3rd Grade Teachers Research Articles

Examining the Impact of Integrating Physical Activity on Fluid Intelligence and Academic Performance in an Elementary School Setting: A Preliminary Investigation

To examine the impact of integrating physical activity with elementary curricula on fluid intelligence and academic achievement. A random sample of 3rd grade teachers integrated physical activity into their core curricula approximately 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week from January 2008 to April 2008. Noninvasive fluid intelligence cognitive measures were used along with State-mandated academic achievement tests. Experimental Group children averaged close to 1200 pedometer steps per integration day, thus averaging 3600 steps per week. Children in the Experimental Group performed significantly better on the SPM Fluid Intelligence Test. Children in the Experimental Group also performed significantly better on the Social Studies State mandated academic achievement test. Experimental Group children also received higher scores on the English/Language Arts, Math and Science achievements tests, but were not statistically significant compared with Control Group children. Children classified in Fitnessgram's Healthy Fitness Zone for BMI earned lower scores on many of the SPM Fluid Intelligence components. This investigation provides evidence that movement can influence fluid intelligence and should be considered to promote cognitive development of elementary-age children. Equally compelling were the differences in SPM Fluid Intelligence Test scores for children who were distinguished by Fitnessgram's BMI cut points.

The Role of Content in Inquiry-Based Elementary Science Lessons: An Analysis of Teacher Beliefs and Enactment

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Video Study explored instructional practices in the United States (US) in comparison with other countries that ranked higher on the 1999 TIMSS assessment, and revealed that 8th grade science teachers in the US emphasize activities over content during lessons (Roth et al. 2006). This study applies the content framework from the TIMSS Video Study to a sample of 28 3rd grade teachers enacting an inquiry-based unit on floating and sinking, and seeks a deeper understanding of teachers’ practices through analysis of interviews with those teachers. Transcripts of observed lessons were coded according to the TIMSS framework for types of content, and transcripts of teacher interviews were coded to capture the ways in which teachers described their role in and purposes for teaching science, particularly with respect to the floating and sinking unit. Results indicate that teachers focused more on canonical, procedural and experimental knowledge during lessons than on real-world connections and the nature of science; however, none of the types of content received major emphasis in a majority of the classrooms in the sample. During interviews, teachers described their practice in ways that prioritized helping students to like science over specific content outcomes. The study suggests that elementary school teachers’ emphasis on doing and feeling during inquiry-based lessons may interfere with teaching of content.

Teaching by Genre

Neither back-to-basics nor reform-oriented practices are sufficient by themselves for successful learning in math. Incorporating both approaches presents richer options for student learning. For some time now, the math wars have pitted back-to-basics educators against those promoting reform-oriented practices. Some mathematicians and educators have argued that children need to practice time-tested algorithms in classrooms that use worksheets and have teachers who provide positive feedback for right answers and corrective feedback for wrong ones. Others have argued that children need to engage in meaningful discussions about problems that encourage invented algorithms or multiple solution paths (O'Brien 2007). One result of this debate is the emergence of two mutually exclusive images of ideal classroom practice. In one, children sit in orderly rows, repeatedly computing the answers to similar problems until they achieve mastery. In the other, children engage in lively conversations over unusual bits of mathematics and concern themselves more with their own thinking and that of their classmates than with the production of right answers. In reality, most teachers' practices fall somewhere between these two extremes, including both episodes of shared problem solving and computational practice. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The mathematics education research community has tended to portray this diversity of practice as a problem to be corrected (Boaler 1998; Spillane 1999). However, including both reform-oriented and traditional teaching can be seen as a good thing - allowing more students to be successful and offering a broader image of mathematics in our world. TEACHING GENRES If we think of teaching strategies like genres of books, the need for variety becomes more apparent. You might love to read mysteries in bed before falling asleep, but if you want to impress your neighbors with your chocolate souffle, you need to turn to another genre. Just as genres of books have different styles, different purposes, and different attractions for readers, so do genres ofteaching (Bakhtin 1986). A classroom that offers students only discussions or only worksheets is shortchanging students who might be drawn to other genres and is presenting a narrow view of mathematics. I saw the power of drawing on diverse genres of teaching during the year I spent observing Diana (a pseudonym), an experienced 3rd-grade teacher in an urban school. Diana, who has engaged in many professional development activities in mathematics, routinely draws from multiple genres in her classroom because she believes that these diverse experiences allow her children to engage with mathematics in multiple ways. During the year I spent in her classroom, I saw students tackle problems in groups, explain their own invented algorithms, take timed tests on multiplication facts, answer fact-based questions in quick succession, chronicle multiple solution paths in their journals, work series of similar problems in the math books, and engage in mathematical debates. Because Diana saw me as a representative of the university, she sometimes apologized when I visited during a more traditional activity, but I soon recognized that during these activities, different student voices dominated the classroom than those heard most frequently during more reform-oriented activities. As a result, I became interested in the different portrayals of mathematics in each of the genres present in Diana's classroom as well as the different opportunities available for student participation and success. MATH GENRES One of the most common genres in Diana's classroom was Mathematical Discussions. During these conversations, the object of discussion was generally a mathematical idea or process, rather than an answer. Diana frequently challenged students' answers by asking them to explain or by presenting counterexamples; and many students participated, sometimes talking to each other. …

Enhancing mathematical problem solving among third-grade students with schema-based instruction.

