Background and aims: eBooks have become a ubiquitous presence in many classrooms today. Yet, empirical evidence on literacy development has not been well produced, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This mixed-method case study aimed to explore how four children with ASD interact with ebooks and printed books with parents…

A number of literacy theorists have worked to describe what is new and different about youth enactments of literacy in the digital age. In doing so, many invoke "digital dichotomies," or oppositional framings meant to differentiate among various enactments of literacy (i.e. digital vs. analog, online vs. offline, out-of-school vs.…

In this study, we explore systems thinking maps as a local literacy practice in a systems thinking professional development institute for PreK-8 teachers. Existing literature underscores the necessity of equipping teachers with a robust understanding of systems thinking; this study addresses a call in the research to find ways to do so. Rooted in…

Indigenous communities working to reclaim their languages have called for a shift from the traditional research paradigm of language documentation and description, in which outsider scholars set the agenda, to one in which community language workers take on leadership roles at every stage of the process, possibly with secondary support from…

We present findings across three randomized trials of "Descubriendo la Lectura" (DLL), an intervention designed to improve literacy skills of Spanish-speaking first graders struggling with reading. DLL is a one-to-one Spanish-language literacy program lasting 12-20 weeks offered to a school's lowest performing emerging bilingual first…

The home is an important setting for young children's learning and development. We examined home literacy practices and technology usage among families with children ages 5-6 years old (N = 47) before as compared to during COVID-19 with bivariate analyses. Variations by household income were also investigated. Parents completed surveys on home…

This study had a dual focus. First, the study sought to understand the impact of policy on praxis. This was achieved through a Critical Policy Analysis of Assembly Bill 705 (AB705), a California law that attempts to reduce the number of non-credit courses required to earn required courses in college composition and mathematics. Second, the study…

This qualitative study analyzes how teachers change their pedagogies in response to a reading and writing intervention designed specifically for Biliterate Latine English language learners. Through the analysis of structured interviews this paper examines teachers' perceptions of and reactions to the intervention. Teachers responded to curricular…

Authored by a teacher-researcher design team, this manuscript explores the boundaries and processes of literacy research enacted across perilous timescales. Building from fieldnotes, reflections, and dialogue from a two and a half year social design-based experiment, this study extends scholarship focused on kinship and communities of practice.…

Literacy is the foundation of learning supporting development in all content areas, and teachers are crucial to the academic achievement of all students. Preparing teachers to adequately meet this need is essential. The problem addressed in this study was that classroom teachers in California might not feel effective in teaching literacy skills to…

With mounting calls for the justice system to declare literacy a civil right, and with a growing emphasis on accelerating reading achievement at the federal, state, and local levels, educational leaders are under increased pressure to implement practices that will not only increase reading achievement but will prove sustainable for years to come.…

U.S. Latinx youth from immigrant backgrounds bring to schools their transnational literacies, complex lived experiences of marginalization and resistance, and politicized translanguaging practices that are seldom recognized in classrooms. This article examines U.S. Latinx bilingual youth who participated in a podcast project within a…

This dissertation examines individual, constricted agency in a multilingual environment within the context of a language discussion group and the form of social capital possessed by their Mexican Indigenous diasporic community living on the California Central Coast. The research is based on participant-observation ethnographic work with a language…

While humour and laughter create conditions that are conducive for learning, different forms of children's humour have been given little attention in research on digital media, literacy learning, and multimodal design. Applying a Bakhtinian lens, we analyse carnivalesque videos created by elementary students as part of the formal curriculum. We…

This is the first in an occasional series on the dramatic national push to revamp how reading is being taught in the earliest grades. This EdSource special report examines the state of early reading in California, the needs of special learners, teacher preparation and training and curricula and textbooks that are driving instruction. This ongoing…