This dissertation study investigated the efficacy of a supplementary preschool embedded multimedia curriculum that was designed to increase one type of conceptual knowledge: taxonomic categories. Named the World of Words (WOW), this curriculum focused on teaching the properties and concepts associated with seven taxonomic categories and providing…

This article discusses the instructional practice of supporting second graders' information book writing with focused read-alouds that include discussions of information book genre elements, features, and organizational structure. The authors present specific examples of instruction and discuss the resulting information book compositions by…

Taking the 2009 UKLA conference theme of "making connections and building literate communities" and recalling Hoggart's plea for literacy to be critically and morally engaged rather than merely functional, this paper calls for a reassessment of the pursuit of literacy in schools so as to connect the language of learning with the language of…

Competency in reading is a key factor in literacy attainment. If pupils can read proficiently this allows them to access the curriculum in all subjects and helps them to become confident, successful, motivated learners. Paired reading has long been recognised as an effective approach for supporting reading in schools. It helps to build…

In the diversity of an international school, many children for whom dyslexia is a barrier to literacy skill development may not have formally been identified as dyslexic; however, it does not mean that their needs do not require to be met. This paper considers the elements necessary to support the learners with dyslexia. Teaching Reading Through…

This response was constructed based on the author's experience as a language program coordinator and her expertise in second language (L2) reading development. Because "transcultural competence," as defined in the MLA Report (2007), shares much of its underlying capacities with "reading ability," in principle, reading instruction could play a…

Eighteenth-century readers received copious advice on how to improve their oral reading. Private lecturers and instructors, often called "elocutionists", disparaged old-fashioned methods of teaching. These older methods encouraged readers to use a sing-song tone and chanting rhythm when they read. These qualities were useful in earlier periods…

This report summarises Year 6 pupils' attainment in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) survey of 2016 in Northern Ireland and explores the context of that attainment. PIRLS is an international comparison study of reading at ages 9-10. PIRLS has a five-yearly cycle. Northern Ireland took part in PIRLS for the second time…

This summary accompanies the national report for Northern Ireland (Sizmur et al., 2017). It outlines the attainment of Year 6 pupils in Northern Ireland in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 survey and explores the context of that attainment. PIRLS is a study of reading at ages 9-10 and has a five-yearly cycle.…

Reading comprehension instruction that helps guide the students' interactions with text needs to include discussions about the material that was read and the meaning the students have formed from reading it. Statements Not Questions is a reading comprehension instruction strategy that can promote students' ability to understand stories they are…

It's obvious that technology is reshaping students' reading and writing practices, with or without educators' intervention. The challenge is to teach students to be truly literate in two languages--those of the pre- and post-digital worlds. So how can teachers teach to two literacies at once? They must approach this task with three mind-sets.…

This study investigates the impact of the implementation of "Literature Circles" in an Active Learning classroom in relations to developing soft skills among university students. The use of Literature Circles is a well-known strategy in teaching the students to be more creative, independent, and think out of the box. A group of…

Examining deficits in the development of adolescent literacy, this article explores conceptions of literacy not as a "simple" exercise that merely requires layperson understandings of words, but rather, as research shows, as a deeper action that requires disciplinary knowledge and standing. Vygotsky's distinction between tool users vs.…

This meta-analysis reviewed research on summer reading interventions conducted in the United States and Canada from 1998 to 2011. The synthesis included 41 classroom-and home-based summer reading interventions involving children from kindergarten to Grade 8. Compared to control group children, children who participated in classroom interventions,…

In this review the authors considered all the documents pertaining to the teaching of reading in Botswana primary schools from independence to the present. The purpose was to get the big picture with regard to the status of reading education. The results are reported in four categories: (1) Reading in the Classroom; (2) Reading and Policy; (3)…