Abstract This study examines the critical components of literacy preparation in teacher education... more Abstract This study examines the critical components of literacy preparation in teacher education programs at ten universities from across the United States. The study will include three phases linking the literacy components of teacher preparation programs with the International Reading Association's Standards (Phase I), to teacher candidate performance in student teaching (Phase II), and finally to teacher education candidates' enactments of instructional knowledge in their first year of teaching (Phase III).
This small scale, exploratory study reveals how writing instruction is taught to preservice teach... more This small scale, exploratory study reveals how writing instruction is taught to preservice teachers across the United States in university-based preservice teacher education programs based on online survey results from 63 teacher educators in literacy from 50 institutions. Despite the growing writing demands and high stakes writing sample testing in K–12 classrooms, our survey of literacy teacher educators indicated that teacher preparation programs rarely offer stand-alone writing instruction methods courses. Evidence suggests that writing methods are frequently embedded in reading methods courses. Equally concerning, data indicate a lack of confidence among many teacher educators regarding teaching writing methods. This study highlights the need for greater attention to writing in teacher preparation programs and adds to the conversation of why these issues continue to plague higher education.
This study examined format differences in the measurement of fifth grade students' reading co... more This study examined format differences in the measurement of fifth grade students' reading comprehension achievement. Children were given a multiple-choice reading comprehension test, followed 4 weeks later by a constructed response test on 2 of the same text passages. Results indicated that little comprehension of text content was transferred from the multiple-choice to the constructed response test. Significant gender differences were detected in overall test performance and consistency across test formats. Results raise concerns regarding the validity of multiple-choice tests in the measurement of children's reading comprehension proficiency. (Contains 26 references, 4 tables, and 2 figures.) (Author/RS)
ABSTRACT Students who can use a term conversantly in academic environments know how to use it pre... more ABSTRACT Students who can use a term conversantly in academic environments know how to use it precisely in their writing and in their interactions with others; they can be said to deeply know, not just the word term in alphabetic or spoken forms, but the connections to ideas the term embodies. When students are intrigued by words and ideas, they want to dig more intensely. Traditionally, word learning tasks in schools do not mirror the way that words are learned beyond school walls. Vocabulary self-collection strategy plus (VSS+) is an instructional routine using multimodal and online tools to promote engaged word learning in an authentic way. Generative technologies, such as those employed in VSS+, use the affordances of technology to combine reading and writing skills with genuine inquiry for learning content within learning communities.
The purpose of this article is to describe the first part of a three-phase study to learn what ma... more The purpose of this article is to describe the first part of a three-phase study to learn what makes an effective elementary literacy initial licensure program. The first step was to identify how nine programs prioritized research-based literacy practices and to identify each program's unique features, which we called “signature aspects.” Findings suggest that all the programs emphasized teaching literacy theories, instructional practices, and uses of assessment. The programs also had unique features, such as the workshop approach and ...
ABSTRACT Using mixed-methods approaches and cross-case analysis procedures of a study of 10 teach... more ABSTRACT Using mixed-methods approaches and cross-case analysis procedures of a study of 10 teacher-preparation programs across the United States, researchers identified signature aspects of the programs that captured key elements unique to each institution and compared teacher candidate perceptions of learning with the expressed intentions of the faculty. The teacher candidates' perceptions of their learning were contextualized in terms of the 2003 to 2010 Standards for the Teaching Profession of the International Reading Association. Findings indicate some deficiencies across the institutions as well as many strengths and key attributes. Implications for teacher preparation programs and accountability of those programs are discussed. Further directions for research, including the second and third phases of this study, are suggested.
This chapter explores how students in upper-grade settings might use digital media and sources to... more This chapter explores how students in upper-grade settings might use digital media and sources to inform their writing more effectively. Working from sources has always been a challenge for novice writers in PK-6 school settings. The digital environment adds new complications and opportunities for young authors of persuasive, informational, and literary texts (indeed, even literary texts rely on external sources in many respects). Effective use of digital sources involves more than just deciding if a site is reliable or not. Readers of this chapter will learn how their middle school students might work nimbly and accurately with sources found in digital and traditional environments when composing texts. Because digital environments also tend to include many images, videos, and other graphic displays, particular attention will be paid to how readers and writers work with multimodal texts. Student writers can easily be creators of digital images that might accompany and enhance their written work, as well. This chapter will explore how students might meaningfully combine words and images, putting what we know about how human brains process visual and linguistic information as they read online and compose their work digitally.
