LITERACY DIFFICULTIES

#1

Bulotsky-Shearer & Fantuzzo (2011). Preschool behavior problems in classroom learning

situations and literacy outcomes in kindergarten and first grade.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Mar2011, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p61-73. 13p.

DIGEST

Bulotsky-Shearer and Fantuzzo (2017) studied on the relationship between

classroom behaviour problems early in the preschool year and elementary

school literacy and language outcomes for an entire group of four-year-old Head Start

children with the population of (N =2682). To begin the procedure, a cross-classified

random effects model was used that controlled the indicators in literacy outcomes

attributed to: (a) child-level demographics (age, gender, ethnicity), and end of the

preschool year cognitive skills; (b) Head Start, kindergarten and first grade classrooms;

and (c) kindergarten and first grade schools. Secondly, preschool

behavior problems were assessed across structured learning situations, and during peer

and teacher interactions at the beginning of Head Start. Preschool behavior problems in

structured learning situations significantly yielded predicted lower literacy outcomes

across all time variables. Findings were ascertained from previous related research and

underscored the importance of early detection of problem behavior using

developmentally and cost-effectively valid instruments

within early childhood classrooms intentionally designed to scaffold literacy skills.

Keywords : Classroom behavior problems, Classroom learning contexts

Cross-classified random effects model , Developmental-ecological model
Early childhood transition Head Start Literacy outcomes Low-income Preschool
School readiness
#2
Justice et al., (2015) Empirically Based Profiles of the Early Literacy Skills of Children
With Language Impairment in Early Childhood Special Education. Journal of Learning
Disabilities. Sep/Oct2015, Vol. 48 Issue 5, p482-494. 13p

DIGEST

Justice et al., (2015) investigated on specific profiles that characterized preschool-

aged children with language impairment (LI) with respect to their identified

early literacy skills which included (print awareness, name-writing ability, phonological

awareness, alphabet knowledge). Initially, the primary focus was to determine if one or

more profiles suggested vulnerability or weakness in future reading problems.

Participants were 218 children who were enrolled in early childhood special education

classrooms, 95% of whom received speech-language services. Next, children were

administered with an assessment of early literacy skills in the fall of the academic year.

Based on results of latent profile analysis, four distinct literacy profiles were identified,

with the single largest profile (55% of children) representing children with generally

poor literacy skills across all areas examined. Also, children in the two low-risk

categories resulted higher oral language skills than those in the high-risk and moderate-

risk profiles. Meantime, across three of the four early literacy measures, children with

language as their primary disability had higher scores than those with LI related with other

disabilities. These findings reveal that there are specific profiles of early literacy skills

among children with LI, with about one half of children exhibiting a profile indicating

potential susceptibility for future reading problems.

Keywords: disorders , language literacy , preschool age , future reading problems

#3

Titley et al., (2014) Utilizing Teacher Ratings of Student Literacy to Identify At-Risk
Students: an Analysis of Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.
Contemporary School Psychology (Springer Science & Business Media B.V.). Mar2014,
Vol. 18 Issue 1, p59-68. 10p

DIGEST

Titley et al., (2014) investigated on the identification of children at-risk for

reading problems. Accordingly, past researches indicated that teachers were relatively

accurate in assessing children's overall reading ability. This study examined the accuracy

of kindergarten and first grade teacher rating scales in predicting children's reading scores

on assessments in kindergarten, first, third, and fifth grades. Primarily, the sample

included 8,806 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten unit

(ECLS-K). Results showed that teacher ratings significantly predicted children's later

reading scores from first all the way through fifth grade. The practical implications of the

results were conferred in consonance with early identification of children at-risk for

learning disabilities in reading.

Keywords : Longitudinal study , Predicting literacy , Prevention Reading, Teacher rating

#4

Kurikami et al., (2019), DNAAF2 Dyslexia Nystagmus like abnormal eye movement
Reading disability Brain & Development. Feb2019, Vol. 41 Issue 2, p187-190. 4p.

