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Learning to read and write genre-specific text: Roles of authentic experience and explicit teaching
Abstract
THIS STUDY explored, with both experimental and correlational designs, the roles of (a) authentic, communicatively functional reading and writing and (b) the explicit explanation of genre function and features on growth in genre-specific reading and writing abilities of children in grades two and three. The genres used for this exploration were informational and procedural science texts. Sixteen grade 2 classes participated, 10 of which were followed through grade 3, (N = 420), in one of two conditions: (a) authentic reading/writing of science informational and procedural texts or (b) authentic reading and writing of these genres with the addition of explicit explanation of language features typical of each. Growth was modeled across six assessment time points using Hierarchical Linear Modeling. Results showed no effect of explicit teaching on reading and writing growth for six of seven outcomes. Similarly, correlational analyses showed no relationship between teachers' degree of explicitness and growth for six of seven measures. However, correlational analyses showed a strong relationship between degree of authenticity of reading and writing activities during science instruction and growth for four of seven outcomes, with an interaction with degree of explicitness for a fifth. Children from homes with lower levels of parental education grew at the same rate as those from homes with higher levels, and findings regarding explicitness and authenticity also did not differ by level of education. These results add to the growing empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of involving students in reading and writing for real-life purposes in the classroom. They also contribute to a growing knowledge base regarding the complexities of language learning in school.
... There is consensus among researchers, however, that the effectiveness of either of the two modelling modes is contingent on contextual factors. Purcell-Gates and colleagues (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007), in their study of instructional practices needed for success by grades 2 and 3 students in reading and writing, conclude that the explicit structural rules that guide procedural and informational writing are better taught through worked examples than are rules for creative writing (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). They advocate that genres demanding adherence to specific structural and linguistic features (such as many forms of expository writing) are probably best taught by teachers through models or exemplars. ...
... There is consensus among researchers, however, that the effectiveness of either of the two modelling modes is contingent on contextual factors. Purcell-Gates and colleagues (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007), in their study of instructional practices needed for success by grades 2 and 3 students in reading and writing, conclude that the explicit structural rules that guide procedural and informational writing are better taught through worked examples than are rules for creative writing (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). They advocate that genres demanding adherence to specific structural and linguistic features (such as many forms of expository writing) are probably best taught by teachers through models or exemplars. ...
... For teachers to be strategic and purposeful when modelling writing, they need to recognise that different writing tasks require different types of modelling and that different learners require different levels of modelling in relation to their needs (Englert et al., 1991). Teachers in this study appear to recognize this by selecting the receptive mode of modelling for deliberate instruction of language and structural features of writing genres mainly aligned with writing to inform (recounts, informational reports, explanations) and the active mode for deliberate and arguably more nuanced instruction (often involving word and sentence as well as text formation) aligned with more creative writing (Charney & Carlson, 1995;Knudson, 1989Knudson, , 1990Middleton, 2016;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). ...
This New Zealand-based inquiry investigates modelling as an instructional component of writing pedagogy in upper primary schools. As part of a large mixed methods study of writing instruction by a group of exemplary teachers ( N = 9 ), we inquired into the occurrence, operationalisation and relative benefits of teachers using each of the recognised modes of modelling ( co-constructing texts with students and sharing and discussing text models with students ) within a classroom writing programme. Results indicated that both modelling modes occurred in a high proportion of observed lessons. Learners appeared to benefit from teachers’ use of both modes (often in relation to differentiated learning needs and task challenges) but the use of the first mode ( co-constructing texts with students ) appeared to generate a higher level of learner gains than the use of the second mode ( sharing and discussing text models with students ). We noted an association between effective modeling by teachers and strategic use of high cognitive demand questioning, especially when using the first mode. We also noted an association between mastery of particular writing genres and the use of each of the two modes. The findings are illustrated in detail by examples of authentic teacher practice, offering guidance to researchers as well as teachers.
... Socio konstruktivističko razumevanje pismenosti, ukazuje da se vaspitavanje jezičke pismenosti odvija kroz situacionu socijalnu praksu (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). Praksa je uslovljena kulturnim vrednostima, znanjem i očekivanjima zajednice, Pa samim tim onaj ko čita stvara značenje u okviru tog konteksta. ...
... Filozofska, sociološka i psihološka analiza odnosa jezika i mišljenja (Bernstine, Fuko, Derida, Bachtin, Vigotski, Gee), ukazala je na druge aspekte teksta koji mogu biti važni za razumevanje pročitanog, kao, kao što su žanr teksta ili njegove diskurzivne karakteristike. Mnoga istraživanja ukazuju na razlike učenja iz različitih tipova tekstova, pre svega narativnog, ekspozitornog i deskriptivnog Otero, 2002;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). Nalazi uglavnom pokazuju da upotreba narativne strukture teksta ima pozitivne efekte na učenje: povećava motivaciju i interesovanje, učenici lakše aktiviraju postojeća znanja, bolji je kvalitet prisećanja i slično . ...
... The socioconstructivist perspective on literacy suggests that the development of linguistic literacy takes place through situated social practices (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). These practices are shaped by the cultural values, knowledge, and expectations of the community, meaning that the reader constructs meaning within that context. ...
Literacy, in contemporary understanding, is a situational, complex competency embedded in various social practices. It is therefore conceptualized as a multidimensional literacy encompassing numerous dimensions-linguistic, mathematical, scientific, political, economic, media, and others. However, the development of multiple literacies is achievable only through the advancement of linguistic literacy, which serves as both a mediator and a moderator for all other forms of literacy. The most extensively researched aspect of linguistic literacy is reading comprehension, which underpins all meaningful learning. The aim of this paper is to present, describe, and analyze the critical components that must be included in educational interventions focused on developing reading comprehension. When the criterion of focus is applied, empirical findings, support programs, and practical efforts to foster reading comprehension cluster around several key factors: modification of the text itself from which reading and learning occur; support for developing students' cognitive competencies associated with reading; support for students' personal and affective competencies; and effective reading activities within teaching, instructional situations, and teaching/learning methods. Each of these aspects of effective pedagogical intervention is described, analyzed, and exemplified in this paper, with the conclusion that a synergistic approach is the most efficient way to develop literacy among children and youth.
... One such best practice that meets these criteria is authentic literacy. From earlier research in genre studies (Duke et al., 2006;Purcell-Gates et al., 2002;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007), and informed by other scholarly work of researchers into improving students' motivations to engage in literacy tasks and activities through using such curriculum models as concept-oriented reading instruction (CORI) (Guthrie & Humenick, 2004;Swan, 2002), authentic literacy has been found to improve students' engagement and achievement levels in past studies among students at the elementary, secondary, and even postsecondary education levels (Behizadeh, 2019;Duke et al., 2017). Moreover, like many real-world work experiences individuals encounter regularly in the workplace, authentic literacy tasks and activities often reflect the learning that is challenging for individuals to complete on their own (Parsons, 2008b;Parsons & Ward, 2011). ...
... Connecting these theories to the purpose and goals of the current study, I found that a theory of cognitive apprenticeship also aligned well with the historical tenets of authentic literacy instruction, as evidenced by Purcell-Gates (Purcell-Gates, 2013;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007), Duke (Duke et al., 2017;Duke et al., 2006), and Parsons (Parsons, 2008a;Parsons & Ward, 2011;Vaughn et al., 2016). In the literature, authentic literacy instruction is understood as the use of real-world literacy instruction and real-world texts to teach students components of literacy and communication (Brunow, 2016;Ciecierski & Bintz, 2015;Duke et al., 2006;Parsons et al., 2018). ...
... (2007; 2013; 2009; 2007), and Gambrell and colleagues (2015;Gambrell et al., 2011;Teale & Gambrell, 2007). Many of these early studies involved investigations of genre theory and its relation to literacy tasks based on authenticity theory (Duke et al., 2006;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007), as well as how facilitation of real-world literacy experiences might improve learning motivation and engagement outcomes for students in school settings. ...
The problem addressed by this study was that educators struggle with knowing which authentic literacy instructional practices and strategies were effective for improving student engagement and achievement levels in the middle grades. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to examine the instructional strategies related to authentic literacy that educators believed to be effective in high-performing, high-growth public middle schools in Washington state. This study was approached from the conceptual and theoretical lens of sociocultural theory. The participant sample (n=9) was comprised of three different role groups: teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators. These groups served as the different cases for analysis in the multiple case study. Three research questions guided the study. Zoom video-recorded interviews and their transcriptions served as the main source for data collection and analysis. Using NVivo qualitative software, a cross-case analysis and synthesis method for multiple case study research was employed, and three different phases of coding were conducted. The findings of this study provided a better understanding of how experienced educators have incorporated authentic literacy strategies in classrooms to improve academic and engagement outcomes. Six themes and various subthemes were explored in the findings: Recommendations for practice were organized across three themes: literacy instruction and activities, professional learning and training, and curriculum and instructional planning. A logical next step for future research is that researchers should employ other qualitative approaches, such as phenomenology, to examine the lived experiences of teachers and students in classrooms where authentic literacy strategies are being used. This study moves the research forward by examining what experienced literacy educators believe to be best practices and strategies to improve academic outcomes for student in the middle grades. ii Acknowledgements
... The field of science has its own academic language: vocabulary, as well as specific discourse patterns not present in students' everyday language, but needed for learning (Huerta & Garza, 2019). Second, working with authentic language activities is very important for promoting language proficiency (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). Inquiry-based learning within science education offers many opportunities for such authentic language tasks, for example aimed at acquiring knowledge. ...
... Many reading researchers argue for balanced comprehension instruction that includes both explicit instruction and opportunities for practicing reading and writing in authentic literacy activities (Duke & Pearson, 2009;Rooijackers, 2023). Effective text structure instruction initially calls for explicit instruction; teachers should model the use of texts structures in reading and make use of scaffolding to facilitate students independent use of the text structure during the reading process (Hebert et al., 2016;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007;Pyle et al., 2017). By providing reading and writing activities aimed at text structure knowledge within the content area students can experience the utility of text structure knowledge in authentic language activities (Wijekumar et al., 2017). ...
Integrated science-and-literacy programs have proven to positively affect both language proficiency and science knowledge. Because making connections is important in both text comprehension and understanding the disciplinary core ideas taught in science, it seems worthwhile to explore the potential of integrating text structure instruction in science education. Therefore, we conducted a design-based research (DBR) in collaboration with teachers in the upper levels of primary education in the Netherlands. A set of four design principles
directed both the design process and the analysis of this process.
Research questions were aimed at the viability of these principles
and at gaining knowledge about the application of DBR within the
field of an integrated science curriculum. The study demonstrates the potential of DBR as a vehicle for translating research outcomes into educational practice. The four design principles eventually resulted in materials that worked well in grades 4–6. Still, since several design principles were new to the teachers, the design task was a challenge to the teachers and required support by the researchers. Especially the selection of suitable texts proved difficult. The study yields insights and recommendations for future DBR studies in the field of science-and-literacy integrated education. Given the abundance of cross-cutting concepts that can be tied to specific text structures, there is ample room for the development of integrated materials.
