states, including Georgia, have developed new performance-based curricula in response to expectations for academic performance (Georgia Performance Standards, 2005). However, few researchers have focused on how teachers interpret these performance standards in their local classroom settings. This collective case study research, established within a social constructivist theoretical frame (Vygotsky, 1978), provided an in-depth examination of how the mandated language arts policy of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) influenced teachers’ thoughts and decisions about daily literacy instruction. Specific guiding questions for the study were: (1) What literacy expectations do three second-grade teachers have for their students’ literacy development? (2) Where do these expectations originate? (3) How do these three teachers craft and implement instruction in light of their expectations? (4) How do the state mandates constrain or provide opportunities for these three teachers to develop their expectations and implement instruction for their students’ literacy development? Multiple data sources included interviews, classroom observations and field notes, verbal protocols, classroom artifacts and documents, and the researcher’s journal. Data analysis utilized constant comparison and grounded theory analysis within and across cases (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Trustworthiness and rigor were established through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability (Guba & Lincoln, 1985). This study was designed to give voice to the teachers at the forefront of increasing accountability measures in Georgia’s public elementary school classrooms. Findings revealed that study participants used different funds of knowledge in complex ways to establish literacy expectations and implement instruction and that a fund of knowledge related to mandated accountability measures was influential in the participants’ instructional decision-making processes. When the delivery model of training for the GPS included opportunities to discuss student learning outcomes and reflect on instructional practices, the GPS directly influenced writing instruction. Implications for action from this study are grounded in the study’s key findings and conclusions and hold relevance for the fields of preservice teacher education, professional learning for teachers, school and county administration, and state and federal educational policy making.

College reading programs are traditionally remedial or developmental in nature and often take a decontextualized skills based approach to reading and to supporting college readers (Holschuh & Paulson, 2013). Skills oriented deficit-based approaches to reading provide deficit-based frameworks for readers to construct self-perceptions. TLS 239 Literacy Tutoring is an undergraduate service-learning course where students learn about reading process and theory and develop strategies to tutor in community schools for twenty-four required hours. Coursework frames literacy as a socially constructed process and students engage in a miscue workshop, strategy presentations and in exploring the reading process. In this study, I examine the coursework of 38 students enrolled in TLS 239 and students' reports of shifting their perceptions and self-perceptions of literacy through coursework that challenged their literacy conceptualizations. In this study, I conceptualize Ken Goodman's (2003) theory of revaluing as restorying through a construct of story (Bruner, 2004; Short, 2012) and a semiotic theory of inquiry (Peirce, 1877), a process of fixating new belief. This struggle, or inquiry into reading provides a framework for students to renegotiate and restory their perceptions of literacy and their self-perceptions as literate. Findings indicate that conceptualizing reading as a socially constructed process including the construct of a reading transaction (Rosenblatt, 1994) and the construct of miscue (Goodman, 1969) was anomalous to college students' perceptions of literacy and caused students to doubt previously held misconceptions about reading. Students reported shifts towards conceptualizing reading as the construction of meaning, shifts towards positive self-perceptions as readers, and shifts in their literacy engagements. Students reported an increase in confidence, reading differently, reading more effectively, becoming metacognitive, reading more assigned readings in college, reading more for leisure and feeling more actively engaged in their other courses. Implications include conceptualizing literacy learning as social and emotional learning and the pedagogical implications of literacy instruction framed within a construct of inquiry.

Educational policies and systemic inequalities have created “very different educational realities” for African American students and their white counterparts (Darling-Hammond, 2005) resulting in low literacy rates, low test scores, and high dropout rates. Culturally relevant pedagogy has been shown to increase the academic achievement of culturally diverse students (Gay, 2000; Howard, 2003; Ladson-Billings, 1994). However, many in-service teachers struggle to effectively implement a culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) (Esposito & Swain, 2009; May, 2011; Rozansky, 2010), and limited research has been conducted on professional development aimed at supporting teachers’ knowledge and practices around CRP (Knight & Wiseman, 2005; Milner, 2009). Guided by sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1934/1986; Wertsch 1991), critical theory (Freire, 1970), critical race theory (Delgado & Stefanic, 2012; Taylor, 2009) and critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970; Giroux, 2003), this study examined teachers’ changing beliefs and practices as they engaged in professional development on issues related to culturally relevant pedagogy and literacy development. Questions guiding this study were: (1) What shifts do teachers make in their conceptual and pedagogical understandings around CRP when engaged in professional development activities? (2) What factors enhance or inhibit teachers’ ability to implement CRP during literacy instruction? (3) How do teachers navigate contextual constraints to implement their beliefs in relation to CRP? The methodology for this study is formative experiment, as its goal is to bridge the gap between theory and practice, (Bradley & Reinking, 2011). A continuous, teacher-centered professional development focused on CRP served as the intervention for this formative experiment. Data sources include audio-recorded interviews and teacher debrief session, video-recorded professional development sessions, and field notes from classroom observations. Findings of this study indicate that theoretical learning, critical self-reflection, collaboration, and longevity are integral to support shifts in teachers beliefs and practices around culturally relevant pedagogy. Findings also show that the shifting process is dynamic and complex and occurs differently for individuals. Implications of this study suggest that professional learning should be differentiated for teachers as it considers teachers beliefs, experiences, and work context during the learning process. Teachers can form communities of practice to support each other’s learning goals and implementation of CRP.