DIGEST

Kurikami et al., (2019) explicated that Dyslexia is a reading disability characterized

by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, which are thought to curtail

from a phonological processing weaknesses. It was thus reported that the case of a 13-

year-old girl received the diagnosis of dyslexia at age 12 years. This diagnosis was

considered to be infallible because her reading difficulty was caused by a naturally

repeated eye movement toward the vertical direction. Other observations being identified

were the eyes were likely to show slow, upward drifts followed by quick downward

movement at the physical examination, and the amplitude of the downward movement

was increased when she changed eye positions to look at the upper direction in the

evaluation of the eye tracker. Though it was considered that there was ta possibility that

the spontaneously repeated eye movement was classified as the spontaneous downbeat

nystagmus, the eye tracker showed the transition of the gaze starting from and returning

to was inconsistent with nystagmus. It was concluded that the term nystagmus like

abnormal eye movement was appropriate for the expression of the spontaneously

repeated eye movement. There was no apparent abnormality on head magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI), and whole exome sequencing showed no known candidate

genes to explain the cerebellar dysfunction. An undertaking of similar cases in the future

should help elucidate the pathomechanism observed in this case, Paying full attention to

evaluate the neurological conditions and other underlying aspects of the patients must be

considered before settling on the diagnosis of dyslexia.

INTERVENTION/PROGRAM

#1

Lovet et.al., (2017). Early intervention for children at risk for reading disabilities: The
impact of grade-at-intervention and individual differences on intervention outcomes.
American Pyschological Association, 3-54.

DIGEST

Lovet (2017) investigated on multiple schools in three sites which dealt with the

impacts of grade-at-intervention and was evaluated for children at risk or meeting

criteria for reading disabilities. A multiple-component reading intervention was also

utilized with demonstrated efficacy was offered to small groups of children in 1st, 2nd and

3rd grades. A quasi-experimental design was used of whom 172 children received the

Triple-Focus Program (PHAST + RAVE-O), and 47 were control participants. Change

during intervention and 1-3 years later (6-8 testing points), and the influence of individual

differences in predicting outcomes, were assessed utilizing reading and reading-related

repeated procedures. Experimental group children performed better than the control

children at posttest on all 14 outcomes, with average effect sizes (Cohen’s d) on

standardized measures of .80 and on experimental measures of 1.69. In terms of

foundational word reading skills (standardized measures), children who received

intervention earlier, in 1st and 2nd grade, made gains relative to controls almost twice that

of children receiving intervention in 3rd grade. At follow-up, the advantage of 1st grade

intervention was even clearer: First graders continued to improve at faster rates over the

follow-up years than second graders on six of eight key reading outcomes. On indicators

like metalinguistic demands beyond the phonological, however, a post test advantage

was revealed for second grade triple participants and for third grade triple participants

relative to control variables. A calculated IQ was predicted to face growth during

intervention on seven of eight outcomes. Growth during follow-up years was predicted by

vocabulary and visual sequential memory. These results provide evidence on the

importance of early intensive evidence-based intervention for reading problems in the

primary grades.

Keywords/Phrases: reading, reading disabilities, early intervention, outcomes, follow-

up.

#2

Gutierrez (2018) Reducing Numbers Of Non – Readers Among Grade One Pupils Of
Bantigue Elementary School Using Project Best Stars For School.

DIGEST

Gutierrez (2018) investigated on determinig the reading performance of Grade One

pupils of Bantigue Elementary School for School Year 2015 – 2016 to establish an

intervention program and an action plan in reading. Accordingly, reading performance of

pupils was measured through Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA). The research

is basically quantitative in nature and it utilized quasi-experimental method. True to the

nature of the study, Project Best STAR was found to be effective as there was a significant

difference in the reading performance of pupils before and after the implementation of the

project. The data showed that there was an increase in the reading performance of the

respondents after the implementation of Project BEST STARS. As for recommendation ,

the school should identify the learners who are low performing in reading and must

initialize a continuous improvement plan to address pressing needs to sustain improved

reading skills of pupils.

