William Nichols - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by William Nichols

Research paper thumbnail of A path analytic model linking foundational skills to Grade 3 state reading achievement

The Journal of Educational Research, 2018

Foundational skills are important to reading success. Additionally, U.S. Core Reading Standards r... more Foundational skills are important to reading success. Additionally, U.S. Core Reading Standards recommend text complexity grade-bands extending from second-through twelfth-grade as a measure of reading growth. The idea means that students must increase their reading skills as they progress across grades and that text complexity offers a reasonable metric for gauging such growth. A challenge with the text-complexity bands is both their breadth and their large increase between thirdand fourth-grade. We present a text-complexity heuristic mapping growth in foundational skills across the elementary grades that provides a more fine-grained perspective for tracking reading development. We next present empirical evidence supporting the heuristic, which shows that students who reach foundational skill criteria by the end of third-grade are much more likely to achieve end-of-year reading proficiency than peers who are less-than-proficient readers.

Research paper thumbnail of Triangulating Teacher Perception, Classroom Observations, and Student Work to Evaluate Secondary Writing Programs

Reading & Writing Quarterly, 2017

This study triangulated multiple sources of data to evaluate a secondary writing program and dete... more This study triangulated multiple sources of data to evaluate a secondary writing program and determine the professional development (PD) needs of secondary writing teachers. The researcher began by designing a needs assessment survey for writing teachers based on practices in writing instruction that yield high to moderate effect sizes on student learning, particularly among struggling writers. The survey was then administered to writing teachers at a socioeconomically disadvantaged high school in Texas after conducting classroom observations and analyzing samples of student work. Triangulating data from these three sources revealed a need for future professional development activities to focus on: teaching grammar and conventions in the context of writing; modeling selfregulation strategies while drafting, revising, and editing with students; providing specific, meaningful feedback to students about their writing; and organizing ideas according to the purpose and mode of the writing task. These findings are significant because classroom observations and student work samples revealed instructional weaknesses in the school's writing program that teachers did not perceive as high areas of need on the survey. The discrepancies between teacher perception and actual classroom practice suggest that campus leaders should avoid exclusively basing PD programming and evaluation on subjective data from participants. Furthermore, the triangulation of data from three sources established a reference point for future PD programming in writing and enabled the researcher to identify PD needs iii that more clearly aligned with students' instructional needs. While the specific PD goals that evolved from the study are not generalizable to other secondary schools, the process of collecting multiple forms of data to determine the quality and needs of a school's writing program can be applied in other campuses. If used appropriately, the methods employed in this study can help campus leaders close the gap between theory and instructional practice to facilitate improvements in student writing outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Teachers’ Perceptions of Engagement and Effectiveness of School Community Partnerships: NASA’s Online STEM Professional Development

Journal of Studies in Education, 2016

Data were collected from 32 teachers using mixed methods to investigate their perceptions of the ... more Data were collected from 32 teachers using mixed methods to investigate their perceptions of the value of online professional development (PD) offered through a school-community partnership with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The partnership between multiple school districts nationwide and NASA provided teachers with an online Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) PD course called MicroGX. Data from this study provide evidence that teachers perceived MicroGX as a positive PD experience. Teachers indicated that they would recommend this PD to other teachers, and overall were satisfied with interaction with others, resources, support, content, and content delivery. Effective PD components include building teachers' content knowledge, impacting students' learning, increasing teaching resources, and providing support for participation in PD.

Research paper thumbnail of Middle School Teachers’ Knowledge and Use of Comprehension Strategies in Discipline Instruction

International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2018

This mixed method study investigated the total minutes 6 Social Studies and 6 English-Language Ar... more This mixed method study investigated the total minutes 6 Social Studies and 6 English-Language Arts seventh grade-teachers taught and used comprehension strategies in their discipline area teaching. Three 45-minute observations of each teachers were used to determine reading comprehension strategies taught by individual teachers. Measures of teachers acquired reading comprehension strategy knowledge were compiled through focused interviews and a questionnaire. Reported practices and knowledge were compared to the observations of their classroom instruction. Interview and questionnaire data were analyzed using coding to identify patterns, themes, and repetition of words or key words, and use of phrases or sentences that reveal similarities of participants' strategy instruction. Data revealed all 12 teachers spent only 89 minutes on comprehension strategy instruction, representing 5.5% of their total instructional time. Forty-two percent of the teachers indicated that they received training from a State Region Education Service Center, college and university courses, and district initiatives.