The current democratic climate in South Africa, along with current educational reform has called for a re-consideration of assessment and intervention procedures in the education and psychology context. Historical procedures of assessment and intervention programmes have been seen to be culturally biased, unfair, and unethical to children. These methods have been further regarded as too simplistic. A call for an approach to assessing and supporting children, which takes into consideration many factors of the child’s environment, has been placed. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the constructivist ecosystemic approach to assessment and intervention used with a case study, Matthew, who was assessed and supported in this approach prior to the onset of this study. A constructivist, ecosystemic assessment process, The Initial Assessment and Consultation (IAC) was used in understanding the child’s development. Such an assessment process called for an ecosystemic intervention programme, including, learning support through the application of the Cognitive Approach to Literacy Instruction (CATLI) as well as play therapy for the child and parent counselling for the parents. Methods of qualitative data collection were used, such as surveys completed by all the participants and extant data, such as learning support exams, lesson plans and a journal as well as counselling process notes. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyse the data. The findings of this study suggest that a holistic constructivist ecosystemic approach to assessment and interventions is a viable process in understanding and supporting an underachieving anxious child. However, it is acknowledged that a considerable body of research needs to be achieved before this finding can be considered conclusive. In addition, certain constraints to using this approach were acknowledged, such as time and expertise.

Along with various contextual factors, the method of literacy instruction is recognised as one of the main reasons for low levels of literacy learning both locally and internationally. Harcombe’s CATLI process is offered as an alternative literacy methodology, firstly since its constructivist, ecosystemic underpinnings endeavour to address as many contextual issues as is possible, and secondly, because the CATLI process attempts to address some of the gaps in other literacy instructional programmes. The current study aimed to evaluate the CATLI process as a viable alternative to traditional methods of literacy instruction. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of using the constructivist approach to train university students in the CATLI process. The sample comprised trainee learning support specialists and one parent per learner receiving the CATLI intervention at the community centre at a Johannesburg university in 2007. Quantitative and qualitative data obtained by means of questionnaires and extant records provided evidence that all learners showed improvement in literacy skills as well as general development, ascribing the effectiveness of the process to being underpinned soundly by social constructivism and associated theories. For the same reason, trainees considered their training sufficient.

Quem eram os mestres de primeiras letras no Brasil oitocentista? Que caminhos percorreram para se tornarem professores? Como exerceram o magistério? Partindo destas questões, este estudo apresenta interpretações possíveis sobre a experiência docente numa região circunscrita do Império brasileiro: a vilas (cidades após 1842) de Paranaguá e Curitiba na 5ª Comarca da Província de São Paulo a Província do Paraná após 1853. Em uma perspectiva micro-histórica, trajetórias individuais de professores são analisadas em narrativas que buscam captar aspectos não visíveis e formas inventadas pelos sujeitos em suas experiências, na trama das relações. Para acessar a heterogeneidade das práticas educativas do Brasil oitocentista recorri a fontes de diferentes naturezas: mapas de frequência de alunos e ofícios da Instrução Pública, legislação educacional, genealogia e dicionário biográfico, livros de memórias históricas das localidades, ofícios diversos, registro de batismo e de casamento, inventário e imprensa. Os capítulos são narrativas construídas a partir da trajetória de um ou dois sujeitos. Comecei tomando as séries de mapas de frequência de dois professores de primeiras letras de Paranaguá como fonte e objeto de pesquisa para análise da prática escriturística escolar. No cumprimento da tarefa de feitura e remissão dos mapas, os professores eram instados a elaborar a própria prática, nomeá-la, discernir suas diferentes dimensões: pedagógica, administrativa, disciplinar. E, neste fazer, constituíam os contornos do exercício docente. No segundo capítulo, fragmentos sobre a escolarização de um padre-mestre de Paranaguá permitiram uma interpretação de como os espaços escolares e os modelos de docência foram constitutivos de um caminho de formação possível. A presença de uma associação religiosa leiga foi aventada como um dos possíveis espaços de formação naquele contexto. Por fim, o terceiro capítulo traz a trajetória de um professor de primeiras letras com ampla circulação em espaços político-administrativos, cujo repertório diversificado permitiu acompanhar as táticas e estratégias de ação desse sujeito. O trabalho ajudou a dar coloratura à figura do mestre de primeiras letras no interior das práticas educativas heterogêneas que marcam o Oitocentos. / Who were literacy educators in the nineteenth century in Brazil? How did they become teachers? How did they practice the mastership? From these questions, this study presents possible interpretations about teaching experience at a circumscribed region in the Brazilian imperial government era: the villages (which became towns later in 1842) of Paranaguá and Curitiba in the 5th district of São Paulo Province (renamed Paraná Province in 1853). At a micro-historical perspective, teachers individual paths are analyzed through narratives that seek unseen aspects, in the tapestry of relationships invented by the subjects as a result of their experiences. In order to have access to the heterogeneity of educational practices in the nineteenth-century Brazil, I resort to several kinds of sources: pupils frequency maps, Public Instruction official letters, education legislation, lineage and biography dictionary, towns historical memory books, other official letters and reports, registration of marriage and baptism, inventory and press documents. Narratives constructed from the trajectory of one or two subjects constitute the chapters. I started by taking the series of pupils frequency maps of two literacy educators in Paranaguá as source and object of research for the school writing production analysis. When obeying the task of making and reporting maps, teachers were urged to formulate their own practice, name it, and discern its different dimensions: pedagogical, administrative, and disciplinary. By doing so, they constituted the outlines of the teaching exercise. In the second chapter, fragments of a priest-educator schooling in Paranaguá allowed a better understanding about how school spaces and teaching patterns constituted a way of possible shaping. The presence of a laic religious association was suggested as a possible teachers shaping space in that context. Finally, the third chapter brings the path of a literacy educator with wide circulation in political and administrative areas, whose diverse repertoire allowed monitoring his subject tactics and action strategies. This study helped to delineate the figure of the literacy educator within the heterogeneous educational practices that mark the nineteenth century.

