Transactional literature circles and the reading comprehension of English learners in the mainstream classroom

This study examines a problem that many mainstream teachers face today: how to successfully improve reading comprehension for English language learners (ELLs) in an English‐only environment. The researcher examines both the academic and psychosocial effects of the Transactional Literature Circles (TLC) programme on a treatment group of 75 fourth to sixth grade, at‐risk, ELLs to a comparable control group who did not participate in the study. The results of this study report that TLC positively affected the reading comprehension of the programme participants. The students in the TLC programme outperformed the students in the control group on standardised reading tests, and in 7 months increased one grade level in reading. Teacher interviews and student surveys reported an increase in student reading engagement and motivation that positively affected reading self‐efficacy, confidence and a willingness to participate in class discussions.     

Chat reference service in medical libraries: part 2--Trends in medical school libraries

An increasing number of medical school libraries offer chat service to provide immediate, high quality information at the time and point of need to students, faculty, staff, and health care professionals. Part 2 of Chat Reference Service in Medical Libraries presents a snapshot of the current trends in chat reference service in medical school libraries. In late 2002, 25 (21%) medical school libraries provided chat reference. Trends in chat reference services in medical school libraries were compiled from an exploration of medical school library Web sites and informal correspondence from medical school library personnel. Many medical libraries are actively investigating and planning new chat reference services, while others have decided not to pursue chat reference at this time. Anecdotal comments from medical school library staff provide insights into chat reference service.     

Information-seeking behavior of nursing students and clinical nurses: implications for health sciences librarians.

OBJECTIVES: This research was conducted to provide new insights on clinical nurses' and nursing students' current use of health resources and libraries and deterrents to their retrieval of electronic clinical information, exploring implications from these findings for health sciences librarians. METHODS: Questionnaires, interviews, and observations were used to collect data from twenty-five nursing students and twenty-five clinical nurses. RESULTS: Nursing students and clinical nurses were most likely to rely on colleagues and books for medical information, while other resources they frequently cited included personal digital assistants, electronic journals and books, and drug representatives. Significantly more nursing students than clinical nurses used online databases, including CINAHL and PubMed, to locate health information, and nursing students were more likely than clinical nurses to report performing a database search at least one to five times a week. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Nursing students made more use of all available resources and were better trained than clinical nurses, but both groups lacked database-searching skills. Participants were eager for more patient care information, more database training, and better computer skills; therefore, health sciences librarians have the opportunity to meet the nurses' information needs and improve nurses' clinical information-seeking behavior.     

Comparison of Methods for Analyzing Global Positioning System and Accelerometer Data during School Recess

Several geospatial approaches have been used to characterize physical activity during recess using global positioning system (GPS) data. GPS and accelerometer data from 23 children collected during recess were analyzed using four previously used approaches: (1) dot map, (2) fishnet grid, (3) hot spot analysis, which determines clusters of high/low intensity values, and (4) zonal approach wherein the schoolyard was divided into zones to determine the time and intensity in each zone. Results from each method were compared to each other and to video observation. Hot spot analysis revealed clusters of high-intensity values, which were supported by dot and grid maps and video. However, the zonal approach revealedpatterns in where children play that were not always comparable tovideo, potentially due to missing GPS data. Recommendations for the use of these methods in future research are discussed.     

WISC-R factor scores and student self-ratings of behavior as predictors of academic achievement

The capability of WISC-R Verbal Comprehension (VC), Perceptual Organization (PO), and Freedom from Distractibility (FD) factor scores and student self-ratings of behavior from the Behavior Rating Profile Student Rating Scales (BRP-SRS) to predict academic achievement was investigated. Previous research found that intellectual ability accounted for about 50% of the variance in achievement. Other noncognitive variables are expected to account for a portion of the remaining variance and add significantly to the prediction of achievement. Subjects were public school students referred for psychological evaluations due to learning and behavior problems in the classroom. The results of a multivariate multiple regression analysis indicated that VC and FD factors significantly predicted Woodcock-Johnson Reading, Mathematics, and Written Language cluster scores. The VC and FD factors accounted for a major portion of the variance in achievement. Behavioral self-ratings did not contribute significantly to the prediction of achievement scores.     

Promoting toddlers' self-regulation and healthy eating habits among families living in poverty: A randomized controlled trial of Recipe 4 Success

The Recipe 4 Success preventive intervention targeted multiple factors critical to the health and well-being of toddlers living in poverty. This randomized controlled trial, which was embedded within Early Head Start home visits for 12 weeks, included 242 racially and ethnically diverse families (51% girls; toddler mean age = 2.58 years; data collected 2016–2019). Compared to parents in usual practice home visits, parents in Recipe 4 Success displayed greater sensitive scaffolding of toddlers' learning and more responsive food parenting practices (Cohen's d = .21–.30). Toddlers in Recipe 4 Success exhibited greater self-regulation and had healthier eating habits (Cohen's d = |.16–.35|). Results highlight the value of Recipe 4 Success in promoting parent and toddler behavior change that could have life-long benefits.     

Digital chat reference in health science libraries: challenges in initiating a new service

Digital reference service adds a valuable new dimension to health science reference services, but the road to implementation can present questions that require carefully considered decisions. This article incorporates suggestions from the published literature, provides tips from interviews with practicing academic health science librarians, and reports on data from students' exploration of academic health science library Web sites' digital reference services. The goal of this study is to provide guidelines to plan new services, assess user needs, and select software, and to showcase potential benefits of collaboration and proactive and user-friendly marketing. In addition, tips for successful operation and evaluation of services are discussed.     

Digital reference service: trends in academic health science libraries

Two years after the initial 2002 study, a greater number of academic health science libraries are offering digital reference chat services, and this number appears poised to grow in the coming years. This 2004 follow-up study found that 36 (27%) of the academic health science libraries examined provide digital chat reference services; this was an approximately 6% increase over the 25 libraries (21%) located in 2002. Trends in digital reference services in academic health science libraries were derived from the exploration of academic health science library Web sites and from digital correspondence with academic health science library personnel using e-mail and chat. This article presents an overview of the current state of digital reference service in academic health science libraries.