Literacy Engagement Research Articles

The potential of intersectional and reciprocal approaches in the education of newcomer students

ABSTRACT This study addresses the challenges faced by newcomer students in the host country’s education system. It emphasizes the importance of creating learning communities around these learners. To achieve this goal, we assisted various stakeholders including parents and educators in transcending language differences by examining each other’s educational system. Our approach aimed to cultivate positive identities within the context of transnational experiences, highlighting mobility as an asset in the host school system, challenging the prevailing deficit-oriented view of migration. Grounded in critical interculturalism and social justice principles, we studied STEM curricula from students’ home countries and created resources to encourage dialogue among school stakeholders. We proposed workshops for teachers and parents, emphasizing the recognition of intersectional identities and promoting reciprocal knowledge. Results show the effectiveness of intersectionality in understanding the complexities of individual trajectories while reciprocal knowledge revealed essential in fostering mutual understanding between families and teachers. Ultimately, the research seeks to revitalize literacy engagement for English Language Learners in STEM, promoting inclusivity and equity in education.

Creative Pedagogy in Information Literacy

Creative pedagogy is not well defined and has not yet received much attention in the field of library and information science. This research employed constructivist grounded theory, through semi-structured interviews conducted with library information literacy instructors, to better understand the role of creative pedagogy in information literacy. The aim of the research was to synthesize findings into a theory to better understand how and to what extent creative pedagogy is being applied in the teaching of information literacy. The findings show that although they do not necessarily use the language of creativity, many library instructors are integrating elements of creative pedagogy into their teaching. Perceived challenges, such as being a guide or guest in someone else’s classroom and in connecting with students around information, as well as opportunities in both the physical and virtual classroom spaces, seem to require a shift in the way information literacy engagement takes place. Library instructors recognize the need for these shifts but many struggle to implement an alternative approach in the information classroom. At the same time, library instructors face several barriers, including a lack of preparation for their teaching role and the limitations of the one-shot instruction session.

Modeling individual differences in vocabulary development: A large-scale study on Japanese heritage speakers.

This study examines when the vocabulary knowledge of Japanese heritage speakers (HSs; N = 427, Mage = 9.96, female = 213) begins to diverge from monolingual counterparts (N = 136, Mage = 6.69, female = 65) and what factors explain individual differences in HS development. Vocabulary of HSs began to diverge from 5.61 years and this difference lasted until they were young adults. We also administered a fit-for-purpose questionnaire in 2021-2023 and identified six experiential latent factors: Holiday, School, Community, Proficiency, Literacy, and Home. Structural modeling indicates that Holiday predicted vocabulary scores, while Holiday and Literacy predicted Proficiency. Our findings highlight the importance of immersion experiences and literacy engagement for heritage language development.

Reconfiguring the Sanctions of Schooled Literacy Through Living Literacies

AbstractIn this article, the author argues that living literacies—relational, embodied forms of literacy engagement—are an integral component of literacy engagement and hold the potential to disrupt and reconfigure the power structures embedded within schooled literacy. Drawing on affect theory and rhizomatic theory, the author analyzes youths’ literacy engagement in a seventh‐grade English Language Arts and Reading classroom in a New York City public school. This research addresses how schooled literacy, constructed through a sanctioned educational system, potentially dehumanizes students who diverge from the idealized curricular norm, while a focus on living literacies challenges these limitations. Central to this study is the rhizomatic approach of tracing and mapping to analyze the complexities between imposed schooled literacy engagement and living literacies engagement. The author presents findings through two sections: (1) an analysis of the sanctioning power of schooled literacy and (2) an analysis of living literacies through youths’ in‐class literate engagement. Findings demonstrate how schooled literacy practices become normalized and sanction what types of literacy engagement are valued in the classroom—and, therefore, transfer value to students themselves. However, by mapping assemblaging moments of living literacies, including socially charged interactions and spontaneous peer assistance, findings provide insight into how embodied, interrelational forms of literacy engagement offer opportunities for reconfiguring the sanctions of schooled literacy. The author concludes by discussing implications for policy, practice, and research, advocating for a shift toward more humanizing, interrelational, and embodied forms of literacy engagement in school spaces.

