Engaging students who are reluctant readers is not a one-sided dilemma, but rather a dynamic problem with many facets. This study examined one aspect of this conundrum. While reading is a difficult and challenging task for many, reluctant readers struggle with not only being engaged, but with negative self-perceptions. The fourth grade reluctant…

Literacy skills including reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary development, and other components of literacy are utilized in all content-areas. In transacting with content-based texts, students should have the opportunity to response to content in a manner which is open-ended and thought-provoking. After using dialogue journals in social…

Learners at-risk for disabilities in the classroom often require explicit instruction and practice to master skills. Problem solving involves skills that students encounter in every subject area during the school day. The development of problem solving interventions such as Talk Aloud Problem Solving (TAPS) came from a need to help students with…

The aim of this study is to investigate the perception levels of the messages of didactic fiction texts in fictive context and the student's perception levels of these messages. 80 students attending the grades of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th--20 from each grade--are randomly selected as participants. Under the supervision of specialists, six fictive…

This research investigated reading support and book preferences of fourth grade English language learners (ELLs) who were struggling readers. This qualitative research focused on three case studies. Interviews were conducted to explore ELLs' perceptions on reading motivation, reading programs, and types of support they received. Descriptions of…

As they are naturally curious about the world around them, young children ask lots and lots of questions. In classrooms today, however, there seems to be little space for these student-generated questions as teachers are more likely to pose the questions. Research indicates that question generation is an effective strategy to motivate young…

Struggling readers often lack fluency and motivation and many exhibit dyslexic characteristics. Often these children sit undiagnosed in regular education classroom with interventions that are limited in scope and fail to have the motivational element which will encourage these struggling readers to actively engage in reading and writing. Students…

Programs that promote family literacy, as defined by Hannon (2003), are "programs to teach literacy that acknowledge and make use of learners' family relationships and engagement in family literacy practices." Why are such programs important for young learners? According to Livingston and Wirt (2003), children who have homes with books,…

This quantitative study addresses the problem of reading and behavioral performance in elementary school by examining the impact of a universal preventive intervention on both the proximal and distal outcomes of students in the fourth grade at a mid-western elementary school. These proximal outcomes (disruptions per student per hour) were measured…

Despite efforts from the No Child Left Behind Act (2000) aimed at better educating minority children, the African American-Caucasian test score gap persists. The population of public school students is increasingly diverse; yet, 90% of public school teachers are Caucasian females (Graybill, 1997). Within this ethnographic dichotomy, what effect…

The aim of this study is to investigate the perception levels of the messages of didactic fiction texts in fictive context and the student's perception levels of these messages. 80 students attending the grades of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th 20 from each grade, are randomly selected as participants. Under the supervision of specialists, six fictive…

Literature on age of entry into formal education is inconsistent at best in determining if early or late entry impacts the educational experience in positive or negative ways. The purpose of the current study was to add to the literature by examining the relationship between age of entry into formal education and participation in the Accelerated…

The relationship between the intentional teaching of reading strategies and the increase in reading comprehension was studied. The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) reading pretest and posttest scores of 57 subjects were analyzed to see if there was a significant increase in performance after the reading strategies were taught. The study…

This research investigated reading support and book preferences of fourth grade English language learners (ELLs) who were struggling readers. This qualitative research focused on three case studies. Interviews were conducted to explore ELLs' perceptions on reading motivation, reading programs, and types of support they received. Descriptions of…

The purpose of this research was to determine if reading specialist candidates improve the reading proficiency of their students through the use of digital, technology-based teaching techniques and materials. The candidates were certified teachers who provided individualized and small-group instruction to K-6 children while the candidates were…