Language experience approach in education

This mixed methods study investigated second through fifth grade teachers’
perceptions of Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre (CBRT) as a relevant approach for
teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). Quantitative survey data were collected
from 18 teachers who worked at the school with the largest population of ELLs in a large South Florida school district. The surveys investigated teachers’ current use of ESOL instructional strategies prior to participating in a CBRT professional development session as well as their ability to identify ESOL instructional strategies embedded within the approach after professional development and classroom implementation. Qualitative data were collected in the form of interviews and discussion board transcripts from eight
participants, who were also members of a school-based Readers Theatre Professional
Learning Community (PLC). Transcripts were used to investigate how participants
implemented CBRT in their classrooms as well as how they described their identification
and application of ESOL instructional strategies during implementation. The impact of PLC participation on CBRT implementation and identification of ESOL instructional
strategies was also investigated. The findings indicated that participants recognized various ESOL instructional strategies embedded in the CBRT approach. In addition, data indicated that participants viewed CBRT as an effective means for delivering various ESOL instructional strategies. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis led to similar conclusions and revealed that CBRT incorporates various ESOL instructional strategies that are recognized as effective for teaching ELLs. Teachers reported using CBRT at various points during instructional units and across all content areas. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered for the instruction of ELLs, the benefits of CBRT and other similar approaches, the design of school-based professional development, and the infusion of ESOL instructional strategies within teacher education and inservice professional learning experiences.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of four instructional methods - context clues, definition, elaboration technique, or word parts and word families- on the vocabulary growth and acquisition of adults enrolled in a community college developmental reading course. The study investigated whether performance in any or all of the four instructional methods was moderated by age or language. Seventy-three respondents participated in the study. Participants were enrolled in one of five sections of College Reading Preparatory II (REA0002) offered in the Spring of 2009 at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. All five sections of REA0002 were taught by the same professor, a tenured faculty member, chair of the developmental reading department and Associate Professor of Developmental Reading at Indian River State College. The instruction and tests in all five sections of REA0002 were consistent with the research design which insured continuity and consistency in the use of the four instructional methods. All participants received the same treatment and quizzes. During the course of the study, participants first received a pretest, then the treatment or instruction, followed by an instructional quiz, and a delayed post-test was administered at the end of the study. An analysis of the data, which included the pretest, instructional quizzes with four quizzes independently and then combined for an aggregate score for an immediate post-test, and the delayed post-test, yielded mixed results. The four instructional quizzes independently showed definition instruction to have the highest positive impact on student learning. In a measure of gains from pretest to instructional quizzes immediately after treatment, significant improvement in student learning was found only with word parts instruction.