Engaging Teachers, Students, and Families in K-6 Writing Instruction


Book Description

This text draws on interviews, assignments, field notes, and observations from a flipped writing methodology course conducted with preservice elementary teachers in the US. In doing so, the text powerfully illustrates the benefits of using flipped methodologies in K-6 instruction to engage students, teachers, and families in authentic writing practices. Engaging Teachers, Students, and Families in K-6 Writing Instruction demonstrates the use of flipped writing methodologies to engage preservice teachers in literacy instruction, increase their confidence as writers, and bolster their understanding and application of pedagogical content knowledge. In turn, this underpins teachers’ ability to teach writing as an authentic, purpose-driven, audience-focused process. In particular, chapters explore effective teaching strategies including writing clinics, writing contests, and family literacy sessions which encourage writing development within a community of students, teachers, families, and authors. This text will be an engaging and informative guide for educational researchers, teacher educators, and preservice and inservice teachers looking to develop effective flipped writing pedagogies to support educators, students, and families.




What to Look for in Literacy


Book Description

Practical and rich in resources, this book provides a roadmap to monitoring, evaluating, and implementing effective literacy instruction in grades PK-12. Designed for district and school leaders as well as literacy coaches and consultants, this book contains all the strategies, guidance, and tools you’ll need to monitor the effectiveness of literacy instruction in your school or system. Top literacy experts Angela Peery and Tracey Shiel share concise, well-researched information about how to identify enriched literacy environments, what constitutes well-designed literacy lessons, and the components of effective literacy programs at each grade level. Chapters cover reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as collaboration, technology, and more, and offer adaptable strategies for different environments. Tools such as checklists and conversation frames are included to help busy leaders and administrators effectively monitor literacy instruction and provide constructive, thorough feedback to teachers. Each chapter features: Check-Up Tools to review documents and observe instruction Check-In Tools to guide your conversations and feedback given to teachers Reflective Questions for system and school leaders and instructional coaches.




Handbook of Research on Teacher Practices for Diverse Writing Instruction


Book Description

The art and practice of writing is complex and multidimensional; students often apply unique writing styles. As such, educators must apply focused teaching methods to nurture these unique forms of writing. Educators must stay up to date with the practices for diverse writing instruction in order to best engage with a diverse classroom. However, resources related to writing typically do not focus on the depth and breadth of writing, and there is a need for a resource that offers a comprehensive look at diverse writing instruction research. The Handbook of Research on Teacher Practices for Diverse Writing Instruction provides a rich discussion of the issues, perspectives, and methods for writing instruction currently in use, with an added lens focusing on diversity and equity. It provides unique coverage on the topic of writing instruction for practical implementation within the classroom setting. Covering topics such as student motivation, curriculum development, and content area instruction, this major reference work is an essential resource for preservice teachers, faculty and administration of K-12 and higher education, academic libraries, government officials, school boards, researchers, and academicians.




Interactive Writing


Book Description

Interactive Writing is specifically focused on the early phases of writing, and has special relevance to prekindergarten, kindergarten, grade 1 and 2 teachers.




Instructional Leadership Efforts and Evidence-Based Practices to Improve Writing Instruction


Book Description

Writing is a critical skill for academic and professional success, yet it is often neglected in schools. According to achievement data, only a quarter of students in the United States are proficient writers, indicating a significant need for improvement in writing instruction. One contributing factor to this problem is the lack of school and district leadership in writing instruction. School improvement efforts are often concentrated on reading and math, leaving writing instruction overlooked. Additionally, issues related to writer identities, self-efficacy in writing, and educator training can also impact the effectiveness of instructional leadership in this critical subject. Instructional Leadership Efforts and Evidence-Based Practices to Improve Writing Instruction, edited by Jennifer VanSlander of Columbus State University, provides within this peer-reviewed book an exploration of evidence-based practices aimed at developing instructional leaders and enhancing student achievement in writing. It covers a broad range of topics related to writing instruction, including learning theories, conceptual models, and the latest empirical research associated with the supervision, organization, implementation, and monitoring of writing programs and instructional approaches. With its emphasis on writer identities, self-efficacy, equitable and inclusive practices, curriculum planning and implementation, assessment, instructional frameworks, and managing instructional change, this book provides educators with a comprehensive guide to improving writing instruction. It is an essential resource for educators who seek to increase the effectiveness of instructional leadership and writing instruction at the classroom, school, or district level.




