ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Receptive Vocabulary and Early Literacy Skills in Emergent Bilingual Northern Sotho-English Children
Author: Wilsenach, Carien
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Grade 1,Elementary School Students,Receptive Language,Vocabulary,Emergent Literacy,Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence,Writing Skills,Alphabets,Bilingual Students,English (Second Language),African Languages,Intelligence Tests,Verbal Ability,Correlation,Native Language,Language of Instruction

This study explored receptive vocabulary size and early literacy skills (namely: letter naming, knowledge of phoneme-grapheme correspondences and early writing) in emergent bilingual Northern Sotho-English children. Two groups of Grade 1 learners were tested in both English and in Northern Sotho. Group 1 (N = 49) received their formal schooling in English, whilst group 2 (N = 50) received their formal schooling in Northern Sotho. Receptive vocabulary was tested using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Letter knowledge was assessed by asking learners to name letter cards, whilst knowledge of phoneme-grapheme correspondences was tested by asking children to match letter cards with spoken sounds. Early writing was assessed by asking children to write their names. Statistical analyses indicated that both English and Northern Sotho receptive vocabulary knowledge had a significant effect on early literacy skills, whilst no main effect was found for the language of instruction. Group 1 performed significantly better than Group 2 in English receptive vocabulary, in knowledge of phoneme-grapheme correspondences and in early writing, but no group differences were found for Northern Sotho receptive vocabulary or for letter knowledge. English receptive vocabulary significantly predicted the outcome of all of the early literacy skills, whilst Northern Sotho receptive vocabulary significantly predicted phoneme-grapheme correspondences and early writing.
Shuffle Lit!: Using iPod Shuffles to Encourage Literacy Experiences at Home
Author: Hover, Ashlee B.
Date: 2018-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Handheld Devices,Telecommunications,Kindergarten,Literacy,Preschool Children,Parents,Reading Materials,Family Environment,Parent Surveys,Diaries,Preschool Teachers,Interviews,Program Effectiveness,Reading Habits,Teaching Methods

A kindergarten teacher used action research to examine how literature, audio books, homework, and Apple iPod Shuffles can be combined to encourage and improve literacy at home. The research participants consisted of 16 kindergarten students in Middle Tennessee and their parents. The kindergarten students took home a tote bag with the following contents: an Apple iPod Shuffle loaded with many audio stories, six books, two types of headphones, and an iPod listening/reading log. The students took the project materials home for a week to enjoy with their parents and other family members. The parents or siblings recorded the students' experiences and other project related data through iPod logs and parent surveys. The kindergarten teacher/researcher recorded the students' experiences and other project related data through student informal interviews. The results indicated that teachers, parents, and other family members who work together can utilize iPods to improve literacy at home. Teachers and parents can use this research to support and implement educational techniques that allow students to utilize iPods to learn more effectively.
The Structure and Features of the SMS Language Used in the Written Work of Communication English I Students at a University in South Africa
Author: Chaka, Chaka
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Mediated Communication,Language Usage,Morphology (Languages),Syntax,Communication Skills,Written Language,Undergraduate Students,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Text Structure,Standard Spoken Usage,Nonstandard Dialects

Employing an explanatory design, this study set out to investigate the morphosyntacticstructures of the SMS language of Communication English I students, and the types of SMSlanguage features used in their written work at a university of technology in South Africa. Thestudy randomly sampled 90 undergraduate students (M = 40; F = 50) enrolled for a nationaldiploma programme during the first academic semester in 2013. Their ages ranged from 19-22years; they all spoke English as a second language, whilst having one of the five black SouthAfrican languages as their home language. The study had two types of data: participants' mobilephone text messages (in two sets), and their writing samples. Two of the findings of the studyare: the morphological structure of the textisms used in the participants' text messages deviatedfrom that applicable to formal, standard English, whereas much of their syntactic structure didnot; and, the frequency and proportion of textisms in participants' writing samples were lowerthan that reported in studies by Freudenberg (2009) and Rosen et al. (2010).
Opening up a Philosophical Space in Early Literacy with &quot;Little Beauty&quot; by Anthony Browne and the Movie &quot;King Kong&quot;
Author: Murris, Karin
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Emergent Literacy,Reading Skills,Reading Comprehension,Achievement Tests,Grade 4,International Assessment,Reading Achievement,Reading Tests,Picture Books,Teacher Student Relationship,Teaching Methods,Reading Programs,Elementary School Students,Critical Thinking,Educational Philosophy