Research paper thumbnail of Book Review: Reading and Math Coming Together in the Classroom

Journal of Literacy Research, 2001

Research paper thumbnail of Teachers’ Perceptions and Implementation of Professional Development in Writing Instruction

Journal of Studies in Education, 2016

This mixed-methods study investigated teachers’ perceptions and implementation of professional de... more This mixed-methods study investigated teachers’ perceptions and implementation of professional development in writing instruction at a United States public high school campus. A layered approach to professional development was utilized: (1) one group received weekly professional development during a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and participated on a district writing team, (2) one group received weekly professional development during a PLC and received instructional coaching, and (3) one group received only weekly professional development during a PLC. Data were gathered on teachers’ responses to their perceptions of professional development received, teachers’ body and verbal language during PLCs and professional development, reflection notes documented by teachers receiving instructional coaching, and interviews of the teachers who received instructional coaching. Analyses of the data demonstrated application of the newly learned instructional practices in the classroom in...

Research paper thumbnail of Is prosodic reading a strategy for comprehension

Journal for educational research online, 2017

Die aufstrebende Forschung zur Leseprosodie als ein Indikator fur flussiges Lesen zeigt, dass Pro... more Die aufstrebende Forschung zur Leseprosodie als ein Indikator fur flussiges Lesen zeigt, dass Prosodie bei Schulerinnen und Schulern verschiedener Altersklassen zum Leseverstandnis beitragt. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde unter Verwendung der Multidimensional Fluency Scale (MDFS; Zutell & Rasinski, 1991) die Entwicklung der Leseprosodie und des Leseverstandnisses von 250 Erst-, Zweit- und Drittklasslern uber ein Schuljahr hinweg untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Schulerinnen und Schuler schrittweise ihre Leseprosodie verbessern und sich bis zum Ende der zweiten Klasse dem der Jahrgangsstufe entsprechenden Niveau annahern. Wahrend sich die Lesegeschwindigkeit nicht als signifikanter Pradiktor des Leseverstandnisses erwies, konnten die Genauigkeit der Wortidentifikation und die Leseprosodie 64.9 % der Eigenvarianz beim Leseverstandnis aufklaren. Mithilfe eines Three-Step-Resamplings (Baron & Kenny, 1986) und eines Bootstrap-Resamplings zur Mediationsanalyse (Preacher & Hay...

Research paper thumbnail of Teacher efficacy and attributes on the implementation of tiered instructional frameworks

International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE)

United States federal mandates and reforms to address the needs of at-risk students have resulted... more United States federal mandates and reforms to address the needs of at-risk students have resulted in many states being required to implement evidence-based practices (EBP) and tiered systems of support (TSS). We examined the relationships between successful implementation of EBP and tiered frameworks, specifically Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) and the constructs of teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and teacher attributions. Data were collected using the School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET), Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), the Collective Efficacy Scale (CES), and Teachers’ Attributions for Student Behavior Measure (TASBM). Significant correlations were found between PBIS implementation level and 1) Instructional Strategies subscale of the TSES; 2) Collective Efficacy Scale and both of its subscales; and 3) TASBM and its Stable and Blame subscales. Significant differences in mean ratings were found between high implementing schools and low implementing ...

Research paper thumbnail of Fluency: Deep Roots in Reading Instruction

Education Sciences

Over the past two decades, reading fluency has been increasingly recognized as an important instr... more Over the past two decades, reading fluency has been increasingly recognized as an important instructional variable for success in reading. Yet, this has not always been the case. This article presents a historical review of the nature and role of fluency instruction in the United States. The roots of oral reading fluency began in an age when texts and other forms of entertainment and information were limited. Historically, in America, oral reading was the predominant means for conveying ideas and passing the time at home with the family. In the 1800s, American education’s primary method of instruction emphasized the need for being able to read aloud with expression and fluency, in order to hold the listeners’ attention and convey information. As texts and other forms of information became more available, oral reading became deemphasized, and silent reading was viewed as a better approach to developing readers’ comprehension at the cost of fluency development. With continued research...

