Interactive whole language e-story for early literacy development in ethnic minority children

This study investigated the effects of using an interactive e-story for early literacy instruction on word recognition, story comprehension and story application. The study was conducted in two classrooms in the southern border provinces of Thailand with ethnic minority children at the kindergarten level. The samples consisted of 60 children who used the Pattani Malay language as a mother tongue, and who had little experience with Thai, the language of instruction in the kindergarten classrooms. The experimental classroom had 30 children who learned with the interactive e- story. The control classroom had 30 children who learned with the paper version of the e-story. Both groups were taught using a whole language approach for 45 min per day over 8 weeks. This research used a pretest-posttest design on word recognition and story application, and only a posttest design on story comprehension. The results showed the positive effects of using an interactive e- story and present an alternative method to foster the early literacy learning of ethnic minority children. These results showed the children’s improvement after using interactive e-story and a significant difference in word recognition and story application. The comparison of the early literacy improvement between two groups revealed a significant difference in word recognition and story comprehension but no significant difference in story application. Implications for future study and education are discussed.     

The literacy achievement of Norwegian minority students

The article presents the literacy achievement of Norwegian minority students, their reading habits, and their enjoyment of reading based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 study. Aspects of their family background and attitudes towards school are related to literacy achievement results. A comparison between Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany shows that the achievement gap between majority and minority students is larger in Denmark and Germany than in Norway and Sweden. A more detailed presentation of the Norwegian reading results shows that 35% of the Norwegian minority students perform at a level indicating that they are able to read in a technical sense, but they are unlikely to be able to use reading as an independent tool in acquiring knowledge and skills. The minority students' responses to questions about socio‐economic family background, reading habits, learning strategies and school motivation give a complex picture of their situation in Norwegian schools. The results indicate that there is some potential for equalising differences between minority students and majority students.     

Information literacy for first-year students: an embedded curriculum approach

The ability to access, evaluate and synthesise high-quality research material is the backbone of critical thinking in academic and professional contexts for Engineers and Industrial Designers. This is the premise upon which teaching and library staff developed Information Literacy (IL) components in Engineering & Industrial Design Practice—a first-year unit of study in the School of Engineering at the University of Western Sydney. This paper documents the IL teaching and learning experience and evaluates and reflects upon how effective it was at helping students navigate their first tertiary level research tasks. It concludes that library sessions and assessment tasks were effective in introducing IL skills in concurrent development of critical thinking, based on feedback from library sessions, an online IL test, and assessment results.     

Individualising scaffolding: teachers' literacy interruptions of ethnic minority students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds

This paper describes a small‐scale study that examined the ways four elementary teachers in the United States scaffolded the literacy of students differently through interruptions. One thousand four hundred and ninety‐eight interruptions were identified and coded in the study. Findings show that teachers' interruption patterns frequently conflicted with or undermined their planned and voiced approaches to literacy instruction. The interruption patterns in this study indicated that some teachers' interactions with the ethnic minority students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, while somewhat individualised, had unrecognised patterns which focused these children on phonics and accuracy as opposed to comprehension and meaning. These patterns supported a more passive approach to literacy that replicates and reproduces class and race structures of society.     

Reading graphs: Contributions to an integrative concept of literacy

In contrast to past educational research that views graph-related activities in terms of mental ability, I offer a conceptualization of graphing as a semiotic activity. This move provides a more viable account not only of individual experiences, familiarity and socio-cultural factors during graph reading, but also of errors committed by students and 'experts' alike. I outline a model of semiotic activity that contains two elements not present in other semiotic theories: the process of parsing the perceptual field to construct relevant signs and the grounding of a sign through the dialectic of sign-to-referent and referent-to-sign movements. This model of semiotic activity also implies an integration of research on graphing (and other sign-related activities) into a more general concept of literacy.     

Transfer effects of mathematical literacy: an integrative longitudinal study

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Mathematical literacy (ML) is considered central to the application of mathematical knowledge in everyday life and thus is found in many comparative...     