... Reading for real reasons. Several studies have offered compelling evidence that growth in reading engagement and reading comprehension is accelerated when students are involved in authentic reading activity (e.g., Knapp, 1995;Purcell-Gates, Duke & Martineau, 2007). By "authentic," we mean reading real texts for real purposes-i.e., where the goal of reading is understanding the material well enough to use it for other purposes, such as making an argument, applying a concept in some way, or engaging in a firsthand investigation. ...
... Authentic literacy tasks focus on student choice and ownership; extend beyond the classroom walls; involve a variety of reading and writing opportunities; promote discussion and collaboration; and build upon students' interests, abilities, Knowledge Acquisition Through Reading 10 background, and language development (Hiebert, 1994). Purcell-Gates et al. (2007) examined student growth in reading and writing informational text genres. The project infused second-and third-grade classrooms with the target text genres and monitored, among other things, the degree of authenticity of literacy activities in these classrooms. ...
In this chapter, we develop a model of integrated content-area and literacy learning in
three phases. First, we review scholarship to establish how knowledge acquisition affects comprehension and how it is affected, in turn, by reading experiences. The second section of the chapter presents prior efforts in which language and literacy processes have been integrated or combined with content-area learning goals. Finally, we present theory and research for integrated instruction where knowledge acquisition is in the foreground and reading processes are developed in service of that knowledge acquisition.
... These results coincide with (Montero-Arévalo, 2019), who found that a genre-based approach improved EFL reading and writing among Colombian EFL students. The results are also in agreement with (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). Safari and Mokhtari (2016) found that PGA oral academic lectures improved TOEFL learners' writing achievement. ...
... This is acceptable compared to the low achievement scores in identifying signal words and using transition words. This result coincides with Purcell-Gates et al. (2007). However, the results do not concur with those of Schoonen (2019), who employed an interactive view of the relationship between reading and writing and found that both literacy skills randomly interact with each other. ...
Writing and reading are two interconnected literacy skills. In English as a foreign language (EFL) mixed-ability classes, the process genre approach (PGA) has become necessary for EFL students to exchange skills and processes of reading with writing academic paragraphs. This study examines and correlates the achievement scores of academic paragraph reading and writing among EFL mixed-ability class students. Data were collected by using the achievement tests in reading and writing among mixed-ability classes of EFL students in the preparatory year of Najran University. Data were analyzed through correlation analysis and the paired sample t-test. The results showed that the mixed-ability classes of students scored high levels in paragraph understanding and moderate levels in paragraph writing, with high values of standard deviations that reflect mixed-ability classes. The results also showed that the mixed-ability levels scored low in identifying signal words and using transition words. The results also revealed a moderate positive correlation between paragraph understanding and writing. This result indicates that PGA has a potentially positive effect in mixed-ability classes, where PGA teaching materials and assessments are effective scaffolding tools for mixed-ability reading and writing classes.
... Authenticity in literacy instruction, which Purcell-Gates et al. (2007) defined as engaging with texts and participating in activities that learners use outside of school settings, is associated with growth in reading and writing skills, and it supports students' motivation to read (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007;Turner & Paris, 1995). More specifically, in a study involving second-and third-grade classrooms, Purcell-Gates et al. (2007) found that engaging in more authentic literacy activity in science was associated with greater growth in students' ability to read and produce science text. ...
... Authenticity in literacy instruction, which Purcell-Gates et al. (2007) defined as engaging with texts and participating in activities that learners use outside of school settings, is associated with growth in reading and writing skills, and it supports students' motivation to read (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007;Turner & Paris, 1995). More specifically, in a study involving second-and third-grade classrooms, Purcell-Gates et al. (2007) found that engaging in more authentic literacy activity in science was associated with greater growth in students' ability to read and produce science text. ...
In their Four Resources Model, Freebody and Luke (1990) described four roles that readers take as they engage with texts: the code breaker, meaning maker, text user/analyst, and text critic. In this article, we propose the addition of a fifth role, the text actor. In this role, readers engage with texts that can incite, inform, and inspire them to take action to produce change within the many communities in which they reside, including the classroom, local community, and national community. Creating opportunities to assume this role is a potentially important part of preparing students for active social and civic participation, and it is especially important in this historical moment, when we are confronted with significant challenges that require global problem solving and participation. We describe the text actor role and share examples of how students can take on this role in disciplinary learning.
... This study aligns with the literature on the social and cultural practices of literacy, emphasizing that reading can be, and mean, different things for different people in different contexts (Brandt, 2001;Green & Corbett, 2013;Purcell-Gates, 2007;Street & Street, 1984). Some seminal studies within this strand of research include Heath (1983Heath ( , 2012 and Barton and Hamilton (2012), who have studied local literacy practices in working-class areas of the USA and England. ...
... The existing gap between home and school literacy practices among marginalized students has been extensively documented (eg. Mui & Anderson, 2008;Phillips & Sample, 2005;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). For example, Purcell-Gates (2013) shows how the "cultural mismatches" (p. ...
This article explores the intersection of place-based reading practices of rural working-class males and reading practices in school. Life story interviews have been conducted with six men in different ages (age 19-63) living in a rural region in Sweden, focusing on their reflections on their own relation to reading across a life span from the standpoint of the present. The analysis shows that there is a unique combination of factors at work when rural working-class men culturally re-appropriate written culture in ways that are sympathetic, and socially acceptable to a manual working-class culture. These factors include the processes of oralising and manualising and are often related to things learned in specific ancestral heartlands.
... However, narrative expression is not fixed, but relational and narrators express thoughts and emotions differently when addressing distinct audiences [16,21]. Researchers have found that when a specific and active audience is addressed, it potentially influences writers' compositions more than when writers are directed to write for a general audience that offers no feedback (Black, 1989;Cohen & Riel, 1989;Freedman, 1994;Purcell-Gates, Duke & Martineau, 2007). Researchers have found that when a specific and active audience is addressed, it potentially influences writers' compositions more than when writers are directed to write for a general audience that offers no feedback [5,[22][23][24]. ...
... Researchers have found that when a specific and active audience is addressed, it potentially influences writers' compositions more than when writers are directed to write for a general audience that offers no feedback (Black, 1989;Cohen & Riel, 1989;Freedman, 1994;Purcell-Gates, Duke & Martineau, 2007). Researchers have found that when a specific and active audience is addressed, it potentially influences writers' compositions more than when writers are directed to write for a general audience that offers no feedback [5,[22][23][24]. In one such study, first year college students used more cognitive (e.g., think, know, and realize) and intensifying expressions when randomly assigned to a blogging activity where peers could interact and comment on the blog posts as compared to a control group of students who wrote to an imagined peer [7]. ...
In the last five years, there has been an explosion of mobile apps that aim to impact emotional well-being, yet limited research has examined the ways that users interact, and specifically write to develop a therapeutic alliance within these apps. Writing is a developmental practice in which a narrator transforms amorphous thoughts and emotions into expressions, and according to narrative theory, the linguistic characteristics of writing can be understood as a physical manifestation of a narrator’s affect. Informed by literacy theorists who have argued convincingly that narrators address different audiences in different ways, we used IBM Watson’s Natural Language Processing software (IBM Watson NLP) to examine how users expression of emotion on a well-being app differed depending on the audience. Our findings demonstrate that audience was strongly associated with the way users expressed emotions in writing. When writing to an explicit audience users wrote longer narratives, with less sadness, less anger, less disgust, less fear, and more joy, these findings have direct relevance for researchers and well-being app design.
... Writing for a particular audience and for a specific purpose is an important element of authentic writing instruction. Authentic writing instruction has been found to be effective in promoting literacy learning (e.g., Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). Authentic writing instruction for young children helps children attend to their writing in ways they might not otherwise do. ...
... These texts provide readers and writers with access to information, enabling them to be successful both inside and outside of school. Additionally, informational texts can provide a venue to link the contexts of home and school (Duke & Purcell-Gates, 2003;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007) building on the familiar texts and literacy experiences found in their homes and communities. Informational texts create opportunities for children to develop expertise in content knowledge, language, and/or literacy abilities such as reading and writing (e.g., Anderson, 1998;Goldschmidt & Jung, 2011;Strachan, 2015). ...
Culture(s) and lived experience are vital considerations in meaningful learning opportunities for young children. Informational texts are used in daily life and play an important role in schooling, but they are scarcely found and used in classrooms across much of Botswana. Classroom writing experiences tend to differ greatly from children’s everyday experiences, particularly in Botswana’s public schools. The purpose of this study was to examine two genres of culturally sustaining informational texts (informative/explanatory and procedural) written by Standard 2 students in Botswana. Writing samples were collected from 22 children both before and after participation in a unit focused on authentic literacy events using culturally sustaining texts. Content analyses focused on the genre features used within the texts. Writing samples were examined individually for use of genre attributes and for any change in attributes between pre- and post-assessments. Findings indicate that children included more features specific to each genre after participating in the unit. Additionally, many students composed their texts entirely in Setswana or codemeshed using Setswana and English in the post-assessment despite the primary language of instruction being English. This exploratory study could inform practice and research related to young children’s use and creation of informational texts while attending to culture(s) and lived experience.
... There is a general consensus among literacy researchers of the value of engaging students in meaningful literacy activity -reading and writing conceptually-rich texts for meaningful purposes (Guthrie et al., 2004Purcell-Gates, Duke, & Martineau, 2007;Romance & Vitale, 1992. Lemke (1994) argued, "texts whose only context is an arbitrary curriculum task are inferior as learning contexts to texts…that have a wider social context" (p. ...
... As discussed in Chapter 2, there is general consensus among literacy researchers of the value of engaging students in meaningful literacy activity. Indeed, current research evidence suggests that when students read and write texts for meaningful purposes during instruction, they experience gains in reading engagement and comprehension (e.g., Guthrie et al., 2004Guthrie et al., , 2009Purcell-Gates et al., 2007;Romance & Vitale, 1992. The findings of the present study build upon this body of research by illustrating ways in which PBL texts and tasks can be designed to support this aim. ...