Caregivers’ reports of the home literacy environments of children with developmental language disorder and typically developing peers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) are at heightened risk for reading difficulty. We investigated the home literacy environments of kindergarten children with DLD and typically developing (TD) peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method We analysed scores from standardised assessments of oral language, nonverbal intelligence, and word reading in conjunction with home literacy questionnaire data at three time points. Result Frequency of engagement in home literacy activities did not differ by group during school closures or when schools reopened. Caregivers from both groups reported increased home literacy engagement during closures. Engagement returned to pre-pandemic levels when schools reopened. For the DLD group, the child’s word reading ability and interest in literacy were positively associated with the home literacy environment. Family history of language and/or literacy difficulty was negatively associated with the home literacy environment. For the TD group, only the child’s interest in literacy was positively associated with the home literacy environment. Conclusion These findings elucidate the need for further research related to home literacy and families of children with DLD, with a focus on identifying potential strengths and vulnerabilities related to child and caregiver factors.

Development of Literacy Engagement in Chinese Students with Varying Language Proficiencies

The objective of this study is to develop literacy engagement in Chinese students with varying language proficiencies through teacher-written corrective feedback. Drawing on Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Boekaerts and Corno’s self-regulation theory, the research aims to understand how corrective feedback influences literacy engagement and language proficiency. The study employs a qualitative analysis of student responses and reflective journals with quantitative measures of language proficiency and engagement metrics. The research site includes Chinese university classrooms with both low-proficiency (LP) and high-proficiency (HP) students. Key informants are LP and HP students who receive teacher-written corrective feedback. Data analysis involves thematic coding of student responses and statistical analysis of language proficiency scores and engagement levels. Results show that LP students initially display passive engagement but improve with targeted feedback, while HP students demonstrate active engagement and advanced literacy skills. The study suggests tailored pedagogical strategies for LP students and challenges for HP students to enhance literacy engagement and language proficiency.

Influences of internet access on civic knowledge measurement in Taiwan

Internet-related issues have influenced how civic knowledge is educated and measured. The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) is a well-known large-scale assessment concerning how civic knowledge is educated and measured globally. Regardless of the emerging roles of internet access and usage, the influences of internet access on civic knowledge have yet to be investigated in ICCS research. Hence, this study aims to study whether the multiple-choice items in the civic knowledge test of ICCS 2016 are affected by internet access, what causes the effect, and to what degree Internet access influences the measurement. Results indicated that the ICCS civic knowledge test included six differential item functioning (DIF) items on internet access, of which five favored families with internet access, and one favored families without internet access. In addition, the primary source of DIF items was highly related to socioeconomic status. Overall, the students in families where the internet was available possessed higher civic knowledge than the students who were not. In conclusion, this study provides evidence of item inequivalence and identifies suspicious sources. These results can be used as a basis to investigate related research on digital learning, online teaching, and social media engagement in civic literacy.

Family Engagement in Literacy: Summer Ideas to Promote Family Engagement in Literacy Education

Family Engagement in Literacy: Summer Ideas to Promote Family Engagement in Literacy Education

It's about time! Exploring time allocation patterns of adults with lower literacy skills on a digital assessment.

Despite the necessity for adults with lower literacy skills to undergo and succeed in high-stakes computer-administered assessments (e.g., GED, HiSET), there remains a gap in understanding their engagement with digital literacy assessments. This study analyzed process data, specifically time allocation data, from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), to investigate adult respondents' patterns of engagement across all proficiency levels on nine digital literacy items. We used cluster analysis to identify distinct groups with similar time allocation patterns among adults scoring lower on the digital literacy assessment. Finally, we employed logistic regression to examine whether the groups varied by demographic factors, in particular individual (e.g., race/ethnicity, age) and contextual factors (e.g., skills-use at home). Adults with lower literacy skills spent significantly less time on many of the items than adults with higher literacy skills. Among adults with lower literacy skills, two groups of time allocation patterns emerged: one group (Cluster 1) exhibited significantly longer engagement times, whereas the other group (Cluster 2) demonstrated comparatively shorter durations. Finally, we found that adults who had a higher probability of Cluster 1 membership (spending more time) exhibited relatively higher literacy scores, higher self-reported engagement in writing skills at home, were older, unemployed, and self-identified as Black. These findings emphasize differences in digital literacy engagement among adults with varying proficiency levels. Additionally, this study provides insights for the development of targeted interventions aimed at improving digital literacy assessment outcomes for adults with lower literacy skills.

