The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of task-based writing instruction, a communicative language-teaching method, on second language acquisition and differentiation of instruction for English language learners during the independent work time instructional component of the Open Court Reading program. Through student-teacher…

U.S. social programs, set up to address important problems, often fall short by funding specific models/strategies ("interventions") that are not effective. When evaluated in scientifically-rigorous studies, social interventions in K-12 education, job training, crime prevention, and other areas are frequently found ineffective or…

The use of visual methods has become increasingly significant to ethnographic research. The possibilities and challenges I experienced using visual research methods in the school ethnography are examined. This paper explores some of the ethical, practical and methodological issues that arise from the use of video, photographs, pictures and images…

Math is not the only topic that will be discussed when young children are asked to care for and count "mealworms," a type of insect larvae (just as caterpillars are the babies of butterflies, these larvae are babies of beetles). The following activity can take place over two months as the beetles undergo metamorphosis from larvae to adults. As the…

In this article, we explore how members of a teacher conversation group, focused on primary students' learning, circulated and instantiated a cultural model of what teaching for literacy meant and how young children learned. We show how, over time, particular discourses around literacy as a quantifiable and measurable skill populated teachers',…

This study reports the measurement of certain aspects of the social interplay of human beings. More specifically, the relations between children and teachers have been investigated by means of an observational study of the behavior of children and teachers in the classroom. (Shortened by ProQuest.) [The dissertation citations contained here are…

Over forty years ago, Howard Zinn identified the problem as not one of civil disobedience, but of civil "obedience". He confronted the problem of remaining obedient to laws and rules even "in the face of the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war and cruelty." Framed in an early childhood context, this article explores the value of…

This article discusses how a brief project-based unit promoted the learning of children in a first-grade classroom. The children attended a public elementary school located in a southeastern university town in the United States. Approximately 94% of the students in the school were from economically disadvantaged families. No children in this…

"Breakthrough to Literacy" is a literacy curriculum for preschool through third grade that introduces students to a book-a-week throughout the year. Students gain exposure to the book-of-the-week through multiple formats: a Big Book, a Take-Me-Home Book, an audio book, and a computerized version. The book-of-the-week serves as the basis…

By using the fairy tale genre, one teacher was able to foster critical literacy in a first-grade classroom. By encouraging a critical perspective, the author reveals how the issues of identity, rules, and power were exposed to the students. The article also portrays how the author engaged in significant learning himself, realizing that to instill…

A multiple-baseline across participants was used to analyze the effects of adding multisensory elements to an explicit, systematic phonics program on the reading achievement of six students identified as treatment resisters. Participants were given 10 minutes of daily instruction in the supplemental program in addition to instruction in the…

"Reading Recovery"[R] is a short-term tutoring intervention intended to serve the lowest-achieving (bottom 20%) first-grade students. The goals of "Reading Recovery"[R] are to promote literacy skills, reduce the number of first-grade students who are struggling to read, and prevent long-term reading difficulties. "Reading…

This report highlights the ongoing discussions between the believers of "online learning" vs. the "not enough proven research" for K-8 cyber schooling. Discussing successful processes and operations in states around the country, the author focuses on Maryland and, in particular, Baltimore schools, and reports that very little…

In this article, three educators share case studies describing racial biases and segregationist practices in early schooling. The authors draw upon critical race theory as a lens and employ critical discourse analysis to uncover classed and raced biases within and across three early childhood contexts. While the cases are situated in specific…

Foldables™ are interactive graphic organizers which encourage student ownership of study material, provide a kinesthetic component to teaching strategies, and promote long-term retention of academic lessons. This study examined the use of Foldables™ to promote the reading and retention of social studies information with third grade students and to…