The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emph... more The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emphasis on student-led response groups and this report describes the use of Book Club instruction within a special education resource room, in which elementary-level children incorporated the use of high quality literature, written and oral responses to literature, and student-led discussions. Specifically, the report describes the experiences of a group of five students (identified as learning disabled or educable mentally impaired) as they participated in Book Club at an urban school in a mid-sized midwestern city. The first phase involved a unit on folktales to help students explore both what to share and how to share within their small group discussions and to provide instructional support through modeling, teacher-led discussion, and written activities to help their oral response. The second phase, using a unit on disabilities, focused on furthering their progress and increasing their use of personal experiences in interpreting text. Student growth in literacy activities was noted through three areas: nature of the Book Club interactions, change in \mitten response, and types of questions discussed. The types ,1 instruction and modeling that helped the students grow confident in their literacy abilities are discussed. Appendixes list literature used and outline Book Club activities. (Contains approximately 35 references.)
The second phase of a 3-year project examining the effect of a process approach to writing instru... more The second phase of a 3-year project examining the effect of a process approach to writing instruction on students' expository reading and writing skills, a study determined the impact of three writing programs that emphasized different aspects of a process-oriented writing environment. Data were gathered from 159 fifth and sixth grade students and their teachers. Results indicated that a writing environment emphasizing peer editing and publication and/or instruction in text structure significantly increased students' ability to compose expository text. Findings also showed that writing environment and text structure instruction significantly increased students' ability to summarize information across two expository passages. Data indicated that students in the text structure instruction groups made significant gains in free writing, surpassing the control students on all measures of writing ability. Similar results were obtained both when teachers directed instruction in text structure and when students directed the learning through peer editing and conferences. (Statistical tables are included, and a think sheet for prewriting, student problem/solution text and accompanying worksheet, and compare/contrast pattern guide are appended.) (JD)
The program focuses on conceptual understanding, higher oraer thinking, and problem solving in el... more The program focuses on conceptual understanding, higher oraer thinking, and problem solving in elementary school teaching of mathematics, science, social studies, literature, and the arts. Center researchers %re identifying exemplary curriculum, instruction, and evaluation practices in the teaching of time school subjects; studying these practices to build new hypotheses about how the effectiveness of elementary schools can be improved; testing these hypotheses through school-based research; and making specific recommendations for the improvement of school policies, instructional materials, assessment procedures, and teaching practices. Research questions include, What content should be taught when teaching these subjects for understanding and use of knowledge? How do teachers concentrate their teaching to use their limited resources best? and In what ways is good teaching subject matter-specific? The work is designed to unfold in three phases, beginning with literature review and interview studies designed to elicit and synthesize the points of view of various stakeholders (representatives of the underlying academic disciplines, intellectual leaders and organizations concerned with curriculum and instruction in school subjects, classroom teachers, state-and district-level policymakers) concerning ideal curriculum, instruction, and evaluation practices in these five content areas at the elementary level. Phase II involves interview and observation methods designed to describe current practice, and in particular, best practice as observed in the classrooms of teachers believed to be outstanding. Phase II also involves analysis of curricula (both widely used curriculum series and distinctive curricula developed with special emphasis on conceptual understanding and higher order applications), as another approach to gathering information about current practices. In Phase III, models of ideal practice will be developed, based on what has been learned and synthesized from the first two phases, and will be tested through classroom intervention studies.