The purposes of this study were to assess the effects of schema-based instruction (SBI) in promoting mathematical problem solving and to investigate schema induction as a mechanism in the development of mathematical problem solving. Twenty-four 3rd-grade teachers, with 366 students, were assigned randomly to conditions that provided instruction on 4 types of word problems. The 3 16-week conditions were contrast, SBI, and SBI with practice in sorting word problems into schemas. Students were pre- and posttested on mathematical problem-solving tests and were posttested on schema development. Students receiving SBI, with and without sorting practice, improved more than the contrast group on problem-solving measures. Concurrently, the SBI groups' schema development exceeded that of the contrast group, and schema development explained a substantial portion of unique variance in students' posttreatment problem-solving performance. Results also suggested the need for additional research testing the contribution of practice in sorting word problems.

Explicitly teaching for transfer: Effects on third-grade students' mathematical problem solving.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of explicitly teaching for transfer by (a) broadening the categories by which students group problems requiring the same solution methods and (b) prompting students to search novel problems for these broad categories. This transfer treatment was combined with instruction on solution methods. The effectiveness of a combined treatment (transfer-plus-solution instruction) was contrasted to solution instruction alone and to teacher-designed instruction. Twenty-four 3rd-grade teachers, with 375 students, were assigned randomly to conditions. Treatments were conducted for 16 weeks. Improvement on immediate- and near-transfer measures supported the utility of solution instruction. Improvement on near- and far-transfer measures revealed the added contribution of explicitly teaching for transfer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Enhancing third-grade student' mathematical problem solving with self-regulated learning strategies.

The authors assessed the contribution of self-regulated learning strategies (SRL), when combined with problem-solving transfer instruction (L. S. Fuchs et al., 2003), on 3rd-graders' mathematical problem solving. SRL incorporated goal setting and self-evaluation. Problem-solving transfer instruction taught problem-solution methods, the meaning of transfer, and 4 superficial-problem features that change a problem without altering its type or solution; it also prompted metacognitive awareness to transfer. The authors contrasted the effectiveness of transfer plus SRL to the transfer treatment alone and to teacher-designed instruction. Twenty-four 3rd-grade teachers, with 395 students, were assigned randomly to conditions. Treatments were conducted for 16 weeks. Students were pre- and posttested on problem-solving tests and responded to a posttreatment questionnaire tapping self-regulation processes. SRL positively affected performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Border Catholic Schools: Unique Stakeholder Alliances (Part I)

This article, the first of a two-part series, presents an analysis of data extracted from the dissertation The Impact of Catholic Schooling on Low-Income Mexican-American Students (Watt, 1999). The research was prompted by the author’s interest in The Coleman Report of 1966, a controversial document that claimed multiply-disadvantaged minority Catholic school students outperformed their public school counterparts. This study was qualitative in nature, exploring four case studies of 3rd-grade teachers, their schools, and their classrooms in a Hispanic cultural context. Findings will be presented in Part II.

Classroom "Families": Cooperating or Competing-Girls' and Boys' Interactional Styles in a Bilingual Classroom

This article examines how students use gendered discourse practices in small peer group settings to accomplish their school tasks. The analysis contributes to the separate worlds hypothesis by showing how Latino children interactionally orient to their peer group as a gendered context. For 1 academic year, observations were made in an elementary bilingual classroom. The target 3rd-grade teacher referred to her student groups as "families," a label that emerged as a legitimizing metaphor for the group's collective action. In cooperating and competing to accomplish their school tasks, the students strategically used Spanish and English. Further, the girls in the "family" adopted a brokering role to facilitate group cooperation much as they would in their actual families. For bilingual children, gender differences are played out within a cultural milieu created at the junctures of home and classroom and at the intersection of language and ethnic identity.

Attribution Feedback in the Elementary Classroom

This study investigates the types of feedback statements utilized by 3rd-grade teachers during mathematics instruction. It considers how these statements might affect numerous education variables from the perspective of attribution theory (Weiner et al., 1971). The goal of the study was to create and test a coding scheme by which attribution feedback can be reliably identified. Twenty teachers were observed, and feedback statements were analyzed. The results support a conceptual relationship between feedback and attribution theory, and indicate that teachers rarely provide students with attributionally informative feedback. Implications for motivation, achievement, and teacher training are discussed.