Family Engagement in Literacy: Is It Worth the Effort?

Family Engagement in Literacy: Is It Worth the Effort?

Initial evaluation of the TALES (technology and literacy engagement after stroke) programme targeting functional literacy and social engagement in people with aphasia after stroke

ABSTRACT Background and aims Literacy skills are typically affected in people with stroke aphasia, leading to reduced engagement in functional everyday reading/writing tasks, such as email/messaging via social media. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of the TALES (Technology And Literacy Engagement after Stroke) programme, a group-based online literacy-focused programme for people with aphasia after stroke. This first evaluation of this programme aimed to examine outcomes related to feasibility, changes in language, literacy and self-ratings of communication skills. Methods Five participants with aphasia were assessed on a range of outcome measures relating to language and self-perception of communication skills. These were: the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R; (Kertesz, 2007)), literacy subtests from the Psycholinguistic Assessment of Language Processing in Aphasia (PALPA; (Kay et al., 1996)) and the Communication Outcomes after Stroke (COAST; (Long et al., 2008)). TALES consisted of a weekly group online session, 1:1 supported telehealth reading/writing practice and regular messaging via email. Results and main contribution From a descriptive statistics perspective, the mean gains across the cohort were 7.94 (from 84.24 to 92.18) on the WAB AQ (aphasia quotient), 8.92 (from 81.18 to 90.10) on the WAB LQ (language quotient). Additionally, there was a change in the mean scores for PALPA subtests (31, 37 and 40) observed between the pre-treatment assessment and post-treatment assessment. Finally, the mean score increased by 8.8 (from 49.40 to 58.20) on the COAST (max score = 80). Results indicated gains in literacy and communication measures as well as changes to self-rating of communication reflecting changes in communication confidence. Conclusions Mindful of the threats to the internal validity inherent in the study design, the reported online therapy can overcome barriers such as distance and mobility limitations and may provide greater accessibility to therapy for individuals with aphasia. TALES was a low-therapist-input yet reasonably intensive treatment approach which embedded language practice immediately in functional use through the social group format and personally-relevant written communication. Implications The TALES programme meets many neuroscience principles of neurorehabilitation including “use it or lose it”, salience and transference. Future research may usefully investigate the contribution of the group format versus the functional literacy components towards these potentially promising early data.

“I’m Outside the Box. Too Outside the Box, I Explode It!”: Exploring Literacies of Dignity with Middle School Youth

Dignity is an important construct for all students, especially those whose voices and perspectives have been historically relegated to the margins because of their racial, ethnic, and linguistic identities. With recent legislation that stands to further calcify the systemic oppression and racial violence that remains so deeply entrenched in US schools, it is urgent to understand how minoritized students broker dignity—or feelings of self-worth, value, and well-being—while navigating multiple and oftentimes intersectional keloids of dehumanization. Currently, we know very little about how dignity is developed and enacted by students within educational settings, and even less attention is paid to how literacy factors into these engagements. To address this gap, my paper is guided by the following inquiry, explored within the context of a yearlong youth participatory action research class: How do BIPOC, middle school youth leverage critical literacies and epistemologies to negotiate dignity? Data for this paper, which were drawn from a larger, critical ethnographic study, were analyzed using what I name as a literacies of dignity framework that utilized theories of critical literacies (Freire, 1970/2000; Janks, 2013), felt dignity (Gallagher, 2004; Stephens & Kanov, 2017), and youth epistemologies (Filipiak, 2020; Green et al., 2020; Kelly, 2023) to explore how middle school youth examined and critiqued three sites of devaluation: media, schooling, and adult/youth relationships. Findings reveal important ways youth were able to reimagine ways of being together and caring for one another in social, educational, and even global contexts that rendered them disposable, leveraging critical literacy engagements to broker moments of collective intimacy and vulnerability. This, in turn, fueled their sense of dignity, offering important implications for justice-centered literacy education.