The article begins with setting the South African educational context for a postgraduate early literacy research project in the foundation phase (ages 4-9). The research examines how philosophy with children (P4C) might be part of a solution to current problems in reading comprehension. The second author reports on her P4C action research with her own children as well as her observations of a Grade 2 classroom in a school near Johannesburg. The research shows how the picturebook &quot;Little Beauty&quot; by Anthony Browne opens up a philosophical space within which children are allowed to draw on their own life experiences and prior knowledge. The project reveals the depth of their thinking when making intra-textual connections between &quot;Little Beauty&quot; and the movie &quot;King Kong.&quot; The facilitated philosophical space also makes it possible for the children to make complex philosophical links between the emotion anger, destructive behaviour and the ethico-political dimensions of punishment. Central to this article are the second author's critical reflections on how her literacy practices as a mother and foundation phase teacher have fundamentally changed as a result of this project. The article concludes with some implications for the teaching of early literacy in South Africa. [This paper was presented at the Conference on South African Children's and Youth Literature (5th, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa, September 20, 2012).]
The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Reading Proficiency of First-Year Students: An Exploratory Study
Author: Boakye, Naomi A. N. Y.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Self Efficacy,Questionnaires,College Freshmen,Reading Tests,Reading Skills,Correlation,Predictor Variables,At Risk Students,Language Usage,English (Second Language),African Languages

Self-efficacy, which is the belief about one's ability to perform a task successfully, has been widely acknowledged as important in learning. This affective factor, though not explicitly evident, has been said to play an important role in academic performance. However, its role in reading development has not been widely investigated. To determine the relationship between self-efficacy and reading proficiency, a study was conducted with first-year students in a South African tertiary institution. Students' self-efficacy levels were elicited through a questionnaire and their reading proficiency was obtained through the Test of Academic Literacy levels (TALL), which essentially assesses reading proficiency. An analysis of variance showed a robust relationship between reading self-efficacy and reading proficiency for this cohort of students. Regression analysis conducted with other affective factors showed selfefficacy as the best predictor of students' reading proficiency. Results are discussed as they relate to previous research and recommendations are made to include the development of self-efficacy in reading instruction.
Training Grade R Teachers to Impart Visual Perceptual Skills for Early Reading
Author: Andrich, Christelle
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preschool Teachers,Preschool Children,Early Childhood Education,Prereading Experience,Early Reading,Visual Perception,Faculty Development,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Case Studies,Teacher Competencies

&quot;Visual Perception is the mind's ability to interpret or give meaning to what is seen with the eyes&quot; (WCED 2006). Grade Reception Phase (R) teachers, of five and six year-old learners, need to impart Visual Perceptual Skills (VPS) during visual training for pre-reading. These prereading activities in Grade R support early reading progress in Grade 1, which is critical for improving basic literacy and numeracy education in South Africa. A quality Grade R programme which can deliver these visual training outcomes depends on a progressive model for effective pre- and in-service professional development of teachers. A model implemented via academic-governmental collaboration. This article seeks to describe and recommend best practices of such professional development. The recommendations are based on an overview of the current Grade R professional development landscape, a brief exposition of the Subject Content Knowledge (SCK) of VPS, a document analysis of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) curriculum and, finally, a case study with a discourse analysis involving four Grade R teachers.
The Impact of an Academic Reading Programme in the Bachelor of Education (Intermediate and Senior Phase) Degree
Author: Livingston, Candice
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Freshmen,Reading Programs,Reading Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness,Program Effectiveness,Outcomes of Education,Reading Achievement,Reading Improvement,Reading Rate,Reading Comprehension

Research regarding the academic reading load experienced by first year students at universities in South Africa indicated that students are woefully under-prepared to deal with this load as they have limited reading experiences and strategies. This led to the implementation of an academic reading programme at a university of technology. In order to measure the impact of this academic reading programme, a sequential explanatory mixed-method model was designed to determine if the reading programme had led to any significant gains in reading speed and reading comprehension. The results of the empirical study indicated that the academic reading programme improved reading speed whilst maintaining comprehension.
The Family Literacy Project: Sharing the Pleasure of Early Literacy
Author: Desmond, Snoeks
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Family Literacy,Emergent Literacy,Mothers,Foreign Countries,Early Childhood Education,Literacy Education,Parent Child Relationship,Books,Childrens Literature,Recreational Reading,Reading Habits,Rural Areas

