Literacy Instruction For Students Research Articles

Reading Comprehension and Literacy Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This research focuses on strategies for reading comprehension and engagement for students with ASD. There are few studies about the reading comprehension and word decoding of students with autism. Research indicates that only two studies investigated strategies to improve reading comprehension among these students. For example, a study of Reading Comprehension Profiles of High-Functioning Students on the Autism Spectrum (2012) found that using anaphoric cueing or asking students to define pronouns after they have been used in reading has been proven effective in improving reading comprehension. In another study, Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Literacy Instruction: An Exploratory Study of Elementary Inclusive Settings (2001), researchers found that reading comprehension improved when general education students were taught to use reciprocal questioning. This type of questioning allows students to ask the teacher questions about the reading so that students can demonstrate understanding. Further, using this strategy with general education students increased the number of questions generated, the responses to questions generated, and the responses to questions when using a story map.

Parent perceptions regarding literacy instruction for students with intellectual disability.

Parents offer a unique perspective as they may view literacy instruction through the lens of its direct impact on their child's daily life. Further, they are likely to provide insight into the interactions between the perceived effectiveness of instruction and their expectations for their child's success. The purposes of the current investigation were to explore perceptions of parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) related to their child's literacy instruction in schools and understand parental expectations for their child's literacy performance. In the current investigation, we surveyed 211 parents of children with ID in one state within the USA to identify their perceptions related to their child's literacy outcomes and instruction. The survey instrument contained 25 items including 9 multiple-choice, 12 multiple-selection, 2 open-response and 2 rank order items. Data indicated significant differences across grade bands related to the type of skills students engage in learning, the importance of specific literacy skills and the challenges or barriers for students to engage in literacy instruction. The overwhelming majority of parents reported their child learning to read as very important and believe there is a difference in life outcomes between children who can read written words and those who cannot. Parents of elementary school children report barriers of disruptive behaviour, the inability of children to remain seated and distractibility more so than parents of secondary students. Parents of high school students reported a lack of instructional time more often than parents of middle and elementary school. While parents across grade bands reported the importance of literacy skills for students with ID and instruction in reading comprehension, listening comprehension and vocabulary, some differences were noted. Only half the parents reported an increased focus on literacy instruction, including on essential skills (e.g. decoding), in the earlier grades. Problem behaviour and motivation served as barriers to literacy for elementary students, and a lack of instructional time served as a barrier to writing for high school students.

Reading Wars, Reading Science, and English Learners

AbstractLearning and developing as a reader are more complicated in a language the reader is simultaneously learning to speak and understand. This challenge is faced by millions of English learners (ELs) who are in all‐English programs and must therefore learn to read, write, and develop as readers and writers while learning and becoming proficient in English. The author summarizes what is known about teaching ELs beginning and more advanced reading skills, all in English, as they progress through school. Drawing on classroom studies, interventions, and neurolinguistic research, the author focuses on how learning to read in a second language is similar to learning to read in a first language and what differences might exist. These differences, not surprisingly, have to do with ELs’ limited English proficiency. The author’s intent is to begin with the knowledge base of the science of reading, build onto it research on effective literacy instruction for ELs, and then begin articulating what could become a science of reading instruction for students who are learning and progressing as readers in English while learning to speak and understand it. Promoting higher levels of literacy for ELs will require teachers to use what is currently known about effective practices in literacy instruction for students in general and, in addition, help ELs achieve higher levels of English language proficiency. Both English literacy and English oral language proficiency must be priorities if these students are to have adequate and equitable opportunities for success in school and beyond.

Sentence-Level Gist: Literacy Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities in Co-Taught Classrooms

Several strategies that demonstrate promise are available for educators to improve reading comprehension outcomes for students. However, some students, including students with and at risk for learning disabilities, require more intensive supports to develop proficiency in reading comprehension. To support these students, teachers must intensify instruction. This article describes an intensive main idea identification strategy, sentence-level gist, for teachers to use with students with persistent reading comprehension difficulties in the co-taught classroom. The sentence-level gist strategy requires students to determine the subject and important words in each sentence and then synthesize this information to write a main idea statement for a section of a text.

Performance feedback, paraeducators, and literacy instruction for students with significant disabilities.

