Timothy G. Morrison

READING ALOUD TO STUDENTS: A NATIONAL PROBABILITY STUDY OF CLASSROOM READING PRACTICES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Elementary teachers have been encouraged to share literature with their students by reading to them daily and recommending books. Although such suggestions are common, little is known about the number of teachers who read to their students regularly and how often this practice occurs across the elementary grades. In this study, 1,874 elementary teachers were surveyed nationally to determine how often they read to their students. Teachers reported how many of the last ten school days they read to their students. Results include the finding that much more teacher reading of books to students occurs in the primary grades compared with the intermediate grades. Also, primary-grade teachers frequently read picture books to their students while intermediate grade teachers read chapter books most often. Informational books are not often read by teachers to students in any of the elementary grades. Discussion of the results centers around reading aloud in the primary and intermediate grades, picture and chapter-book reading, informational book reading, and introducing and recommending books.Elementary teachers have been encouraged to share literature with their students by reading to them daily and recommending books. Although such suggestions are common, little is known about the number of teachers who read to their students regularly and how often this practice occurs across the elementary grades. In this study, 1,874 elementary teachers were surveyed nationally to determine how often they read to their students. Teachers reported how many of the last ten school days they read to their students. Results include the finding that much more teacher reading of books to students occurs in the primary grades compared with the intermediate grades. Also, primary-grade teachers frequently read picture books to their students while intermediate grade teachers read chapter books most often. Informational books are not often read by teachers to students in any of the elementary grades. Discussion of the results centers around reading aloud in the primary and intermediate grades, picture and chapter-bo...

Do teachers who read personally use recommended literacy practices in their classrooms

Abstract Elementary teachers have been encouraged to serve as models of reading for their students. They have also been advised to implement specific literacy instructional practices in their classrooms. Although such suggestions are common and are considered to be sound advice, the research literature offers limited support for them. In this study, 1874 elementary teachers nationwide were surveyed to determine their level of commitment as readers, as well as to establish their use of recommended literacy instructional practices. Among the results was a significant linear relationship between teachers who read personally and their use of recommended literacy practices in their classrooms. Significant results were also found regarding differences among teachers by grade level, teacher age, and years of teaching experience. Specific recommendations are provided based on results of the survey.

SELF-PERCEPTION IN WRITING: THE EFFECTS OF WRITING WORKSHOP AND TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION ON INTERMEDIATE GRADE STUDENTS

This study compared the self-perception - specifically in terms of writing - of fourth- and fifth-grade students whose teachers used a writingworkshop approach with those whose teachers used a traditional approach. The measure used was the Writer Self-Perception Scale (Bottomley, Henk, & Melnick, 1997/1998). No significant differences were found between the scores of students who had been taught by the two teaching approaches. The findings of this study suggest that individual teachers are more important than strategies or approaches in affecting the writer self-perception of intermediate-grade children.

READING ENVIRONMENTAL PRINT: WHAT IS THE ROLE OF CONCEPTS ABOUT PRINT IN DISCRIMINATING YOUNG READERS RESPONSES?

For nearly four decades reading educators, educational psychologists, experimental psychologists, applied linguists, and early childhood educators have investigated children s widely acclaimed ability to read print found in the ecology of their everyday environments. This study examined how concepts-about-print knowledge interacted with other traditional measures of print knowledge, to affect children s reading of environmental print in context and out. The participants in this study were 97 children ages 4-7. Eight selected environmental print items were systematically maniupulated across five presentation conditions gradually removing aspects such as logo, color, font, and so on. This study demonstrated the important role that word recognition and concepts-about-print and word recognition were the most reliable discriminators between children who could accurately and consistently read environmental print displays, and those children evidencing lesser levels of development and expertise.

Establishing Reliable Procedures for Rating ELL Students' Reading Comprehension Using Oral Retellings.