The Family Literacy Project works with women in rural KwaZulu-Natal to help them improve their levels of literacy and provides encouragement as they support the literacy development of their children. These women have regularly visited neighbouring families to read to and play with children and discuss early childhood development and relevant health messages with adults. In addition community libraries and book boxes provide books for these under resourced areas. The findings of an independent evaluation are used to highlight aspects of the project.
A Circle of Learning: The Impact of a Narrative Multilingualism Approach on In-Service Teachers&apos; Literacy Pedagogies
Author: Mendelowitz, Belinda
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Personal Narratives,Multilingualism,Inservice Teacher Education,Literacy Education,Preservice Teachers,Diachronic Linguistics,Story Telling,Translation,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Teachers

This paper explores the impact of a narrative multilingualism approach on in-service primary school teachers who attended the Advanced Certificate of Education (ACE) Languages course at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2009. The teachers wrote their own language narratives and were required to implement language narrative work in their classrooms. The paper is a case study of three teachers' implementation of multilingual narrative pedagogy, and explores the ways in which each teacher translates this pedagogy into their specific contexts. Theoretically, the paper attempts to deepen and extend narrative multilingualism as an approach to language teaching. The notions of uptake and pedagogical translation are explored at various levels, namely, the teachers' uptake of a multilingual narrative approach and the learners' uptake. The most striking aspect of the data, across all teachers, is the process and dynamics unleashed in the classroom space. The process of sharing language narratives reconfigured dynamics in the classroom and opened up the classroom space for teachers and learners. The interventions that the pedagogy of narrative multilingualism afforded enabled the validation of linguistic diversity. In a society where xenophobia and linguicism is prevalent, such interventions can play a valuable role in changing attitudes and teaching learners to value difference. Furthermore, previously silenced learners found their voices and participated more in class activities.
South African Teacher Profiles and Emerging Teacher Factors: The Picture Painted by PIRLS 2006
Author: van Staden, Surette
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Reading Achievement,Reading Tests,Comparative Analysis,Reading Instruction,Teacher Characteristics,Educational Practices,Grade 4,Elementary School Students

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment is an international comparative study of reading skills of Grade Four learners. South Africa's first participation in the study took place in the 2006 cycle (Mullis &quot;et al.&quot;, 2007), with repeat participation planned to take place for PIRLS 2011. PIRLS 2006 results pointed to serious issues of under achievement among South African Grade Four learners, resulting in the adoption of the National Reading Strategy (Department of Education, 2008) and the Foundations for Learning Campaign. While some time has passed since the release of the PIRLS 2006 results, participation in PIRLS 2011 would highlight trends and possible progress made since the PIRLS 2006 study. This paper reports on the analysis of the Grade Four learner achievement in the PIRLS 2006 assessment into the teacher characteristics, use of resources and instructional practices and analyses of the PIRLS 2006 Teacher Questionnaire data. The main findings outlined by this paper reflects the need for teachers' continued professional development at Intermediate Phase, the need to employ strategies to retain young teachers and the importance of making available good quality reading materials to schools.
Attitudes of Second Language Students towards Self-Editing Their Own Written Texts
Author: Kasule, Daniel
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Student Attitudes,Writing Attitudes,Second Language Learning,Revision (Written Composition),Editing,Error Correction,Writing Improvement,English (Second Language),Peer Evaluation,Foreign Countries

Recognizing students' deliberate efforts to minimize errors in their written texts is valuable in seeing them as responsible active agents in text creation. This paper reports on a brief survey of the attitudes towards self-editing of seventy university students using a questionnaire and class discussion. The context of the study is characterized by its emphasis on evaluating the finished written product. Findings show that students appreciate the role of self-editing in minimizing errors in their texts and that it helps in eventually producing well-written texts. Conceptualizing writing as discourse and therefore as social practice leads to an understanding of writers as socially-situated actors; repositions the student writer as an active agent in text creation; and is central to student-centred pedagogy. We recommend the recognition of self-editing as a vital element in the writing process and that additional error detection mechanisms namely peers, the lecturer, and the computer, increase student autonomy.
African Literacies: Which of Them Matter, and Why?
Author: Parry, Kate
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Multiple Literacies,African Languages,Official Languages,Multilingualism,Social Environment,Library Role,Community Information Services,Family Literacy,Peer Groups

