The present study adopted Seymour and Dargie's design (1990) and examined the associative priming effect on English non-word spelling in young ESL learners with Chinese language backgrounds. Participants were either assigned to an unprimed non-word dictation condition or a primed condition where the non-word was preceded by a prime which is semantically associated to a word that rhymed with the target non-word. The orthographical choice of vowel pattern in the non-word dictation task for young ESL learners greatly depends on its contingency. The results in the present study indicated that the children with higher reading proficiency were more sensitive to high contingency vowel spelling patterns. The additive associative effect revealed in adult English speaking populations (Seymour & Dargie, 1990) was not evident in the current study with young ESL learners. This data adds to our understanding of contingency effects by extending research to ESL samples and aids in the development of the broader view of understanding the nature of mechanisms underlying sub-lexical spelling processes in L1 and L2 contexts. Some implications for the dual route model and linguistic transfer theory are discussed. / La présente étude a adopté le modèle de Seymour et Dargie (1990) et a examiné l'effet d'une amorce associée à un non-mot anglais sur la capacité à orthographier celui-ci chez les jeunes chinois apprenants l'anglais comme langue seconde. Les participants ont été assignés à deux conditions distinctes. Les élèves ont été évalués à l'aide d'une dictée de non-mots dans la première condition tandis que les élèves dans la deuxième condition ont dû effectuer une dictée de non-mots où ceux-ci était précédés par un mot sémantiquement associé au non-mot et rimant avec celui-ci. Les résultats ont démontré que le choix orthographique des voyelles dans la tâche de dictée de non-mots pour les jeunes apprenants l'anglais comme langue seconde dépend grandement de la contingence de celle-ci. De plus, ceux-ci ont également indiqués que les enfants ayant une meilleure compétence en lecture seraient plus sensibles à l'orthographe de voyelles de haute contingence. Dans la présente étude œuvrant auprès de jeunes apprenants l'anglais comme langue seconde, l'effet « associatif additif » révélé dans les populations d'adultes anglophones de l'étude de Seymour et Dargie (1990) n'était pas prédominant. Ces données aident notre compréhension des effets contingence en étendant la recherche aux échantillons ALS et aident à l'élaboration de la vision plus large de la compréhension la nature des mécanismes qui sous-tendent les processus d'orthographes sous-lexicales en L1 et L2 contextes. Quelques implications pour le modèle à double entrée et pour la théorie du transfert linguistique seront abordées à l'intérieur de la discussion.

No description available.

This study examined the differences between students’ perceptions of teacher-assigned and self-selected literature. Five students from the same grade 8 classroom participated in the study, which consisted of reading either an assigned or self-selected text and participating in semi-structured interviews. The interview transcripts were analyzed and coded according to categories designated by the researcher. Findings indicate that these students were more motivated to read when permitted to select their own texts. Students also seemed to gain a greater understanding of content when reading self-selected material. However, the study participants also spoke positively about certain teacher-assigned books, indicating that quality reading materials with high-interest content may take priority over choice. Recommendations for educators include sharing with students their motivations behind reading assignments, and ensuring that classroom libraries are well stocked with a wide selection of texts.

This study examined how much literacy was depicted in six popular prime time situation comedies—Community, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, The Big Bang Theory, and The Office. The first five episodes of each program’s first season were analyzed, as to the number of literacy events present and the durations of such, using a Literacy Events Checklist. Whether there were readers in evidence on the programs was examined. Whether the readers were portrayed in such a way that they, and their reading habits, might be emulated by young people was also investigated. The Literacy Events Checklists were analyzed and coded according to categories designated by the researcher. Findings indicate that literacy is depicted to a certain extent on these programs, in some programs more than in others. Readers were found in each program. A Reader Checklist was employed in order to determine common reader traits among these readers. Findings indicate that, although there are some common reader traits among the readers, they are not entirely negative. The diversity of the readers found in these programs reflects the diversity of readers in society. Recommendations for educators include sharing with students the statistics regarding the time spent reading and the time spent watching television in North America, and having students examine their own habits in this regard. This message could be brought to the community through school-wide initiatives at various levels, and the incorporation of parental involvement.