Defying expectations: Vocabulary growth trajectories of high performing language minority students

We investigated general vocabulary and academic vocabulary growth trajectories of adolescent language minority students using an individual growth modeling approach. Our analytical sample included 3161 sixth- to eighth-grade students from an urban school district in California. The language minority students in our sample were classified as initially fluent English proficient (IFEP), redesignated fluent English proficient (RFEP), or limited English proficient (LEP) students. The analytical sample was not a nationally representative sample and included a great number of Asian students and students who receive gifted and talented education. Students were assessed at four time points on a standardized measure of general vocabulary and a researcher-developed academic vocabulary test. On both vocabulary measures, IFEP students slightly outperformed English-only (EO) students on average, and EO students scored higher than RFEP and LEP students at baseline. RFEP and LEP students showed slower rate of growth than their EO peers in general vocabulary. While both EO and language minority students showed summer setback with general vocabulary knowledge on average, the magnitude of summer setback was not as great for LEP students. In academic vocabulary, all subgroups of language minority students showed more rapid rate of growth than their EO peers. Only the REP students experienced a change in the learning trajectory during the summer months. We discuss the implications of these findings for all language groups.     

Notes from California: an anthropological approach to urban science education for language minority families

This article describes a unique and ongoing collaboration involving a team of bilingual/multicultural teacher‐educators, preservice teachers, teachers, students, and community members in an urban California elementary school. According to the model this team employed, children, teachers, and student teachers gather community “funds of knowledge” about the science to be studied in a classroom, then incorporate this knowledge by using parents as experts and by creating community books. In this model community‐generated materials parallel and complement standards‐based curricula, although science topics that have natural significance in particular communities are used as a starting point. Using critical ethnography as a framework, the article focuses on a particular experience—the building of a Mien–American garden house—to show how, by drawing on participants' funds of knowledge, a new kind of multiscience can emerge, one accessible to all collaborating members and responsive to school standards. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 983–999, 2001     

The language and literacy development of young dual language learners: A critical review

The number of children living in the United States who are learning two languages is increasing greatly. However, relatively little research has been conducted on the language and literacy development of dual language learners (DLLs), particularly during the early childhood years. To summarize the extant literature and guide future research, a critical analysis of the literature was conducted. A search of major databases for studies on young typically developing DLLs between 2000 and 2011 yielded 182 peer-reviewed articles.     

Revisiting the home literacy model of reading development in an orthographically consistent language

We examined the applicability of the Home Literacy Model in an orthographically transparent language (Greek). Seventy Greek children were followed from kindergarten until grade 4. In kindergarten they were tested in non-verbal intelligence, vocabulary, phonological sensitivity, rapid naming, and letter knowledge. The parents of the children also responded on a questionnaire regarding the frequency of storybook reading, the number of books at home, and the frequency of teaching letter names, sounds, and words. Reading fluency and comprehension were measured in grade 4. The results indicated that the early home literacy experience variables were related to the emergent literacy skills but did not directly predict future reading skills. Thus, the Home Literacy Model applies to consistent orthographies before any formal reading instruction takes place.     

Understanding collaborative language learning in novice-level foreign language classrooms: perceptions of teachers and students

This study explored the congruence and disparities among three groups of foreign language (Chinese, French, and German) students’ and teachers’ perceptions of collaborative/cooperative language learning (CLL) strategies in novice-level classroom contexts. A total of 168 participants from a university in the USA took part in this mixed-method study. The quantitative findings from a 10-item CLL questionnaire suggested that while the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies were generally consistent and positive, some disparities emerged in terms of their perceptions towards pair work, 3–6 as a group work, interview, and role playing. The qualitative findings from interviews and classroom observations provided some possible explanations to the differences discovered. The quantitative findings also revealed that foreign language type was not a factor differentiating students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies. Some practical implications are provided for the effective implementation of CLL strategies in novice-level foreign language classrooms.     

Supporting minority students through a reflexive approach to empowerment

Referring to the experiences of three Muslim refugee girls recently settled in Australia, this paper examines issues of schooling and empowerment. The paper draws on teacher and student interview data from a study that investigated inclusive approaches to addressing issues of cultural diversity in a secondary state high school in Queensland. The paper foregrounds the girls’ highly positive views of their experiences at the school; views that reflect the girls’ access to spaces of empowerment but belie the complexity and tensions involved in how empowerment was understood and approached by educators at the school. Theorising empowerment through poststructural understandings of agency, the paper examines conditions and ways of understanding that make possible spaces of empowerment for the girls. In particular, the paper argues for a reflexive approach to empowerment that is informed by an understanding of the framing discourses shaping minority student identity and a critical reflection on educator and school positionality.     