Sustaining Cultural and Disability Identities in the Literacy Classroom, K-6


Book Description

Ideal for literacy methods and elementary instruction courses, this book brings together three strands of educational practice—Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP), Disability Sustaining Pedagogy (DSP), and balanced literacy—to present a cohesive, comprehensive framework for literacy instruction that meets the needs of all learners. Situating balanced literacy instruction within the current debate on how to best teach elementary school literacy, this book prepares pre-service and in-service teachers to work with racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students of all abilities and disabilities and addresses effective curriculum design, lesson planning, and assessment. Chapters offer real-world classroom examples and lesson plans, charts, and discussion guides for CSP/DSP-infused instruction for each component of a balanced literacy instructional block.




Supporting Student Literacy for the Transition to College


Book Description

Focusing on the needs and experiences of underrepresented students in the US, this text explores how pre-college outreach programs can effectively support the development of students’ writing skills in preparation for the transition from high school to college. Synthesizing data from a longitudinal study focusing on multilingual, low-income, and first-generation students, this volume provides in-depth exploration of the strategies and resources used in a pre-college literacy program in the US. Grounded in an expansive, qualitative study, chapters reveal how outreach practices can encourage student-led research, writing, confidence, and collaboration. More broadly, programs are shown to help tackle issues of inequality, increase college readiness, and reduce difficulties with writing which can restrict minority students’ access to higher education and their longer-term college attainment. This text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in English and literacy studies, multicultural education, and pre-college writing instruction. Those interested in bilingualism, translingualism, writing studies, English as a second language (ESL), and applied linguistics will also benefit from the volume.




Reconceptualizing the Writing Practices of Multilingual Youth


Book Description

Focusing on adolescent multilingual writing, this text problematizes the traditional boundaries between academic writing in school contexts and self-initiated writing outside of the formal learning environment. By reconceptualizing the nature of adolescent multilingual writing, the author establishes it as an interdisciplinary genre and a key area of inquiry for research and pedagogy. Organized into six chapters, Reconceptualizing the Writing Practices of Multilingual Youth provides an in-depth examination of the writing practices of multilingual youth from sociocultural and social practice perspectives. Drawing on first-hand research conducted with young people, the text questions the traditional dichotomy between academic writing and non-formal equivalents and proposes a symbiotic approach to exploring and cultivating the connections between in- and out-of-school literate lives. By highlighting a bidirectional relationship between formal and informal writing, the text advocates for writing instruction that helps adolescents use writing for entertainment, identity construction, creative expression, personal well-being, and civic engagement, as well as helps them learn to navigate future literacies that we cannot imagine or predict now. This much-needed text will provide researchers and graduate students with a principled overview and synthesis of adolescent multilingual writing research that is significant yet underexplored in applied linguistics, TESOL, and literacy studies.




School, Family, and Community Partnerships


Book Description

Strengthen programs of family and community engagement to promote equity and increase student success! When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students′ education, more students succeed in school. Based on 30 years of research and fieldwork, the fourth edition of the bestseller School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, presents tools and guidelines to help develop more effective and more equitable programs of family and community engagement. Written by a team of well-known experts, it provides a theory and framework of six types of involvement for action; up-to-date research on school, family, and community collaboration; and new materials for professional development and on-going technical assistance. Readers also will find: Examples of best practices on the six types of involvement from preschools, and elementary, middle, and high schools Checklists, templates, and evaluations to plan goal-linked partnership programs and assess progress CD-ROM with slides and notes for two presentations: A new awareness session to orient colleagues on the major components of a research-based partnership program, and a full One-Day Team Training Workshop to prepare school teams to develop their partnership programs. As a foundational text, this handbook demonstrates a proven approach to implement and sustain inclusive, goal-linked programs of partnership. It shows how a good partnership program is an essential component of good school organization and school improvement for student success. This book will help every district and all schools strengthen and continually improve their programs of family and community engagement.




Code-Switching as a Pedagogical Tool in Bilingual Classrooms


Book Description

Presenting a mixed methods study conducted in a bilingual mathematics classroom in Zimbabwe, this text reveals the semantic pedagogical functions and linguistic forms of code-switching during STEM instruction. Code-Switching as a Pedagogical Tool in Bilingual Classrooms offers a detailed analysis of code-switching in the context of educational linguistics, and reveals ten major pedagogical techniques which illustrate how teachers use code-switches to engage students and provide guidance, clarification, discipline, and recaps during individual and whole-class interactions. Chapters highlight that code-switching can be used in a targeted manner to harness the cognitive potential of bilingual speakers and enhance instruction. Ultimately, the text identifies implications for teacher education, language policy, and educational leadership more broadly, and demonstrates intersections with key areas including functional, critical, and cultural literacy. This text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in bilingualism, applied linguistics, and secondary education more broadly. Those specifically interested in multicultural education, sociolinguistics and educational policy will also benefit from this book.