Noting that early reading achievement is increasingly being named as a top priority in venues ran... more Noting that early reading achievement is increasingly being named as a top priority in venues ranging from national policy arenas to local schools and school districts, this book consolidates and summarizes research on early reading achievement, making it accessible to parents, teachers, administrators, and others concerned with children's reading success. The six essays in the book represent a joint effort of seven literacy educators who are committed to the improvement of children's literacy skills, and who represent a number of Michigan organizations and institutions that have a long history of successful collaboration. After a
Although writing and reading instruction can be integrated regardless of the reading program mate... more Although writing and reading instruction can be integrated regardless of the reading program materials used, teachers need a greater understanding of the similarities and differences in reading and writing processes, as well as knowledge of ways in which instruction can be merged, before integration can take place. Both reading and writing are complex cognitive processes that involve three similar strategies--planning (prewriting or prereading), drafting (writing or guided reading), and revising (modifying and extending, or postreading). Fundamental elements for developing an environment within which reading and writing can be integrated include: (1) emphasizing writing for rc.al purposes and audiences; (2) providing frequent opportunities to write and share one's writing; and (3) creating opportunities for extended writing and evaluation. In this general environment, specific strategies, such as "concept of definition" instruction and Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing (CSIW), focus on helping students develop a schema that enhances both reading and writing. Writing experiences should link directly to reading activities in the classroom. For example, students using basal reading can write in connection with each basal selection. Some specific suggestions for writing activities integrated with basal reading topics include selecting a favorite character from a story and writing a character sketch, and rewriting a story written in the first person to take the form of a newspaper report. (Five figures are included and 39 references are appended.) (MM)
To determine students' metacognitive knowledge of the expository writing process, a study analyze... more To determine students' metacognitive knowledge of the expository writing process, a study analyzed fifth and sixth graders' declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge by means of group questionnaires and individual interviews at all stages of their participation in one of three year-long writing programs. The programs emphasized social context, purpose and audience, and/or the use of text structure knowledge in writing. Results suggested that creating a social context enhanced students' awareness of audience, purpose, and the different aspects of the writing process. Instruction in text structure seemed to enhance students' understanding of both the questions answered by expository writers and the conventions used in expository writing, such as key words and phrases. The combined program resulted in students' enhanced understanding of the extent to which these conventions can be used as signals to their readers of their writing's purpose. Findings showed that all the programs had a positive impact on students' knowledge about the writing process and writing strategies. Observations also revealed that students used this knowledge in other curricular areas. (Tables of data and some student commentary from individual interview sessions are included. (JD)
More and more students and teachers are excited about their school literacy programs. Two activit... more More and more students and teachers are excited about their school literacy programs. Two activities in particular can be found in classrooms that generate enthusiasm for literacyan abundance of high-quality literature and opportunities to talk with one another about this literature. The project described this month by Raphael and colleagues illustrates how social interaction with high-quality literature can foster an often-forgotten literacy processresponding to literature with one's own voice. The push to get the author's meaning has often usurped the meanings that students give to the text based on their experiences. There is a place for both the author's, or 4 'shared," interpretations of text and those that are unique to students' lives. Raphael, et al. have developed 4 4 Book Clubs" in intermediate-level classrooms, where expertise at both types of interpretations can be fostered. The Book Club format is similar to that used by avid readers of all ages: talking with their friends and colleagues about literature. When students have spent prior grades in more prescribed classroom literacy events, their teachers can support meaningful conversations in a variety of ways, including guidance in literature selection and guidelines for group interaction. This month's column demonstrates ways that particular instructional processes can foster critical literacy processes as students share their interpretations of outstanding literature. (EHH) When reading was considered to be primarily a process of decoding, as it was for centuries
The program focuses on conceptual understanding, higher oraer thinking, and problem solving in el... more The program focuses on conceptual understanding, higher oraer thinking, and problem solving in elementary school teaching of mathematics, science, social studies, literature, and the arts. Center researchers %re identifying exemplary curriculum, instruction, and evaluation practices in the teaching of time school subjects; studying these practices to build new hypotheses about how the effectiveness of elementary schools can be improved; testing these hypotheses through school-based research; and making specific recommendations for the improvement of school policies, instructional materials, assessment procedures, and teaching practices. Research questions include, What content should be taught when teaching these subjects for understanding and use of knowledge? How do teachers concentrate their teaching to use their limited resources best? and In what ways is good teaching subject matter-specific? The work is designed to unfold in three phases, beginning with literature review and interview studies designed to elicit and synthesize the points of view of various stakeholders (representatives of the underlying academic disciplines, intellectual leaders and organizations concerned with curriculum and instruction in school subjects, classroom teachers, state-and district-level policymakers) concerning ideal curriculum, instruction, and evaluation practices in these five content areas at the elementary level. Phase II involves interview and observation methods designed to describe current practice, and in particular, best practice as observed in the classrooms of teachers believed to be outstanding. Phase II also involves analysis of curricula (both widely used curriculum series and distinctive curricula developed with special emphasis on conceptual understanding and higher order applications), as another approach to gathering information about current practices. In Phase III, models of ideal practice will be developed, based on what has been learned and synthesized from the first two phases, and will be tested through classroom intervention studies.
