As the important factors in EFL speaking classroom activities, building students' motivation and interaction in EFL speaking classroom should be designed in meaningful ways. Many studies reported various ways in minimizing the problems as well as proposed innovative ways in teaching speaking skill. One of the ways recommended by the researches is…

A century of research has shown that culturally relevant, responsive, and sustaining literacy teaching is essential to teaching all students well and is especially crucial for students of color, who most often attend urban schools. The authors share one innovative and culturally sustaining literacy practice that critically centers kindergarten and…

Early education programs in the United States are experiencing an increase in the number of English learners and, consequently, an increase in dual-language programs that best serve the needs of these children. Dual-language programs enable children to communicate orally and in written forms in both their native languages and in English. This…

The purpose of this article is to provide evidence to support direct vocabulary intervention practices for primary school-age children with language impairment (LI). A rationale for providing direct vocabulary intervention for children with LI is outlined by reviewing typical and atypical vocabulary acquisition, evidence of instructional…

The underlying foundations for all elements of this "Cree Language and Culture 12-year Program Guide to Implementation (Kindergarten to Grade 3)" are Cree values--those viewpoints and ways of being that characterize the Cree way of life. They are as important today in educating students in the Cree language and culture as they have ever…

The author examined the long-term effects of teacher instructional grouping practices on the early mathematical achievement of language minority students from various ethnic groups. The study used 3 longitudinal models. In the 1st model, English language learners (ELLs) displayed lower math performance than did English-only students in the…

Young children draw on all their senses to engage with the world around them. Despite research that documents the diversity of ways children learn and express themselves (Eisner 1994; Gallas 2003), primary education has become more focused on addressing early learning standards than ever before. How might today's teachers individualize learning…

At last, a truly helpful, practical guide for K-4 teachers who want to ensure that their approach to teaching young English language learners is based on research and grounded in proven classroom practices. The authors of ASCD's best-selling book "Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction, Grades K-3" explain how you can help the English…

Four first-grade teachers used discussion prompts to encourage thinking about and responding to text in different ways. This article describes how the teachers introduced the prompts and provides examples of how the prompts were integrated into classroom activities. Teachers found that using the prompts was an effective way to initiate and…

The student population in United States early childhood education programs is becoming more diverse every year. As schools and communities become more diverse, it becomes increasingly important for teachers to be well prepared for teaching and learning in cross-racial, cross-ethnic, and cross-cultural situations. Based on the premise that teachers…

We examined the importance of children's classroom activity, defined as task-focused versus task-avoidance behavior, on different literacy outcomes in an orthographically consistent language. Greek children (n=95) were tested in kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 on measures of general cognitive ability, phonological awareness, RAN, and short-term…

Each morning the first-graders are excited about applying their learning in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, art, oral language, and the social-emotional realm. The children are reporters, observing, documenting their work in small notebooks, discussing it, and reporting on it weekly in the class newspaper. To help teachers adapt…

Drawing on data from a yearlong qualitative study of a primary-grade English immersion class of Spanish-dominant Latina and Latino students, the author analyzes bilingual children's acts of translation during classroom activities. After pointing out the numerous positive benefits that resulted from these acts, the author suggests that encouraging…

Despite the importance of first grade as a crucial period in a young student's academic development, little is known nationally about how much time first-graders actually spend in class on various subjects or about the kinds of activities and skills that they work on in class. This Issue Brief details how often per week and how much time per day…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 5900 Culminating…