Syntactic knowledge, the implicit and explicit knowledge of syntax, is a necessary--but often overlooked--component of proficient reading (e.g., Deacon & Kieffer, 2018). Though some research exists on effective syntactic instruction, such as sentence combining (Neville & Searls, 1985; Wilkinson & Patty, 1993), researchers have called…

The problem addressed in this research study was that strategies used by literacy coaches to train teachers to improve elementary level reading instruction are often not effective. The purpose of this qualitative narrative analysis study was to gain insight into the perspectives of teachers and literacy coaches in one school district in South…

Influenced by current legislation calling for full alignment to the science of reading, literacy instruction in Ohio has started shifting. Additionally, Ohio has devoted funds for literacy coaching to improve students' literacy achievement outcomes on state assessments. This correlative study analyzed the relationship between school districts that…

Statement of Purpose and Method of Study: This descriptive research aimed to explore third-grade reading laws in nine southeastern states. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 participants from the states included in this study and integrated both quantitative archival reading assessment data and qualitative interview data…

Instructional coaches are facing challenges as they support our schools with the implementation of evidence-based practices. Tasked with helping teachers address learning gaps after the pandemic, coupled with providing general support to schools, coaches have a challenging workload. This study undertook a rigorous intervention designed to improve…

Only 35% of fourth graders in the United States can read at the proficient level, and only 34% of eighth graders can read proficiently (National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP], 2022). The purpose of this study was to determine how preservice teachers (PSTs) describe their experience of the methodology of teaching reading in their…

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into how elementary school leaders work collaboratively to foster Science of Reading instructional strategies to enhance early literacy. A multiple case study design was implemented whereby six elementary schools in the metro Birmingham area were purposely selected based on their documented increases…

The problem explored by this study was that teachers' perspectives are not implemented when selecting and utilizing phonics instruction in kindergarten through second grade classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore primary teachers' rationales and experiences when choosing and implementing phonics instruction in primary…

Success in social studies is imperative, as civic literacy skills are used by students to become critical consumers of information and support making informed decisions. The problem is that teachers are making instructional shifts to support literacy performance and provide instruction for struggling readers in third and fourth grade to read,…

This qualitative study explored the perspectives of literacy teachers in grades 3-6 regarding how the Science of Reading (SoR) has influenced teacher beliefs and instructional practices in relation to fostering students' critical literacy skills. The research was framed around the following three questions: What are literacy teachers' current…

Literacy coaches serve in a multitude of roles and play a critical role in bridging district and school priorities (Walpole and Blamey, 2008; Steckel, 2009). Currently, coaches and teachers are navigating a national policy shift to Science of Reading (SoR) aligned instruction, and educators want more than a new curriculum (Schwartz, 2022). This…

This research explored principals' perceived leadership content knowledge around literacy by examining the relationship between principals' perceptions of their own literacy knowledge and the actions that they took to support teachers' literacy instruction. A sampling group included seven elementary principals and 25 elementary teachers from Title…

This research advocates for content integration and literacy-based practices in the world of reading and mathematics education, as well as the connection to outside sources that can either positively or negatively impact learning. More importantly, this research explored the connection to literacy and mathematics instruction as it pertains to…

My dissertation is structured as follows: introduction, background, methods, findings in the form of a PowerPoint presentation designed for teachers at my school and "Reading Teacher" article, and implications. Introduction: In response to my students underperforming in language arts I developed my research question; How can I use…

In this action research study, I designed, taught, and analyzed results of a unit in my eighth grade English language arts classroom. The unit focused on supporting students' critical reading of online texts. My research questions were: (1) Within a focal unit, how did I support my students' critical reading of online sources? (2) Within a focal…