Integrated instruction may be everyone's ideal, but it is the reality in few classrooms. This rev... more Integrated instruction may be everyone's ideal, but it is the reality in few classrooms. This review of existing literature examines research to determine why this ideal may be infrequently realized. The review concluded that the mismatch between ideal and practice may be at least partially explained by the ambiguity in definitions in the professional literature. Finding no theoretical framework on which to base the review, the first task of the reviewers was to develop one. Next, the reviewers applied this framework to existing research on integrated instruction in elementary grades. They found few data-driven studies on integrated instruction of any sort, although essays advocating integrated language arts were many. Most projects interpreted integration as loose, thematic links. When studies considered interdisciplinary instruction, the boundaries between the subject areas were often rigid. Rarely would a literary stance or writing as a means for reflection be fostered across subject areas. While integrated approaches can serve to restructure school curriculum within and beyond the language arts, the paper concludes that a stronger theoretical and a research base is needed in establishing when and how to integrate the curriculum as well as for what purposes and for whom. Contains 108 references and a figure presenting a conceptual map of integration. (RS)
To explore how instruction in questioning can enhance teachers' use of questions that promote com... more To explore how instruction in questioning can enhance teachers' use of questions that promote comprehension and how teachers' instruction of students in such strategies can enhance their ability to comprehend content area texts independently, this paper looks at prereading, during-reading, and postreading questioning activities. The first major section of the paper discusses two kinds of conceptual knowledge involved in the comprehension of expository prose: text structure knowledge and knowledge of text processing strategies. The second section of the paper looks at the kinds of quertioning strategies that have been effective in developing students' comprehension of expository text. Specifically, it uses a reading lesson as a framework for discussing questions used in the prereading, during-reading, and postreading stages of the lesson. The third section of the paper examines the instructional methods that contribute to students' independent use of questioning strategies: (1) direct explanation and modeling, (2) guided practice, and (3) question answer relationships. The paper concludes by noting that the quantity of research focusing on questioning underscores the pervasiveness of questioning strategies in the classroom. (A six-page list of references is provided.) (FL)
Focusing on research and its implications for classroom practice, this paper describes how studen... more Focusing on research and its implications for classroom practice, this paper describes how students' comprehension of text can be enhanced by using a variety of easily available materials. The first section considers what successful reading involves in terms of the active nature if learning in general, the characteristics of skilled readers, and general principles for developing skilled readers. The second section presents research underlying specific techniques for instruction and describes these techniques, which are related to increasing the students' participation in some of the traditional areas of reading instruction (such as vocabulary development, prereading discussions, and guided reading). The third section examines some aspects of the social context in which reading occurs and the implications of current research for the role of the teacher, for grouping practices, and for the classroom setting in general. References and annotated lists of additional readings in this field are included. (Author/EL)
Teachers conducting a thematically organized literature-based reading program centered around stu... more Teachers conducting a thematically organized literature-based reading program centered around student-led discussion groups wanted to explore ways in which the values they wanted to promote could be reflected in the ways they assessed their students. This study considers how valuing a broader scope of language and literacy abilities and making these values part of an assessment system played out in the case of one male student, a representative of a population of students for whom assessment has been a high stakes venture and traditional assessments usually led to their removal from regular education classes to special education, isolated from regular education peers. The student was in his first year of mainstreamed education, in a class of 23 students, having previously been in special education. The Michigan English Language Arts Framework provided a model for describing students' progress. All 23 students participated in three assessment activities: (1) a criterion-referenced test consisting of traditional comprehension and vocabulary tests; (2) a performance-based assessment test designed to parallel daily language and literacy events; and (3) a self-assessment activity in which students evaluated their book club participation and their reading log entries. The student's performance on the criterion-referenced test by itself probably would have prevented him from participating in regular fifth-grade reading activities, but the other assessments gave him better opportunities to demonstrate his understanding, as well as more experience in reading activities. Taking a broader perspective means he is more likely to avoid long-term tracking and to preserve his self-esteem. (Contains 1 figure, 3 tables, and 11 references.) (SLD)
Four studies by the Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing project at the Institute for Resear... more Four studies by the Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing project at the Institute for Research on Teaching, Michigan State University, examined the acquisition of expository writing skills in fifth and sixth grade students. The first study examined the effects of teaching sixth grade students about comparison/contrast text structure. Results indicated that such instruction improved sixth grade students' text recall, summary organization, and appropriate use of key words and phrases. The second study (in which eight teachers and their students participated) introduced fifth and eixth grade students to the writing process with emphasis on: (1) audience and purpose; (2) the role of text structure knowledge in planning, drafting, and revising; and (3) audience, purpose, and text structure knowledge. This study presented students with "think-sheets" to prompt students through the writing process, and results indicated that students in these programs made significant gains in their free writing skills. The third study reported on the participation of an experienced fifth grade teacher in the previous studies, and noted that the teacher internalized the teaching strategies presented in the program. Finally, the fourth study involved an extensive descriptive examination of the writing curriculum used in special education classrooms and with special education students mainstreamed into regular classrooms. Based on the results of these studies, a revised expository writing program was developed. (Samples of students' writings and one figure are included, and sample planning, organizing, editing, and revising work sheets, one footnote and 49 references are appended.) (MM) CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF READING A READING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER REPORT
The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emph... more The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emphasis on student-led response groups and this report describes the use of Book Club instruction within a special education resource room, in which elementary-level children incorporated the use of high quality literature, written and oral responses to literature, and student-led discussions. Specifically, the report describes the experiences of a group of five students (identified as learning disabled or educable mentally impaired) as they participated in Book Club at an urban school in a mid-sized midwestern city. The first phase involved a unit on folktales to help students explore both what to share and how to share within their small group discussions and to provide instructional support through modeling, teacher-led discussion, and written activities to help their oral response. The second phase, using a unit on disabilities, focused on furthering their progress and increasing their ...