The purpose of this study was to investigate reading motivation in students from grades one to four. Five Manitoba schools participated in this study. The Motivation to Read Profile (MRP) reading survey (Gambrell, Palmer, Codling, & Mazzoni, 1996) was administered to 225 students. The survey scores provided information about gender and grade level when considering student motivation to read. The study further explored what two highly motivated grade four boys and two highly motivated grade four girls (as identified by the MRP survey) had to say about reading and their personal reading experiences as each of the four students participated in a semi-structured interview with the researcher. The study also identified factors that appeared to influence the students’ reading motivation. The survey results collected from the 225 elementary school students indicated that grade one students valued the task of reading less than students in grade two. The survey results also revealed that boys valued the task of reading less than girls. When students responded to questions in regards to their personal self-concepts as readers, no clear pattern emerged between grades or for gender. Following the completion of the four semi-structured interviews, the ideas the students shared were categorized. 16 categories were identified. Study of the students’ comments revealed that many different factors appeared to have contributed to the students’ high levels of reading motivation. These factors included family members acting as reading role models and a wide variety of reading options. Particular weight was given to the role that peers and friends played in the students’ personal reading choice. Students also indicated that it is important for teachers to expose students to a number of different literacy experiences, and it is equally important to avoid spending excessive amounts of time with a single text. In light of these findings, the author provides suggestions for ways that teachers might restructure current classroom practise to increase the levels of student motivation to read.

This thesis is a close-reading of Manitoba’s senior years ELA framework. It attempts to scrutinize the overall wording, phraseology and intent of the curricular document and determine whether or not it fosters democratic teaching and classrooms. The main democratizing theories, critical pedagogy and Reader Response criticism are teased out to show not only how they coexist but also how they may form oppositions. That is, while these theories can co-exist, they can present contradictions in emphasis, scope and focus. Although populist by many standards, Reader Response theory may not be concrete enough to be housed alongside critical literacy values. This may be connected to a kind of misguided interpretation of critical pedagogy as ‘philanthropy’. Does the framework deal with this problem adequately? Its ability to help teachers deal with this contradiction may indicate not only the overall success of the curricular framework as a democratizing instrument, but may serve as a reminder as to how democratic education remains a paradoxical ideal. It also may suggest that professionalization of teachers in this area is more difficult than previously imagined.

As a classroom teacher, I had found that many of my grade one reluctant readers—those students who could read but chose not to—lacked the motivation to engage in the reading process. Using a qualitative-oriented action research approach I introduced and taught seven classroom practices—Read Aloud, Self-Selected Reading, Literacy Circles, Drama, Reader’s Theatre, Author’s Theatre, and Inquiry—to see which ones helped my reluctant readers increase their motivation to read. By applying multiple methods of data collection and organization—a questionnaire; learning conversations; observations; journaling; and recording sheets—I was able to record what reluctant readers had to say and show about these seven classroom practices. The findings provided that classroom practices that allowed for social interactions, freedom of choice, and the use of voice and movement were the best ways to motivate my young reluctant readers in reading.

<p> High quality student engagement activities are essential if students are to be successful learners. Over the years, many instructional strategies and models have been devised to encourage teachers to develop student engagement activities that result in high achievement. The Reading First Model initiative was introduced as a part of the No Child Left Behind legislation and was implemented in hundreds of schools across the United States over the last twelve years. Yet, in 2009, federal funding for Reading First was eliminated. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between student achievement on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and discipline referrals for classroom disruption in classrooms that practiced the key components of the Reading First Model. Eight schools that had implemented the Reading First Model were randomly selected from various Regional Professional Development Centers in Missouri. A survey was distributed to the principals of the selected schools, and MAP data were examined. The study showed there was not a correlation between increased student achievement on the MAP and participation in the Reading First Model. The research did suggest a high correlation between decreased discipline referrals for classroom disruption and increased student achievement on the MAP in schools continuing to follow key components of the Reading First Model. Research also suggested a high correlation between the student engagement component of the Reading First Model and decreased discipline referrals for classroom disruption.</p>

<p> This qualitative study examined a professional development model of literacy coaching in which secondary content teachers were trained in literacy strategy instruction and in literacy mentorship. I attempted to understand the negotiation of pedagogical identities of content teachers engaged in literacy strategy instruction within their own classrooms while also providing literacy mentorship for a peer within the district. Data sources included interviews, video of strategy instruction, field notes, and artifacts from three participants in a suburban high school. Findings revealed that participants engaged in strategy instruction in their own practices and identified themselves regularly as literacy strategy experts within the district but not typically as mentoring experts. Three metaphors were used to explore the separate identities exhibited by the teachers in their role of mentor: the Peer Coach; the Content Warrior, and the Fake Mentor. The findings also revealed that cooperative reflection around video of strategy instruction was essential for negotiation of identity. Several implications for administrators, teachers, teacher educators and professional development were drawn from the findings of this study in regard to developing and selecting professional development models around disciplinary literacy strategy instruction.</p>

There is no abstract available for this thesis.