A Four Year Follow‐up Study of Low Socioeconomic Status, Latin American Children with Reading Difficulties

This paper presents the results of a follow‐up study of reading difficulties among Spanish‐speaking Latin American children of low socioeconomic background (SES) over four school years. The research started with a group of 93 children with reading difficulties (RD) by 2nd and 3rd grade teachers in four schools and a control group of 63 children without reading difficulties (ND), belonging to the same schools. Both groups were equivalent in age, grade, gender and SES. All children were tested on reading decoding and comprehension, reading and writing pseudo‐words, verbal abilities, visual perception, phonological processing, and the WISC‐R. Neither SES nor IQ accounted significantly for the reading difficulties in the RD group. The most predictive variables of the final reading level in the RD group were phonological processing, verbal abilities, and the initial level of decoding. After four years, 17% of the initial RD children had reached an average level of reading, but 11% of this group remained with severe reading difficulties and may be considered as dyslexic children. The RD children who became average readers were not significantly different from the control group in verbal abilities, nor in phonological processing. Nevertheless, they were significantly different in terms of IQ scores. The neuropsychological characteristics of the children with severe reading difficulties appear similar to those found in children with dyslexia in more developed countries.

Teacher/Mothers: Effects of a Dual Role

A series of in-depth interviews was used to document how 18 kindergarten through 3rd grade teachers who were also mothers of young children (teacher/mothers) perceived the effects of their dual role During Phase I, informants described aspects of the teacher/mother role. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data and identify recurring themes. In Phase II, a structured 4-part interview schedule was used to investigate in more detail how expectations, the most prevalent theme, affected the participants. Responses to limited-choice questions in Phase II were assigned a rank order on the basis of averages of ratings for individual items. Three major conclusions were reached. First, the informants believed that the roles complemented each other and that the role interactions were mainly beneficial Five specific advantages of the dual role were identified. Second, expectations involving both roles were seen as ambiguous, and in certain circumstances, unrealistically high. Ten specific problem areas were listed in order of importance to the informants. Third, the teacher/mothers believed that they had gained insights and learned strategies for coping with and benefiting from their dual role. Six specific strategies were described. The results were discussed in terms of their support for previous studies, as an impetus for further research and their practical application in the professional development of teachers.

Teacher/Mothers: Effects of a Dual Role

A series of in-depth interviews was used to document how 18 kindergarten through 3rd grade teachers who were also mothers of young children (teacher/mothers) perceived the effects of their dual role During Phase I, informants described aspects of the teacher/mother role. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data and identify recurring themes. In Phase II, a structured 4-part interview schedule was used to investigate in more detail how expectations, the most prevalent theme, affected the participants. Responses to limited-choice questions in Phase II were assigned a rank order on the basis of averages of ratings for individual items. Three major conclusions were reached. First, the informants believed that the roles complemented each other and that the role interactions were mainly beneficial Five specific advantages of the dual role were identified. Second, expectations involving both roles were seen as ambiguous, and in certain circumstances, unrealistically high. Ten specific problem areas were listed in order of importance to the informants. Third, the teacher/mothers believed that they had gained insights and learned strategies for coping with and benefiting from their dual role. Six specific strategies were described. The results were discussed in terms of their support for previous studies, as an impetus for further research and their practical application in the professional development of teachers.

Effective Spelling Instruction

The Elementary School Journal Volume 83, Number 5 ? 1983 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 0013-5984/83/8305-0002$01.00 Even though most elementary schools devote considerable time to spelling instruction, the public, as well as many professionals, are concerned that schools are not doing an adequate job of teaching spelling (Graham & Miller 1979). Although there are many possible reasons some students have difficulty learning to spell words correctly, unsatisfactory spelling progress may be attributed in part to at least three instructional factors. First, spelling instruction is strongly influenced by commercial materials that form the foundation of most spelling programs. Several investigators, however, have questioned the adequacy of current spelling texts. In a study designed to examine the efficacy of textbook exercises, Cohen (1969) found that spelling books often contained numerous activities that were irrelevant and inappropriate. For example, exercises that called attention to silent letters and inflectional endings were ineffective, while some activities involving phonetic respelling and homophones actually deterred learning. According to an investigation conducted by Graves (1976), many spelling texts contain a large proportion of the exercises that were shown to be of debatable value in the Cohen study. In addition, research by Cronnell and Humes (1980) revealed that spelling books generally offer a minimal amount of instructional practice and rarely require students to generate spelling words in response to their own needs. Spelling skills are also impeded because contemporary classroom instruction usually does not account for the wide range of spelling abilities and achievement appar-