This article documents a collaboration between a second‐grade teacher and a university‐based literacy coach to implement dialogic instruction as part of a 14‐week cross‐disciplinary curriculum unit. The coach–teacher dyad used digital technologies to enhance a problem‐solving approach to coaching. The authors describe the coaching interactions, the digital tools used (e.g., e‐mail, FaceTime, text messaging, video and audio recordings), the problems that the coach–teacher dyad collaboratively addressed over three phases of the unit, and the student learning that occurred in response. Throughout, the authors highlight how the coach and teacher made flexible use of digital technology to carve out additional time and space for problem solving as they worked to support the language and literacy skills of a group of multilingual second‐grade students.
Many English language learners (ELLs) and children living in poverty begin school with substantially less English vocabulary knowledge than their monolingual, economically advantaged peers. Without effective intervention, these vocabulary gaps are likely to contribute to long-term reading failure. This quasi-experimental study examined the extent to which a family literacy program (FLP) moderated vocabulary development of 158 ELLs (prekindergarten through third grade) from low-income families in relation to children's level of vocabulary knowledge (at, moderately below, or substantially below national norms) on program entry. The FLP activities focused on supporting parents' development of English literacy and on teaching them effective ways to engage their children in authentic, home-based literacy events and practices that could be expected to prepare their children for success in school. Findings indicated that although all children demonstrated substantial language and literacy growth, children with the lowest pretest vocabulary knowledge achieved the greatest vocabulary gains and these gains differed significantly from their demographically matched peers who did not participate in the FLP. Gains for treatment and control children with middle and high pretest vocabulary knowledge (relative to this sample) did not differ
This mixed-methods study explored joining use of increasing-complex text with sound instructional practices on English Learners' (ELs) academic language and conceptual knowledge. Findings showed one-week postintervention, ELs achieved significant academic vocabulary gains such that there were no differences between ELs and general education (GE) students. Moreover, six weeks postintervention, ELs' academic language and conceptual knowledge closely approximated that of their GE peers. Findings suggest that carefully scaffolded use of increasingly-complex text holds promise in advancing ELs' conceptual knowledge and academic language. Given the widespread use of simplified text as ELs' primary reading curriculum-a practice that unintentionally delimits language and knowledge learning opportunities, and in turn, contributes to persistent achievement gaps-efforts aimed at identifying practices that build academic language and conceptual knowledge and in turn, enable access to complex text are of particular importance. If replicated in larger studies, teachers will have a clear alternative to such practices.
History will affirm the fact that during the past 30 years we have witnessed a significant centralization of U.S. educational reform policy and practice. With A Nation at Risk serving as a powerful impetus, followed by Goals 2000, the Improving America's Schools Act, No Child Left Behind, and, most recently, the Race to the Top, the language of accountability and standards in educational reform has been intensified. Within this context, it now seems well nigh impossible to discuss an educational program, practice, or policy without reference to how it will help students meet the standards or increase measurable outcomes in some fashion. In the debate about the best ways to realize these ideas in the day-to-day realities of schools there is at least some tacit agreement among professionals, policymakers, consumers, and others, that at a broad level, this is a good beginning.The larger questions regarding the purposes and processes of educational reform are explored in the three publications that are the focus of this review. Why DoWe Educate? Renewing the ConversationThis yearbook was selected to introduce this review because the text focuses on the fundamental question that is central to the books written by Linda Darling-Hammond and Diane Ravitch, "Why do we educate?" This yearbook presents the insights of 21 contemporary scholars who explore the purposes of education in a democracy and the conversations that focus on these critical matters.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.