Describes the participation of a female 2nd-language learner from Vietnam in a literature-based r... more Describes the participation of a female 2nd-language learner from Vietnam in a literature-based reading instruction program (Book Club) during 3rd–5th grade. Data on the S was collected through reading logs, journal entries, audio and video tape recordings, field notes, and interviews. Over the 3-yr period, the S's command of the English language and her public use of the language in academic settings greatly increased. The Book Club was found to be a valuable social context for 2nd-language learners to have meaningful and authentic opportunities to learn to use academic discourse. It provides a site where diverse students with differing levels of literacy and oracy abilities can come together to construct meaning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The Book Club Project of the Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects is a 3-y... more The Book Club Project of the Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects is a 3-year line of research exploring the intersection of literature-based reading instruction and the role of student-led response groups. This work is in response to a current trend of creating authentic literacy opportunities in classrooms, reading original literature rather than stories with controlled vocabulary, and reading entire selections rather than excerpts. The research was a collaborative effort among senior researchers, graduate assistants, and classroom teachers to explore the issues related to literature-based instruction, and to create a meaningful environment in which students' abilities both to read and to talk about literature and related topics would be enhanced. The broadest question was: How might literature-based instruction be created to encompass instruction in both comprehension and literature response? This question spawned a number of related questions, includin...
Isolated from other professionals, teachers and their practice are embedded within a hierarchical... more Isolated from other professionals, teachers and their practice are embedded within a hierarchical system in which the day-to-day activities are governed by external forces: administrative mandates, parental request, and currently, legislative directives. One issue facing teachers today and about which their voices are infrequently heard is that of culture, and the growing diversity of the pupil population of the United States. This diversity stands in contrast to a notable lack of apparent diversity in the teaching force. This paper is about teacher study groups as activity settings where teachers might break free of that isolation and engage in powerful learning about culture and literacy. The paper reports on research conducted from 1995 through 1997 on two study group contexts for teacher learning--one focused on exploring culture, literacy, and autobiography through a master's course, and a subsequent voluntary book club called the Literary Circle, which continued for two ye...
describes the potential benefits of univer sity/public school collaborations for the teachers, re... more describes the potential benefits of univer sity/public school collaborations for the teachers, researchers, and students involved. Even these common terms teachers, researchers, and students shifted meanings as each participant of our project assumed various roles. All of us were class room teachers, though Taffy, Ginny, and Sue had returned to the university. Taffy is now a professor working with teach ers through her research and the Literacy master's degree pro gram, Ginny a graduate student leaving her first grade class room, and Sue a doctoral student leaving behind her middle school teaching. Deb, in her first year of full time teaching, had returned to teaching as a second career after five years in the business world. Yet we were all researchers, maintaining field notes, analyzing classroom literacy events, sharing our thoughts and challenging each other's thinking at weekly meetings of the Book Club project team. The urban fourth and fifth grade students were also teachers as they worked with their peers mentoring and mediating each other's small group discussions. Further, some assumed the role of on the horse. Crystal: The Enchanted Tapestry book was sort of different (short pause) Leanne: The pictures are different and neat... bright, real bright (pointing to Weaving of a Dream) Eva: Sort of like bold. Leanne: (pointing to Tapestry) They're like pencil, they're like (short pause) Eva: Watercolors. Mei: But they are good pictures. Crystal: They're good pictures, but they're plain. They have, they need bright colors.