Reading skills assessments have demonstrated that middle-grade Mississippi school children are on average two full grade levels or more below grade reading levels. This qualitative case study in one urban county Mississippi school district with decreasing literacy scores examined teachers' perceptions of evidence-based literacy instruction methods, which may improve literacy problem in this district. The constructive learning theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions addressed teacher perceptions regarding recommended instructional strategies, limiting factors in student literacy, and suggestions about improving literacy teaching. Ten middle-grade teachers from 3 district schools participated in semi-structured interviews on research-based instructional strategies, methods, and curriculum materials. Data from interviews and observations of teacher meetings were coded and analyzed thematically. Key findings included a lack of teacher knowledge about some evidence-based literacy instruction methods and uncertainty about the evidence supporting instructional methods. Administrative issues also emerged that impeded literacy instruction. The outcome of this study was a presentation to district administrators and a 3-day professional development (PD) program for teachers, with content tailored to address the needs of teachers in the 3 schools. This study fills a gap in the literature regarding the classroom use of evidence-based practices in schools with struggling students. The study provides a blueprint to help teachers improve their literacy instruction competency and ultimately improve the literacy skills of the students in this district.

In this article, Jeffrey Wood reflects on his teacher research project in his kindergarten classroom. Wood focuses on the value of critical literacy as seen through his work with Moses, a student in his classroom. Wood shows us how much we need to consider children’s points of views in early childhood literacy teaching. Wood describes how an important idea such as critical literacy—which involves creating literacy teaching that speaks to children’s identities and empowers them—brings us closer to the worlds of our children and to those moments of insight and learning for ourselves as teachers.

As teachers modify their instruction to meet English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS), how do these modifications influence literacy instruction and learning opportunities afforded to students? While the CCSS standardized objectives for literacy instruction, the enacted curriculum is uniquely shaped by teachers and their students (Coburn, 2001; Datnow & Castellano, 2000; Smagorinsky, Lakly, & Johnson 2002). This study describes how two elementary school teachers in one school: (a) perceived the ELA CCSS and their influence on instruction and the enacted curriculum; (b) adapted and aligned literacy instruction to respond to implementation of the CCSS; and (c) created instruction and literacy learning opportunities influenced by the ELA CCSS. To investigate the rich, nested levels of context in which teachers used the ELA CCSS to construct literacy instruction and learning opportunities for children, I applied a sociocultural framework and Engeström’s third generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) model to create a theory-driven description of how teachers approached CCSS implementation and literacy instruction. I analyzed data from interviews, observations, and documents through constant comparative analysis (Charmaz, 2006) to identify activities for CHAT analysis (Yamagata-Lynch, 2010). Findings from this study provide information about the implementation of the ELA CCSS in literacy instruction and the enacted literacy curricula. Findings suggest that multiple levels of context influenced the ELA CCSS implementation, including teachers’ perceptions (Coburn, 2001; Maloch & Bomer, 2012), and that while teachers may teach from a standardized curriculum, the literacy learning opportunities differ in each class (Pacheco, 2010).

In recent years, US elementary and secondary education has put more emphasis on advancing students’ academic literacy. To address this need, many teachers have looked to systemic functional linguistics (SFL) theory to frame writing instruction. Drawing from this literature, this report identifies major pedagogical principles relevant for an English as a foreign language (EFL) instructional context, delineates the linguistic markers characteristic of academic registers, and expands on the existing literature in regards to feedback and error correction. SFL-informed literacy instruction can benefit English language instruction in countries such as South Korea, where learners’ writing development has traditionally been neglected. The report begins with a brief overview of systemic functional linguistics, and follows with a review of the literature on SFL-based writing pedagogy. Implications for EFL educational settings are discussed. / text