Keywords : EGRA – Early Grade Reading Assessment ,Project STAR , Reading

Performance
#3

Davis et al., (2016). Effective teaching Practices in Handling Non-Readers. Asia Pacific
Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Vol. 4 No.3, 50-6.

DIGEST

Davis (2016) probed into the effective teaching practices in managing non-readers.

This specifically sought to answer the following objectives: describe the adjustments,

effective strategies, and scaffolds utilized by teachers in handling non-readers;

differentiate the teachers' reading adjustments, strategies and scaffolds in teaching non-

readers; analyze the teaching reading efficiency of non-readers using effective teaching

reading strategies; and find significant correlation of non-readers' grades and reading

teachers' reading adjustments, strategies and scaffolds. This study utilized mixed

methods of research. Primarily, case studies of five public schools teachers were selected

as primary subjects, and were interviewed in handling non-readers in the areas of

adjustments, strategies, and reading scaffolds. Then, actual teaching observation was

administered at the participants' most convenient time. Also, to determine the non-

readers' academic performance, the students' grades in English subject were analyzed

using T-Test within participants’ design. Handling non-readers in order to read and

comprehend better the lesson is a complex task, yet once accompanied by determination

and passion, it yielded a great amount of learning success. Furthermore, effective

teaching practices in supervising non-readers comprised the use of teachers'

adjustments, strategies, and scaffolds to establish reading mastery, exposing them to

letter sounds, short stories, and the use of follow-up. In addition, -WH questions improved

their reading performance significantly. Variants of reading teachers' nature as: an

enabler, a facilitator, a humanist, a behaviorist, and an expert, as regard to their teaching

practices, were proven vital to students' reading improvement.

Keywords : teaching practices, non- readers , scaffolds, reading performance

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (MENTORING/COACHING)

#1

Sturges and Howley (2018). Building Capacity in State Education Agencies: Using
Organizational Theory to Guide Technical Assistance. Journal of 0rganizational Theory
in Education, 1-17.

DIGEST

Sturges and Howley (2018) investigated on Technical assistance (TA), and more

recently, capability-building which have been significant components of state calls for

education innovation for at least the last 40 years. Nevertheless, technical and capability

tend to be unmentioned and to operate from implied, sometimes conflicting,

epistemologies of organizational change. In this narrative, it begins with a brief history of

TA to support educational change and discuss common understandings of TA and

capability. It then describes the Van der Ven and Poole (1995) framework for

distinguishing types of organizational theory and applies it to the example of a centrally-

funded TA center designed to improve the capability of state-run education agencies

,optimally suggesting that TA providers tend to rely on teleological and life-cycle theories

that neglect the generative benefits of conflict and to over-privilege rationality. It proposes

potential reasons for this preference and its limitations in this case example, and conclude

with a discussion of implications for run-through and future study.

Keywords: capacity building; technical assistance; state education agencies; theory to

practice.

#2

Garcia and Donmoyer (2005). Providing Technical Assistance to Improve Student

Performance: Insights From the Collaborative Inquiry Project. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Inc., Journal Subscription Department. Theory into Practice, vol. 44, no. 1

DIGEST

Garcia and Donmoyer (2005) investigated on the concept of external technical

assistance and the practices relative to the concept. More specifically, the focus was on how

those who did not work in a school on a regular basis might help the school's staff improve

student performance and eliminate the achievement gap. Initially, the part of this article

challenged traditional thinking about-and traditional ways of doing-technical assistance.

Secondly, the part described the Collaborative Inquiry Project, an initiative that explicated an

substitute approach to helping schools enhance performance. Finally, the section discussed

parts learned from the Collaborative Inquiry Project's initial conduct in a number of schools in

most areas of urban school district.

Keywords : external technical assistance, practices, traditional thinking, collaborative inquiry

projec