The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emph... more The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emphasis on student-led response groups and this report describes the use of Book Club instruction within a special education resource room, in which elementary-level children incorporated the use of high quality literature, written and oral responses to literature, and student-led discussions. Specifically, the report describes the experiences of a group of five students (identified as learning disabled or educable mentally impaired) as they participated in Book Club at an urban school in a mid-sized midwestern city. The first phase involved a unit on folktales to help students explore both what to share and how to share within their small group discussions and to provide instructional support through modeling, teacher-led discussion, and written activities to help their oral response. The second phase, using a unit on disabilities, focused on furthering their progress and increasing their use of personal experiences in interpreting text. Student growth in literacy activities was noted through three areas: nature of the Book Club interactions, change in \mitten response, and types of questions discussed. The types ,1 instruction and modeling that helped the students grow confident in their literacy abilities are discussed. Appendixes list literature used and outline Book Club activities. (Contains approximately 35 references.)
The second phase of a 3-year project examining the effect of a process approach to writing instru... more The second phase of a 3-year project examining the effect of a process approach to writing instruction on students' expository reading and writing skills, a study determined the impact of three writing programs that emphasized different aspects of a process-oriented writing environment. Data were gathered from 159 fifth and sixth grade students and their teachers. Results indicated that a writing environment emphasizing peer editing and publication and/or instruction in text structure significantly increased students' ability to compose expository text. Findings also showed that writing environment and text structure instruction significantly increased students' ability to summarize information across two expository passages. Data indicated that students in the text structure instruction groups made significant gains in free writing, surpassing the control students on all measures of writing ability. Similar results were obtained both when teachers directed instruction in text structure and when students directed the learning through peer editing and conferences. (Statistical tables are included, and a think sheet for prewriting, student problem/solution text and accompanying worksheet, and compare/contrast pattern guide are appended.) (JD)
The program focuses on conceptual understanding, higher oraer thinking, and problem solving in el... more The program focuses on conceptual understanding, higher oraer thinking, and problem solving in elementary school teaching of mathematics, science, social studies, literature, and the arts. Center researchers %re identifying exemplary curriculum, instruction, and evaluation practices in the teaching of time school subjects; studying these practices to build new hypotheses about how the effectiveness of elementary schools can be improved; testing these hypotheses through school-based research; and making specific recommendations for the improvement of school policies, instructional materials, assessment procedures, and teaching practices. Research questions include, What content should be taught when teaching these subjects for understanding and use of knowledge? How do teachers concentrate their teaching to use their limited resources best? and In what ways is good teaching subject matter-specific? The work is designed to unfold in three phases, beginning with literature review and interview studies designed to elicit and synthesize the points of view of various stakeholders (representatives of the underlying academic disciplines, intellectual leaders and organizations concerned with curriculum and instruction in school subjects, classroom teachers, state-and district-level policymakers) concerning ideal curriculum, instruction, and evaluation practices in these five content areas at the elementary level. Phase II involves interview and observation methods designed to describe current practice, and in particular, best practice as observed in the classrooms of teachers believed to be outstanding. Phase II also involves analysis of curricula (both widely used curriculum series and distinctive curricula developed with special emphasis on conceptual understanding and higher order applications), as another approach to gathering information about current practices. In Phase III, models of ideal practice will be developed, based on what has been learned and synthesized from the first two phases, and will be tested through classroom intervention studies.
