Besides explicit inference of word meanings, associating words with diverse contexts may be a key mechanism underlying vocabulary learning through reading. Drawing from distributional semantic theory, we developed a text modification method called reflash to facilitate both word-context association and explicit inference. Using a set of left and…

Design features of American Sign Language (ASL)-English bilingual storybook apps on the tablet computers, based on learning research, are intended to facilitate independent and interactive learning of English print literacy and of ASL skill among young learners. In 2013, the Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning…

The young generation, born into digital technologies and called Millennials or the Y-Generation, are raised in a world where everybody has a computer in their pockets (Hamari et al., 2014), and they are constantly engaged in digital activities. However, research on the impact of digital devices on learners' educational performance and motivation…

In real-life contexts, when we read anything, be it a newspaper article or a supermarket brochure, we usually have some reasons and expectations about what we are going to read or we want to know something because we are just curious. Rarely do we read without any purpose and expectations, and we often know something about the topic that we are…

Background: Learners from predominantly less priviledged South African schools encounter English as a language of teaching and learning for the first time in Grade 4. The transition from the use of home language to second language, namely English first additional language, is complexly related to the learners' inability to read text meaningfully.…

The purpose of this study is to find out significant difference in implementing Story Mapping and Mind Mapping techniques toward students' reading comprehension enhancement. This study used a quantitative research method and comparative design by measuring the achievement of pre-test and post-test. This study addressed three research questions:…

This study reports on a year-long intervention based on comprehension practice of input-rich materials. It was inspired by an innovative program in Canada in which primary school francophone children learned English as a second language (ESL) through simultaneous reading and listening. In our study the participants are a class of 10- to…

Vocabulary knowledge and acquisition plays an important role in learning a second language as well as developing children's literacy skills. The effectiveness of the read-aloud technique to increase children's vocabulary knowledge and construction of meaning has been widely studied. Teachers need to employ effective instructional strategies to…

The inability of many English second-language (ESL) learners to read at desirable levels is universal, but reasons for this and solutions have not yet been addressed. Within the South African teaching context especially there is a paucity of evidence-based research findings available on the literacy challenges faced by ESL learners and the…

This highly regarded work brings together prominent authorities on vocabulary teaching and learning to provide a comprehensive yet concise guide to effective instruction. The book showcases practical ways to teach specific vocabulary words and word-learning strategies and create engaging, word-rich classrooms. Instructional activities and games…

This study was conducted over ten weeks with fifty three 5 to 6 year-old kindergarteners from economically disadvantaged homes learning French as a second language. The read-aloud strategy consisted of two teachers reading storybooks to children and explaining unfamiliar words. The teachers engaged children in meaningful discussions about the…

This experimental/comparison study of secondary-level, small-group instruction included 318 first- and second-grade students (170 ELL and 148 English-only) from six elementary schools. All schools served high numbers of ELL students with varying school SES in urban and suburban communities. Experimental schools implemented a three-tier model of…

Describes strategies for using story reading to help language minority students in grades one through six acquire language proficiency. Discusses ways to make story reading effective, including frequent reading, the use of cueing strategies, and the use of follow-up activities. (FL)