Although research related to the Science of Reading has documented the positive effects of explicit, systematic reading instruction for all students, students from historically marginalized groups often experience differential opportunities to learn and are likely to perform lower than their peers on large scale measures of reading achievement.…

The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to explore how different modes of learning may impact student achievement. Little research has been conducted regarding how the pandemic may have affected students' reading skills. The problem addressed in this study was that the effects of varying and inconsistent learning environments for Title I K-2…

We attempted to strengthen an evidence-based, peer-mediated, first-grade reading program (First Grade Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies [PALS]) by modestly revising its content and adding a repeated-reading (RR) component. In a cluster-randomized trial, we conducted a component analysis of the revised program by creating two versions of it.…

In the context of trying to improve reading proficiency in elementary school students, this study investigated the use of digital technology as part of a blended learning program, Core5, in kindergarten and first grade classes. A quasi-experimental design compared 283 treatment students instructed in schools using Core5 with 237 control students…

Previous research demonstrates that integration of science and literacy instruction in primary grades has positive outcomes for students' science and literacy development. However, variations in how science and literacy are enacted suggest integration may not be sufficient to meet the literacy and science needs of all students in an equitable…

This mixed methods descriptive study examined the effects of job-embedded professional development (JEPD) in reading on the content knowledge and instructional practice of teachers of English learners (ELs). Four first-grade teachers of ELs at one urban elementary school received JEPD over the course of a year. Results of pre- and posttests of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between parents' home literacy practices and the literacy skills of young children at risk for reading difficulties. Participants included 198 kindergarten and first-grade students and their parents. Children were enrolled in two Title I schools in an urban setting. Parents completed the…

Schools and districts are required to have all students become proficient readers by the end of 3rd grade in order to comply with the mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act. Therefore, schools need to ensure students make progress in literacy in kindergarten and 1st grade even though many students enter with little or no literacy background. The…

Research Findings: This study investigated how mean classroom-level shyness scores moderated the impacts of "INSIGHTS" into "Children's Temperament" on instructional support and students' math and reading skills in kindergarten and 1st-grade classrooms. "INSIGHTS" is a temperament-based social-emotional learning…

This descriptive study examined whether a computer-based, repeated reading intervention (i.e., Reading Relevant and Culturally Engaging Stories) is associated with improved reading and social behavior for three primary-aged urban black girls who each showed both academic and behavioral risk. The Reading Relevant and Culturally Engaging Stories…

This longitudinal study examined the role of oral proficiency on English reading comprehension, as measured with elicited narratives using a wordless picture book, "Frog Where are You?". The sample consisted 102 English language learners, including both Spanish and Cantonese speakers. Narrative samples were collected in the winter of…

Research findings: This study investigated how mean classroom-level shyness scores moderated the impacts of "INSIGHTS into Children's Temperament" on instructional support and students' math and reading skills in kindergarten and first grade classrooms. "INSIGHTS" is a temperament-based social- emotional learning intervention…

Literacy engagement is critical to the development of reading proficiency. Yet, many students, having had varied and often limited experiences with formal literacy practices, begin schooling in an interstitial state that might more accurately be called "pre-engagement" where though eager to learn, they are unsure how to fully focus on…

A two-cohort cluster-randomized trial was conducted to estimate effects of small-group supplemental vocabulary instruction for at-risk kindergarten English learners (ELs). Connections students received explicit instruction in high-frequency decodable root words, and interactive book reading (IBR) students were taught the same words in a storybook…

A two-cohort cluster randomized trial was conducted to estimate effects of small-group supplemental vocabulary instruction for at-risk kindergarten English learners (ELs). "Connections" students received explicit instruction in high-frequency decodable root words, and interactive book reading (IBR) students were taught the same words in…