This paper draws on data collected at the Kitengesa Community Library in Masaka District of Uganda to discuss some of the different literacies that are important in African environments. First, the literacies associated with different languages are analysed, these being classified as &quot;supralanguages&quot; (English in Uganda), &quot;lingua francas&quot; (such as Kiswahili), and &quot;local languages&quot; (Luganda in Kitengesa). Literacies also vary with social context, and the paper considers the cases of school, family, peer group, and private literacies. Work at Kitengesa has shown that although literacy is generally thought of as part of school life, other literacies are developing in response to the opportunities provided by the library. Supralanguage and school literacies remain dominant, but it is argued that they will become much more productive if supported by other literacies and that it is a major function of a community library to help such other literacies to develop.
A Scaffolding Approach Using Interviews and Narrative Inquiry
Author: Heilmann, Sharon
Date: 2018-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Interviews,Personal Narratives,Inquiry,Graduate Students,Student Research,Research Methodology,Mastery Learning,Qualitative Research,Homework,Assignments,Data Collection,Questioning Techniques

This article examines how educational scaffolding was used in a graduate research methods course to encourage student mastery of two qualitative research concepts, interviews and narrative inquiry. Findings suggest that scaffolding resulted in students' mastery of both concepts as well as students' increased attention to quality of interview questions and outcomes. Further implications suggest scaffolding would be useful in combining other qualitative topics such as integrating content analysis skills with research designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, and case studies.
Una Destinatio, Viae Diversae--One Destination, Many Paths: An Invitation to Design Curriculum
Author: Dorfman, Aviva B.
Date: 2018-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education,Graduate Students,Curriculum Design,Course Descriptions,Early Childhood Education,Integrated Curriculum,Outcomes of Education

One goal of early childhood teacher educators is to teach in ways that model teaching young children. What better way to study curriculum than to design it? This article describes a graduate early childhood curriculum course in which the students participate in the process of designing the syllabus. They receive a syllabus empty of topics, schedule, and readings. Together, we design the course according to their interests and needs. By semester's end there is a full reading list and schedule. The invitation to co-design curriculum provides opportunities for investigation, representation and reflection as does constructivist teaching for children, and demonstrates concretely that curricular goals can be addressed in multiple and varied ways.
Engaging Graduate Students in the Online Learning Environment: A Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Approach to Teacher Preparation
Author: Lohmann, Marla J.
Date: 2018-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Graduate Students,Online Courses,Access to Education,Teacher Education,Special Education,Electronic Learning,Teacher Educators

Today's classroom is more diverse than ever; it is imperative that universities find solutions for meeting these diverse learning needs. One potential solution is Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which is a promising practice in the K-12 classroom. UDL is based on the idea that diversity among students is predictable and systematic adjustments to the curriculum should be made based on that predictability. While there is strong research supporting the use of UDL for traditional K-12 classrooms, there is little research regarding its implementation in the online university teacher preparation classroom. This study explores the use of UDL for increasing student engagement in online Special Education teacher preparation courses. The authors seek to expand on the literature regarding the use of UDL in the university setting by examining the impact of engagement strategies in online Special Education teacher preparation courses. Results of a case study utilizing a qualitative survey of online teacher preparation candidates are examined.
Experiences and Perceptions of University Students and General and Special Educator Teacher Preparation Faculty Engaged in Collaboration and Co-Teaching Practices
Author: Ricci, Leila A.
Date: 2018-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Experience,Student Attitudes,Teacher Education,Teacher Educators,Teacher Collaboration,Team Teaching,Regular and Special Education Relationship,Teaching Methods,General Education,Special Education,College Students,Lesson Plans,Elementary Secondary Education,Reading Instruction,Language Arts,Modeling (Psychology)

General and special education faculty modeling co-teaching practices in teacher preparation programs can promote collaboration among future K-12 teachers serving children with diverse needs. This article describes the experiences and perceptions of 59 university students enrolled in teacher preparation reading courses with sessions co-taught by general education and special education faculty members at a large, Hispanic serving public urban university in Southern California. The courses included lessons on co-planning, co-instructing, and co-assessing in reading jointly taught by the general education and special education professors; class readings and activities on collaboration and co-teaching; and the opportunity for university students to co-plan reading lessons for K-12 students. This mixed method study included pre- and post-student surveys on beliefs about collaboration and co-teaching, and students' ratings and reflections on the professors' co-taught sessions. Results showed that university students grew in their knowledge, confidence, and competence in collaboration and co-teaching. General and special education faculty experiences of the process are also shared.