Standards-based reforms in K-12 literacy and disciplinary education call for engaging students in meaningful uses of literacy tools of reading, writing, and oral language in service of participating in disciplinary practices and building disciplinary knowledge. Despite calls for educational reform and the introduction of new academic standards, such as the Common Core State Standards (CCSSO, 2010) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013), too few K-12 classrooms have meaningfully taken up these ideas in curriculum and instruction. For example, literacy instruction has long been divorced from knowledge building. Further, limited instructional time for disciplinary instruction in elementary classrooms poses challenges to achieving the objectives outlined in rigorous standards-based reforms. One approach to addressing these problems is the thoughtful integration of literacy and science instruction in the elementary grades. In this dissertation study, I investigated the design and enactment of texts and tasks in an elementary project-based science curriculum. The following research questions guided this study: (1) How do texts and related tasks, designed for – and enacted in – project-based science instruction, support or constrain third-graders’ knowledge building and development of foundational and disciplinary literacies? (2) How might modifications to texts and tasks within the designed curriculum better support third-graders’ knowledge building and literacy development? This study took place in one third-grade classroom with 31 students and their teacher across a full year of project-based science instruction. The focal curriculum, Multiple Literacies in Project-based Learning (MLs), integrates science, English language arts, and mathematics, and addresses the three-dimensional learning goals of the NGSS and select CCSS. Within and across MLs units, students had multiple opportunities to read and interpret a variety of traditional print, multimodal, and digital texts. The teacher was an experienced elementary school teacher and a second-year participant in the MLs project. I used design-based research (Brown, 1992; Collins, 1992) and case study methods (Stake, 1995) to investigate the design, enactment, and improvement of focal texts and tasks. I used conjecture mapping (Sandoval, 2014) to identify salient and theoretically compelling features of the design of the instructional intervention, focused on literacy integration, and to map how features of the designed curriculum and the teacher’s enactment worked together to produce specific outcomes. Data sources for this study included field notes and videos of classroom observations, interviews with focal students and their teacher, artifacts, and the designed curriculum materials. Focal students were selected to represent a range of reading achievement and to reflect the demographics of the class. Findings indicated that: (a) the pairing of texts and tasks in the context of project-based science instruction created meaningful purposes for students to read and interpret multimodal informational texts; (b) the design and enactment of texts and tasks engaged students in using text in service of disciplinary knowledge-building and practice, creating opportunities for – and supporting – students’ science and literacy learning; and (c) texts served as tools for creating and sustaining coherence in PBL. I also identified missed opportunities within the design and enactment of the curriculum, which may have constrained students’ opportunities to learn in the context of project-based science instruction. These findings can inform revisions to the design of the MLs curriculum, and have implications for future curriculum design, the availability and use of informational text in elementary-grade classrooms, and educational policy.
... Likert scales has been used previously to measure perceived authenticity (i.e. Purcell-Gates et al., 2002;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). It was designed to reflect the students' opinions about the nine elements of authenticity. ...
... Eit tema som har blitt aktualisert gjennom vektlegginga av formålsretta skriveopplaering, er utforming og introduksjon av mottakarorienterte skriveoppgåver (Bakke, 2019;Dagsland et al., 2023;Kvistad & Otnes, 2019;Matre et al., 2021). Det finst også internasjonale studiar som viser at skriving i det som blir oppfatta som autentiske situasjonar, saman med medvit om kven elevane skriv for, kan bidra til auka tekstkvalitet og kontekstsensitivitet (Block & Strachan, 2019;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007;Skar et al., 2022). Ei amerikansk undersøking basert på analyse av tekstar frå to ulike skrivesituasjonar viser at sjuåringar, når dei skreiv for ein spesifikk lesar, laga meir fokuserte, detaljrike og velformulerte tekstar, der både språkbruk og illustrasjonar var tilpassa konteksten (Block & Strachan, 2019, s. 80). ...
This article stems from a large intervention project on writing education in the first years of Norwegian primary school. The presented study is based on analyses of a total of 541 stu-dent texts, collected at the end of years 1 and 2. The analyses are primarily data driven, and several linguistic and textual approaches are used to examine how the young writers use various resources to create and convey meaning. The purpose of the study is to provide an overview of text types, textual and linguistic features, and audience awareness, and to give a broad picture of writing development. The analyses show that the writers draw on a large repertoire of meaning-making resources in terms of linguistic features and visual expres-sions that elaborate the content and build coherence in their texts. The writers address their readers in diverse and creative ways, which involve established conventions and text cultures. Furthermore, the results show a gradual development of writing competence, but also a wide range of variation, from the first to the second year of schooling. The use of multimodal resources decreases, and it is mostly high-performing students who draw and use interpersonal resources. The study raises questions about how working with a broad repertoire of resources in writing education can help young writers to make meaning wit-hin various contexts of writing, and to engage in writing processes that contribute to their growing into language and text cultures.
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Denne artikkelen spring ut av eit større intervensjonsprosjekt om tidleg skriveopplæring og er basert på analysar av totalt 541 elevtekstar, samla inn ved slutten av første og andre skuleår. Tekstanalysane er primært empiridrivne, og fleire språk- og tekstvitskaplege inngangar er nytta for å undersøke korleis skrivarane tar ulike ressursar i bruk for å skape og formidle meining. Formålet med studien er å gi eit oversiktsbilde over teksttypar, språklege trekk og mottakarorientering, og å seie noko overordna om skriveutvikling. Analysane viser at skrivarane drar vekslar på eit stort repertoar av meiningsskapande ressursar i form av språktrekk og visuelle uttrykk som utdjupar innhaldet og skaper samanheng i tekstane. Skrivarane knyter også band til mottakarane og går på ulike og kreative måtar i dialog med etablerte tekstkonvensjonar og tekstkulturar. Vidare viser resultata gradvis utvikling av skrivekompetanse, men samtidig stor variasjonsbreidd, frå første til andre skuleår. Bruken av multimodale ressursar går ned, og det er flest høgtpresterande elevar som teiknar og brukar interpersonelle ressursar. Studien reiser didaktiske spørsmål om korleis arbeid med eit breitt repertoar av ressursar i ulike skrivesituasjonar kan hjelpe unge skrivarar til å skape ytringar som kommuniserer med lesaren, både som individuelle uttrykk og i tråd med språklege og tekstkulturelle konvensjonar.
... If we can identify ways in which students develop these tools in the context of engaging in science practices, we have a "win-win" situation. Furthermore, it is easier to engage students in learning to use literacy tools if there are interesting and meaningful reasons to use them [17,18]. ...
In this conceptual paper, we present a discussion of how we have embraced two challenges, posed by Aukerman and Schuldt, in their call for a more socially just science of reading, to which this special issue is responsive. Specifically, we share lessons learned from years of designing texts that (a) advance knowledge-building in the context of project-based science teaching and (b) advance readers’ textual dexterity. Our research is conducted in the context of project-based learning in science, and we approach our inquiry from multiple theoretical perspectives. We argue for the importance of text in science instruction. We present theories, empirical support, and national standards consistent with the integration of text in science. We discuss the role that texts can play in project-based science instruction. We also illustrate the design and optimization of texts and tasks, as well as the role of the teacher in this instruction.
... Studies have shown that engaging students in authentic writing activities enhances their writing achievement and their perceptions toward writing. Purcell-Gates et al. (2007) also revealed that students who wrote in context and completed other meaningful literacy activities had better writing progress than students who wrote in isolation and performed other formal writing exercises. In addition, Behizadeh & Engelhard (2014) found that using authentic writing tasks enhanced students' perceived authenticity of writing assessments and their writing performance and motivation. ...
This narrative literature review examines students' writing challenges and practical strategies to address them. The study synthesizes research on cognitive, linguistic, and affective factors contributing to writing problems, including working memory capacity, vocabulary knowledge, syntactic complexity, writing anxiety, and self-efficacy. The review identifies several promising strategies to support writing development: strategy instruction, collaborative writing, technology-enhanced writing instruction, targeted vocabulary instruction, and individualized feedback. Findings suggest that a multifaceted approach addressing various aspects of writing difficulties is most effective. The study highlights the need for further research on the long-term effectiveness of interventions, the potential of emerging technologies in writing instruction, and culturally responsive approaches to meet diverse student needs.
... I et andet longitudinalt studie, undersøgtes effekten af 3. klasseelevers produktion af tekster til et museum uden forud herfor at have modtaget eksplicit undervisning i genretraek og komposition. Her viste sig at vaere forbundet et betydeligt udviklingspotentiale for elever i at blive engageret i denne form for authentic instruction sammenlignet med explicit instruction i komposition af samme type tekst (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). Ligeledes viste Karlsson (1997) i et studie, der sammenlignede laeserbreve skrevet uden for skolen med et virkeligt ungdomsblad som modtager med laeserbreve skrevet i skolen, at teksterne skrevet uden for skolen generelt havde en mere hensigtsmaessig komposition. ...
Åben skole har været en obligatorisk del af det at holde skole i Danmark siden reformen i 2014. Som åben skole er folkeskolen forpligtet på at inddrage omverden og indgå samarbejde med eksterne aktører, der således kan bidrage til at understøtte læring i fagene. Som et forsøg på at repræsentere og synliggøre skrivning som social og potentielt forandringsskabende handling undersøger artiklen betydningen af et samarbejde med en ekstern aktør i form af en fritidsklub repræsenteret ved en pædagog. Dette samarbejdet kan siges at have karakter af et åben skole-forløb og er artiklens omdrejningspunkt. Selve samarbejdet omfattede, at eleverne i to 5. klasser blev inviteret til at producere projektbeskrivelser med henblik på at bidrage til udviklingen af fritidsklubben. Artiklen trækker på interviewdata, lydoptagelser og observationsnoter fra projektet og betragtes i et positioneringsteoretisk perspektiv. På baggrund heraf viser artiklen, hvordan kombinationen af lærerinitierede fagdidaktiske skriveaktiviteter (herunder elevernes arbejde med et stilladserende skrivekort) og klubpædagogens positioneringer af dels sig selv som oprigtig tekstbruger og dels af eleverne som oprigtige bidragsydere, medvirker til aktualiseringer af kvalificerede og for elevernes vedkommende meningsfulde deltagelsesformer. Artiklen bidrager således til at belyse mulighederne ved åben skole ved netop at pege på, hvordan den fagdidaktiske person (dansklæreren) og en ekstern aktør i kraft af deres forskelligartede roller udgør forskellige resursepersoner, der kan supplere hinanden på en kvalificerende måde i den faglige undervisning.
... 346); thus, textbook passages are relatively inauthentic, whereas a newspaper article or journal article would be relatively authentic. In their other work, these authors have demonstrated that tasks which meet this definition of authenticity tend to promote growth in elementary students' science reading comprehension and science writing skills (Purcell-Gates, Duke and Martineau 2007). ...
A growing body of research demonstrates the value of asking students to write about science for authentic purposes. But which purposes–and, just as importantly, whose purposes–count as authentic? In this theoretical article, we review several conceptions of authentic purpose drawn from science education and literacy education and use these to question the meaning and significance of authenticity in student science writing. Next, we examine the framework of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) and ask how it might be used to define authentic purposes for science writing. We offer an additional conception of authentic purpose, one focused on situations where students’ purposes for writing about science directly overlap with teachers’ purposes for asking students to write. We share an illustrative example from our work as teacher educators that demonstrates how CRP can focus our attention on the types of classrooms and interactions that might create conditions where students becoming increasingly likely to pursue their own purposes through writing. Finally, using CRP as a framework, we offer seven strategies that might help create such situations, and discuss their implications for science educators and science education researchers. We argue that using CRP to operationalize science writing for authentic purposes can push the field forward by suggesting new directions for research and practice.
