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Subject Area: English Language Arts

‘Both and’ Literacy Instruction K-5: A Proposed Paradigm Shift for the Common Core State Standards ELA Classroom

This article proposes a language arts curriculum congruent to the new, English/language arts (ELA) college and career ready standards, particularly to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The idea of behind “‘both and’ literacy instruction” is that all of the following elements are needed for students to form a coherent literacy experience:

Foundational literacy practices: alphabetic knowledge, phonological processing, vocabulary, fluency
Reading comprehension: the role of read alouds/shared reading of grade-level text, building knowledge, attending to syntax
High volume of reading: using the technique called Guided Reading with Accountable Independent Reading

The purpose of this article is “to help teachers determine which aspects fo their current practice are inherently aligned with the CCSS and which aspects of existing practices must be added to, adapted or shifted” (p. 1).

Introduction to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) – Course Design, Organization and Implementation

From the abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide readers the opportunity to see the planning, organization and delivery of an undergraduate course in the area of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). This course for is designed for students to thoughtfully engage in the interdisciplinary nature of STEAM. In the course students develop skills related to intersections between these content areas, and the construction and application of STEAM models for cross-disciplinary dialogue, inquiry, and problem solving. The discussion fits in the discipline of SCIENCE and contributes to the continued efforts in the science community to engage and create opportunities for interdisciplinary study for student work and research (p. 2).

The Impact of Indiana’s System of Interim Assessments on Mathematics and Reading Achievement

The randomized controlled study in Indiana found, and the WWC confirmed, that the use of Indiana’s Diagnostic Assessment Tools (mClass for K-2, Acuity for grades 3-8) did not have a statistically significant impact on general mathematics achievement or reading achievement for the full sample of students in grades K-8. However, statistically significant positive effects were found for grades 5 and 6 in mathematics achievement and grades 3-5 in reading achievement. No statistically significant effects were found for mathematics achievement in grades 3 and 4 or on reading achievement in grade 6.

Butterfly Unit: Accessing Complex Text in the Primary Grades

This kindergarten class of English language learners (ELLs) demonstrates Lily Wong Fillmore’s guidance in how teachers can support students in acquiring and using academic language and working successfully with complex text. These ELL kindergartners have engaged in a unit studying butterflies where academic vocabulary, language structure, and keys to unlocking the meaning of complex text have been deeply embedded into their daily learning. This video is on sharing a reading/writing lesson which celebrates text complexity. Key points include: (1) Each day select text to amplify as part of instructional conversations and (2) Choose text that has complex structure but also that holds the essence of your lesson/activity, or some really pivotal information.

Effects of Interim Assessments on Student Achievement: Evidence From a Large-Scale Experiment

The study uses data from a 2010-2011 school-level randomized experiment of 70 Indiana public schools to examine the impact of two interim assessment programs, mCLASS in Grades K-2 and Acuity in Grades 3-8, on students’ mathematics and reading achievement. Results indicate no overall treatment effect for Grades 3-8 but a statistically significant negative effect in Grades K-2 (i.e., kindergarten and second grade), indicating that students in control schools perform higher than students in treatment schools.

Helping ELLs Meet High Standards

This presentation, centered around the Gettysburg Address, provides an overview of general techniques for providing English language learners (ELLs) with a content preview. Methods include: the use of guiding questions; building background knowledge; bootstrapping on L1 knowledge and skills; pre-teaching academic and domain-specific vocabulary; and instruction in word learning strategies.