Research paper thumbnail of Embracing Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Culturally Responsive Reading Instruction

The ability to deal effectively with student differences is crucial to teaching reading. Teachers... more The ability to deal effectively with student differences is crucial to teaching reading. Teachers must address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students in the regular classroom. The ability of teachers to handle differences effectively translates into instructional practices that provide for each student's self-respect and that lead all students to feel secure in the classroom. Creating successful opportunities for students with limited proficiency in English requires an understanding of nonstandard dialects, characteristics of foreign languages spoken by the students in the classroom, and students' cultural values. Although speaking with a dialect or a primary language other than English may present problems in learning to read, in a traditional general education classroom a sensitive and knowledgeable teacher minimizes this problem. Teachers who tailor reading instruction that enhances the needs of all students truly transform the literacy paradigm for students who have historically belonged to marginalized groups. Thus, by making use of effective reading strategies such as direct instruction combined with basal reading materials and literature-based reading instruction, teachers can successfully speak to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. (Contains 38 references.) (RS)

Research paper thumbnail of Reciprocal Teaching for Reading Comprehension in Higher Education: A Strategy for Fostering the Deeper Understanding of Texts

Assigning students the reading of historical texts, scholarly articles, popular press books, and/... more Assigning students the reading of historical texts, scholarly articles, popular press books, and/or Internet publications is common in higher education. Perhaps equally common is instructor disappointment in students' comprehension of assigned readings. This lack of good reading comprehension skills is exacerbated by the central role of reading comprehension in higher education success. One solution to this problem of poor reading comprehension skills is the explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies to both undergraduate and graduate students, specifically, reciprocal teaching. In the following article the foundations and methods of reciprocal teaching are defined and then each author, in turn, delineates how he or she uses reciprocal teaching in his or her classroom. These examples demonstrate the flexibility and transferability of this basic strategy as the five authors teach in an array of domains.

Research paper thumbnail of Alternative Text Types to Improve Reading Fluency for Competent to Struggling Readers

International Journal of Instruction, 2016

This article offers instructional suggestions and strategies based on research and theoretical li... more This article offers instructional suggestions and strategies based on research and theoretical literature for developing reading fluency through the use of rhyming poetry and other texts beyond the narrative and informational texts that have been traditionally used for reading instruction. Readers' lack of fluency in reading can be a monumental impediment to proficiency in good comprehension and overall reading competency. For all readers it is well established that as they progress in reading competence their reading ability grows (Stanovich, 1993/1994). This continued reading success begets continued reading growth; however, many struggling readers have difficulty in moving to a level of automaticity and fluency in their reading that enables them to engage in a successful practice. Lack of practice inhibits their reading comprehension. Readers' abilities to effectively comprehend texts are significantly affected by their proficiency in accurate and automatic word recognition and prosody (May, 1998; Stanovich, 1993/1994; LaBerge & Samuels, 1974; Schreiber, 1991). Repeated reading practice has been shown to be a powerful way to improve these important fluency competencies. Certain texts are particularly well suited for repeated reading that improves both aspects of fluency.

Research paper thumbnail of A Cross Sectional Comparison of the Relationship between Decoding Components, Conceptual Knowledge, and Metacognitive Knowledge to Reading Comprehension for Readers in Grades Four and Five

A Cross Sectional Comparison of the Relationship between Decoding Components, Conceptual Knowledge, and Metacognitive Knowledge to Reading Comprehension for Readers in Grades Four and Five

Research paper thumbnail of Research into Practice: Using Technology to Engage Students in Reading and Writing

Research into Practice: Using Technology to Engage Students in Reading and Writing

Recent research into the uses of computers for instruction in reading and writing have consisted ... more Recent research into the uses of computers for instruction in reading and writing have consisted of investigations con ducted in actual classrooms, tak ing into account the dynamic fac tors that shape teaching and learning (Baumann, Dillon, Shockley, Alverman, & Reinking, 1996; Reinking, Labbo, & McKenna, 1997). Using these classroom investigations as the starting point, Reinking and asso ciates (1997) generated a list of pedagogical generalizations that can serve as a basis for using com puters in literacy instruction. Their list of generalizations include the following:

Research paper thumbnail of Research into Practice: Using Technology to Engage Students in Reading and Writing

Research into Practice: Using Technology to Engage Students in Reading and Writing

Recent research into the uses of computers for instruction in reading and writing have consisted ... more Recent research into the uses of computers for instruction in reading and writing have consisted of investigations con ducted in actual classrooms, tak ing into account the dynamic fac tors that shape teaching and learning (Baumann, Dillon, Shockley, Alverman, & Reinking, 1996; Reinking, Labbo, & McKenna, 1997). Using these classroom investigations as the starting point, Reinking and asso ciates (1997) generated a list of pedagogical generalizations that can serve as a basis for using com puters in literacy instruction. Their list of generalizations include the following:

