Using Imagination to Bridge Young Children’s Literacy and Science Learning: A Dialogic Approach

Integrating children’s literacy and science learning has become a new focus in literacy instruction. Imagination, an integral part of children’s learning experience, remains marginalized in today’s early childhood education curriculum. Drawing on a yearlong ethnographic study in a first-grade classroom, this paper explores the potential affordance of imagination in integrating young children’s literacy and science learning. The findings showed that the integration opportunities were organically constructed in and through children’s natural engagement of imagination in their reading process. A dialogic approach is presented as one way to ignite children’s imaginations in their literacy and science learning

Reflection on and for Actions: Probing into English Language Art Teachers\u27 Personal and Professional Experiences with English Language Learners

Effective ELL teaching and learning is profoundly influenced by the teachers\u27 personal experiences and personalities (Farrell, 2016), their experience as language learners as well as language teachers (Farrell, 2007), and their beliefs about learning and teaching a second language (Farrell, 2015; Farrell & Ives, 2015). This study honored and examined in-depth the often-discounted stories/reflective narratives of our teachers. This paper reports a qualitative cases study that explores three veteran teachers\u27 reflection on their personal and professional experiences with ELLs for self-discovery over years (Cirocki & Farrell, 2017) so that they can further reflect for their future actions with ELLs (Burns & Bulman, 2000; Farrell, 2007; Farrell & Vos, 2018). Data analysis revealed the teachers\u27 different strengths and needs in working with ELLs. Four major dimensions (language, culture, culturally and linguistically sensitive pedagogy, and collaborative community) were identified as critical to effective teaching of ELLs and preparation of second language teachers

We the People: Elementary Pre-Service Teachers and Constitutional Readability

In light of increasing mandates to incorporate close reading of primary source historical documents at the elementary level, this study explored the reading difficulty level of the US Constitution with preservice elementary teachers using a traditional cloze assessment procedure. While best practice pedagogy of social studies has long included thoughtful reading of primary sources, new language arts guidelines situate the analysis of primary documents within formulaic quantifiable frameworks, often problematic to the pre-service teacher. With implications for reading and social studies, this paper explores several relevant issues to both pre-service teachers and the elementary classrooms they will teach in

Sound and Waves (PS4): An Integrated K–8 Hands-On Approach Supporting the NGSS and CCSS ELA

Receive practical ideas to build understanding about how to combine reading and hands-on activities as tools to understand the nature of wave movement

Sound and Waves: An Integrated K–8 Hands‐On Approach Supporting the NGSS and CCSS ELA

Receive practical ideas to build understanding about how to combine reading and hands-on activities as tools to understand the nature of wave movement

Forces and Motion (PS2): An Integrated K–8 Hands-On Approach Supporting the NGSS and CCSS ELA

Explore the benefits of merging experiential science and literacy instruction to deepen students’ understanding of force and motion

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration (LS1): A Hands-On Approach for Grades 6–12

Integrate the NGSS and CCSS ELA by using a cycle of science and ELA activities to help students learn about the flow of energy between photosynthesis and cellular respiration

Heat, Energy, and Matter (CCC5, PS3): An Integrated Grades 3–12 Hands-On Approach Supporting the NGSS and CCSS ELA

We will offer ideas to build knowledge about using reading and hands-on activities as tools to increase student understanding of heat, energy, and matter