Rebecca Jesson

Can gains from early literacy interventions be sustained? The case of Reading Recovery

Early literacy interventions have demonstrated that pedagogically sound programmes canboostreadingachievementforstudentswhodonotsucceedinearlyliteracylearning. However, there is less evidence as to what extent gains are maintained in subsequent years or the factors which may contribute to sustained progress. The research reported in this article employed a cross-sectional design to investigate the achievement of students who had previously participated in Reading Recovery. Two to four years after successfully completing the intervention, students were assessed in reading and writing by using standardised assessment tools. Although 60% of students had retained parity in reading in comparison with their age cohort, 40% were markedly below the mean of the cohort and the national norm. Data from case study schools provide some initial suggestions for school implementation factors which affect continued success. Conclusions regarding the need to plan for sustainability of gains following early intervention are made.

Raising Literacy Levels Using Digital Learning: A Design-Based Approach in New Zealand

This paper reports on a design-based intervention in urban primary and secondary schools serving culturally diverse students from low socio-economic status (SES) communities. The intervention capitalises on a partially implemented programme in seven schools which use digital devices (netbooks) and applications to raise literacy levels. Learning and teaching measures have been used to identify effective components which can be more systematically implemented. Classroom observations were employed to provide a profile of the use and quality of the literacy instruction and to identify effective instructional practices, thereby contributing to the redesign of instruction for cluster wide implementation. The study adds to a growing number of interventions which use a design-based approach to tackle problems associated with school effectiveness. It contributes to the identification of promising new practices and to the design of more effective instruction in the context of a national system (New Zealand) that is already generally of high quality in literacy teaching but with low equity. A specific outcome is further evidence about how new technologies and digital learning are being implemented in low SES classrooms and the relationships with valued student outcomes.

The opportunities to build on existing expertise in writing classrooms: a study of writing lessons in New Zealand primary schools

The present study investigated 15 Year 4–6 classrooms in two multicultural schools in New Zealand to understand what opportunities students had to draw on their diverse experiences of texts. A mixed-methods approach was taken, including classroom observations and student interviews. Results suggested that lessons were characterised by a consistent format of teacher-led, whole class instruction followed by independent writing. Conversations about prior knowledge typically sought display of taught items. Students saw few links between writing forms in school and texts out of school. The study highlights the role of lesson structure in framing incorporation of prior knowledge in writing lessons.

A Case Study of Literacy Teaching in Six Middle- and High-School Science Classes in New Zealand

This chapter reports a case study of the literacy practices and knowledge of six science teachers in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ). In NZ, the national curriculum requires that students develop sophisticated, subject-specialised literacy in science. However, little is known about actual patterns of literacy teaching and learning in NZ science classrooms. Participants were six teachers of science from schools serving low to middle socio-economic status communities. Two teachers taught Year 7 (students aged 11–12 years), two taught Year 9 (13–14 years) and two taught Year 11 (15–16 years). The data included observations of literacy teaching in science lessons, interviews with teachers and measures of teachers’ subject literacy pedagogical content knowledge. Data from all three sources indicated that teachers considered vocabulary to be the key to literacy learning in science, and the literacy teaching observed was consistent with this. This vocabulary teaching tended to focus on definitions, supplied by the teacher and learned through repeated practice activities. Texts used in science lessons were most commonly short, teacher designed texts. Students had few opportunities to read science texts independently. We identify a need to expand the learning outcomes that are valued, from a primary focus on assessed science content to a broader focus that encompasses reading, writing, disciplinary and critical literacy outcomes. We see an opportunity to frame students, rather than teachers, as being responsible for the reading and writing of science text and to move from constrained to open-ended literacy learning tasks. Finally, we identify a need to move beyond short-term strategies towards a focus on generative teaching so that students are in a position to read and write the texts they need as citizens or as emerging science professionals.

Improving Achievement Using Digital Pedagogy: Impact of a Research Practice Partnership in New Zealand

Abstract This present study reports the impact of a research–practice partnership among nine collaborating schools and researchers in Auckland, New Zealand. The goals of the partnership were to refine digital instruction in ways that would result in improved learning processes and achievement. The partners employed a design-based research approach to iteratively develop and test changes to the pedagogy. Results indicate moderate to large effect sizes in writing, and small effect sizes in reading and mathematics. Results also indicate increasing effects over time in reading and writing, but not in mathematics. Educational effects included greater use of discussions by teachers and greater use of open-ended activity types. These outcomes are discussed in relation to features of the partnership as well as digital pedagogy.