... ach to the development of civic reasoning as knowledge, which we argue needs more attention in elementary instruction and research Toledo, 2020;. Second, civic perspective-taking supports teachers in explicitly teaching the structure of persuasive writing in civics to students. More genre-specific writing preparation is needed in elementary grades (Purcell-Gates et. al., 2011). Third, civic perspectivetaking is one way to operationalize culturally sustaining practices in elementary civics instruction, given the framework's emphasis on locally relevant issues and student agency . For these reasons, this article uses civic perspective-taking as a conceptual lens and means to support teachers in utilizing cultur ...
Students need support through intentional writing instruction to develop their discipline-specific writing skills outside of Language Arts. Yet, we argue not all writing instruction provides the same opportunities for student learning. In this study, with the support of professional development, teachers engaged students in civic perspective-taking through writing, focusing on locally relevant public issues. Drawing from disciplinary literacy and genre pedagogy, our research team conducted a descriptive study where thematic analysis was applied to examine second and third graders’ civics writing samples. Our findings indicate that students’ engagement with key civic concepts became more complex and purposeful as they practiced argumentative writing. Development continued from second to third grade in both the sophistication of their civic perspective-taking as well as their writing. Additionally, we found that student motivation to engage in argumentative writing increased in all classrooms across both grade levels when engaging with locally relevant public issues. This article provides details about the elementary civics writing curriculum and the students’ writing outcomes as well as includes the two graphic organizers used in the curriculum.
... Despite living in an increasingly digital world, multimodal composing is not a meaningful focus in many elementary classrooms. Furthermore, these pedagogies do not necessarily position writing as social action or orient writing towards audiences beyond the teacher (Applebee & Langer, 2011;Purcell-Gates, Duke, & Martineau, 2007). They are often oblivious to or disconnected from children's goals and desires for their writing, and rarely emphasize critical goals like recognizing and addressing injustices (Author, 2014). ...
This chapter is framed by a conceptualization of urgent writing pedagogies that support inquiry, collaboration, and reading and writing about meaningful topics that are responsive to the social times. It presents portraits of practice—rich descriptions and reflections by practitioner-researchers on theoretically-driven course design and instruction—from an ELA methods course for elementary teacher candidates that is taught by the authors. They share three ways their work on the topic of water justice in this course demonstrates an urgent writing pedagogy: (1) situating the teaching of writing inside inquiry into meaningful/consequential topics; (2) knowledge-building through text-rich inquiry; and (3) immersing teacher candidates as collaborative, multimodal, informational writers. Together, these portraits of practice demonstrate multiple ways of thinking about urgency as part of teaching and learning writing in schools and in literacy teacher education.
... In addition to the evaluation of content and source features of the text, readers may use their knowledge about genres when evaluating online texts (Flanagin & Metzger, 2007;Forzani, 2020;Sundin & Francke, 2009). Genres are socially situated practices that reflect certain formal text features, social norms and rhetorical purposes of texts (Duke & Roberts, 2010;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). According to Berkenkotter and Huckin (1995), readers' genre knowledge includes knowledge about forms, conventions and contents of texts that are appropriate in a particular situation. ...
Background
Previous research indicates that students lack sufficient online credibility evaluation skills. However, the results are fragmented and difficult to compare as they are based on different types of measures and indicators. Consequently, there is no clear understanding of the structure of credibility evaluation.
Objectives
The present study sought to establish the structure of credibility evaluation of online texts among 265 sixth graders.
Methods
Students' credibility evaluation skills were measured with a task in which they read four online texts, two more credible (a popular science text and a newspaper article) and two less credible (a layperson's blog text and a commercial text). Students read one text at a time and evaluated the author's expertise, the author's benevolence and the quality of the evidence before ranking the texts according to credibility. Four competing measurement models of students' credibility evaluations were assessed.
Results
The model termed the Genre‐based Confirming‐Questioning Model reflected the structure of credibility evaluation best. The results suggest that credibility evaluation reflects the source texts and requires two latent skills: confirming the more credible texts and questioning the less credible texts. These latent skills of credibility evaluation were positively associated with students' abilities to rank the texts according to credibility.
Implications
The study revealed that the structure of credibility evaluation might be more complex than previously conceptualized. Consequently, students would benefit from activities that ask them to carefully analyse different credibility aspects of more and less credible texts, as well as the connections between these aspects.
... Third, another educational implication is that the materials selected were appropriate, providing an optimal challenge (since no floor or ceiling effects were found). Therefore, the results suggest that it is important for teachers when working on reading comprehension in their classrooms, with or without computers, to select an extensive volume and range of good texts that are representative of real-life reading situations and pose high-level questions (Ortega-Sánchez et al., 2019;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007;Rojas et al., 2019;Sepúlveda et al., 2020). ...
Managing text information to answer questions is one of the most frequent reading activities. These reading situations, called task-oriented reading, are challenging for students since they require specific skills that extend beyond basic reading comprehension skills. This is especiallypronounced when deep comprehension is required. Although many computer-based interventions have focused on teaching strategies to foster text comprehension, the role of strategy instruction in task-oriented reading has not been examined. In this study, we aim to ascertain the efficacy of an intervention based on task-oriented reading strategy instruction (TuinLECweb), in both textbase and situation model levels of comprehension, comparing it with training based on question-answering practice (AutoLEC). Moreover, we analyzed students’ use of the instructional components and resources of the programs and the relationship to their efficacy. One hundred and thirty pupils attending sixth grade participated in this experimental pre-post study. The intervention comprised eight sessions in which students followed the training on their computers in the classroom. Results show that participants in both conditions raised their reading scores; however, while students in AutoLEC training obtained higher textbase scores, students in the TuinLECweb condition improved their situation model performance. Besides, gain in reading comprehension was not related to either instructional components or resources. These findings highlight the key role of strategy instruction in fostering deep comprehension when employing computer-based interventions in task-oriented reading. Moreover, these results point out the needto analyze how students manage the instructional aids offered to them.
... Students learn to write through participating in activities and processes made available in school spaces (eg. Purcell-Gates et al., 2007) and by participating in writing activities in their lives outside school (e.g., Muhammad, 2015;Winn, 2012). Like in other nations, the ways that students engage with writing in New Zealand schools varies, as does their success as writers as measured by testing and other means (Parr & Jesson, 2016). ...
Reported trends signal that current approaches to teaching writing are not working as well as they could to engage all students. This review of literature focuses on a culturally responsive ethos for the teaching of writing in Aotearoa New Zealand, incorporating information from over 80 publications from 2000 to 2020. The new understandings generated through this analysis are presented in three sections guided by Indigenous Māori concepts: whakapapa, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga. This review indicates all writing practitioners should teach in ways that honour identity, language , and culture as foundational strengths from which to build in the teaching and learning of writing. Finally, some directions for teacher education and classroom practices are proposed.
... Furthermore, the extent to which all class communities in this network connect creates a sense of the value of writing as something crucial to master in order to contribute to learning across these communities. Research on writing shows involvement of children in writing for authentic audiences within classrooms or for external audiences (e.g., Barron et al., 1998;Brown & Campione, 1996;Collins, 1992;Dyson, 1997;Gee, 2003;Gilbert, 2001;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007;Putnam, 2001;Shaffer, 2007;Shaffer et al., 2005) but it does not feature writing for audiences that would showcase students' strong selfawareness of being a part of larger network of communities, both within the same school and across countries, including its history, presence and future. This study shows such an expanded concept of audience and how its understanding enriched students' thinking around what it means to be a writer in the entire network of communities of practice and what it means to write for audience that is a part of this network at the present moment and in the future. ...
... Newmann and colleagues (1996) emphasized the connection between authentic educational experiences and student performance, claiming that active engagement in learning and knowledge production, disciplined inquiry into problems, and "value beyond school" (p. 284) increase rigor of instruction and student achievement, a claim supported by Purcell-Gates, Duke, and Martineau (2007). Applying authenticity directly to writing, Sisserson and colleagues (2002) stress that "authentic" should not be misinterpreted to mean students engaging in an activity that mirrors a real world activity, but that the activity should be the real world activity. ...
... Much of the discussion about the degree of instruction required suggests that the answer is related to learner needs. Direct instruction is best provided on a 'just-in-time' (rather than 'just-in-case') basis because knowledge is most meaningful when applied directly or immediately to a problem-solving or investigational situation (Hmelo-Silver et al., 2007;Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). Our synthesis of the mixed methods literature identified as an effective practice dimension, "Provide direct instruction about writing at the time of need, particularly through strategic use of questioning, prompting and demonstrating." ...
A review for the New Zealand Ministry of Education, as background to the 2022 Literacy and Communications & Mathematics strategy.
... texts, as a form of explicit instruction, affects the growth of students' abilities to comprehend and compose those texts (Purcell-Gates et al., 2007). Children are able to transfer stylistic features from literature to their writing; become aware of the text structure, literary devices; and express their esthetic voices (Corden, 2007). ...
Integrated Reading-Writing Instruction (IRWI) is an approach for English Language Arts (ELA) instruction that has gained much attention since the adoption of college and career standards. Previous studies have shown that connecting reading and writing during instruction positively affects students’ literacy outcomes as related cognitive processes are engaged in the construction of meaning. This qualitative study of five 4th grade elementary ELA classrooms serving diverse students, including emergent bilinguals, explored the transition from the previous form of writing instruction to IRWI, or analytical text-based writing in elementary classrooms when implementing college and career standards. The findings indicated that IRWI introduced several affordances for the five teachers’ instruction, such as an explicit connection between reading and writing, and for their emergent bilingual students, overall improvement of reading comprehension and preparation for more college-like writing. Also, participating teachers reported several disadvantages for their emergent bilingual students stemming from how IRWI was implemented in the district. These disadvantages included the absence of creativity and genre variety for writing instruction, writing that was dependent upon English reading comprehension, and difficulties with teaching how to write evidence and elaboration.
... For a sociocultural approach to early literacy instruction, integrated skill instruction must also be coupled with authentic purposes. Children must have concepts and topics of interest to learn to read and write about (Graham, Kiuhara, and MacKay, 2020) as motivation increases when instruction responds to children's interests (Guthrie et al., 2006) and offers authentic opportunities for literacy practices that move beyond the code (Purcell-Gates, Duke, and Martineau, 2007). Indeed, the most effective teachers, even those who utilised highly structured phonics curricula, taught 'word level skills and knowledge within a wider context, such as a theme or topic being studied, a shared book, a writing lesson or a spelling lesson, so that the purpose of learning phonics was made clear and relevant ' (Louden et al., 2005, p. vii). ...