Noting that early reading achievement is increasingly being named as a top priority in venues ran... more Noting that early reading achievement is increasingly being named as a top priority in venues ranging from national policy arenas to local schools and school districts, this book consolidates and summarizes research on early reading achievement, making it accessible to parents, teachers, administrators, and others concerned with children's reading success. The six essays in the book represent a joint effort of seven literacy educators who are committed to the improvement of children's literacy skills, and who represent a number of Michigan organizations and institutions that have a long history of successful collaboration. After a
Although writing and reading instruction can be integrated regardless of the reading program mate... more Although writing and reading instruction can be integrated regardless of the reading program materials used, teachers need a greater understanding of the similarities and differences in reading and writing processes, as well as knowledge of ways in which instruction can be merged, before integration can take place. Both reading and writing are complex cognitive processes that involve three similar strategies--planning (prewriting or prereading), drafting (writing or guided reading), and revising (modifying and extending, or postreading). Fundamental elements for developing an environment within which reading and writing can be integrated include: (1) emphasizing writing for rc.al purposes and audiences; (2) providing frequent opportunities to write and share one's writing; and (3) creating opportunities for extended writing and evaluation. In this general environment, specific strategies, such as "concept of definition" instruction and Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing (CSIW), focus on helping students develop a schema that enhances both reading and writing. Writing experiences should link directly to reading activities in the classroom. For example, students using basal reading can write in connection with each basal selection. Some specific suggestions for writing activities integrated with basal reading topics include selecting a favorite character from a story and writing a character sketch, and rewriting a story written in the first person to take the form of a newspaper report. (Five figures are included and 39 references are appended.) (MM)
To determine students' metacognitive knowledge of the expository writing process, a study analyze... more To determine students' metacognitive knowledge of the expository writing process, a study analyzed fifth and sixth graders' declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge by means of group questionnaires and individual interviews at all stages of their participation in one of three year-long writing programs. The programs emphasized social context, purpose and audience, and/or the use of text structure knowledge in writing. Results suggested that creating a social context enhanced students' awareness of audience, purpose, and the different aspects of the writing process. Instruction in text structure seemed to enhance students' understanding of both the questions answered by expository writers and the conventions used in expository writing, such as key words and phrases. The combined program resulted in students' enhanced understanding of the extent to which these conventions can be used as signals to their readers of their writing's purpose. Findings showed that all the programs had a positive impact on students' knowledge about the writing process and writing strategies. Observations also revealed that students used this knowledge in other curricular areas. (Tables of data and some student commentary from individual interview sessions are included. (JD)
More and more students and teachers are excited about their school literacy programs. Two activit... more More and more students and teachers are excited about their school literacy programs. Two activities in particular can be found in classrooms that generate enthusiasm for literacyan abundance of high-quality literature and opportunities to talk with one another about this literature. The project described this month by Raphael and colleagues illustrates how social interaction with high-quality literature can foster an often-forgotten literacy processresponding to literature with one's own voice. The push to get the author's meaning has often usurped the meanings that students give to the text based on their experiences. There is a place for both the author's, or 4 'shared," interpretations of text and those that are unique to students' lives. Raphael, et al. have developed 4 4 Book Clubs" in intermediate-level classrooms, where expertise at both types of interpretations can be fostered. The Book Club format is similar to that used by avid readers of all ages: talking with their friends and colleagues about literature. When students have spent prior grades in more prescribed classroom literacy events, their teachers can support meaningful conversations in a variety of ways, including guidance in literature selection and guidelines for group interaction. This month's column demonstrates ways that particular instructional processes can foster critical literacy processes as students share their interpretations of outstanding literature. (EHH) When reading was considered to be primarily a process of decoding, as it was for centuries
The program focuses on conceptual understanding, higher oraer thinking, and problem solving in el... more The program focuses on conceptual understanding, higher oraer thinking, and problem solving in elementary school teaching of mathematics, science, social studies, literature, and the arts. Center researchers %re identifying exemplary curriculum, instruction, and evaluation practices in the teaching of time school subjects; studying these practices to build new hypotheses about how the effectiveness of elementary schools can be improved; testing these hypotheses through school-based research; and making specific recommendations for the improvement of school policies, instructional materials, assessment procedures, and teaching practices. Research questions include, What content should be taught when teaching these subjects for understanding and use of knowledge? How do teachers concentrate their teaching to use their limited resources best? and In what ways is good teaching subject matter-specific? The work is designed to unfold in three phases, beginning with literature review and interview studies designed to elicit and synthesize the points of view of various stakeholders (representatives of the underlying academic disciplines, intellectual leaders and organizations concerned with curriculum and instruction in school subjects, classroom teachers, state-and district-level policymakers) concerning ideal curriculum, instruction, and evaluation practices in these five content areas at the elementary level. Phase II involves interview and observation methods designed to describe current practice, and in particular, best practice as observed in the classrooms of teachers believed to be outstanding. Phase II also involves analysis of curricula (both widely used curriculum series and distinctive curricula developed with special emphasis on conceptual understanding and higher order applications), as another approach to gathering information about current practices. In Phase III, models of ideal practice will be developed, based on what has been learned and synthesized from the first two phases, and will be tested through classroom intervention studies.