Abstract Oral retellings are strongly recommended as a way to measure reading comprehension for second language learners (Bernhardt, 1985, 1990, 1991). However, the reliability of such ratings is a matter of concern for a variety of reasons (Aiken, 1996; Cooper, 1981; Saal, Downey, & Lahey, 1980). The purpose of this study was to establish reliable rating procedures to assess the reading comprehension of college‐age second language learners using oral retellings. A three‐facet (passage, rater, and rating occasion) generalizability study was conducted using oral retellings of expository passages. Retellings of three passages provided by 24 ELL students were rated by two trained raters on two occasions. The largest sources of error variance identified were the passages and the student‐by‐passage interaction. Results showed that the most important step that could be taken to reduce measurement error and increase generalizability would be to use at least four and preferably six passages to assess ELL students’ reading comprehension. The gain in generalizability from using additional raters or rating occasions was minimal.

Lap Reading for Young At-Risk Children: Introducing Families to Books.

Many at-risk children do not experience lap reading to the degree their more advantaged peers do. To investigate the effects lap reading might have on such children, three families with at-risk children were taught lap reading techniques and were provided with books for lap reading over a 12- to 16-week period. Changes in the childrens behavior included choosing books and reading as free-time activities, developing positive attitudes toward books, and persisting in attending to books in the face of other activity choices. Additional outcomes included an increase in higher level questions asked by the children, some improvement in their oral language, and an increase in literacy-specific knowledge. Lap reading is recommended as a tool for parents to increase instructional motivation for their at-risk children.

Reliability of Ratings of Children’s Expressive Reading

This study examined ratings of fourth graders’ oral reading expression. Randomly assigned participants (n = 36) practiced repeated readings using narrative or informational passages for 7 weeks. After this period raters used the Multidimensional Fluency Scale (MFS) on two separate occasions to rate students’ expressive reading of four equivalent passages. Results of this generalizability study showed that a minimum of two and preferably three equivalent passages, two raters, and one rating occasion are recommended to obtain reliable ratings. This research substantiates the reliability of the MFS and demonstrates the importance of raters collaborating and finding texts at students’ independent reading levels.

Writing Instruction in Elementary Classrooms: Why Teachers Engage or do not Engage Students in Writing

This qualitative study explored reasons K–6 teachers did or did not engage students regularly in writing. Interviews with 14 teachers, classified as high, transitional, and low implementers of writing instruction, revealed three themes: hindrances and helps, beliefs concerning practice, and preparation and professional development. Both high and low implementers identified time constraints, varying student needs, and tensions between content and conventions as hindrances, but dealt with them differently. High implementers reported receiving help from mentors, unlike low implementers. High implementers valued writing as a process and viewed themselves as good writers. They scaffolded students’ writing and integrated writing with content. Low implementers valued writing but did not view themselves as good writers. High and low implementers viewed university courses and professional development differently.

Teachers' Theoretical Orientations toward Reading and Pupil Control Ideology: A National Survey.

Abstract Based on a survey of Utah elementary teachers (Authors, 1997), a stratified three‐stage cluster sample of 418 elementary school teachers (grades K‐6) throughtout the United States was surveyed to examine relationships between their theoretical beliefs toward reading instruction and their attitudes about pupil control. Two survey instruments were combined for data collection: (a) the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (TORP) (DeFord, 1985) which classifies reading orientations as phonics, skills, or whole language, and (b) the Pupil Control Ideology Form (PCI) (Willower, Eidell, & Hoy, 1967), which categorizes teacher attitudes about student control as custodial or humanistic. A Chi‐square analysis showed a very strong relationship (p < 0.001), indicating that as teachers’ scores moved toward the whole language end of the TORP scale, their PCI scores were more humanistic. This result was not surprising, since both views share common progressive philosophical roots. Conversely, as teachers’...

50 Years of Literacy Research and Instruction: 1961–2011

The purpose of this study was to identify trends and issues in 50 years of research in Literacy Research and Instruction, the journal of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER). For the 1,099 articles examined, the authors, methods, participants, and topics were recorded. A trend was noted toward multiple authorship and from non-research to research articles, especially qualitative. The most studied populations were teachers, elementary grade students, and struggling readers. The most studied topics were comprehension, teacher practices, and assessment. Focus on writing, struggling readers, preservice teacher education, technology, and culture/English learners (ELs) increased across the decades. Focus on word identification, vocabulary, and readability declined. Comparisons with Literacy Research Association publications showed similar results. A discussion of the results in historical context by decade is also presented.