Literacy skills are fundamental for all learners. For students with significant disabilities, strong literacy skills provide a gateway to generative communication, genuine friendships, improved access to academic opportunities, access to information technology, and future employment opportunities. Unfortunately, many educators lack the knowledge to design or implement appropriate evidence-based literacy instruction for students with significant disabilities. Furthermore, students with significant disabilities often receive the majority of their instruction from paraeducators. This single-subject design study examined the effects of performance feedback on the delivery skills of paraeducators during systematic and explicit literacy instruction for students with significant disabilities. The specific skills targeted for feedback were planned opportunities for student responses and correct academic responses. Findings suggested that delivery of feedback on performance resulted in increased pacing, accuracy in student responses, and subsequent attainment of literacy skills for students with significant disabilities. Implications for the use of performance feedback as an evaluation and training tool for increasing effective instructional practices are provided.

Literacy instruction for students who are deaf and hard of hearing

Chapter 1. Introduction and Overview Chapter 2. Current Practices Chapter 3. Assessment for Reading Instruction Chapter 4. Vocabulary: Word Meaning Chapter 5. Vocabulary: From Phonological Decoding to Word Work Chapter 6. Grammar and Text Comprehension Chapter 7. Fluency Chapter 8. Closing Thoughts, Final Directions References Index

Teachers' Perspectives on Literacy Instruction for Students with Severe Disabilities Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perspectives on the appropriate skills and settings for literacy instruction, the factors influencing their decisions about literacy instruction, and the barriers to literacy instruction in general education classrooms. A sample of special education teachers (n = 69) of students taking the Illinois Alternate Assessment were surveyed, and results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate that teachers prefer to provide life-skills-linked literacy instruction in special education classrooms and consider student characteristics and features of the general education curriculum when making these decisions. Also, the setting had a significant effect on teachers' rankings of preferred literacy skills to teach. Teachers may not understand how to adapt literacy content or how access to literacy instruction in a variety of contexts may benefit their students with severe disabilities.

Reading, Writing, and Friendship: Adult Implications of Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with Intellectual Disability

Reading and literacy are important not only for instrumental reasons such as knowing exit signs and recognizing initial consonants but also have tremendous human functioning implications in areas such as initiating and sustaining friendships, communicating care and affection, and enhancing work, leisure, and play. Many people with intellectual disability are denied opportunities to learn literacy, which in turn denies richness in life opportunities. This article describes one friendship in which reading and literacy play an important part. We describe some of our experiences learning to read and engaging in lifelong literacy and how literacy affects our friendship and our ability to express affection for others and brings us enjoyment.

C. Carnahan and P. Williamson (eds): Quality Literacy Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

C. Carnahan and P. Williamson (eds): Quality Literacy Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Literacy by Design

Literacy instruction for students with significant intellectual disabilities traditionally emphasizes isolated skills instruction focusing on sight words and basic vocabulary. Recent research suggests these students benefit from high-quality instruction that includes comprehension and storybook reading. This study examined the effect of a technology-based universal design for learning (UDL) approach to literacy instruction, Literacy by Design (LBD), on the reading achievement of 16 students with significant intellectual disabilities in Grades K–2. The LBD approach emphasizes reading for meaning, combining UDL-scaffolded e-books and letter and word recognition software. Nine teachers received training in research-based literacy practices. Of these, five received LBD training and implemented it four to five times weekly. Controlling for initial reading achievement, the LBD group made significantly greater gains on the Woodcock–Johnson Test of Achievement III Passage Comprehension subtest. Implications for research and practice in beginning reading instruction for children with significant intellectual disabilities are discussed.

Literacy, Assistive Technology, and Students with Significant Disabilities

Literacy is a national educational priority. During the last decade, unprecedented funds have been committed to ensuring that school children, particularly those at risk for literacy-learning difficulties, have access to research-based instruction that is most likely to support their development as readers and writers. Yet, for the thousands of students across the country with significant intellectual disabilities, literacy instruction is a distant goal, and information regarding research-based instruction is extremely limited. Adding to the challenge is the absence of information regarding the use of assistive technology to support access to the curriculum and learning for students with significant intellectual disabilities. In this article, we review the research and apply understandings and strategies used in literacy instruction for students without disabilities to students with significant intellectual disabilities.