Integrated instruction may be everyone's ideal, but it is the reality in few classrooms. This rev... more Integrated instruction may be everyone's ideal, but it is the reality in few classrooms. This review of existing literature examines research to determine why this ideal may be infrequently realized. The review concluded that the mismatch between ideal and practice may be at least partially explained by the ambiguity in definitions in the professional literature. Finding no theoretical framework on which to base the review, the first task of the reviewers was to develop one. Next, the reviewers applied this framework to existing research on integrated instruction in elementary grades. They found few data-driven studies on integrated instruction of any sort, although essays advocating integrated language arts were many. Most projects interpreted integration as loose, thematic links. When studies considered interdisciplinary instruction, the boundaries between the subject areas were often rigid. Rarely would a literary stance or writing as a means for reflection be fostered across subject areas. While integrated approaches can serve to restructure school curriculum within and beyond the language arts, the paper concludes that a stronger theoretical and a research base is needed in establishing when and how to integrate the curriculum as well as for what purposes and for whom. Contains 108 references and a figure presenting a conceptual map of integration. (RS)
To explore how instruction in questioning can enhance teachers' use of questions that promote com... more To explore how instruction in questioning can enhance teachers' use of questions that promote comprehension and how teachers' instruction of students in such strategies can enhance their ability to comprehend content area texts independently, this paper looks at prereading, during-reading, and postreading questioning activities. The first major section of the paper discusses two kinds of conceptual knowledge involved in the comprehension of expository prose: text structure knowledge and knowledge of text processing strategies. The second section of the paper looks at the kinds of quertioning strategies that have been effective in developing students' comprehension of expository text. Specifically, it uses a reading lesson as a framework for discussing questions used in the prereading, during-reading, and postreading stages of the lesson. The third section of the paper examines the instructional methods that contribute to students' independent use of questioning strategies: (1) direct explanation and modeling, (2) guided practice, and (3) question answer relationships. The paper concludes by noting that the quantity of research focusing on questioning underscores the pervasiveness of questioning strategies in the classroom. (A six-page list of references is provided.) (FL)
Focusing on research and its implications for classroom practice, this paper describes how studen... more Focusing on research and its implications for classroom practice, this paper describes how students' comprehension of text can be enhanced by using a variety of easily available materials. The first section considers what successful reading involves in terms of the active nature if learning in general, the characteristics of skilled readers, and general principles for developing skilled readers. The second section presents research underlying specific techniques for instruction and describes these techniques, which are related to increasing the students' participation in some of the traditional areas of reading instruction (such as vocabulary development, prereading discussions, and guided reading). The third section examines some aspects of the social context in which reading occurs and the implications of current research for the role of the teacher, for grouping practices, and for the classroom setting in general. References and annotated lists of additional readings in this field are included. (Author/EL)
Teachers conducting a thematically organized literature-based reading program centered around stu... more Teachers conducting a thematically organized literature-based reading program centered around student-led discussion groups wanted to explore ways in which the values they wanted to promote could be reflected in the ways they assessed their students. This study considers how valuing a broader scope of language and literacy abilities and making these values part of an assessment system played out in the case of one male student, a representative of a population of students for whom assessment has been a high stakes venture and traditional assessments usually led to their removal from regular education classes to special education, isolated from regular education peers. The student was in his first year of mainstreamed education, in a class of 23 students, having previously been in special education. The Michigan English Language Arts Framework provided a model for describing students' progress. All 23 students participated in three assessment activities: (1) a criterion-referenced test consisting of traditional comprehension and vocabulary tests; (2) a performance-based assessment test designed to parallel daily language and literacy events; and (3) a self-assessment activity in which students evaluated their book club participation and their reading log entries. The student's performance on the criterion-referenced test by itself probably would have prevented him from participating in regular fifth-grade reading activities, but the other assessments gave him better opportunities to demonstrate his understanding, as well as more experience in reading activities. Taking a broader perspective means he is more likely to avoid long-term tracking and to preserve his self-esteem. (Contains 1 figure, 3 tables, and 11 references.) (SLD)
Four studies by the Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing project at the Institute for Resear... more Four studies by the Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing project at the Institute for Research on Teaching, Michigan State University, examined the acquisition of expository writing skills in fifth and sixth grade students. The first study examined the effects of teaching sixth grade students about comparison/contrast text structure. Results indicated that such instruction improved sixth grade students' text recall, summary organization, and appropriate use of key words and phrases. The second study (in which eight teachers and their students participated) introduced fifth and eixth grade students to the writing process with emphasis on: (1) audience and purpose; (2) the role of text structure knowledge in planning, drafting, and revising; and (3) audience, purpose, and text structure knowledge. This study presented students with "think-sheets" to prompt students through the writing process, and results indicated that students in these programs made significant gains in their free writing skills. The third study reported on the participation of an experienced fifth grade teacher in the previous studies, and noted that the teacher internalized the teaching strategies presented in the program. Finally, the fourth study involved an extensive descriptive examination of the writing curriculum used in special education classrooms and with special education students mainstreamed into regular classrooms. Based on the results of these studies, a revised expository writing program was developed. (Samples of students' writings and one figure are included, and sample planning, organizing, editing, and revising work sheets, one footnote and 49 references are appended.) (MM) CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF READING A READING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER REPORT
The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emph... more The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emphasis on student-led response groups and this report describes the use of Book Club instruction within a special education resource room, in which elementary-level children incorporated the use of high quality literature, written and oral responses to literature, and student-led discussions. Specifically, the report describes the experiences of a group of five students (identified as learning disabled or educable mentally impaired) as they participated in Book Club at an urban school in a mid-sized midwestern city. The first phase involved a unit on folktales to help students explore both what to share and how to share within their small group discussions and to provide instructional support through modeling, teacher-led discussion, and written activities to help their oral response. The second phase, using a unit on disabilities, focused on furthering their progress and increasing their ...
