Special Education Teachers Integrating Reading with Eighth Grade U.S. History Content

This research replicates an earlier study and extends it by shifting instructional responsibility from researchers to special education teachers, who implemented reading instruction that included multisyllabic word decoding, academic vocabulary, and three comprehension strategies (generating main ideas, comparing and contrasting people and events, and identifying cause and effect relations) with their intact eighth grade history classes, using history text as the reading material. Participants included 73 eighth grade students with disabilities (77 percent with learning disabilities, 72 percent males, and 45 percent English language learners) and four teachers. Compared to students with disabilities in typical special education history classes, students in the treatment outperformed controls on researcher‐developed measures of word‐ and text‐level reading comprehension, as well as in the history content that students in both conditions studied. Across reading strategies, implementation of “nearly all lesson components” ranged from 72 percent to 83 percent.     

A longitudinal investigation of reading development from kindergarten to grade eight in a Spanish-speaking bilingual population

This longitudinal study used latent growth curve modeling to investigate English literacy development in a sample of Spanish-speaking language minority students from third through eighth grade. This study also compared the sample’s literacy development to the entire population of California students using state standardized test data. Second, this study examined the contributions of a variety of bilingual measures of kindergarten letter knowledge, phonological awareness, word reading, and vocabulary to literacy development. Results demonstrated the present sample scored below average in literacy compared to the overall population of California students across years, but made slight gains to narrow the achievement gap. The greatest gains were obtained between fourth and fifth grade, but plateaued thereafter. Results concerning the second research questions showed that the third grade literacy intercept was predicted by kindergarten English letter knowledge, Spanish onset, Spanish word reading, and English vocabulary. However, English literacy development through eighth grade was only predicted by kindergarten English and Spanish vocabulary. Findings support arguments for educational efforts to target oral language instruction for these students in early elementary and instruction in both languages may provide the greatest benefit. Instructional implications are discussed.     

Intrinsic motivation,perceived competence and classroom engagement as longitudinal predictors of adolescent reading achievement

This study investigated the effects of intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, classroom engagement and extrinsic motivation on reading development among youth. Using a nationally representative sample of students in the US, the researchers followed students longitudinally from fifth to eighth grade. Reading achievement was measured using composite tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension and sight-word identification. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the effect of students’ perceived intrinsic motivation and competence, as well as teacher rated classroom engagement in the 5th grade, on reading achievement in the 8th grade. Important control variables were utilised such as gender, family SES, race/ethnicity and prior reading achievement. The results showed that intrinsic motivation to read, perceived competence and engagement in 5th grade significantly predict reading achievement in 8th grade. The importance students placed upon grades also predicted reading development. Implications for promoting intrinsic motivation and strong engagement in schools are discussed.     

The relation between classroom management and mathematics achievement: A multilevel structural equation model

The impact of teachers on their students’ academic achievement continues to be an area of inquiry. One area not fully explored is the relation between teachers’ behavior and classroom management (CM) skills, student motivation, and student achievement. We examined these relations using a multi‐level structural equation model. Data included Behavior Management subscale scores of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for 247 fourth and fifth grade teachers, indicators of academic motivation, and end‐of‐year state standardized mathematics assessment results for 4,847 students from the National Center of Teacher Effectiveness Main Study. The results indicate teachers’ CM skills have a significant direct effect on student motivation and a significant indirect effect on students’ math achievement, suggesting that students in classrooms of teachers with better CM are more motivated to learn math and have higher math achievement scores. This underscores the importance of helping teachers increase their use of evidence‐based classroom management techniques.     

课堂环境下构词法与记忆术词汇习得效果比较研究——基于陕西省高中学生英语词汇习得状况的研究

通过问卷调查等方法分析了高中英语教师及学生对构词法和记忆术两种词汇习得模式的使用趋向及学生在课堂环境下使用两种方法不同的后续效果,探讨了这两种词汇习得模式对词汇习得效果的影响,并分析造成该结果的原因。     

European Journal of Special Needs Education Vol. 18, No. 3, October 2003 erratum

The current paper reports on the outcome of an ongoing action research project at a school for higher-functioning students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Sweden. The overall aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire that captures social and individual aspects of classroom learning suitable for use with students with ASD. Interview data is presented on the perceived utility of the questionnaire for understanding and planning classroom instruction for the children with ASD through the eyes of the students’ teachers and their parents, as assessed during an Individual Education Plan meeting. Further, teacher ratings obtained by means of the instrument were found to differentiate a group of students with ASD (n = 10) from a group of typically developing children matched with regard to grade year, word reading ability and receptive vocabulary (n = 10). Implications and future directions are discussed, as are limitations of this pilot study.     