The long‐standing research to practice gap and increased interest in scientific literacy instruction has contributed to the oversimplification of what is deemed as foundational skills in US early literacy classrooms. Invoking a homing pigeon metaphor, this article describes the distilling of decades of reading research into a message being received by literacy practitioners, policymakers and families which prioritises phonics instruction, drowning‐out complex and nuanced findings supporting a more comprehensive approach. Grounded in an emergent literacy paradigm and applying a sociocultural approach to literacy in the 21st century with an eye towards equity, this article reframes what is considered ‘foundational’ early literacy teaching and learning to reflect the research base that supports proportional attention to constrained and unconstrained skills through integrated and contextualised instruction. To narrow the enduring research‐to‐practice gap, researchers must build authentic research partnerships with schools and support teacher educators' and teachers' enactment of comprehensive approaches to literacy instruction, curricula and assessment.
In previous studies based on many languages, the distributions of sentence length fit several distribution models. Moreover, those research findings are based on a mixture of all kinds of sentences, which constitute the most complex syntactic units. How is the distribution of sentence length of English complex sentences manifested individually? To answer this question, with the aid of Altmann-Fitter software (2013), we analyzed and compared the distribution of sentence length of English complex sentences comprehensively, judging by Brown and LOB corpus, the three research findings were obtained. Firstly, the frequency distributions of sentence length of English complex sentences well follow the Extended Positive Negative Binomial distribution; secondly, text type or genre could have a significant effect on the distribution of sentence length of English complex sentences; thirdly, there are no any significant differences in the distributions of sentence length of complex sentences between British and American English. The above research findings suggest that human language is a probabilistic system by nature.
In previous studies based on many languages, the distributions of sentence length fit several distribution models. Moreover, those research findings are based on a mixture of all kinds of sentences, which constitute the most complex syntactic units. How is the distribution of sentence length of English complex sentences manifested individually? To answer this question, with the aid of Altmann-Fitter software (2013), we analyzed and compared the distribution of sentence length of English complex sentences comprehensively, judging by Brown and LOB corpus, the three research findings were obtained. Firstly, the frequency distributions of sentence length of English complex sentences well follow the Extended Positive Negative Binomial distribution; secondly, text type or genre could have a significant effect on the distribution of sentence length of English complex sentences; thirdly, there are no any significant differences in the distributions of sentence length of complex sentences between British and American English. The above research findings suggest that human language is a probabilistic system by nature.
More than merely policy, neoliberalism shapes how teachers relate to their students and classrooms. This article seeks to make visible how neoliberalism functions to form and deform teacher’s subjectivities (and in turn their pedagogical practices) through an analysis of the experiences of two teachers within an accountability-constrained elementary school. Using data generated within an ethnographically-informed case study, we draw on discourse analytic and post-qualitative methodologies, in conversation with critical theorizing of neoliberalism, to examine how teachers’ subjectivities were fractured as they worked to simultaneously meet the demands of neoliberal accountability and the humanizing aims of their pedagogical philosophies. We describe three archetypes—the neoliberal pragmatist, the student advocate, and the humanizing pedagogue—constructed to represent the varied approaches taken by teachers in their attempts to reconcile these conflicting aims. Then, through two vignettes of classroom practice, we illustrate how neoliberal logics and policies compelled these teachers to balance competing subjectivities, resulting in those teachers enacting extensive test preparation that contradicted their pedagogical philosophies. Through this analysis, we argue that fragmentation of teachers’ subjectivities within neoliberalism functions to effectively keep teachers off balance in their attempts to both respond to and resist neoliberal educational reforms, resulting in a maintenance of the neoliberal order.
Sentences are the highest-level grammatical units, of which complex sentences are the most complicated ones (Quirk et al. 1985： 47). English complex sentences contain one or more subordinate or dependent clauses embedded as sentence constituents. Their syntactic complexity could be measured by two indicators, i.e., clausal density and embedding depth. In the present study, with the aid of Brown and LOB corpus, we made use of the above two indicators to explore the syntactic complexity of English complex sentences. The study found that the threshold of clausal density (CD) was 9 and that of embedding depth (ED) was 4; there existed no differences among different genres or text types, which indicated that the above two indicators were insensitive to the differentiation of syntactic complexity of sentences between different genres; with the help of Altmann-Fitter, we found that the distributions of clausal density and embedding depth fitted the right-truncated modified Zipf-Alekseev model, demonstrating the existence of minimization trend of syntactic complexity. These findings indicated that the universal cognitive factor,
namely cognitive load, played a restrictive role in the practical use of human language. This study has great implications for the teaching of English complex sentences and meanwhile, it might provide reference and inspiration for further research on the syntactic complexity of English complex sentences
Recently, the science of reading has garnered much attention in elementary schools across the U.S. The science of reading is a body of research on learning to read that has been accumulated through systematic inquiry. Seth A. Parsons and Joy Dangora Erickson argue that the way the science of reading is being implemented is missing a key ingredient: motivation. There is an expansive research base on the importance of motivation for learning. Using practical guidelines, they advocate infusing the science of reading with research on reading motivation to design instruction that optimally supports young learners.
Focused attention to mentor texts and exploration of the authors' and illustrators' processes can lead elementary students to deeper understanding of the picturebook biography genre.
Describes the origins and aims of content-area literacy and disciplinary literacy and explains how these traditions can be reconciled in integrated science-literacy instruction.
This article reports findings from a qualitative study in a third-grade classroom in the Southwest in the wake of Donald Trump’s campaign and inauguration. In response to students’ concerns about Trump’s rhetoric around immigration and border-wall construction, the teacher provided curricular space for students to study immigration policy and write letters to their congressional representative expressing their positions. Drawing on field notes, interviews, and student writing, this study asks, (a) What sources of knowledge did students draw on in their talk and writing? and (b) How did students respond to such curricular design? Analysis suggests that students drew on border thinking () and politicized funds of knowledge (), positioned themselves as change agents, and developed and displayed knowledge of academic genres and conventions.
This quasi-experimental study aimed to examine content-area literacy instruction in comparison to a science-infused literacy instruction (SILI) to determine how these two approaches influenced 2nd grade students’ ability to read and write science informational text and the students’ attitude and motivation towards reading. After professional development, five teachers taught their classes twelve thematic lessons designed using either the content-area literacy (N = 37) or the SILI (N = 40) instruction to 2nd grade students. Teachers in both groups implemented thematic lessons that taught the life cycle of plants and included interactive read-alouds, graphic organizers, watching time lapse videos of plant growth, and reading digital texts independently and in small groups to support students in building the content knowledge and vocabulary necessary to write science informational texts. Students in the SILI group also participated in hands-on science activities including planting seeds and documenting plant growth, exploring the parts of a live basil plant, and taking walks outdoors to observe plants at various stages of the plant life cycle. Lessons took place over four weeks to assist students in acquiring science content knowledge so as to transfer this knowledge into science informational texts and to determine the influence of both instructional approaches on reading comprehension and reading attitude and motivation. Findings resulted in the content-area literacy instruction producing higher and statistically significant reading comprehension and writing rubric scores than the SILI group with medium effect sizes reported. The SILI group produced higher reading attitude and motivation scores, but these results were not statistically significant. Implications for both early childhood science and literacy classroom instruction as well as multiple implications for future research are discussed.
Learner-centered assessment of academic writing requires that assessment tasks be authentic, that the assessment be grounded in context, that it involves all stakeholders, and that its results be used to inform curricula and student support. This chapter describes the development of such an assessment for a multinational graduate institute.
This chapter describes an iterative process using writing workshops to develop preservice early childhood and elementary teachers' (1) writing pedagogy, (2) pedagogical content knowledge for teaching writing, and (3) an equity-oriented mindset. Across two teacher education literacy courses, preservice teachers engaged in writing in their discipline, specifically learning the language, tone, and content to communicate to students' caregivers on unit introductions or progress reports regarding academic performance, curricular decisions, and motivation. Analysis of preservice teachers' submissions revealed developing abilities to use an equity-oriented mindset when writing to caregivers, to apply previously learned writing skills to new content, to develop meta-awareness of their own writing experiences and process, and to communicate effectively for a less-familiar audience. The chapter concluded with suggestions for teacher educators.
Mathematical literacy is a keystone of contemporary mathematics education research. We collectively, thoroughly explore this set of literacy practices from the perspectives of mathematical writing and mathematical discussion. Mathematical literacy practices, of course, include a third component—reading—which takes a number of forms. This document explores the mathematical reading processes of 22 middle school students, identifying the strategies most and least used by these students, and the ways in which strategy implementation aids their reading process. From this study, we can begin to identify how this knowledge can be used by teachers, curriculum designers, and educational researchers in an effort to aid their students.
The in-service training delivered in Pendidikan Profesi Guru (PPG) aims at increasing teacher’s knowledge and skills in teaching English. Language Teaching is dependent on philosophical assumption on the nature of language and language learning. Language teaching is terminated at using language skillfully in various communicative events. The in-service training is based on a general theory that is implemented through the application of high order thinking (HOT), the innovative instructional design, namely: Problem Based Learning (PBL), and Project Based Learning (PjBL). This study intended to find out the application of HOT, PBL and PJBL. The data of this study were taken from lesson plans (RPP) and its implementation in classroom interaction. The data were analyzed by using the related theory as temporary category of identification, classification and interpretation. The results show that (1) the teachers are constrained by the use of operational verbs of HOT in formulating its indicators in KD 3 (knowledge competence), and in KD4 (skills) which resulted in the improper way of teaching English, (2) the teachers are compelled by the syntax of PBL and PjBL into improper steps of teaching English, (3) the teachers unconsciously made technology as media as the objective rather than as facilitation to language learning and consequently it turned the teaching of English into teaching about language, like teaching content knowledge such as Biology, Physics, etc, rather than enabling the students to use English communicatively. These findings lead to the conclusion that the teaching of English should be mainly based on the theory of language and the theory of language learning. Other theories imported from other disciplines or from educational psychology should be adapted to the theory of language and language learning. Key Words: Media, Competence, High order thinking, Innovative instruction.
In this quasi-experimental study, the expository writing of students before and after they received integrated science and literacy instruction was compared using two different rubrics. Measures included a holistic rubric and an analytic rubric. Participants were 2nd grade students (N = 71) attending a Title I elementary school. First, a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test was used to examine student writing performance on both rubrics. All rubric elements showed statistically significant improvement except for three elements (topic introduction, concluding statement, and spelling). Next, a paired-samples t–test comparing the total scores from both rubrics showed statistically significant improvement from pre- to post-instruction. Finally, the ranks of scores for each rubric were examined to see how the scores varied based on the rubric used. The holistic rubric had fewer positive and negative ranks than the analytic rubric, while the holistic rubric had more tied ranks than the analytic rubric. Thus, the holistic rubric provided only an overall impression of student writing while the analytic rubric allowed the scorer to specify strengths and weaknesses. To support young writers, teachers should consider their purposes for scoring writing and use the rubric that will fulfill that purpose most appropriately.
Background
Authenticity in schools has been highlighted as important for improving students’ engagement and learning, and to prepare them for future job markets, especially in science and technology.
Purpose
This study investigates students’ perceived authenticity of a developed innovation project when implemented in an upper secondary technology education program.