Some years ago, Haggard noticed that many vocabulary learning tasks in school did not mirror the ... more Some years ago, Haggard noticed that many vocabulary learning tasks in school did not mirror the way that words are learned outside of school. Copying definitions and writing sentences with terms that are largely unfamiliar doesn’t result in vocabulary learning that really sticks. When words selected solely by the publishers of a textbook or by the teacher are given to students to learn, such words often do not reflect what the students really need to know. Thus, Haggard devised the vocabulary self-collection strategy (VSS). The authors' VSS+ approach engages students in the activity after reading, as noted in the original Haggard model. However, in VSS+, the activity is centered around technology and builds on the dynamics of the group to choose and learn content-specific words and build their capacity to understand those words and use them in appropriate oral and written contexts, as well.
Many students lack early literacy skills because they have not had opportunities to listen to or ... more Many students lack early literacy skills because they have not had opportunities to listen to or talk about stories, engage in word play, read with family members, or view literacy behaviors modeled in the home. The Collaborative Storybook Reading Program presents a model for providing interactive reading experiences for at-risk kindergarten students through the use of parent volunteers. The program was designed to increase student interactions with literature, while at the same time increasing the confidence level and literacy skills of the parent-volunteer readers. Program participants demonstrated increased ability to retell stories and participate in whole-class storybook reading sessions.
The authors explore the practice of incorporating graphic novels in a Tier 2 Response To Interven... more The authors explore the practice of incorporating graphic novels in a Tier 2 Response To Intervention (RTI) program for five elementary-aged struggling readers in an urban school. Using a formative experiment framework, the study found that graphic novels provided a vehicle for the application of word recognition and fluency strategies learned in the RTI intervention program. In addition, graphic novels were used to develop students' vocabulary and comprehension skills and resulted in increased progress for students' fluency as measured by DIBELS. Since graphic novels are not grade level specific, they are appropriate for readers across grades. As a genre, graphic novels can also provide a scaffold for students in the development of literacy skills.
... Nance S. Wilson | Dana L. Grisham | Linda Smetana The use of the Question Answer Relationshi... more ... Nance S. Wilson | Dana L. Grisham | Linda Smetana The use of the Question Answer Relationship strategy led to a deeper use of ... Elizabeth continues to solve the problem in the same manner by demonstrating her thinking for the students using the QAR language. ...
Questions about optimal routes to becoming an effective teacher have fueled an ongoing debate for... more Questions about optimal routes to becoming an effective teacher have fueled an ongoing debate for more than 50 years—also, not coincidentally, a time of increasing regulation of teacher preparation programs. A number of alternative pathways
Abstract This study examines the critical components of literacy preparation in teacher education... more Abstract This study examines the critical components of literacy preparation in teacher education programs at ten universities from across the United States. The study will include three phases linking the literacy components of teacher preparation programs with the International Reading Association's Standards (Phase I), to teacher candidate performance in student teaching (Phase II), and finally to teacher education candidates' enactments of instructional knowledge in their first year of teaching (Phase III).
This small scale, exploratory study reveals how writing instruction is taught to preservice teach... more This small scale, exploratory study reveals how writing instruction is taught to preservice teachers across the United States in university-based preservice teacher education programs based on online survey results from 63 teacher educators in literacy from 50 institutions. Despite the growing writing demands and high stakes writing sample testing in K–12 classrooms, our survey of literacy teacher educators indicated that teacher preparation programs rarely offer stand-alone writing instruction methods courses. Evidence suggests that writing methods are frequently embedded in reading methods courses. Equally concerning, data indicate a lack of confidence among many teacher educators regarding teaching writing methods. This study highlights the need for greater attention to writing in teacher preparation programs and adds to the conversation of why these issues continue to plague higher education.
This study examined format differences in the measurement of fifth grade students' reading co... more This study examined format differences in the measurement of fifth grade students' reading comprehension achievement. Children were given a multiple-choice reading comprehension test, followed 4 weeks later by a constructed response test on 2 of the same text passages. Results indicated that little comprehension of text content was transferred from the multiple-choice to the constructed response test. Significant gender differences were detected in overall test performance and consistency across test formats. Results raise concerns regarding the validity of multiple-choice tests in the measurement of children's reading comprehension proficiency. (Contains 26 references, 4 tables, and 2 figures.) (Author/RS)
ABSTRACT Students who can use a term conversantly in academic environments know how to use it pre... more ABSTRACT Students who can use a term conversantly in academic environments know how to use it precisely in their writing and in their interactions with others; they can be said to deeply know, not just the word term in alphabetic or spoken forms, but the connections to ideas the term embodies. When students are intrigued by words and ideas, they want to dig more intensely. Traditionally, word learning tasks in schools do not mirror the way that words are learned beyond school walls. Vocabulary self-collection strategy plus (VSS+) is an instructional routine using multimodal and online tools to promote engaged word learning in an authentic way. Generative technologies, such as those employed in VSS+, use the affordances of technology to combine reading and writing skills with genuine inquiry for learning content within learning communities.