在校聋生诚信现状的调查和对策研究

本课题对在校三至八年级聋生的诚信现状进行了调查统计,结果显示:有30.5%的学生有过不守信行为,其中有三次以上的不守信行为占7.3%;有29.5%的学生有过不诚实行为,其中不诚实行为有三次以上的占3.5%。原因探析:(1)同龄人之间的相互仿效;(2)少数教师的不诚信;(3)家长一些不正确的教育行为;(4)社会上一些不良行为的影响。具体对策:创建环境,营造氛围;以身作则,率先垂范;立足课堂,积极引导;多种结合,开展活动;联系家长,面向社会;个案分析,总结经验。     

Authoring the Textual Classroom in Digital Times

This article explores language and literacy teachers’ classroom experiences in a digital age. Drawing on multi‐literacies and new literacy studies frameworks, we use metaphors of classroom as text and teacher as author to build an understanding of the challenges and changes examined in the findings of two separate studies. The teachers were challenged to reconsider conceptions of individual ‘knowers’ and textual authority/authorship in their classrooms and how they engage students critically in an exploration of the word and the world beyond the edges of the page and the walls of the English language arts classroom.     

基于构词法谈大学英语词汇教学策略

词汇是英语学习中的基础,在质量上或是数量上的缺乏都会引起学生英语应用能力的欠缺,若只是单纯地重复记忆单词的拼写和汉语翻译,很少有学生能长期坚持下去,而且也容易造成学生对单词意思的片面理解,因此在教学过程中教师若能多多讲解词汇的拆解方法和联想方法,引导学生运用构词记忆的方式记忆单词,在平时多多思考研究单词之间的关系,以此刺激学生的学习英语的兴趣,进而使学生掌握记忆单词的窍门,那么学生的英语应用能力也就随之达标了。     

Content Area Readers: Helping Middle-Level Students Become Word Aware (and Enjoy It!)

For many years, practitioners have heard that middle level teachers are teachers of reading. As the standards movement gains strength, it is even more crucial that teachers explicitly teach key vocabulary that makes their students “insiders” when it comes to understanding the content areas. This article reminds the reader of the principles for vocabulary development, followed by “high utility” strategies that works well for early adolescents. Middle level students are ripe for word work with a proper balance of choice and challenge.     

重新认识高职英语词汇教学

词汇是高职学生英语学习的一大障碍,这一问题的产生来自两个方面：教师认识不够以及学生的多种原因而导致的词汇知识掌握片面。因此高职英语教师应对高职英语词汇教学重新认识,了解词汇掌握多维度的必要性。在此认识上,教师在教学中要引导学生以教材为根本形成自己的词汇学习策略,以词块为方式记忆单词。     

Measuring teachers’ knowledge of vocabulary development and instruction

This article describes the development of an instrument to measure teachers’ knowledge of vocabulary development and instruction, the Teacher Knowledge of Vocabulary Survey (TKVS). This type of knowledge has become increasingly important as all classroom teachers are expected to help students meet language and literacy standards that include vocabulary acquisition. While a few studies have measured teacher knowledge of reading, there are no known instruments for measuring teachers’ knowledge of vocabulary development and instruction. However, vocabulary is a crucial determinant of reading comprehension and content area knowledge, particularly for English learners (Graves, August, & Mancilla-Martinez, 2013). Statements about vocabulary development and instruction were gathered from foundational texts, reviewed by subject matter experts, and researched in cognitive labs for possible inclusion as items in the TKVS. The survey’s 52 statements comprise 6 categories, including one section on vocabulary development, four sections on instruction, and one section on instruction specifically for English learners. Ratings of item difficulty by subject matter experts were then used to distinguish three levels of teacher knowledge of vocabulary: emergent, intermediate, and expert. Fifty teachers completed the TKVS, and their performance was found to correlate with the experts’ predicted difficulties of the items. Initial analyses provide evidence for the content and construct validity of the TKVS as a measure of teacher knowledge of vocabulary development and effective instruction. The discussion considers implications for the use of the instrument, including as a needs assessment or guide for professional development for both preservice and inservice teachers.     

Effects of a Supplemental Vocabulary Intervention on the Word Knowledge of Kindergarten Students At Risk for Language and Literacy Difficulties

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a vocabulary intervention designed to supplement research‐based classroom vocabulary instruction, implemented with students who may be at risk for language and learning difficulties. Participants included 43 kindergarten students who received research‐based classroom vocabulary instruction. Students with the 20 lowest scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test‐III administered at pretest received additional small‐group supplemental vocabulary intervention. Results of within‐subjects comparisons indicated that, overall, at‐risk students made greater gains in word knowledge on target words that received the supplemental intervention as compared to words that received only classroom‐based instruction. In addition, at‐risk students who received the supplemental intervention demonstrated word‐learning gains that approached those of their peers who received classroom instruction alone. Implications along with limitations of the current study and directions for future research are discussed.     

