Barbara A. Bradley

Teaching Children to Become Fluent and Automatic Readers.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of two instructional approaches designed to improve the reading fluency of 2nd-grade children. The first approach was based on Stahl and Heubachs (2005) fluency-oriented reading instruction (FORI) and involved the scaffolded, repeated reading of grade-level texts over the course of each week. The second was a wide-reading approach that also involved scaffolded instruction, but that incorporated the reading of 3 different grade-level texts each week and provided significantly less opportunity for repetition. By the end of the school year, FORI and wide-reading approaches showed similar benefits for standardized measures of word reading efficiency and reading comprehension skills compared to control approaches, although the benefits of the wide-reading approach emerged earlier and included oral text reading fluency skill. Thus, we conclude that fluency instruction that emphasizes extensive oral reading of grade-level text using scaffolded approaches is effective for promoting reading development in young learners.

Sharing Alphabet Books in Early Childhood Classrooms

To achieve academically, young children need a strong foundation in literacy. Alphabet knowledge is one aspect of early literacy. This article presents the importance of and the components of alphabet knowledge. An exploratory study in which prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers read aloud three different alphabet books to their students in a whole-class setting is described. Results indicate that teachers do talk about letters when reading alphabet books, but they emphasize letter names over letter–sound knowledge. Further, text features influenced what aspect of the alphabet teachers emphasized, resulting in relatively little talk about letters for one of the alphabet books. Finally, this article describes how various alphabet books may be used to introduce and to teach young children about literacy.

PAVEd for Success: An Evaluation of a Comprehensive Preliteracy Program for Four-Year-Old Children.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PAVEd for Success, comprehensive preliteracy program guidelines to support the development of foundational preliteracy skills in 4 year olds. Prekindergarten teachers received professional development on variables of the program that included a summer institute, after-school workshops, and classroom support from preliteracy specialists. Children were assessed at prekindergarten entry, following the implementation period and at the end of the school year. Vocabulary knowledge, phonological awareness, and alphabet knowledge were assessed during the prekindergarten year, and early literacy indicators and early decoding skills were assessed at the end of the kindergarten year. While all experimental variables showed some benefits to the development of childrens preliteracy skills, only the full program benefited children who entered the prekindergarten program at risk for reading difficulties. The program participants benefited in early literacy and decoding skills when compared to controls. Implementation by teachers with support and sustainability of program features without support was also evaluated. Teachers were most likely to implement and sustain program features which shared consistency with some prior literacy focus and when they were able to integrate program features across the curriculum. This research suggests that long-term change in the literacy skills of young children will involve complex and multifaceted approaches to preliteracy development.

A formative experiment to enhance teacher-child language interactions in a preschool classroom

A formative experiment investigated how two strategies aimed at increasing the quality and quantity of language interactions could be integrated into a preschool classroom. Strategies for enriching language interactions were introduced during book sharing, semi-structured group activities, and mealtimes. Mixed methods revealed factors that enhanced, inhibited, or sometimes prevented the integration of enriching language interactions during the school day and accordingly what adaptations might be warranted. Specifically, data revealed increases in the quantity and quality of teacher—child interactions during book sharing and mealtimes, but not during semi-structured group activities. Implications are discussed for professional development, classroom practice, and how formative experiments reveal unique insights about preschool classrooms.

Classroom practices for vocabulary enhancement in prekindergarten: Lessons from PAVEd for success

