Skill in reading comprehension requires reading sentences to understand an intention embedded between the lines. In the case of narrative, it is particularly necessary to read a narrative and find essential concepts such as emotions of the characters embedded between the lines for comprehending an intention of the narrative. In this work, we focus…

During a multifaceted classroom-based study, 22 7- and 8-year-old children had opportunities to develop their understanding of visual art and design elements and diverse narrative structures in picturebooks. The culminating activity of the case study research involved application and transformation of knowledge of the instructional foci as the…

To fully consider the potential of informational texts to serve as mentor texts in the elementary classroom, the authors propose an inquiry about the intersections among the author's intentions, instructional contexts, a teacher's approaches, and students' responses to informational texts when contemplating the roles these texts might serve. In…

The purpose of this study was to illustrate the use of the randomization test for single-case research designs (SCR; Kratochwill & Levin, 2010). To demonstrate the application of this approach, a systematic replication of Grünke, Wilbert, and Calder Stegemann (2013) was conducted to evaluate the effects of a story map to improve the reading…

As the web continues to morph, creating a more interlinked, connected, and hybridized human experience, educators are experiencing a generational shift in terms of comfort with technology. The number of technologies becoming available to students and teachers is dizzying. Within the array of possibility, this research considers three technological…

This action research case study measured the effectiveness of a writing strategy designed to enhance imagery in stories that 3 students with severe writing difficulties (2 were identified as learning disabled, 1 was undergoing assessment) produced during their resource room sessions. The authors combined the use of the self-regulated strategy…

This case study closely examines how John (a former student of mine, age eight, second grade) composed during an informal writing group at school. Using qualitative research methods, I found that John selectively took up conventions, characters, story grammars, themes, and motifs from video games, television, Web pages, and comics. Likening his…

Argues against the idea that story is the primary way that children come to literacy. Presents a case study that shows that, given the chance to interact with information books, young children are not only capable of reading them but eager to do so. (MG)

Presents case study of one child, Scrap, as he uses play and experimentation within a facilitative classroom environment to resolve conflicts related to written language. Classroom practices are described. Shared journal entries are used to illustrate a conscious awareness of how words are written, morphosyntactic aspects of written discourse, and…

In this replication study, supplemental writing instruction in strategic planning was used to improve the story writing ability of young writers with learning disabilities (LD) and poor writing skills. Six 2nd-grade students with learning disabilities who experienced difficulty with story writing were taught a strategy for planning and writing…