Research paper thumbnail of Building Conceptual Understanding through Vocabulary Instruction

Instructional design is an integral part of a balanced approach to teaching vocabulary instructio... more Instructional design is an integral part of a balanced approach to teaching vocabulary instruction. This article presents several instructional procedures using research-based vocabulary strategies and explains how to design and adapt those strategies in order to reach desired learning outcomes. Emphasis is placed on researchbased principles that guide effective vocabulary instruction and on the importance of incorporating vocabulary instruction into all phases of the reading lesson framework-before, during, and after reading (Blair, Rupley, & Nichols 2007; Vacca, Vacca, & Mraz 2011). Vocabulary instruction should encourage students to make associations and accommodations to their experiences and provide them with varied opportunities to practice, apply, and discuss their word knowledge in meaningful contexts (Beck & McKeown, 2002; Rupley & Nichols, 2005). The ultimate goal of teaching vocabulary is for the students to expand, refine, and add to their existing conceptual knowledge and enhance their comprehension and understanding of what they read (Baumann,

Research paper thumbnail of Improving oral reading fluency through Readers Theatre

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of teachers' instructional strategies and students' anxiety levels on students' achievement in eighth grade German and US classrooms

The impact of teachers' instructional strategies and students' anxiety levels on students' achievement in eighth grade German and US classrooms

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Language and Culture in Literacy Instruction: Where Have They Gone?

Language and Culture in Literacy Instruction: Where Have They Gone?

The Teacher Educator, 2008

... Dee Nichols b & Timothy R. Blair c ... An educational system that bases its e... more ... Dee Nichols b & Timothy R. Blair c ... An educational system that bases its expectations, delivery, and curricular content solely on the norms of the mainstream population is insufficient for students of diverse backgrounds (Nichols, Rupley, Webb-Johnson, and Tlusty, 200017. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Two Essential Ingredients: Phonics and Fluency Getting to Know Each Other

The Reading Teacher, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of A path analytic model linking foundational skills to Grade 3 state reading achievement

The Journal of Educational Research, 2018

Foundational skills are important to reading success. Additionally, U.S. Core Reading Standards r... more Foundational skills are important to reading success. Additionally, U.S. Core Reading Standards recommend text complexity grade-bands extending from second-through twelfth-grade as a measure of reading growth. The idea means that students must increase their reading skills as they progress across grades and that text complexity offers a reasonable metric for gauging such growth. A challenge with the text-complexity bands is both their breadth and their large increase between thirdand fourth-grade. We present a text-complexity heuristic mapping growth in foundational skills across the elementary grades that provides a more fine-grained perspective for tracking reading development. We next present empirical evidence supporting the heuristic, which shows that students who reach foundational skill criteria by the end of third-grade are much more likely to achieve end-of-year reading proficiency than peers who are less-than-proficient readers.

Research paper thumbnail of Triangulating Teacher Perception, Classroom Observations, and Student Work to Evaluate Secondary Writing Programs

Reading & Writing Quarterly, 2017

This study triangulated multiple sources of data to evaluate a secondary writing program and dete... more This study triangulated multiple sources of data to evaluate a secondary writing program and determine the professional development (PD) needs of secondary writing teachers. The researcher began by designing a needs assessment survey for writing teachers based on practices in writing instruction that yield high to moderate effect sizes on student learning, particularly among struggling writers. The survey was then administered to writing teachers at a socioeconomically disadvantaged high school in Texas after conducting classroom observations and analyzing samples of student work. Triangulating data from these three sources revealed a need for future professional development activities to focus on: teaching grammar and conventions in the context of writing; modeling selfregulation strategies while drafting, revising, and editing with students; providing specific, meaningful feedback to students about their writing; and organizing ideas according to the purpose and mode of the writing task. These findings are significant because classroom observations and student work samples revealed instructional weaknesses in the school's writing program that teachers did not perceive as high areas of need on the survey. The discrepancies between teacher perception and actual classroom practice suggest that campus leaders should avoid exclusively basing PD programming and evaluation on subjective data from participants. Furthermore, the triangulation of data from three sources established a reference point for future PD programming in writing and enabled the researcher to identify PD needs iii that more clearly aligned with students' instructional needs. While the specific PD goals that evolved from the study are not generalizable to other secondary schools, the process of collecting multiple forms of data to determine the quality and needs of a school's writing program can be applied in other campuses. If used appropriately, the methods employed in this study can help campus leaders close the gap between theory and instructional practice to facilitate improvements in student writing outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Teachers’ Perceptions of Engagement and Effectiveness of School Community Partnerships: NASA’s Online STEM Professional Development