Affordances of Multilingual and Multimodal Literacy Engagements of Immigrant High School Students: A Scoping Review

This article presents a scoping review of literacy research that employs multilingual and multimodal literacy narratives and discussions as tools for enabling immigrant youth to explore their intersectional identities and experiences of inequality. It encourages a re-examination of emerging educational/societal issues, incorporating these interventions as a catalyst for discussion. Utilizing a descriptive-analytic approach for data extraction, this scoping review has mapped out prevailing trends in the literature, research methodologies employed, and the types and objectives of multilingual and multimodal literacy interventions. The findings underscore a growing trend over the past decade in adopting multilingual and multimodal literacy interventions with immigrant youth, often employing collaborative research approaches such as participatory action research. The most frequently utilized multilingual and multimodal texts in such studies include digital storytelling materials (comprising images and video), spoken word poetry, photographs, and bilingual books. These interventions are typically designed to (a) encourage youth to express their knowledge, experiences, and identities; (b) examine and address educational and societal issues and opportunities; and (c) challenge dominant ideologies, practices, and discourses through the voices of immigrant youth. The review discusses the transformative possibilities for immigrant youth and encourages rethinking the language learning, literacy, and curriculum process. The data advocates for eclectic approaches and interventions to help newcomer youth understand their lived experiences and societal issues and encourages educators to respond in kind.

Family Engagement in Literacy: Revisiting Some Tried-and-True Ideas to Promote Students’ Reading at Home

Family Engagement in Literacy: Revisiting Some Tried-and-True Ideas to Promote Students’ Reading at Home

Cognitive reserve: the association between lifestyle enrichment and incident dementia

AbstractBackgroundWhether socially and mentally stimulating activities in older age can contribute to cognitive reserve and influence dementia risk remains unclear. This study investigated the association between lifestyle enrichment and dementia risk in older individuals, after adjusting for education, socioeconomic status and a range of health‐related factors.MethodData came from a cohort of community‐dwelling adults aged 70+ recruited in Australia, who were generally healthy and without major cognitive impairment at baseline. Exploratory factor analysis was performed using 19 individual measures of leisure activities and social networks. The adjusted association between seven composite factors of lifestyle enrichment and incident dementia was examined using Cox proportional hazards regression.ResultAmong 10,318 participants, more frequent engagement in adult literacy (writing, computer usage and education classes) and active mental activities (games/cards/chess, crosswords/puzzles) was associated with an 11% (95% CI: 0.85‐0.93) and a 9% (95% CI: 0.87‐0.95) lower risk of dementia respectively. To a lesser extent, participation in creative artistic (craftwork/woodwork/metalwork, painting/drawing) (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88‐0.99) and passive mental activities (reading, watching television, music/radio listening) (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.86‐0.99) were also associated with reduced dementia risk. In contrast, interpersonal networks, social activities and external outings were not associated with dementia risk in this sample.ConclusionThese findings may guide policies for geriatric care and interventions targeting dementia prevention for older adults. Engagement in adult literacy, creative art, as well as active and passive mental activities, may help reduce dementia risk in late life.

Empowering Minds: Multimodal Literacies, Fanfiction, and Inclusive Education

This article critically examines the intricate relationship between literacy and multimedia, focusing on multimodal literacies within the framework of educational equity. It navigates intersections among literacy, social-emotional learning, and educational equity, expanding from the analysis of fanfiction as mentor texts to the transformative empowerment of communities through technology integration. Connections between literacy engagement and cultural practices are explored through the lens of enhancing opportunities for English language learning. By tracing the historical roots of fanfiction and scrutinizing its contemporary manifestations in popular culture, this article explores the potential of multimodal literacies. These concepts cultivate literacy skills and foster creativity, empathy, and inclusivity—especially crucial for diverse learners, including those embarking on the journey of English language acquisition. Serving as a comprehensive resource, the article provides nuanced insights into the multifaceted ways in which multimodal literacies can effectively bridge the engagement gap. It offers practical applications, outlining a path towards a more equitable and enriching educational landscape in the digital age, with a specific focus on promoting linguistic proficiency among English language learners. The article stands as a valuable guide for educators, researchers, and practitioners, offering concrete strategies for leveraging multimodal literacies to create inclusive and empowering learning environments.