Psychodidactic approach in the development of language competences in university students within blended learning

Abstract

The paper discusses the deployment of cognitive and affective components for teaching languages in a blended learning university setting. A modified expectancy model of motivation was designed and applied. The usability testing of a language education website was used as a framework with affective and cognitive features. The selection of the education website was based on findings gained from the language needs analysis. The level of students’ language competence representing the cognitive component was diagnosed based on their results in the placement tests in the DIALANG language website. Many students showed progress in language knowledge by the end of the semester. Results were higher than students had expected and enough to encourage further research. The affective part is discussed in the modified expectancy model of motivation that was designed and applied. The psychodidactic approach used in the research met students’ motivational and emotional needs without sacrificing their improved competence in language development.     

Understanding Singaporean preschool teachers' beliefs about literacy development: Four different perspectives

Investigating teachers' beliefs may shed light on their activities in the classroom, and in turn, on the pedagogical process itself. It is, however, not easy to study teachers' beliefs empirically. Q-methodology has been used over several disciplines to systematically investigate individuals' points of view on a range of issues. A study involving Q-methodology was conducted in Singaporean preschools to investigate some teachers' perceptions of early literacy development and instruction. The study revealed four viewpoint groups among the 30 preschool teachers who participated in the study, and possible teacher characteristics that distinguish the viewpoints from each other. The results suggest that the differences in viewpoints are indicative of differences in cultural expectations held by various groups of teachers.     

Cross-linguistic transfer in literacy development and implications for language learners

One of the challenges for educators working in multilingual settings has been to identify the causes of reading difficulties of language learners (LLs). It is difficult to distinguish between reading problems stemming from low levels of linguistic proficiency versus more general reading/learning difficulties. There is now growing research evidence of cross-language transfer in different literacy processes. Literacy components that reflect language-independent, metacognitive/metalinguistic processes show similarities across the two languages of students. Some examples are phonological awareness, syntactic awareness, knowledge of genres and meaning-making strategies. A possible way to use cross-language transfer as a diagnostic tool is proposed. If children have had enough exposure to and possibly instruction in their first language (L1), we can assess their skills and insights in L1. For LLs who have these skills and insights in their strong L1, we can expect transfer to their second language (L2). If they do not have these skills and insights in their L2 yet, it indicates a delay due to limited language proficiency, and not because of a disability. This way LLs who just need more L2 practice and exposure can be distinguished from those LLs who truly have special needs.     

Communication Skills for Engineering Students: an integrative approach

This paper describes the development of the teaching of communication skills on Engineering Degree courses run by the School of Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Leeds Polytechnic from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s. The development is seen as moving from the notion of Liberal Studies through Communication Studies to eventually the concept of Integrated Studies. The ideas behind Integrated Studies are described and the benefits and problems of this approach are discussed.     

Intellectual assessment of language minority students: What do school psychologists believe are acceptable practices?

A survey was sent to 500 school psychologists in eight states to examine the acceptability of methods used to assess the cognitive ability of language minority students. Responses of 195 participants indicated that (a) the use of a bilingual school psychologist, and (b) the use of tests in English when a student is dominant in English were usually or always acceptable. Sometimes or usually acceptable were the use of nonverbal tests and foreign‐normed tests. Administering tests in English when a student is dominant in another language, and using nonverbal tests that require oral instructions without the presence of an interpreter were considered to be never or rarely acceptable. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 599–603, 2003.     

Implementation fidelity of MyTeachingPartner literacy and language activities: Association with preschoolers’ language and literacy growth

There is surprisingly little empirical research examining issues of fidelity of implementation within the early childhood education literature. In the MyTeachingPartner project, 154 teachers were provided with materials to implement a supplemental classroom curriculum addressing six aspects of literacy and language development. The present study examines the degree of variability in three aspects of implementation fidelity – dosage, adherence, and quality of delivery – and whether these components of fidelity were associated with children's growth in language and literacy skills across the preschool year. Findings indicate that teachers reported using the curriculum fairly often (dosage) and that they were observed to generally follow curricular lesson plans (adherence). In contrast, the quality of delivery, defined as the use of evidence-based teacher–child interactions for teaching literacy and language, was much lower. Children in classrooms in which activities were observed to last for longer (dosage) and in which teachers exhibited higher quality of delivery of literacy lessons made significantly greater gains in early literacy skills across the preschool year. Also, teachers’ use of higher quality language interactions was associated with gains for children who did not speak English at home. Results have implications for teacher professional development and the supports provided to ensure that curricula are delivered most effectively.