Journal of Studies in Education, 2016

Data were collected from 32 teachers using mixed methods to investigate their perceptions of the ... more Data were collected from 32 teachers using mixed methods to investigate their perceptions of the value of online professional development (PD) offered through a school-community partnership with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The partnership between multiple school districts nationwide and NASA provided teachers with an online Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) PD course called MicroGX. Data from this study provide evidence that teachers perceived MicroGX as a positive PD experience. Teachers indicated that they would recommend this PD to other teachers, and overall were satisfied with interaction with others, resources, support, content, and content delivery. Effective PD components include building teachers' content knowledge, impacting students' learning, increasing teaching resources, and providing support for participation in PD.

Research paper thumbnail of Middle School Teachers’ Knowledge and Use of Comprehension Strategies in Discipline Instruction

International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2018

This mixed method study investigated the total minutes 6 Social Studies and 6 English-Language Ar... more This mixed method study investigated the total minutes 6 Social Studies and 6 English-Language Arts seventh grade-teachers taught and used comprehension strategies in their discipline area teaching. Three 45-minute observations of each teachers were used to determine reading comprehension strategies taught by individual teachers. Measures of teachers acquired reading comprehension strategy knowledge were compiled through focused interviews and a questionnaire. Reported practices and knowledge were compared to the observations of their classroom instruction. Interview and questionnaire data were analyzed using coding to identify patterns, themes, and repetition of words or key words, and use of phrases or sentences that reveal similarities of participants' strategy instruction. Data revealed all 12 teachers spent only 89 minutes on comprehension strategy instruction, representing 5.5% of their total instructional time. Forty-two percent of the teachers indicated that they received training from a State Region Education Service Center, college and university courses, and district initiatives.

Research paper thumbnail of Book Review: Reading and Math Coming Together in the Classroom

Journal of Literacy Research, 2001

Research paper thumbnail of Teachers’ Perceptions and Implementation of Professional Development in Writing Instruction

Journal of Studies in Education, 2016

This mixed-methods study investigated teachers’ perceptions and implementation of professional de... more This mixed-methods study investigated teachers’ perceptions and implementation of professional development in writing instruction at a United States public high school campus. A layered approach to professional development was utilized: (1) one group received weekly professional development during a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and participated on a district writing team, (2) one group received weekly professional development during a PLC and received instructional coaching, and (3) one group received only weekly professional development during a PLC. Data were gathered on teachers’ responses to their perceptions of professional development received, teachers’ body and verbal language during PLCs and professional development, reflection notes documented by teachers receiving instructional coaching, and interviews of the teachers who received instructional coaching. Analyses of the data demonstrated application of the newly learned instructional practices in the classroom in...

Research paper thumbnail of Is prosodic reading a strategy for comprehension

Journal for educational research online, 2017

Die aufstrebende Forschung zur Leseprosodie als ein Indikator fur flussiges Lesen zeigt, dass Pro... more Die aufstrebende Forschung zur Leseprosodie als ein Indikator fur flussiges Lesen zeigt, dass Prosodie bei Schulerinnen und Schulern verschiedener Altersklassen zum Leseverstandnis beitragt. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde unter Verwendung der Multidimensional Fluency Scale (MDFS; Zutell & Rasinski, 1991) die Entwicklung der Leseprosodie und des Leseverstandnisses von 250 Erst-, Zweit- und Drittklasslern uber ein Schuljahr hinweg untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Schulerinnen und Schuler schrittweise ihre Leseprosodie verbessern und sich bis zum Ende der zweiten Klasse dem der Jahrgangsstufe entsprechenden Niveau annahern. Wahrend sich die Lesegeschwindigkeit nicht als signifikanter Pradiktor des Leseverstandnisses erwies, konnten die Genauigkeit der Wortidentifikation und die Leseprosodie 64.9 % der Eigenvarianz beim Leseverstandnis aufklaren. Mithilfe eines Three-Step-Resamplings (Baron & Kenny, 1986) und eines Bootstrap-Resamplings zur Mediationsanalyse (Preacher & Hay...