Sample
Three cohorts of students (n = 199) attended a first-year technology course at a Swedish upper secondary school in 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively. In addition, eleven students from the 2016 cohort were interviewed two years later to obtain their views on how the innovation project in the first-year course influenced their performance in a subsequent advanced technology course taken in 2017–2018.
Design and Methods
Groups of students participated in the first phase of an innovation project in the first-year course, a five-week module, cooperatively designing solutions to real-world problems. A Likert scale questionnaire measured the degree of perceived authenticity in line with Herrington, Reeves and Oliver’s (2010) key elements. Focus group interviews were conducted after the second phase – a 20-week follow-up module in the subsequent advanced course – about how authentic they perceived the first and second phases to be.
Results
A questionnaire measured the degree of perceived authenticity of the students for the first phase, for each of the three years. Coaching and scaffolding received the highest ratings across all three years, whereas Reflection was perceived as having the lowest authenticity. In a qualitative component of the study students found both phases positive, and five new themes of students’ perception of their experiences were revealed.
Conclusions
The similarities in perceived authenticity between the three cohorts suggest consistency in students’ perceptions of authenticity. However, they did not feel that the project gave them the opportunity to reflect on their learning. According to interviews conducted two years later, they perceived their experiences of the innovation project as having induced creativity, commitment, ownership, motivation, and real-world connection, although at times it was also a challenge to think for themselves and to collaborate with others.
Factual writing is a key macrogenre of American K-12 schooling that is also valued in workplace and society. This study examined the genre and register features of two subgenres of factual writing—biography and report—composed by 48 sixth-grade students in a curriculum unit on scientists and science-related careers aimed at developing students’ understanding of the nature of science. These texts were analyzed for a range of schematic, lexical, and grammatical features that instantiate the two target genres. Statistical and descriptive analyses revealed that the students demonstrated a fairly mature control over the schematic and lexical features that realize the purpose of either genre and relied heavily on the grammatical resources characteristic of everyday registers in constructing both genres. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between the students’ genre/register familiarity and the holistic quality of their writing, and the students’ reading proficiency was a significant predictor of their genre familiarity and holistic writing quality, but not their register understanding. These findings suggest that learning the grammatical resources characteristic of academic registers remains a major and potentially daunting task for many adolescents.
In an increasing number of post-graduate programmes in Kazakhstan, students may be expected to produce academic or professional texts in up to three languages—Kazakh, Russian, and English. While previous research has shown the benefits of genre-based approaches to English academic development, this study seeks to understand students’ development of genre knowledge in multiple languages simultaneously. Using Tardy’s (2009) four-part genre knowledge framework, a survey measuring self-reported genre knowledge in three languages was developed and administered to Master’s and PhD students (n=283) at 6 Kazakhstani universities, followed by interviews of students (n=43), teachers (n=34) and administrators (n=30) on approaches to genre knowledge development. Survey data revealed students generally have higher genre knowledge in Russian, followed by Kazakh and English. Students have higher Formal knowledge than other types of genre knowledge across languages. Interview findings suggest students are primarily influenced by IELTS exam-based, Formal knowledge approaches to education in English. The results suggest a need for both explicit instruction in non-structural elements of genre knowledge in three languages, and expanded identification of the key components of genre knowledge in languages other than English.
This research was prepared in order to determine the change in students’ academic achievement, retention levels and attitudes, and problem solving skill and creative thinking skill as a result of programming teaching with authentic task-based applications. The research was prepared using an experimental design with pretest-posttest control group. In the study group of the research, 2 nd year Computer Technologies Department students who studied at Erciyes University in the 2017–2018 academic year and took the Web Design Fundamentals course and the Research Methods and Techniques course are included. One of the second-year branches was determined as experimental group (n = 30) and the other one was determined as the control group (n = 33). The teaching of programming to the experimental group students was carried out with authentic tasks. Lessons were conducted with the control group students using the traditional teaching method. Achievement test developed by the researchers as pre-test, post-test, retention test, as well as Attitude Scale Toward Computer Programming developed by Baser (2013), Problem Solving Inventory developed by Heppner and Peterson (1982) and adapted to Turkish by Sahin, Sahin and Heppner (1993), “How Creative Are You?” scale developed by Raudsepp (1977) and adapted to Turkish by Coban (1999) were used. With research, it was concluded that authentic task-oriented practices increased students’ programming academic success and attitudes towards programming, and also positively affected both students’ problem-solving skills and creative thinking skills.
This study synthesized impacts of integrated literacy and content-area instruction (i.e., science, social studies) on vocabulary and comprehension outcomes in the elementary years (i.e., kindergarten through fifth grade). A systematic search of the extant literature identified 35 (quasi)experimental studies. Random-effects models were used to combine effect sizes across studies. Results of meta-analysis revealed that the overall effects were positive and significant for vocabulary (effect size [ES] = 0.91) and comprehension (ES = 0.40). Moreover, a significant positive effect was observed for standardized comprehension outcomes (ES = 0.25), but not for standardized vocabulary outcomes. Supplementary analysis including studies with content knowledge outcomes demonstrated the positive and significant overall effect for content knowledge (ES = 0.89). In addition, no significant moderators of the effect sizes were found among features of research design and characteristics of interventions, perhaps partly due to the small number of studies. The results of our meta-analysis indicate that integrated literacy and content-area instruction has potential to enhance vocabulary words taught to students and comprehension in the elementary years, with the additional benefit of simultaneously cultivating science and social studies knowledge.
In this article, the New London Group presents a theoretical overview of the connections between the changing social environment facing students and teachers and a new approach to literacy pedagogy that they call "multiliteracies." The authors argue that the multiplicity of communications channels and increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in the world today call for a much broader view of literacy than portrayed by traditional language-based approaches. Multiliteracies, according to the authors, overcomes the limitations of traditional approaches by emphasizing how negotiating the multiple linguistic and cultural differences in our society is central to the pragmatics of the working, civic, and private lives of students. The authors maintain that the use of multiliteracies approaches to pedagogy will enable students to achieve the authors' twin goals for literacy learning: creating access to the evolving language of work, power, and community, and fostering the critical engagement necessary for them to design their social futures and achieve success through fulfilling employment.
Expository writing is an important skill in the upper-elementary and secondary grades. Yet few studies have examined the effects of interventions designed to increase students' expository writing abilities and their ability to generalize their knowledge to write expository texts using novel text structures. The present study examined the effects of an intervention that attempted to improve students' expository writing abilities through an instructional emphasis on teacher and student dialogues about expository writing strategies, text structure processes, and self-regulated learning. The findings suggested that the dialogic instruction was effective (a) in promoting students' expository writing abilities on two text structures taught during the intervention (explanation and comparison/contrast) and (b) in leading to improved abilities on a near transfer activity, in which students wrote using a text structure not taught during the intervention. Although students in the control group exhibited some pretest-posttest gains on specific text structures, they were not successful in using their knowledge to write about student-selected topics and text structures. The results support the importance of instruction that makes the writing processes and strategies visible to students through teacher-student and student-student dialogues.
Professor Snow's (2000) response to my paper(Gee, 1999c) does not deal with most of the is-sues I discussed. Her purpose seems primarilyto charge me with demeaning the members ofthe panel and, at points, misreading the report.What I wish to do here is to respond, in the spiritof dialogue, to some of Professor Snow's com-ments, so that readers of my paper and her replymay more freely enter into the issues and makeup their own minds.One. Professor Snow is concerned with myclaim that the report was "written to and for thegovernment" and that it is, thus, "not liable toadvocate for the return of... social programs asthe key answer to the 'literacy crisis.'" Page iv ofthe report (National Research Council, 1998) de-scribes the National Academy of Sciences and theNational Research Council in the following terms[italics added]: "Upon the authority of the char-ter granted to it by the Congress in 18 63, the Acad-emy has a mandate that requires it to advisethe federal government.... the Council has be-come the principle operating agency of both theNational Academy of Sciences and the NationalAcademy of Engineering in providing services toJ LR
Authentic literacy activities in the classroom replicate and reflect literacy activities that occur in people's lives outside of school and instructional contexts. A growing body of research supports use of such activities in teaching and learning.
The authors elaborate on the definition of authentic literacy, describe supporting research and theory, and give examples of authentic literacy activities documented in a research study. They identify strategies teachers can use to implement these activities for reading and writing, focusing particularly on science instruction.
Accessible to any professional or researcher who has a basic understanding of analysis of variance, "Generalizability Theory: A Primer" offers an intuitive development of generalizability theory, a technique for estimating the relative magnitudes of various components of error variation and for indicating the most efficient strategy for achieving desired measurement precision. Covering a variety of topics such as generalizability studies with nested facets and with fixed facets, measurement error and generalizability coefficients, and decision studies with same and with different designs, the text includes exercises so the reader may practice the application of each chapter's material. By using detailed illustrations and examples, Shavelson and Webb clearly describe the logic underlying major concepts in generalizability theory to enable readers to apply these methods when investigating the consistency of their own measurements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Recent advances in the statistical theory of hierarchical linear models should enable important breakthroughs in the measurement of psychological change and the study of correlates of change. A two-stage model of change is proposed here. At the first, or within-subject stage, an individual's status on some trait is modeled as a function of an individual growth trajectory plus random error. At the second, or between-subjects stage, the parameters of the individual growth trajectories vary as a function of differences between subjects in background characteristics, instructional experiences, and possible experimental treatments. This two-stage conceptualization, illustrated with data on Head Start children, allows investigators to model individual change, predict future development, assess the quality of measurement instruments for distinguishing among growth trajectories, and study systematic variation in growth trajectories as a function of background characteristics and experimental treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
We review the body of research on reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities. First, we describe the factors that lead to the comprehension difficulties of these students. Next we describe our procedures for reviewing the literature on effective instructional methods for this population. Next we review the body of studies involving instructional methods for improving the comprehension of narrative text. This is followed by the research on techniques for improving the comprehension of expository text. We conclude with a discussion of ongoing issues in the field—in particular, (a) the increased use of socially mediated instruction, (b) the need to teach multiple strategies to students to improve comprehension, and (c) controversies in how important it is to explicitly teach specific strategies versus merely providing flexible frameworks to structure dialogue on texts read.
CSR combines two instructional approaches that teachers may implement: reading comprehension strategy instruction and cooperative learning. Procedures are described for teaching CSR to students.
Children were taught to be strategic and to monitor their success while searching for information in text. In the first study, 180 children were randomly assigned to receive strategy instruction with monitoring, strategy instruction only, or no instruction. Grade 3 children who were taught the strategy without monitoring instruction were more successful than control children, whereas Grade 4 and Grade 5 students benefitted from instruction only when they were also encouraged to monitor their performance. In the second study, Grade 3 and Grade 4 students transferred the strategy to an unfamiliar informational book. The third study examined category selection and extraction components of the strategy to find again additive effects of all three components.
