Struggling reader or emerging biliterate student? Reevaluating the criteria for labeling emerging bilingual students as low achieving

Hopewell, S., & Escamilla, K. (2014). Struggling reader or emerging biliterate student? Reevaluating the criteria for labeling emerging bilingual students as low achieving. Journal of Literacy Research, 46(1), 68-89.

Already on the shelf: Queer readings of award-winning children’s literature

Ryan, Caitlin R., & Hermann-Wilmarth, Jill M. (2013). Already on the shelf: Queer readings of award-winning children’s literature. Journal of Literacy Research, 45(2), 142-172.

The link between preschoolers’ phonological awareness and mothers’ book-reading and reminiscing practices in low-income families

Leyva, Diana, Sparks, Alison, & Reese, Elaine. (2012). The link between preschoolers’ phonological awareness and mothers’ book-reading and reminiscing practices in low-income families. Journal of Literacy Research, 44(8), 426-447.

Adaptive teaching in literacy instruction: Case studies of two teachers

Parsons, Seth A. (2012). Adaptive teaching in literacy instruction: Case studies of two teachers. Journal of Literacy Research, 44(2), 149-170.

What matters most in distinguished literacy teacher education programs

Lacina, Jan, & Block, Cathy Collins (2011). What matters most in distinguished literacy teacher education programs. Journal of Literacy Research, 43(4), 319-351.

Activists, allies, and racists: Helping teachers address racism

Lazar, Althier M., & Offenburg, Robert M. (2011). Activists, allies, and racists: Helping teachers address racism. Journal of Literacy Research, 43(3), 275-313.

Spotting foolbirds: Literacies hiding in plain sight in an urban English language arts classroom

Ives, Denise. (2011). Spotting foolbirds: Literacies hiding in plain sight in an urban English language arts classroom. Journal of Literacy Research, 43(3), 250-274.

The relation of morphological awareness and syntactic awareness to adults’ reading comprehension: Is vocabulary knowledge a mediating variable?

Guo,Ying, Roehrig, Alysia, & Williams, Rihana S. (2011). The relation of morphological awareness and syntactic awareness to adults’ reading comprehension: Is vocabulary knowledge a mediating variable? Journal of Literacy Research, 43(2), 159-183.

Developing vocabulary and conceptual knowledge for low-income preschoolers: A design experiment

Neuman, Susan B., & Dwyer, Julie. (2011). Developing vocabulary and conceptual knowledge for low-income preschoolers: A design experiment. Journal of Literacy Research, 43(2), 103-129.

Moving past “right” or “wrong” toward a continuum of young children’s semantic knowledge

Christ, Tanya. (2011). Moving past “right” or “wrong” toward a continuum of young children’s semantic knowledge. Journal of Literacy Research, 43(2), 130-158.

The effects of explicitly teaching story structure to primary grade children

Stevens, R. J., Van Meter, P., & Warcholak, N. D. (2010). The effects of explicitly teaching story structure to primary grade children. Journal of Literacy Research, 42(2), 159-198.

“I don’t need your help!” Peer status, race, and gender during peer writing interactions.

Christianakis, Mary. (2010). “I don’t need your help!” Peer status, race, and gender during peer writing interactions. Journal of Literacy Research, 42(4), 418-458.

Analyzing the language of struggle in search of hope for teachers

Schmidt, Renita, & Whitmore, Kathryn F. (2010). Analyzing the language of struggle in search of hope for teachers. Journal of Literacy Research, 42(4), 385-417.

"I allow myself to FEEL now. . . “: Adolescent girls’ negotiations of embodied knowing, the female body, and literacy

Woodcock, Christine. (2010). "I allow myself to FEEL now. . . ": Adolescent girls’ negotiations of embodied knowing, the female body, and literacy. Journal of Literacy Research, 42(4), 349-384.

Strategies for Internet reading with different purposes: A descriptive study of twelve good Internet readers

Zhang, S., & Duke, N. K. (2008). Strategies for Internet reading with different purposes: A descriptive study of twelve good Internet readers. Journal of Literacy Research, 40(1), 128-162.

Strategies for becoming involved in policy: What was learned when faculty opposed a stand-alone course in phonics

Brenner, Devon. (2007). Strategies for becoming involved in policy: What was learned when faculty opposed a stand-alone course in phonics. Journal of Literacy Research, 39(2), 163-171.

Navigating a literacy landscape: Teaching conceptual understanding with multiple text types

Boyd, F. B., & Ikpeze, C. H. (2007). Navigating a literacy landscape: Teaching conceptual understanding with multiple text types. Journal of Literacy Research, 39(2), 217-248.

Spellings of words: A neglected facilitator of vocabulary learning

Ehri, L.C., & Rosenthal, J. (2007). Spellings of words: A neglected facilitator of vocabulary learning. Journal of Literacy Research, 39(4), 389-404.

Fascinating article that delves into the reading process and how it works. Here, Ehri and Rosenthal look at vocabulary learning and how students put the meanings of new words into memory. The authors argue that seeing the spellings of words assists in vocabulary learning. They provide fairly strong research evidence for their hypothesis, based on two studies, one with second graders and one with fifth graders.

It makes sense that seeing the word helps one remember it. The implications for elementary teachers are that we need to take time to make words visual and auditory. It isn’t enough to just discuss words or even to present them in read-alouds (unless kids can see them, as in a Big Book). They need that visual input. Although the authors attempt to explain why and how seeing spellings works, the explanation still left questions for me. Still, I’ll take these findings to heart. I just hope they aren’t used to justify flash card/worksheet activities.

Teaching children to become fluent and automatic readers

Kuhn, M.R. et al. (2006). Teaching children to become fluent and automatic readers. Journal of Literacy Research, 38(4), 357-387.