Diverse student populations with varying learning skills and linguistic barriers exist throughout elementary and higher education settings. Poorer learning outcomes are observed when students are not engaged or motivated to learn. This study aimed to determine techniques used in the classroom such as discussion and debate, research and inquiry or…

This study investigates the nature of teacher-child interaction and teacher scaffolding in Finnish second language (L2) classrooms. Although previous research on classroom interaction has highlighted the importance of scaffolding in language learning, much less is known about the importance of scaffolding for younger children's L2 learning.…

This article highlights the work of a culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) Professional Development School (PDS) initiative aimed at promoting teacher candidates' abilities to understand and work effectively with elementary-aged Micronesian students in Hawai'i. Findings from this research reveal that a PDS centered on CRP improved teachers'…

Much has been written about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' academic performance and mental health, with overwhelming coverage of "learning loss" and "learning recovery." Now that this is a post-pandemic recovery, it is critical to reflect and think transformatively about what schools need to do differently, in…

Teacher education programmes offer pre-service teachers limited opportunities to realistically practise and develop skills and strategies for teaching pupils, without the risk of adversely affecting pupils' learning. The purpose of this study was set to contribute with knowledge concerning how pre-service teachers develop self-efficacy beliefs…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of using guided reading instruction to increase overall reading achievement in elementary students over the course of three months. Twenty Kindergarten students with varying reading achievement from a Title I school in Georgia were examined in the study. Students were divided into five groups…

Children have a natural proclivity to teach, help, cooperate, and empathize with others, and these interactions can have positive benefits for children's emotional, social, and cognitive development. This article is about ways music teachers can design peer-assisted music learning activities that will benefit everyone in the class and ultimately…

The merits of decentralized small groups has been questioned in literature and by practicing teachers; thus this study shows the academic and identity work children do as they attempt to make meaning in these spaces. This study explores the affordances and drawbacks of decentralized small group discussion contexts in a multiage (3rd/4th) grade…

This article reports on the development and preliminary implementation trials of a modular small-group intervention targeting syntax and vocabulary for children at high risk for reading comprehension difficulties in grades prekindergarten through first. The intervention, delivered by trained paraprofessionals, included 12 weeks of 20-minute…

Many deaf students struggle with learning to read. This is the case nationally as well as at the Michigan School for the Deaf (MSD). In 2006, the elementary teaching staff began working together to implement a change in their reading instruction so their approach would be systematic and consistent across grade levels. With the diverse backgrounds…

This article advances a framework for early language and literacy development among young English language learners (ELLs). A dual-language book project undertaken in partnership with a local elementary school provides a context within which to address children's need to negotiate language, culture, and identity as they transition and make meaning…

This publication helps educators create differentiated reading instruction experiences for their students by showing the relationship between two distinct resources: Student Center Activities (SCAs) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSSs). Reading specialists, reading coaches, and teachers will find this document useful in lesson planning, as…

In this column, the three authors address the teaching of ELs within the content areas. Specifically, they highlight the difference between having language and content objectives, utilizing small-group work to maximize involvement, and inclusion of beginning English speakers into the learning process. Currently there is a gap of 36 points between…

Get your students motivated! As a teacher, you know how essential student buy-in is to instructional effectiveness: It is not enough to merely have students participate in the classroom activities you select--you need to get them to want to participate. In "Fun-tastic Activities for Differentiating Comprehension Instruction, Grades 2-6", you will…

The purpose of this research was to examine teachers' perspectives on transitioning from a predominately whole to small-group delivery method during reading instruction. This study used a qualitative approach and nested itself in an epistemology of constructivism. The research operated under the umbrella of practice ethnography as it closely…