Research paper thumbnail of Teacher efficacy and attributes on the implementation of tiered instructional frameworks

International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE)

United States federal mandates and reforms to address the needs of at-risk students have resulted... more United States federal mandates and reforms to address the needs of at-risk students have resulted in many states being required to implement evidence-based practices (EBP) and tiered systems of support (TSS). We examined the relationships between successful implementation of EBP and tiered frameworks, specifically Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) and the constructs of teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and teacher attributions. Data were collected using the School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET), Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), the Collective Efficacy Scale (CES), and Teachers’ Attributions for Student Behavior Measure (TASBM). Significant correlations were found between PBIS implementation level and 1) Instructional Strategies subscale of the TSES; 2) Collective Efficacy Scale and both of its subscales; and 3) TASBM and its Stable and Blame subscales. Significant differences in mean ratings were found between high implementing schools and low implementing ...

Research paper thumbnail of Fluency: Deep Roots in Reading Instruction

Education Sciences

Over the past two decades, reading fluency has been increasingly recognized as an important instr... more Over the past two decades, reading fluency has been increasingly recognized as an important instructional variable for success in reading. Yet, this has not always been the case. This article presents a historical review of the nature and role of fluency instruction in the United States. The roots of oral reading fluency began in an age when texts and other forms of entertainment and information were limited. Historically, in America, oral reading was the predominant means for conveying ideas and passing the time at home with the family. In the 1800s, American education’s primary method of instruction emphasized the need for being able to read aloud with expression and fluency, in order to hold the listeners’ attention and convey information. As texts and other forms of information became more available, oral reading became deemphasized, and silent reading was viewed as a better approach to developing readers’ comprehension at the cost of fluency development. With continued research...

Research paper thumbnail of Embracing Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Culturally Responsive Reading Instruction

The ability to deal effectively with student differences is crucial to teaching reading. Teachers... more The ability to deal effectively with student differences is crucial to teaching reading. Teachers must address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students in the regular classroom. The ability of teachers to handle differences effectively translates into instructional practices that provide for each student's self-respect and that lead all students to feel secure in the classroom. Creating successful opportunities for students with limited proficiency in English requires an understanding of nonstandard dialects, characteristics of foreign languages spoken by the students in the classroom, and students' cultural values. Although speaking with a dialect or a primary language other than English may present problems in learning to read, in a traditional general education classroom a sensitive and knowledgeable teacher minimizes this problem. Teachers who tailor reading instruction that enhances the needs of all students truly transform the literacy paradigm for students who have historically belonged to marginalized groups. Thus, by making use of effective reading strategies such as direct instruction combined with basal reading materials and literature-based reading instruction, teachers can successfully speak to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. (Contains 38 references.) (RS)

Research paper thumbnail of Reciprocal Teaching for Reading Comprehension in Higher Education: A Strategy for Fostering the Deeper Understanding of Texts

Assigning students the reading of historical texts, scholarly articles, popular press books, and/... more Assigning students the reading of historical texts, scholarly articles, popular press books, and/or Internet publications is common in higher education. Perhaps equally common is instructor disappointment in students' comprehension of assigned readings. This lack of good reading comprehension skills is exacerbated by the central role of reading comprehension in higher education success. One solution to this problem of poor reading comprehension skills is the explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies to both undergraduate and graduate students, specifically, reciprocal teaching. In the following article the foundations and methods of reciprocal teaching are defined and then each author, in turn, delineates how he or she uses reciprocal teaching in his or her classroom. These examples demonstrate the flexibility and transferability of this basic strategy as the five authors teach in an array of domains.