The purpose of this article is to describe the first part of a three-phase study to learn what ma... more The purpose of this article is to describe the first part of a three-phase study to learn what makes an effective elementary literacy initial licensure program. The first step was to identify how nine programs prioritized research-based literacy practices and to identify each program's unique features, which we called “signature aspects.” Findings suggest that all the programs emphasized teaching literacy theories, instructional practices, and uses of assessment. The programs also had unique features, such as the workshop approach and ...
ABSTRACT Using mixed-methods approaches and cross-case analysis procedures of a study of 10 teach... more ABSTRACT Using mixed-methods approaches and cross-case analysis procedures of a study of 10 teacher-preparation programs across the United States, researchers identified signature aspects of the programs that captured key elements unique to each institution and compared teacher candidate perceptions of learning with the expressed intentions of the faculty. The teacher candidates' perceptions of their learning were contextualized in terms of the 2003 to 2010 Standards for the Teaching Profession of the International Reading Association. Findings indicate some deficiencies across the institutions as well as many strengths and key attributes. Implications for teacher preparation programs and accountability of those programs are discussed. Further directions for research, including the second and third phases of this study, are suggested.
This chapter explores how students in upper-grade settings might use digital media and sources to... more This chapter explores how students in upper-grade settings might use digital media and sources to inform their writing more effectively. Working from sources has always been a challenge for novice writers in PK-6 school settings. The digital environment adds new complications and opportunities for young authors of persuasive, informational, and literary texts (indeed, even literary texts rely on external sources in many respects). Effective use of digital sources involves more than just deciding if a site is reliable or not. Readers of this chapter will learn how their middle school students might work nimbly and accurately with sources found in digital and traditional environments when composing texts. Because digital environments also tend to include many images, videos, and other graphic displays, particular attention will be paid to how readers and writers work with multimodal texts. Student writers can easily be creators of digital images that might accompany and enhance their written work, as well. This chapter will explore how students might meaningfully combine words and images, putting what we know about how human brains process visual and linguistic information as they read online and compose their work digitally.
Some years ago, Haggard noticed that many vocabulary learning tasks in school did not mirror the ... more Some years ago, Haggard noticed that many vocabulary learning tasks in school did not mirror the way that words are learned outside of school. Copying definitions and writing sentences with terms that are largely unfamiliar doesn’t result in vocabulary learning that really sticks. When words selected solely by the publishers of a textbook or by the teacher are given to students to learn, such words often do not reflect what the students really need to know. Thus, Haggard devised the vocabulary self-collection strategy (VSS). The authors' VSS+ approach engages students in the activity after reading, as noted in the original Haggard model. However, in VSS+, the activity is centered around technology and builds on the dynamics of the group to choose and learn content-specific words and build their capacity to understand those words and use them in appropriate oral and written contexts, as well.
Many students lack early literacy skills because they have not had opportunities to listen to or ... more Many students lack early literacy skills because they have not had opportunities to listen to or talk about stories, engage in word play, read with family members, or view literacy behaviors modeled in the home. The Collaborative Storybook Reading Program presents a model for providing interactive reading experiences for at-risk kindergarten students through the use of parent volunteers. The program was designed to increase student interactions with literature, while at the same time increasing the confidence level and literacy skills of the parent-volunteer readers. Program participants demonstrated increased ability to retell stories and participate in whole-class storybook reading sessions.
The authors explore the practice of incorporating graphic novels in a Tier 2 Response To Interven... more The authors explore the practice of incorporating graphic novels in a Tier 2 Response To Intervention (RTI) program for five elementary-aged struggling readers in an urban school. Using a formative experiment framework, the study found that graphic novels provided a vehicle for the application of word recognition and fluency strategies learned in the RTI intervention program. In addition, graphic novels were used to develop students' vocabulary and comprehension skills and resulted in increased progress for students' fluency as measured by DIBELS. Since graphic novels are not grade level specific, they are appropriate for readers across grades. As a genre, graphic novels can also provide a scaffold for students in the development of literacy skills.
... Nance S. Wilson | Dana L. Grisham | Linda Smetana The use of the Question Answer Relationshi... more ... Nance S. Wilson | Dana L. Grisham | Linda Smetana The use of the Question Answer Relationship strategy led to a deeper use of ... Elizabeth continues to solve the problem in the same manner by demonstrating her thinking for the students using the QAR language. ...
Questions about optimal routes to becoming an effective teacher have fueled an ongoing debate for... more Questions about optimal routes to becoming an effective teacher have fueled an ongoing debate for more than 50 years—also, not coincidentally, a time of increasing regulation of teacher preparation programs. A number of alternative pathways
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