A decade after the publication of Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, the influence of John Hattie's statistical work continues to grow. This paper critically examines one aspect of Hattie's 'synthesis' of education meta-analyses, his summation of research data for whole language literacy teaching. Of…

This study, an in-depth qualitative case study (Stake, 1995), framed with the theoretical tenets of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991) focused on fourth-grade students' experiences in literacy instruction that emphasized agency as a reform tool in response to narrowed, standardized reform efforts that left students disengaged (Au, 2007;…

Through an exploration of effective reading instructional approaches and intervention strategies that focuses on struggling readers at the elementary level, an understanding can be gained in knowing what works in the quest to close current reading gaps as identified by the state of study. By knowing the preferred methods of effective teachers'…

An early skill in learning to read has as much to do with hearing how words sound as it does with seeing how words are written. Phonological awareness involves being able to recognize and manipulate the sounds within words. Learning to identify the sounds in words through instruction happens best when the sounds are explicitly connected to the…

The purpose of this study is to find out the enhancement of students' reading comprehension between those who were taught using TPS (Think-PairShare) technique and those who are taught using the Jigsaw technique. The study discussed the recent developments in reading pedagogy. This study used a quantitative research method and comparative design…

Veteran teacher Rachel Harbison used vivid stories to involve kindergartners in sociodramatic play to motivate reading acquisition. Children learned through staged events that a mischievous Word Queen had planted "tricks" in the alphabet (i.e., the irregularities in English spelling) to prevent children from learning to read. The…

Foreign pedagogical ideas, subjected to careful study and criticism from public figures, scientists, teachers of Russia, contribute to the development of russian methods of teaching reading in the second half of the XIX -- early XX centuries. The issue of borrowing Western pedagogical ideas was widely discussed in the works of prominent thinkers…

As reasons to promote the inclusion of graphic novels in the curriculum expand, many teachers have yet to incorporate graphic novels into their teaching repertoire. In this article, two teacher educators describe a systematic approach that they use to teach preservice teachers how to read graphic novels, focusing on specific strategies in three…

Ongoing research-practice conversations between teachers and researchers have identified a practical tension faced by teachers of upper primary/early secondary students whose progress has slowed. Teachers report that a researcher-led push to develop more sophisticated readings of complex texts results in less reading mileage, potentially impacting…

Ten years after publication of two reviews of the evidence on phonics, a number of British policy initiatives have firmly embedded phonics in the curriculum for early reading development. However, uncertainty about the most effective approaches to teaching reading remains. A definitive trial comparing different approaches was recommended in 2006,…

While composition research recognizes the importance of the body and bodily knowledge, literacy instruction, especially as relayed in writing textbooks, often disembodies the material practice of reading. This move, in turn, contributes to normative assumptions about students' corporeal reading experiences. Drawing together scholarship on…

Teachers of elementary English language arts/literacy (ELA) tend to line up behind one of two very different approaches to reading instruction. The first approach prioritizes reading comprehension strategies over content. The second rests on the idea that building background knowledge of the world, including the vocabulary that accompanies such…

The purpose of this action research piece was to discuss my experience with teaching close reading in the urban classroom using autoethnographic methods. It explains ideas and challenges that I encountered when teaching close reading in conjunction with close reading strategies. I detail close reading strategies and explain how they can be used…

This action research study guided teachers in the development of a growth mindset approach to reading instruction during 4 pivotal years of reading development. To address the academic and cognitive needs of emerging readers, teachers developed an approach to reading instruction with specific growth mindset applications by adapting existing…

Motivation, a major contributor to the acquisition of language skills, can be promoted consciously through principled methods. This study investigated the impact of cooperative learning (CL) on foreign language (FL) learners' motivation in Iran. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were applied to pursue the aims of this study. The…