Critical Language Pedagogy in an Urban High School English Class

The purpose of this study was to examine how classroom conversations about diverse dialects of English can provide a useful foundation for critical language and literacy instruction for students who speak African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and other stigmatized dialects. This article describes a weeklong unit on language variety that implemented what we call critical language pedagogy in three predominantly African American, 10th-grade English classes. Analyses of class discussions, interviews, and pre- and post-questionnaires demonstrate that the unit helped students critique dominant language ideologies, become more conscious of their own code-switching, and view dialect variation as natural and desirable.

A Survey on Literacy Instruction for Students with Multiple Disabilities

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Education Act of 2004 stress the importance of giving every child access to the general education curriculum. The Reading First program, under the No Child Left Behind Act, aimed to establish evidence-based literacy instruction for all in kindergarten through the third grade (U.S. Department of Education, 2007). Despite this aim, data from the federal quota registration that are collected annually by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) revealed that 36% of all school-aged who are legally blind were categorized as nonreaders (APH, 2005). Nonreaders are defined as students [who] show no reading potential; who do not fall into any of the above categories [visual readers, braille readers, auditory readers, and prereaders] (APH, 2007, Reading Media section). This definition starkly implies that nonreaders lack access to literacy instruction, especially considering that the prereader category is defined to include students [who are] working on or toward a readiness level (APH, 2007, Reading Media section). The quota-registration data do not clearly indicate bow many nonreaders have multiple disabilities; however, the literature in the field of visual impairment links the presence of additional disabilities to the illiteracy rates of who are blind or have low vision (Mullen, 1990; Spungin, 1990; Wittenstein & Pardee, 1996). The lack of literacy instruction for with visual impairments and additional disabilities may be the result of teachers not feeling adequately prepared to provide literacy instruction to this unique population of (Agran, Alper, & Wehmeyer, 2002; Cook, 2001; Downing, 1996; Dunst et al., 2001; McLetchie & MacFarland, 1995) and the beliefs of some teachers that these benefit more from a functional curriculum than from literacy instruction (Browder, Wakeman, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, & Algozzine, 2006; Kliewer, 1998). Although recent studies have demonstrated that children with severe and multiple disabilities can benefit from access to literacy instruction (Browder et al., 2006; Kliewer, 1998; Kliewer et al., 2004; Koppenhaver & Erickson, 2003), few studies have documented the academic priorities for with visual impairments and multiple disabilities. This survey investigated the attitudes and instructional practices of teachers of with visual impairments who provide services to with multiple disabilities in a southeastern state. Specifically, it inquired about the factors that the teachers used to determine when to begin literacy instruction, the teachers' beliefs about reading instruction, and the areas that are targeted for instruction for with multiple disabilities. The term literacy has a variety of meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. For the purpose of this article, literacy is defined as the ability to use words. This simple definition includes all the skills that lead to reading and writing, including using alternative and augmentative devices to communicate or following a daily schedule consisting of object symbols representing the day's activities. These skills may not begin by using text to represent words, but they still provide a mode for to communicate both expressively and receptively. Eventually, they can enable who are unable to speak or write conventionally to demonstrate their comprehension of text. Therefore, the survey included items regarding communication, reading, and writing skills. METHOD The procedures used in this study were approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Northern Colorado. The state Instructional Materials Center for Students Who Are Visually Impaired distributed the survey invitations to all teachers of with visual impairments via electronic mail. …

Negotiating Displacement Spaces: Exploring Teachers' Stories About Learning and Diversity

The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to explore the learning of six in‐service U.S. teachers who engaged in a cross‐cultural learning experience during the summer of 2001. The teachers were enrolled in a graduate seminar conducted in English and entitled “Literacy Across Languages and Cultures.” Cindy (the first author of this manuscript) was the course instructor. The primary emphasis of the course was exploring current conceptions of quality literacy instruction for children from diverse backgrounds in mainstream U. S. classrooms. One credit of the three‐credit course was conducted on WebCT in the United States. Two credits of the course were conducted at the Universidid Nacional in Heredia, Costa Rica. The teachers who were enrolled in the course lived with Costa Rican families for the month that they were studying in Costa Rica. In this investigation we sought to explore what we learned about literacy instruction for students from diverse backgrounds from course readings, one another, and a cross‐cultural experience in Costa Rica. Our experiences positioned us to reexamine our own cultural frames of reference and our thinking about instructing children in our classrooms whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds are different from ours.