The majority of U.S fourth graders are not proficient in reading. With lawmakers in some U.S. states enacting "Read by Grade 3" laws, it is important for teachers to be well prepared to teach reading to their students. The purpose of this study was to explore novice kindergarten through second grade (K-2) teachers' perspectives of their…

This study examined the impact of targeted literacy coaching in the area of phonological awareness on teacher knowledge and confidence, instructional methods, and student outcomes. Three interviews, three coaching sessions, and three classroom observations were conducted with five teacher participants, ranging from grades kindergarten through…

In the U.S., the EL student population in public schools continues to grow and it raises the question on how to effectively instruct and prepare these students to achieve academic proficiency. The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine if and to what extent there is a quantitative link between gains from 2nd to 3rd grade where the…

Response to Intervention (RtI) implementation has been an issue at a local school district in the United States for several years. Teachers have reported lack of resources and training on the RtI process and minimal support from administration, which have impeded their understanding of the intervention. As a result, students who are receiving RtI…

Lorenzo De Zavala is a low-income school in West Dallas, Texas, and a part of the large Dallas Independent School District. Reading achievement has been low and stagnant over the past few years at this campus due low reading levels in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade. Additionally, there is a lack of adequate teacher development and…

Children with Down syndrome exhibit unique learning characteristics that impact their educational progress. Despite this, research on effective reading interventions specifically tailored for this population remains limited. The present study aimed to find the best ways to teach teaching foundational reading skills to children with Down syndrome.…

With a change in access to information and a rising social and political consciousness for young people, elementary schools must start to think more about their role in shaping kids' understanding of social issues. While researchers certainly have not agreed upon a single definition of social justice education, Bell (2016) defines its aim as…

This phenomenological study investigated elementary teachers' perspectives on student engagement in competency-based education (CBE) classrooms in an upper Midwestern rural school district. The study addressed the limited research on CBE implementation in elementary settings by exploring teachers' lived experiences related to learner engagement.…

In 2022, Ohio House Bill 436 went into effect. The law required Ohio reading teachers to shift their literacy instructional practices to be consistent with structured literacy based on The Science of Reading research. This large body of research may be in direct conflict with widely used instructional practices that are generally thought of as…

The problem addressed in this quantitative study was that the second-grade students in the selected school were performing low on the tests compared to other grade levels in the selected school district. The results from the investigation on the effect of blended instruction using the Zearn® Math curriculum on student achievement, the perception…

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences and perceptions of teachers who use arts-integrated instruction and their directors of K-2 students before, during, and after the unique period of online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March of 2020. Arts integration is a method of teaching in which students are…

This dissertation investigated the impact of two different coaching models on student achievement. The data collected was IREAD-3, Indiana's third-grade proficiency assessment tool, and Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) assessment data, a formative assessment measuring student growth over time. The study encompassed 13 elementary schools in…

The purpose of this explanatory mixed method study was to assess teachers' perceptions of whole brain learning (WBL) and its effects on student success within eight southern Illinois school districts in rural and suburban areas in kindergarten through fourth grade. Quantitative data were collected from survey questions in SurveyMonkey, providing…

This qualitative descriptive case study addressed elementary teachers' perceptions of trauma-informed teaching practices, acknowledging the problem which is that many elementary teachers lack an understanding of why trauma-informed teaching strategies are considered best practices and how to utilizes these strategies in the classroom to contribute…

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, educational systems worldwide have faced unprecedented challenges, particularly concerning the support of students based on traditional face-to-face instruction. This study focused on the concerns surrounding 2nd grade students at LEA and DRA, two urban elementary schools, who have faced multiple layers of…