Research paper thumbnail of Alternative Text Types to Improve Reading Fluency for Competent to Struggling Readers

International Journal of Instruction, 2016

This article offers instructional suggestions and strategies based on research and theoretical li... more This article offers instructional suggestions and strategies based on research and theoretical literature for developing reading fluency through the use of rhyming poetry and other texts beyond the narrative and informational texts that have been traditionally used for reading instruction. Readers' lack of fluency in reading can be a monumental impediment to proficiency in good comprehension and overall reading competency. For all readers it is well established that as they progress in reading competence their reading ability grows (Stanovich, 1993/1994). This continued reading success begets continued reading growth; however, many struggling readers have difficulty in moving to a level of automaticity and fluency in their reading that enables them to engage in a successful practice. Lack of practice inhibits their reading comprehension. Readers' abilities to effectively comprehend texts are significantly affected by their proficiency in accurate and automatic word recognition and prosody (May, 1998; Stanovich, 1993/1994; LaBerge & Samuels, 1974; Schreiber, 1991). Repeated reading practice has been shown to be a powerful way to improve these important fluency competencies. Certain texts are particularly well suited for repeated reading that improves both aspects of fluency.

Research paper thumbnail of A Cross Sectional Comparison of the Relationship between Decoding Components, Conceptual Knowledge, and Metacognitive Knowledge to Reading Comprehension for Readers in Grades Four and Five

A Cross Sectional Comparison of the Relationship between Decoding Components, Conceptual Knowledge, and Metacognitive Knowledge to Reading Comprehension for Readers in Grades Four and Five

Research paper thumbnail of Research into Practice: Using Technology to Engage Students in Reading and Writing

Research into Practice: Using Technology to Engage Students in Reading and Writing

Recent research into the uses of computers for instruction in reading and writing have consisted ... more Recent research into the uses of computers for instruction in reading and writing have consisted of investigations con ducted in actual classrooms, tak ing into account the dynamic fac tors that shape teaching and learning (Baumann, Dillon, Shockley, Alverman, & Reinking, 1996; Reinking, Labbo, & McKenna, 1997). Using these classroom investigations as the starting point, Reinking and asso ciates (1997) generated a list of pedagogical generalizations that can serve as a basis for using com puters in literacy instruction. Their list of generalizations include the following:

Research paper thumbnail of Research into Practice: Using Technology to Engage Students in Reading and Writing

Research into Practice: Using Technology to Engage Students in Reading and Writing

Recent research into the uses of computers for instruction in reading and writing have consisted ... more Recent research into the uses of computers for instruction in reading and writing have consisted of investigations con ducted in actual classrooms, tak ing into account the dynamic fac tors that shape teaching and learning (Baumann, Dillon, Shockley, Alverman, & Reinking, 1996; Reinking, Labbo, & McKenna, 1997). Using these classroom investigations as the starting point, Reinking and asso ciates (1997) generated a list of pedagogical generalizations that can serve as a basis for using com puters in literacy instruction. Their list of generalizations include the following:

Research paper thumbnail of Building Conceptual Understanding through Vocabulary Instruction

Instructional design is an integral part of a balanced approach to teaching vocabulary instructio... more Instructional design is an integral part of a balanced approach to teaching vocabulary instruction. This article presents several instructional procedures using research-based vocabulary strategies and explains how to design and adapt those strategies in order to reach desired learning outcomes. Emphasis is placed on researchbased principles that guide effective vocabulary instruction and on the importance of incorporating vocabulary instruction into all phases of the reading lesson framework-before, during, and after reading (Blair, Rupley, & Nichols 2007; Vacca, Vacca, & Mraz 2011). Vocabulary instruction should encourage students to make associations and accommodations to their experiences and provide them with varied opportunities to practice, apply, and discuss their word knowledge in meaningful contexts (Beck & McKeown, 2002; Rupley & Nichols, 2005). The ultimate goal of teaching vocabulary is for the students to expand, refine, and add to their existing conceptual knowledge and enhance their comprehension and understanding of what they read (Baumann,

Research paper thumbnail of Improving oral reading fluency through Readers Theatre

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of teachers' instructional strategies and students' anxiety levels on students' achievement in eighth grade German and US classrooms

The impact of teachers' instructional strategies and students' anxiety levels on students' achievement in eighth grade German and US classrooms

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Language and Culture in Literacy Instruction: Where Have They Gone?

Language and Culture in Literacy Instruction: Where Have They Gone?

The Teacher Educator, 2008

... Dee Nichols b & Timothy R. Blair c ... An educational system that bases its e... more ... Dee Nichols b & Timothy R. Blair c ... An educational system that bases its expectations, delivery, and curricular content solely on the norms of the mainstream population is insufficient for students of diverse backgrounds (Nichols, Rupley, Webb-Johnson, and Tlusty, 200017. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Two Essential Ingredients: Phonics and Fluency Getting to Know Each Other

The Reading Teacher, 2008