Reading research supports the necessity for directly teaching concepts about linguistic structure to beginning readers and to students with reading and spelling difficulties. In this study, experienced teachers of reading, language arts, and special education were tested to determine if they have the requisite awareness of language elements (e.g., phonemes, morphemes) and of how these elements are represented in writing (e.g., knowledge of sound-symbol correspondences). The results were surprisingly poor, indicating that even motivated and experienced teachers typically understand too little about spoken and written language structure to be able to provide sufficient instruction in these areas. The utility of language structure knowledge for instructional planning, for assessment of student progress, and for remediation of literacy problems is discussed.
The teachers participating in the study subsequently took a course focusing on phonemic awareness training, spoken-written language relationships, and careful analysis of spelling and reading behavior in children. At the end of the course, the teachers judged this information to be essential for teaching and advised that it become a prerequisite for certification. Recommendations for requirements and content of teacher education programs are presented.
ABSTRACTS
This descriptive study documented the range and frequency of literacy practices in 20 low‐socioeconomic‐status homes over an aggregated week of observation and measured the emergent literacy knowledges held by 24 children, ages 4 to 6, in these homes. The analysis focused on the social domains mediated by print as well as the linguistic unit and complexity of discourse text read and/or written by the participants in the homes. The analysis also examined relationships between the types and frequencies of literacy events and the emergent literacy knowledges held by the focal children. Results revealed a description of literacy practice and literacy learning which included great variability in type and frequency of literacy events across the 20 homes. The results also suggested the following patterns of relationships between home literacy practices and emergent literacy knowledge: (a) children's understanding of the intentionality of print is related to both the frequency of literacy events in the home and to their personal focus and involvement in the literacy events, (b) children knew more about the alphabetic principle and the specific forms of written language more in homes where literate members read and wrote at more complex levels of discourse for their own entertainment and leisure, and (c) parents' intentional involvement in their children's literacy learning was higher when their children began formal literacy instruction in school. Reflections on literacy as cultural practice and the ways in which school and home learning can build upon each other are discussed.
ESTE ESTUDIO descriptivo documentó el rango y la frecuencia de las prácticas de alfabetización en 20 hogares de nivel socioeconómico bajo a lo largo de una semana de observación y midió los conocimientos emergentes sobre la lectoescritura de 24 niños de 4 a 6 años provenientes de estos hogares. El análisis puso el acento en los dominios sociales mediatizados por la escritura, así como en el tipo de unidad lingüística y la complejidad discursiva de los textos leídos y/o escritos por los participantes en los hogares. El análisis también examinó las relaciones entre los tipos y frecuencia de los eventos de alfabetización y los conocimientos emergentes sobre la lectoescritura de los niños del estudio. Los resultados revelaron una descripción de las prácticas de alfabetización y el aprendizaje de la lectoescritura que incluía una gran variación en el tipo y la frecuencia de los eventos en los 20 hogares. Los resultados también sugirieron los siguientes patrones de relaciones entre las prácticas de alfabetización en el hogar y los conocimientos emergentes sobre la lectoescritura: (a) la comprensión por parte de los niños de la intencionalidad de la escritura está relacionada con la frecuencia de los eventos de alfabetización en el hogar y con sus intereses personales y compromiso con dichos eventos, (b) los niños que sabían más acerca del principio alfabético y las formas específicas del lenguaje escrito pertenecían a hogares en los que los miembros alfabetizados leían y escribían en niveles complejos del discurso y con propósitos de entretenimento y placer y (c) el compromiso intencional de los padres con los aprendizajes de sus hijos era más alto cuando los niños comenzaban el aprendizaje formal en la escuela. Se discuten reflexiones sobre la alfabetización como práctica cultural y las formas en que el aprendizaje en la escuela y el hogar pueden enriquecerse mutuamente.
DIESE BESCHREIBENDE Studie dokumentiert Umfang und Häufigkeit von Lese‐ und Schreibpraktiken in 20 Familien mit niedrigem sozialökonomischen Status im Zeitraum einer ganzen Woche, wobei die daraus hervorgehenden Kenntnisse im Lesen und Schreiben an 24 Kindern im Alter von vier bis sechs Jahren gemessen wurden. Die Analyse konzentrierte sich auf die sozialen Interaktionen, die eingeleitet wurden durch gedruckte wie gesprochene Einheiten, und auf den Umfang von Gesprächen über einen von den Teilnehmern gelesenen und/oder geschriebenen Text. Die Analyse untersuchte auch die Zusammenhänge zwischen den Textsorten und der Häufigkeit von literarisierenden Erlebnissen und den daraus sich ergebenden Fähigkeiten, die sich die Zielgruppe aneignete. Die Ergebnisse erbrachten einen Zusammenhang zwischen den Tätigkeiten der Lese‐ und Schreibpraxis und dem Lesenlernen, wobei eine große Bandbreite an Formen und in der Häufigkeit von Lese‐ wie Schreibanlässen in den 20 Familien sichtbar wurde. Die Ergebnisse legen die folgenden Beziehungsmuster in der vorschulischen Literarisierung und den sich daraus ergebenden Fähigkeiten nahe: a) Das Verständnis der Kinder für die Botschaft von etwas Gedrucktem hängt zusammen mit der Häufigkeit von Textangeboten in der Familie, mit dem persönlichen Interesse wie mit dem persönlichen Beteiligungsgrad an dem literarisierenden Ereignis. b) Kinder wußten eher Bescheid über alphabetische Prinzipien und die spezifischen Formen der geschriebenen Sprache in solchen Familien, deren alphabetisierte Mitglieder sich einer höheren, komplexeren Sprachebene beim Lesen und Schreiben zu ihrer Unterhaltung und zur Entspannung bedienten. c) Das Interesse der Eltern an der Literarisierung ihrer Kinder war größer zu dem Zeitpunkt, als ihre Kinder in der Schule offiziell lesen und schreiben lernten. Besprochen werden Überlegungen hinsichtlich der Literarisierung als einer Kulturtechnik und hinsichtlich der Möglichkeiten, inwiefern familiäre und schulische Lese‐ und Schreiblernprozesse aufeinander aufbauen können.
Although scholars have called for greater attention to informational texts in the early grades for some time, there have been few data available about the degree to which informational texts are actually included in early grade classrooms, and in what ways. This study provides basic, descriptive information about informational text experiences offered to children in 20 first-grade classrooms selected from very low- and very high-SES school districts. Each classroom was visited for four full days over the course of a school year. On each visit, data were collected about the types of texts on classroom walls and other surfaces, in the classroom library, and in classroom written language activities. Results show a scarcity of informational texts in these classroom print environments and activities—there were relatively few informational texts included in classroom libraries, little informational text on classroom walls and other surfaces, and a mean of only 3.6 minutes per day spent with informational texts during classroom written language activities. This scarcity was particularly acute for children in the low-SES school districts, where informational texts comprised a much smaller proportion of already-smaller classroom libraries, where informational texts were even less likely to be found on classroom walls and other surfaces, and where the mean time per day spent with informational texts was 1.9 minutes, with half the low-SES classrooms spending no time at all with informational texts during any of the four days each was observed. Strategies for increasing attention to informational texts in the early grades are presented. [Note: This article is reprinted in Promisng Practices for Urban Reading Instruction, www.reading.orgpublicationsbbvbooksbk518.] Si bien, desde hace algún tiempo, los investigadores han mostrado la necesidad de prestar mayor atención a los textos informativos en los grados iniciales, se dispone de pocos datos acerca del grado en el que efectivamente se incorporan textos informativos en las aulas de grados iniciales y de la forma en que son utilizados. Este estudio proporciona información básica, descriptiva acerca de experiencias con textos informativos llevadas a cabo con niños de 20 aulas de primer grado seleccionadas de distritos escolares de nivel socioeconómico (NSE) muy bajo y muy alto. Se visitó cada aula durante cuatro días completos en el curso del año escolar. En cada visita se recogieron datos sobre los tipos de textos que aparecían en las paredes del aula y otras superficies, en la biblioteca del aula y en las actividades de lenguaje escrito. Los resultados muestran una escasez de textos informativos en las escrituras del medio y en las actividades; había pocos textos informativos en las bibliotecas de las aulas, pocos textos informativos en las paredes del aula y otras superficies y una media de sólo 3.6 minutos por día dedicados a textos informativos durante las actividades con el lenguaje escrito. Esta escasez fue particularmente aguda en el caso de los distritos escolares de bajo NSE, en los cuales los textos informativos constituían una pequeña proporción en las ya pequeñas bibliotecas de las aulas. Asimismo, era poco probable encontrar textos informativos en las paredes de las aulas y otras superficies, el tiempo promedio por día dedicado a textos informativos fue de 1.9 minutos y en la mitad de las aulas de bajo NSE no se trabajó en ningún momento con textos informativos durante los cuatro días de observación. Se presentan estrategias para desarrollar la atención hacia los textos informativos en los grados iniciales. Obgleich die Wissenschaftler seit einiger Zeit fordern, den informativen Texten größere Beachtung in Anfangsklassen zu widmen, sind nur wenige Daten über das Ausmaß verfügbar, in welchem informative Texte tatsächlich in Anfangsklassen integriert werden und auf welche Weise dies geschieht. Diese Studie liefert gründlich dargelegte Erkenntnisse über die Verwertung informativer Texterfahrungen, die Kinder der ersten Klasse in 20 ausgesuchten Klassenräumen von sehr niedrigen bis zu sehr hohen sozial-ökonomischen {SES=SocioEconomic Status} Schulbezirken machten. Jeder Klassenraum wurde für einen vollen Tag an insgesamt vier Tagen im Verlauf eines Schuljahres besucht. Bei jedem Besuch wurden Daten über die Art der Texte an Klassenraumwänden und anderen Aushangflächen, in der Klassenraumbücherei und bei schriftlichen Klassenraumaktivitäten gesammelt. Die Resultate zeigen einen Mangel an informativen Texten in dieser für Gedrucktes und ähnlicher Aktivitäten vorgesehenen Klassenraumumgebung-es fanden sich relativ wenige informative Texte einschließlich der Klassenraumbücherei, wenig informativer Text an Klassenraumwänden und anderen Flächen, und während der Sprachaktivitäten im Durchschnitt nur 3.6 mit informativen Texten verbrachte Minuten pro Tag. Diese Einschränkung war besonders bei Kindern im unteren SES-Schulbezirk akut, wo informative Texte einen noch weit geringeren Anteil bilden, bei ohnehin kleineren Klassenraumbibliotheken, wobei solche informativen Texte weit weniger an Klassenraumwänden oder anderen Flächen zu finden waren und wo im Tagesdurchschnitt 1.9 Minuten mit informativen Texten verbracht wurden, wobei die Hälfte der niedrigen SES-Klassenräume überhaupt keine Zeit an nicht einem einzigen der vier observierten Tage mit informativen Texten verbrachten. Strategien für eine gesteigerte Bedeutung hin zu informativen Texten in den Anfangsklassen werden dargelegt.
