Sherry Kragler

Strategy Instruction in Primary Content Textbooks

This article reports the findings of a study that analyzed the teacher editions of primary-grade science and social studies textbooks for comprehension strategy instruction. After observing several science and social studies classes in the primary grades, it became clear to the authors that strategy instruction was missing in many of the lessons. Because it is common for teachers to rely on textbooks as a primary source for their lessons, the authors decided to examine primary textbook materials in order to determine the support they give teachers in developing childrens comprehension. The analysis found little in the teacher editions designed to help children become strategic readers of content text. Three major issues emerged from the analysis: Limited modeling of comprehension strategies Reliance on the use of instructional techniques Use of terminology Suggestions for classroom teachers are included.

Investigating Young Children's Use of Reading Strategies: A Longitudinal Study.

In this three-year study, the authors examined the reading strategy use of 16 primary-grade students as they read fiction and expository text. The students (9 boys and 7 girls) represented low, average, and above-average readers. Structured interviews and observational data were collected each year as they progressed from first to third grade. Even though students dropped some strategies while beginning to use others, statistical analyses of the interview data revealed few statistical significant differences in the students’ reported strategy use. The data indicated there was alignment between students’ reported and observed strategy use. The analyses of the observational data also revealed the students had high accuracy percentages but low retelling scores.

I Tried to Make It Not Confusing by Fixing It: Describing Six First Graders' Use of Strategies to Understand Text.

This study describes six first-grade students’ use of metacognitive strategies. The students (4 boys and 2 girls) represented low, average, and above-average readers and were enrolled in a rural Midwestern elementary school. A variety of data were collected throughout the year: (a) an informal reading inventory and metacognitive awareness interview were conducted at the beginning and end of the year; and (b) during the school year, think-aloud interview protocols, running records, anecdotal notes, and retellings were conducted. The analysis revealed that these first graders were reporting and using a variety of strategies to read.

Vocabulary Instruction for Young, Diverse Learners

Literacy development, starting at the elementary level, is a fundamental approach for preparing students to achieve academically. This is especially true when addressing the learning needs of English language learners in U.S. schools. Vocabulary instruction plays a key role in the process. Research indicates how language proficiency negatively affects school-based learning experiences. This article highlights the instructional practices of a teacher in operationalizing vocabulary research into pragmatic strategies while teaching English language learners. It strengthens prior research suggesting that enriched oral language and vocabulary experiences directly correlate with improved learning and emphasizes the significance of high-quality vocabulary instruction for young children.

Learning to Read in First Grade: Developing Effective Programs in Urban Schools.

Abstract This article describes the reading instructional program that first-graders in an urban school located in a large, Midwestern city received as a result of a grant initiative. Various assessments of the childrens reading revealed some important areas for reading success were missing. As a result, suggestions were shared with the school staff to balance the first-grade reading curriculum. However, one confounding variable prevented the teachers’ ability to change their instruction.

Early Signs of Self-Regulating Print: Kindergartners at Work Reading to Understand Fiction and Nonfiction Text

The purpose of this study was to examine how 28 kindergartners in two half-day classrooms from a rural midwestern school monitored and self-regulated their understanding of texts (fiction and nonfiction) while reading. Three different interviews (fall, early spring, and late spring) were conducted while the children read from one of two self-selected books offered in each setting: (1) fiction in the fall (to develop routines), (2) nonfiction in the early spring, and (3) fiction in late spring. The interview protocol included questions to examine what the children were thinking as they read and what strategies were used to understand. Observational data also were collected. The results revealed that these kindergartners used strategies while reading, although more strategies (e.g., pictures) were used to construct the meaning of the nonfiction text. More often, the children considered themselves as “readers” with the nonfiction. Words were noted as important to the children as they pointed out words they did not know. This study shows the importance of the use of a variety of texts in the early primary grades to guide childrens development of strategies to understand text.

Banana Starts with Yellow: Curricular Implications of Preschoolers Missing a Concept.

In the middle of center time, Derek excitedly approached his preschool teacher. Thinking he had demystified the complexities of the alphabetic principle, he confidently announced, “Banana starts with yellow!” Over the course of a few months, the 4-year-old children in this voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) classroom had been introduced to an array of new concepts, such as colors, numerals, letters, and sounds associated with the letters. Derek’s statement revealed his inadequate understanding of the various academic skills predetermined for instruction in this class by the school district and state. Derek comes from a home where literacy experiences are considered to be the responsibility of formal schooling. The majority of the children in the class are from lower income homes and culturally diverse backgrounds. Similar to Derek, an egregious number of children are lacking in oral language and literacy before they reach their fifth birthday (Duncan et al., 2007). Because high-quality pre-kindergarten provides many social, economic, and educational benefits (Strategies for Children, 2008), many U.S. states, such as Florida, have initiated funding or increased funding for VPK programs, allowing all 4-year-old children who reside in the state to attend VPK at no cost. This legislative mandate also includes standards for the program: qualified instructors, age-appropriate curricula with an emphasis on literacy development, and appropriate class size (State of Florida: Agency for Workforce Innovation, 2011). To evaluate the impact of Florida’s VPK initiative, all children during the first month of kindergarten are assessed on their knowledge of letter names and sounds. Despite significant investments over the past decade in the expansion and improvement of preschool programs, too many children, particularly poor children, enter kindergarten behind their peers (Jacobson-Chernoff, Flanagan, McPhee, & Park, 2007). Because it is critical that VPK classrooms offer educational programs that both address the needs and developmental levels of low-income children and ultimately close the academic achievement gap between children from low-income and middle-income homes (Neuman, 2009), we sought to discover the impact of VPK instruction by Ruth Sylvester and Sherry Kragler “Banana Starts With Yellow”