Family Engagement in Literacy: Moving from Monologue to Dialogue and Focusing on Joy to Promote Family Engagement in Literacy

Family Engagement in Literacy: Moving from Monologue to Dialogue and Focusing on Joy to Promote Family Engagement in Literacy

Mother–infant shared book reading in the first year of life

AbstractThis study examined verbal and non‐verbal features of mother–infant shared book reading in Australia during the first year of life and explored the relationship between these features and infant cognition. Mother–infant dyads were observed in this cross‐sectional study reading an unfamiliar book in a laboratory setting when infants were aged 6 months (n = 17), 9 months (n = 14), or 12 months (n = 17). High frequency maternal behaviours coded from video were the production of attention attracting behaviours, immediate talk, and verbal encouragement to maintain infant book engagement. Few significant relationships were found for infant problem‐solving scores. Infant communication scores were however associated with non‐immediate talk at 6 months, maternal questions at 9 months, and non‐book related talk at 12 months. Shared book reading provides opportunities for verbal responsiveness and literacy engagement which likely serve as an important vehicle for facilitating early cognitive development.

Home literacy environment and early biliteracy engagement and attainment: A gendered perspective

ABSTRACT This mixed-methods study was designed to examine how different home literacy environments shape gender differences in Chinese-Canadian first graders’ (N = 76) bilingual lexical attainment and literacy engagement. Quantitative analyses indicated that girls outperform boys in both Chinese (L1) and English (L2) vocabulary. Gender differences were not associated with the quantity of language exposure at home in either language but rather with the quality of home language input. Home Language Quality was found to be differentially associated with gender, with boys receiving quality input in both languages at home. Results reveal that parents engaged in more quality home literacy practices with girls than boys. Parental expectations and beliefs in gender differences, particularly girls’ superiority in language learning and self-regulation, shaped gendered home literacy engagement.

Lifestyle Enrichment in Later Life and Its Association With Dementia Risk

Lifestyles enriched with socially and mentally stimulating activities in older age may help build cognitive reserve and reduce dementia risk. To investigate the association of leisure activities and social networks with dementia risk among older individuals. This longitudinal prospective cohort study used population-based data from the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) for March 1, 2010, to November 30, 2020. Community-dwelling individuals in Australia aged 70 years or older who were generally healthy and without major cognitive impairment at enrollment were recruited to the ALSOP study between March 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014. Data were analyzed from December 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. A total of 19 measures of leisure activities and social networks assessed at baseline were classified using exploratory factor analysis. Dementia was adjudicated by an international expert panel according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria. Cox proportional hazards regression examined dementia risk over 10 years, adjusting for education, socioeconomic status, and a range of health-related factors. This study included 10 318 participants. Their median age was 73.8 (IQR, 71.6-77.2) years at baseline, more than half (52.6%) were women, and most self-identified as White (98.0%). In adusted analyses, more frequent engagement in adult literacy activities (eg, writing letters or journaling, using a computer, and taking education classes) and in active mental activities (eg, playing games, cards, or chess and doing crosswords or puzzles) was associated with an 11.0% (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.89 [95% CI, 0.85-0.93]) and a 9.0% (AHR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.87-0.95]) lower risk of dementia, respectively. To a lesser extent, engagement in creative artistic activities (craftwork, woodwork, or metalwork and painting or drawing) (AHR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.88-0.99]) and in passive mental activities (reading books, newspapers, or magazines; watching television; and listening to music or the radio) (AHR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.86-0.99]) was also associated with reduced dementia risk. In contrast, interpersonal networks, social activities, and external outings were not associated with dementia risk in this sample. These results suggest that engagement in adult literacy, creative art, and active and passive mental activities may help reduce dementia risk in late life. In addition, these findings may guide policies for geriatric care and interventions targeting dementia prevention for older adults.