Research on the nature of reading and spelling disability (dyslexia) indicates unequivocally that most dyslexic individuals do not process language accurately or fluently at the level of phonology and that they may experience disorders in syntax and semantics as well. Simultaneously, intervention research clearly demonstrates that individuals who arc taught language structure explicitly progress more readily than those who are not. Given the consistency of research findings, the paucity of teachers skilled in teaching language explicitly to dyslexic children is of more concern than ever. Surveys of teacher knowledge, reviews of the literature on teacher education, and policy statements indicate that many teachers are underprepared to teach language content and processes to children whose learning problems are language based. Even motivated and experienced teachers typically understand too little about spoken and written language structure to be able to provide sufficient instruction in these areas. A new approach to teacher education is needed that emphasizes the importance of language knowledge for literacy instruction, as well as its skilled application to instructional planning.
Through processes that originated in the eighteenth century-but were greatly accelerated by Brahmin academics at the end of the nineteenth-a separation has developed between literacy instruction in the schools and the literacy needs of the competent citizen. Formal reading instruction today is primarily oriented toward understanding and appreciation of fine literature. Non-fiction materials are treated as unpleasant and boorish intruders into the otherwise serene, romantic kingdom of plot, character, and author's viewpoint. A single impotent strategem centering on rapid skimming with rereading is usually suggested for all non-fiction, be it math story problem, cooking recipe, or biological exposition. The result of this disparity, as revealed by the more valid components of various national literacy surveys, is the ever apparent chasm between competency needs and literacy instruction, a chasm that can be crossed only through a reorientation of literacy training toward the true needs of society.
It is proposed that the development of writing competence depends on high levels of self-regulation and the mastery of low-level transcription skills. Predictions consistent with each of these claims are identified and evaluated. Although the available data are incomplete and many key findings require further replication, the accumulated evidence generally supports both of these propositions.
ABSTRACTS
This study investigated the relationships between (a) two dimensions of adult literacy instruction and (b) change in the literacy practices of adult literacy students. The two instructional dimensions investigated were (a) degree of authenticity of the activities and texts employed in the literacy class and (b) degree of teacher/student collaboration around activities, texts, assessments, and program governance. The construct of authenticity for this study was defined as those literacy activities and purposes used by people in their lives, excluding those that are structured solely around learning to read and write in school. Data on the two instructional dimensions of interest—authenticity and collaboration—were collected from 83 adult literacy classes in 22 states. Data on change in adult students' literacy practices were collected from 173 adult literacy students attending those classes. Data were analyzed using Item Response Theory and Hierarchical Linear Modeling to model change. Results of the analysis revealed that authenticity of class literacy activities and texts had a statistically significant effect on change in student literacy practices, operationalized as increases in frequency of reading and writing and/or types of texts read and written. Analysis of the literacy engagement and change scales revealed that the increases in types of texts involved reading and writing more texts at higher levels of discourse. The degree of collaboration between teacher and students showed no statistically significant effect on literacy practice change. Implications for adult literacy instruction and outcomes for adults and for intergenerational literacy are discussed.
Este estudio investigó las relaciones entre (a) dos dimensiones de la instrucción en alfabetización de adultos y (b) el cambio en las prácticas de alfabetización de los estudiantes adultos. Las dos dimensiones didácticas investigadas fueron (a) grado de autenticidad de las actividades y textos empleados en la clase y (b) grado de colaboración docente/alumno respecto de actividades, textos, evaluaciones y dirección del programa. El constructo autenticidad fue definido como las actividades de lectoescritura y su finalidad en la vida de la gente, excluyendo aquellas estructuradas sólo en función del aprendizaje en la escuela. Los datos sobre las dos dimensiones de interés ‐ autenticidad y colaboración ‐ fueron recolectados en 83 clases de 22 estados y los datos sobre los cambios en las prácticas de los estudiantes adultos fueron tomados de 173 estudiantes que asistian a las clases. Los datos se analizaron usando la Teoría Item Respuesta y un Modelo Lineal Jerárquico para explicar los cambios. Los resultados de análisis revelaron que la autenticidad de las actividades de alfabetización en la clase y los textos tenían un efecto estadisticamente significativo sobre los cambios en las prácticas de alfabetización de los estudiantes, operacionalizados como incrementos en la frecuencia de actividades de lectura y escritura y/o en los tipos de textos leídos y escritos. El análisis de las escalas de participación y cambios en la alfabetización reveló que los incrementos en tipos de texto implicaron la lectura y escritura de más textos de niveles discursivos superiores. El grado de colaboración entre docente y alumnos no mostró un efecto estadisticamente significativo sobre los cambios en las prácticas de alfabetización. Se discuten implicancias para la alfabetización de adultos y consecuencias para adultos y para alfabetización intergeneracional.
Diese Studie untersuchte die Beziehungen zwischen (a) zwei Rahmenbedingungen in den Anweisungen zur Erwachsenenbildung und (b) Veränderungen in den Lese‐ und Schreibpraktiken von Studierenden der Erwachsenenbildung. Die zwei untersuchten Rahmenbedingungen waren (a) das Ausmaß an Authentizität der angewandten Aktivitäten und Texte in der Klasse zum Erlernen vom Lesen und Schreiben, und (b) das Ausmaß der Zusammenarbeit von Lehrern/Studierenden im Umfeld der Aktivitäten, Texte, Bewertungen, und der Progammleitung. Der Aufbau der Authentizität dieser Studie wurde durch jene Lese‐ und Schreibaktivitäten und Schreibzwecke definiert, wie sie unter uns im täglichen Leben angewandt werden, außer solchen, die ausschließlich beim Erlernen des Lesens und Schreibens um die Schule herum strukturiert sind. Daten über die zwei hier interessierenden Lehrrahmenbedingungen —Authentizität und Kollaboration—wurden von 83 Klassen der Erwachsenenbildung in 22 US‐Staaten zusammengestellt. Daten über Veränderungen bei Lese‐ und Schreibpraktiken der studierenden Erwachsenen wurden von 173 erwachsenen Schreib‐ und Lese Teilnehmern jener Klassen zumsammengestellt. Unter Anwendung der Theorie zur Einzelerwiderung wurden die Daten analysiert und aufgrund der hierarchischen Linearmodellierung zum Gestalten von Veränderungen erfaßt. Ergebnisse der Analyse zeigten, daß die Authentizität bei Schreib‐ und Lese‐Bildungsaktivitäten und Texten der Klasse statistisch deutliche Auswirkungen auf Veränderungen in den Schreib‐ und Lesepraktiken der Studierenden aufwiesen, welches sich in einer Frequenzsteigerung beim Lesen und Schreiben umsetzte und/oder in der Art und Weise der gelesenen und niedergeschriebenen Texte selbst. Die Analyse der Teilnahme am Lesen und Schreiben und die Stufen der Veränderungen machten deutlich, daß die Steigerungen bei den Textarten im Lesen und Schreiben eine größere Anzahl an abgehandelten Texten auf höherer Ebene zur Folge hatte. Das Niveau der Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem Lehrer und den Studierenden zeigte keinen statistisch wesentlichen Effekt auf die veränderten Schreib‐ und Lesehandhabungen an. Auswirkungen auf Lese‐ und Schreibunterweisungen bei Erwachsenen in der Erwachsenenbildung und im intergenerationsbezogenen Lesen und Schreiben werden angesprochen.
Cette étude examine les relations entre a) deux dimensions de l'enseignement de la littératie aux adultes et b) les changements dans les pratiques de littératie d'adultes élèves en littératie. Les deux dimensions pédagogiques étudiées sont a) le degré d' authenticité des activités et des textes utilisés dans la classe de littératie et b) le degré de collaboration maître‐élève autour des activités, des textes, des évaluations, et de l'exécution du programme. Le concept d'authenticité a été défini dans cette étude comme les activités et les objectifs de littératie qu'utilisent les gens dans leur vie, ce qui exclue celles et ceux qui ne sont structurés qu'autour de l'apprentissage de la lecture et de l'écriture à l'école. Les données relatives aux deux dimensions pédagogiques auxquelles on s'intéresse—authenticité et collaboration—proviennent de 83 classes de littératie adulte de 22 États. Les données relatives au changement des pratiques de littératie des élèves adultes viennent de 173 adultes élèves en littératie fréquentant ces classes. Les données ont été analysées à l'aide de la Théorie de la Réponse par Item et du Modèle Linéaire Hiérarchique pour modéliser les changements. Les résultats de l'analyse montrent que l'authenticité des activités et des textes de la classe de littératie ont un effet statistiquement significatif sur le changement des pratiques de littératie des élèves, opérationnalisé comme une augmentation de la fréquence de lecture et d'écriture et/ou des types de textes lus et écrits. L'analyse de l'investissement dans la littératie et les échelles de changement montrent que l'augmentation des types de textes comporte la lecture et l'écriture de davantage de textes de plus haut niveau. Le degré de collaboration entre le maître et les élèves ne montre pas d'effet statistiquement significatif sur les changements de pratiques de littératie. La discussion porte sur les implications relatives à l'enseignement de la littératie aux adultes, sur ses conséquences pour les adultes, et sur la littératie intergénérationnelle.
Lisa Delpit uses the debate over process-oriented versus skills-oriented writing instruction as the starting-off point to examine the "culture of power" that exists in society in general and in the educational environment in particular. She analyzes five complex rules of power that explicitly and implicitly influence the debate over meeting the educational needs of Black and poor students on all levels. Delpit concludes that teachers must teach all students the explicit and implicit rules of power as a first step toward a more just society. This article is an edited version of a speech presented at the Ninth Annual Ethnography in Education Research Forum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 5-6, 1988.
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In this article the author reflects on her practice as a teacher and as a teacher of teachers. Arguing from her perspective as a product of the skills-oriented approach to writing and as a teacher of the process-oriented approach to writing, she describes the estrangement many minority teachers feel from the progressive movement. Her conclusions advocate a fusion of the two approaches and point to a need for writing-process movement leaders to develop a vocabulary which will allow educators who have differing perspectives to participate in the dialogue.
Observed literacy instruction in 6 4th-grade and 4 5th-grade classrooms over 1 yr. Using the method of constant comparison, the study identified commonalities among classrooms in reading and writing instruction, instructional materials and goals, management, and classroom motivational orientation. Teachers in all classrooms provided a combination of authentic reading and writing experiences and explicit skills instruction. Dimensions of difference among classrooms were also identified with respect to the same instructional components. The classrooms differed in the methods and materials that each teacher considered to be the core of his or her pedagogy (e.g., one teacher's instruction centered on trade books and process writing, another's on cooperative exploration as part of theme-driven instruction). There were also some striking omissions noted in the instruction, particularly in comprehension strategy and self-regulation. In summary, contemporary 4th- and 5th-grade literacy instruction was extremely complex, involving many teacher decisions about how it should proceed, and the teachers managed this complexity by focusing on a particular set of instructional practices for implementing their literacy programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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