Explicit instruction in the academic language of disciplines is considered a major component of effective literacy development for adolescents (National Governors Association, 2010) and has become one of the standards in all disciplines. States have mandated that schools adopt teacher evaluation models and professional learning community (PLCs)…

Although decades of research attest to the importance of vocabulary teaching and learning, and recent research points to principles of effective vocabulary instruction, the small number of studies on actual classroom practice suggest that teachers continue to use the least effective approaches, often focusing on memorization of definitions.…

This dissertation investigates the potential of sustained use of academic vocabulary in reciprocal dialogue to improve educational equity for fifth-grade students with specific reading disabilities. Students with reading disabilities often struggle with acquiring academic vocabulary, which can hinder their overall academic performance and limit…

In a district where only 5% of ELLs were deemed language proficient, the problem was the need to understand teacher perceptions of best practices to increase English language learner (ELL) achievement in reading and writing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teacher perceptions of best practices to support ELLs in improving…

The achievement gap is ever growing in the United States educational system. Low socioeconomic students is one demographic group who is targeted for educators to evaluate teaching and learning. Academic vocabulary is a targeted piece of language that is integrated into all content areas in school that makes content comprehensible. Low…

Academic vocabulary is one of the most important skills needed in language learning, but it may be difficult for students whose native language is not English. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how classroom core subject teachers at Middle School 55 (pseudonym) perceive their ability to implement specific instructional model…

Individuals with lower proficiency in a second language tend to produce more disfluent speech patterns in the second language. Speech disfluencies refer to interruptions in the forward flow of speech and are distinct from the colloquial use of "fluency," to characterize knowledge of a language. Prior research indicates that some speech…

While research demonstrates the importance of vocabulary knowledge for reading comprehension (Anderson & Freebody, 1981; Guo, Roehrig, & Williams, 2011), many studies suggest wide reading exposure for vocabulary acquisition (Nagy, Herman, & Anderson, 1985; Stahl & Nagy, 2006). However, there is compelling evidence for the benefits…

Economically disadvantaged (ECD) students come to classrooms performing below grade level, particularly in reading. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine master educators' identities and practices that contribute to success in literacy development with ECD students. The performance of ECD students compared to more affluent…

The nature of this research study examines the relationship between text-talking and writing skills used by American Sign Language (ASL) and English speakers. When given ample opportunity to text-talk in academic settings, it is likely that students will improve their expressive communication and writing skills. The main research question asks:…

Bilingual education in the United States basically involves English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classes and students who are learning an additional language in a foreign language immersion (FLI) program. Although academic vocabulary instruction for ELLs has attracted increasing attention in the past two decades (e.g., McQuillan, 2019;…