Describes the participation of a female 2nd-language learner from Vietnam in a literature-based r... more Describes the participation of a female 2nd-language learner from Vietnam in a literature-based reading instruction program (Book Club) during 3rd–5th grade. Data on the S was collected through reading logs, journal entries, audio and video tape recordings, field notes, and interviews. Over the 3-yr period, the S's command of the English language and her public use of the language in academic settings greatly increased. The Book Club was found to be a valuable social context for 2nd-language learners to have meaningful and authentic opportunities to learn to use academic discourse. It provides a site where diverse students with differing levels of literacy and oracy abilities can come together to construct meaning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The Book Club Project of the Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects is a 3-y... more The Book Club Project of the Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects is a 3-year line of research exploring the intersection of literature-based reading instruction and the role of student-led response groups. This work is in response to a current trend of creating authentic literacy opportunities in classrooms, reading original literature rather than stories with controlled vocabulary, and reading entire selections rather than excerpts. The research was a collaborative effort among senior researchers, graduate assistants, and classroom teachers to explore the issues related to literature-based instruction, and to create a meaningful environment in which students' abilities both to read and to talk about literature and related topics would be enhanced. The broadest question was: How might literature-based instruction be created to encompass instruction in both comprehension and literature response? This question spawned a number of related questions, includin...
Isolated from other professionals, teachers and their practice are embedded within a hierarchical... more Isolated from other professionals, teachers and their practice are embedded within a hierarchical system in which the day-to-day activities are governed by external forces: administrative mandates, parental request, and currently, legislative directives. One issue facing teachers today and about which their voices are infrequently heard is that of culture, and the growing diversity of the pupil population of the United States. This diversity stands in contrast to a notable lack of apparent diversity in the teaching force. This paper is about teacher study groups as activity settings where teachers might break free of that isolation and engage in powerful learning about culture and literacy. The paper reports on research conducted from 1995 through 1997 on two study group contexts for teacher learning--one focused on exploring culture, literacy, and autobiography through a master's course, and a subsequent voluntary book club called the Literary Circle, which continued for two ye...
describes the potential benefits of univer sity/public school collaborations for the teachers, re... more describes the potential benefits of univer sity/public school collaborations for the teachers, researchers, and students involved. Even these common terms teachers, researchers, and students shifted meanings as each participant of our project assumed various roles. All of us were class room teachers, though Taffy, Ginny, and Sue had returned to the university. Taffy is now a professor working with teach ers through her research and the Literacy master's degree pro gram, Ginny a graduate student leaving her first grade class room, and Sue a doctoral student leaving behind her middle school teaching. Deb, in her first year of full time teaching, had returned to teaching as a second career after five years in the business world. Yet we were all researchers, maintaining field notes, analyzing classroom literacy events, sharing our thoughts and challenging each other's thinking at weekly meetings of the Book Club project team. The urban fourth and fifth grade students were also teachers as they worked with their peers mentoring and mediating each other's small group discussions. Further, some assumed the role of on the horse. Crystal: The Enchanted Tapestry book was sort of different (short pause) Leanne: The pictures are different and neat... bright, real bright (pointing to Weaving of a Dream) Eva: Sort of like bold. Leanne: (pointing to Tapestry) They're like pencil, they're like (short pause) Eva: Watercolors. Mei: But they are good pictures. Crystal: They're good pictures, but they're plain. They have, they need bright colors.
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