Roberta J. Herter

Using Cognates to Scaffold Context Clue Strategies for Latino ELs.

Teachers can use the rich linguistic backgrounds Latino English learners (ELs) bring to their classes to scaffold the learning of using-the-context strategies. Teachers can show their Latino ELs to use English–Spanish cognates to guess at the meanings of unknown words, thereby increasing both comprehension and vocabulary knowledge.

Using Technology to Support Expository Reading and Writing in Science Classes

ABSTRACT Students struggle with the transition from learning to read narrative text in the early grades to reading expository text in the science classroom in the upper grades as they begin reading and writing to gain information. Science teachers can adapt their teaching materials to develop students’ reading comprehension and recall by writing summaries of scientific text. Using technology, teachers can scaffold text comprehension and improve students’ reading and writing skills. Technology encourages improved comprehension of reading and more elaborate writing in the science classroom by motivating students to act on their curiosity, access resources, and embellish their work.

Identifying Spanish–English Cognates to Scaffold Instruction for Latino ELs

Spanish–English cognates have been used for decades to facilitate the acquisition of English by Latino English learners (ELs). Using the online program, WordSift, in tandem with the online Find-a-Cognate database, teachers can identify important Spanish–English cognates and noncognate words in text. With this information, teachers can plan and devise vocabulary lessons that benefit ELs and native English speakers.

ORTHOGRAPHIC TRANSPARENCY AND MORPHOLOGY OF SPANISH-ENGLISH COGNATE ADJECTIVES

The English and Spanish languages share over 20,000 cognates. Cognates are words that are orthographically, semantically, and syntactically similar in two languages. In 2009, Montelongo, Hernández, and Herter collected orthographic transparency ratings for over 2,000 Spanish–English cognate nouns and cognate adjectives drawn from the Juilland and Chang-Rodríguez’ Frequency Dictionary of Spanish Words. The present analysis of the cognate adjectives in the Montelongo, et al. norms identified orthographic and morphological characteristics which affected ratings of cognate transparency. The analysis identified an initial-letter effect: the earlier an English word deviates from its Spanish equivalent, the lower it is rated. Similarly, the more orthographically similar an English suffix is to its Spanish suffix equivalent, the higher its rating.

Work in progress: In their own words — How “changemakers” talk about change

We present preliminary work on “change knowledge” through a study investigating what exemplar “changemakers” understand about the process of undergraduate STEM education transformation.

Work in progress: How do first-year engineering students develop as self-directed learners?

Although self-direction is among the most critical skills required of todays engineering graduates, the complex processes through which individuals develop the attitudes, beliefs, and skills of lifelong, self-directed learners remains unclear. In this ongoing mixed-methods investigation, we draw on existing motivation and self-regulated learning theories to examine how undergraduate students at two institutions develop as self-directed learners during their first two years of their engineering programs. Preliminary findings indicate that both groups of first-year students make progress as self-directed learners, even after their first semester of college. However, the data indicate marked differences in specific areas of self-directed learner growth at the two institutions. Compared to those at the large public university, students at the small private college report stronger learning goal orientations, help-seeking behaviors, and metacognitive strategy use. We discuss how the learning opportunities and environments may contribute to these differences in learner development.

English-Spanish Cognates and the Pura Belpré Children's Award Books: Reading the Word and the World

English-Spanish cognates are an important subset of words in both the English and Spanish languages. Cognates are words that possess identical or nearly identical spellings and meanings in both languages as a result of being derived from Latin and Greek. Of major importance is the fact that many of the more than 20,000 cognates in English are academic vocabulary words, terms essential for comprehending school texts.  The Pura Belpré Childrens Book Award has been given since 1996 to outstanding childrens and young adult literature that represents, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience. The books are judged for their literary and artistic quality.  There are many English-Spanish cognates in each of the Pura Belpré picture books. The purpose of this article is to introduce the Pura Belpré Cognate Database, which lists all of the English-Spanish cognates for each of the childrens picture books that have won the award or have been designated as honor books. Ideas for vocabulary, spelling, and morphology lessons or mini-lessons are also presented.