Contents: Preface. M.L. Kamil, E.H. Hiebert, Teaching and Learning Vocabulary: Perspectives and Persistent Issues. Part I: Perspectives on How Vocabulary Is Learned. W. Nagy, Why Vocabulary Instruction Needs to Be Long-Term and Comprehensive. A.E. Cunningham, Vocabulary Growth Through Independent Reading and Reading Aloud to Children. J.A. Scott, Creating Opportunities to Acquire New World Meanings From Text. Part II: Instruction and Interventions That Enhance Vocabulary. S.A. Stahl, Four Problems With Teaching Word Meanings and What to Do to Make Vocabulary an Integral Part of Instruction. M. Calderon, D. August, R. Slavin, D. Duran, N. Madden, A. Cheung, Bringing Words to Life in Classrooms With English Language Learners. M.S. Carlo, D. August, C.E. Snow, Sustained Vocabulary-Learning Strategy Instruction for English-Language Learners. P.J. Schwanenflugel, C.E. Hamilton, B.A. Bradley, H.P. Ruston, S. Neuharth-Pritchett, M.A. Restrepo, Classroom Practices for Vocabulary Enhancement in Prekindergarten: Lessons From PAVEd for Success. J.F. Baumann, G. Font, E.C. Edwards, E. Boland, Strategies for Teaching Middle-Grade Students to Use Word-Part and Context Clues to Expand Reading Vocabulary. Part III: Perspectives on Which Words to Choose for Instruction. I.L. Beck, M.G. McKeown, L. Kucan, Choosing Words to Teach. A. Biemiller, Size and Sequence in Vocabulary Development: Implications for Choosing Words for Primary Grade Vocabulary Instruction. E.H. Hiebert, In Pursuit of an Effective, Efficient Vocabulary Curriculum for Elementary Students.

Enhancing research and practice in early childhood through formative and design experiments

This article describes formative and design experiments and how they can advance research and instructional practices in early childhood education. We argue that this relatively new approach to education research closes the gap between research and practice, and it addresses limitations that have been identified in early childhood research. We provide examples of this approachs potential benefits, trace its origins, present its defining characteristics, illustrate a representative framework for conducting a formative experiment using an example from our own work and we argue that formative and design experiments introduce useful new metaphors into early childhood research.

Interaction Quality during Partner Reading

The influence of social relationships, positive interdependence, and teacher structure on the quality of partner reading interactions was examined. Partner reading, a scripted cooperative learning strategy, is often used in classrooms to promote the development of fluent and automatic reading skills. Forty-three pairs of second grade children were observed during partner reading sessions taking place in 12 classrooms. The degree to which the partners displayed social cooperation (instrumental support, emotional support, and conflict management) and on/off task behavior was evaluated. Children who chose their own partners showed greater social cooperation than those children whose teacher selected their partner. However, when the positive interdependence requirements of the task were not met within the pair (neither child had the skills to provide reading support or no one needed support), lower levels of on-task behavior were observed. Providing basic partner reading script instruction at the beginning of the year was associated with better social cooperation during partner reading, but providing elaborated instruction or no instruction was associated with poorer social cooperation. It is recommended that teachers provide basic script instruction and allow children to choose their own partners. Additionally, pairings of low ability children with other low ability children and high ability children with other high ability children should be avoided. Teachers may want to suggest alternate partners for children who inadvertently choose such pairings or adjust the text difficulty to the pair. Overall, partner reading seems to be an enjoyable pedagogical strategy for teaching reading fluency.

Assessing teacher beliefs about early literacy curriculum implementation

ABSTRACT Against the backdrop of growing international concern for a narrowing view of early literacy, this study was initiated to determine how teachers of four-year-olds view their task of fostering early literacy. This paper reports on the first steps to design and validate an instrument which captures teachers’ perceptions of early literacy content goals; developmentally appropriate and effective pedagogical practices related to each content goal; and their own competencies to offer a suitable environment for developing early literacy. The content validity of the instrument was evaluated by an expert screening; the reliability and practicality of the instrument were assessed through a pilot study involving 20 teachers from 2 countries. Validation findings indicate that the instrument appears to be reliable. The findings from the pilot run show that teachers focus on decoding skills most; there is some attention to book orientation and understanding, and relatively little to the functions of written language.

Reading Reading Research: A Multivocal Review

Book reviewed in this article: Handbook of Reading Research, Volume III. Edited by Michael Kamil, Peter B. Mosenthal, P. David Pearson, and Rebecca Barr. 2000.