Improving the Acquisition of Novel Vocabulary Through the Use of Imagery Interventions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of imagery interventions on the vocabulary acquisition abilities of second grade students. A total of 15 students were randomly assigned to three different intervention conditions: Word Only, which involves the simple verbal presentation of a vocabulary word; Dual Coding, in which a picture was paired with the vocabulary word, and Image Creation, in which students were told to create a mental picture of the vocabulary word in their mind and draw it on paper. These students were taught a total of 21 vocabulary words: seven animal and habitat words, seven musical instrument terms, and seven science terms. A Latin square design was used, in which each group of students rotated through each of the interventions, being exposed to a different treatment condition for each category of words. Participants were measured on the number of words they were successfully able to acquire through the use of experimenter designed comprehension measures. While no statistical significance was shown between the interventions across the word categories, a significant difference was found between the Image Creation and Word Only interventions within the science terms category. Students also reported that the imagery interventions facilitated the ease with which they learned the words. The findings have implications for increasing the success of classroom instruction, specifically for presenting novel vocabulary words to early elementary learners using imagery methods.     

农村初中物理科学探究课堂教学行为的现状调查

以湖南省某县农村初中为研究对象,选取6个乡镇的8所学校的八、九年级学生为样本,进行学生和教师问卷调查、物理探究课堂观察以及对教研员、教研组长、物理教师访谈。研究结果发现:农村初中物理科学探究课堂教学行为在年级、地域、探究内容难易方面存在明显的差异,探究教学行为没有发生根本的转变。根据研究结论提出改革中考评价与教师考核机制,加强对边远地区教学的管理与指导等教育教学的建议。     

Teachers’ experiences with a state-mandated kindergarten readiness assessment

This study used an embedded mixed method design to examine teachers’ experiences with a state-mandated kindergarten readiness assessment during its inaugural year. Participants were 143 kindergarten teachers from one county in a Midwestern state. In general, teachers did not perceive the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment as useful for one of its intended purposes of guiding instruction. Our findings did not indicate an adversity to assessment in general. Rather, perceptions that the new KRA was less useful for practice seemed to stem from administration issues, problems with the content assessed by the KRA, and participants’ misunderstandings regarding the purpose of the KRA. Furthermore, participants reported that the KRA took away valuable time needed to help students adjust to their first time in formal schooling and needed to create a classroom community. Implications for creating and implementing kindergarten readiness and other assessments as well as preparing teachers to use readiness assessments are discussed.     

Using new vocabulary in writing: Exploring how word and learner characteristics relate to the likelihood that writers use newly taught vocabulary

Understanding academic vocabulary is essential to student success in school. Use of academic vocabulary words in writing is considered one of the strongest measures of how well a reader understands a given word. In theory, willingness to use academic vocabulary in writing indicates the complexity of acquiring representations of the word’s orthography, phonology, and semantics based on the word’s characteristics. In addition, a learner’s overall literacy skills should relate to whether they attempt to use words. In the present study, sixth graders (n = 66), seventh graders (n = 60), and eighth graders (n = 41) learned 25 academic vocabulary words in a supplementary academic vocabulary intervention and were then asked to use those words in short persuasive essay drafts. We measured whether these students attempted to use a word (a binary uses outcome) and the number of times a student used a word (a continuous attempts outcome) and used cross-classified random effects models to examine how (a) the orthographic, phonological, and semantic characteristics of words and (b) the students’ literacy-related characteristics related to their uses and attempts. For word characteristics, students were more likely to use and attempt high frequency than low frequency words. For student characteristics, students proficient on the state exam were more likely to use and attempt the words, and students learning English were less likely to attempt the words. Implications for vocabulary intervention and writing instruction are discussed.     

'Learning to Cooperate': A study of how primary teachers and children construct classroom cultures

This paper reports on the findings of a study, the 'Constructing Classroom Cultures' project, funded by a small Australian Research Council grant at the University of Melbourne. Located in three primary school classrooms in Melbourne, Victoria, this study investigated how teachers and grade 3-4 students develop shared values and understandings concerning formal and informal codes of behaviour. Drawing on classroom observations, individual interviews with teachers and focus group interviews with children, this paper discusses the ways that teachers and children together build classroom cultures. Practices that work to produce supportive classroom environments as well as problem areas are identified. Examining classroom cultures at the micro-political level offers scope for considering how power relations can contribute positively to educational processes. Additionally, the ways in which informal interactions between teacher and students and among students call into play collaboration, compliance and resistance are opened up for examination. These case studies aim to contribute to understanding how productive classroom cultures are constructed in day-to-day interactions, a significant area of concern for teachers and teacher education students.     

大学教师体态语对学生课堂投入影响的研究

体态语是教师教学语言中不可或缺的一部分,对学生的课堂学习具有重要影响。基于学生视角,调查L大学189名本科生对教师体态语的感知,得出以下结论:大学教师面带微笑或表情丰富有助于学生投入课堂;大学教师的目光与学生的课堂投入状态密切相关;大学教师的副语言影响到学生的课堂投入状态;大学教师的服饰、身体动作和空间位置对学生课堂投入影响不大。在学生性别和年级方面,教师体态语对学生课堂投入的影响不存在显著差异;在专业方面,艺术生在面对教师严肃的表情和盯视的目光时,更不愿意投入课堂;在学习成绩方面,成绩偏后的学生更倾向于消极对待教师在教室来回走动的行为。因此大学教师应合理运用表情、目光和语气语调,使学生投入到课堂教学中。