LibGuides: EDG 4376 Integrating Language Arts and Social Sciences: Writing Research Assignment

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Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) Resources

Curriculum
"A high-quality, research-based curriculum promotes measurable progress toward children’s development. The content and learning outcomes of the curriculum align with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) and state early care and education standards. It provides guidance on what (content) and how (learning experiences and teaching practices) to teach. Content is drawn from current child development science, the interests and ideas of the children, family input, and the values of the community. A curriculum also provides ways to create nurturing and responsive practices, interactions, and environments that foster trust and emotional security. It helps families to actively engage in their child’s education. Staff use what they know about each child's strengths and needs and each family's goals to plan their use of the curriculum."
Emergent Writing
"In this 15-minute In-service Suite, learn about the writing process. Explore the developmental progression of writing and discover ways adults can support children's emergent writing skills and explorations in the learning environment."
Language and Communication
"Find resources related to helping infants, toddlers, and preschoolers understand and respond to communication and language.

Language and communication are a subdomain of the language and literacy central domain in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF). Other ELOF domains include approaches to learning; social and emotional development; cognition; and perceptual, motor, and physical development."
Literacy
"Resources here address the acquisition of reading and writing skills. Some of the resources here may focus on emergent literacy, which refers to the knowledge and skills that lay the foundation for reading and writing.

Literacy is a preschooler subdomain of the language and literacy central domain in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF). Other ELOF domains include approaches to learning; social and emotional development; cognition; and perceptual, motor, and physical development."

Recommended Education Library Databases

Education Source (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
The world's largest and most complete collection of full-text education journals, this database provides scholarly research and information to meet the needs of education students, professionals, and policy makers. It covers all levels of education from early childhood to higher education as well as all educational specialties such as multilingual education, health education, and testing.
Educators Reference Complete (Gale) This link opens in a new window
This comprehensive resource covers multiple levels of education
from preschool to college and includes virtually every educational specialty, such
as bilingual studies, health, technology and testing. The resource also includes
information on issues related to administration, funding and policy in education.
ERIC (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
An authoritative database of indexed and full-text educational literature and resources. Essential for education researchers of all kinds, it features journals included in the Current Index of Journals in Education and Resources in Education Index.
Teacher Reference Center (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Contains journal information for K-12 teachers and librarians. Topics covered include best practices, curriculum development, literacy standards, pedagogical research, instructional media, language arts, science & mathematics, school administration, and more.

Writing Across the Curriculum: Suggested Search Terms

Each database has different preferred terms for how articles are indexed. These are just a few of the terms from the thesaurus in the ERIC database. It is often more useful to do a broad search and then look at relevant results and see what subject terms are being used, rather than to create a complex search initially. It can also be helpful to keep track of what terms you used and which databases you searched.

For terms related to learning to write:

Beginner Writing
Beginner Reading
Children's Writing
Emergent Literacy
Invented Spelling
Language Experience Approach
Writing Process
Writing Readiness

For terms related to best practices:

Best Practices
Methods
Standards
Benchmarking
Educational Indicators
Effective Schools Research
Evidence Based Practice
Writing Improvement

For exceptional student education:

Exceptional Student Education OR ESE
Students with Disabilities
Accessibility
Assistive Technology
Developmental Delays
Special Education
At Risk Students

For English language learners:

English Language Learners OR ELL
L1 OR L2
Bilingual Education
Non English Speaking
Language of Instruction
Limited English Speaking
Second Language Instruction

Select Articles

To view the articles below, you will be asked to log into the library databases. Hover over the "info" icon to view a quick summary of each article.

Adopting Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners in Elementary Classrooms Abstract: "In an Eastern U.S. school district, little is understood about how elementary general education teachers apply instructional strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom and which strategies they perceive support academic achievement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary general education teachers' reported application of ELL instructional strategies and their perceptions of how those strategies support ELL academic achievement. The study's conceptual framework consisted of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, which infers that learning is a social process guided by interactions with one's environment, people, and culture. Also framing this study was Krashan's second language acquisition theory (Long, 1983), which infers that language is attained though one's strong desire to interact with the world around them. Two research questions were used to investigate the reported ELL instructional strategies used by teachers and how teachers perceive those strategies support ELLs' achievement. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 elementary general education teachers. Volunteers were recruited from schools having ELL populations of 30% or more. Interview data were analyzed by using open and a priori codes and thematic analysis. The findings indicated that participants used familiar instructional strategies and consistently applied them for the whole class. Additionally, participants perceived ELLs' academic confidence and connecting concepts with their primary language as important to academic achievement. This study contributes to positive social change through a deeper understanding of the ELL instructional strategies that may benefit elementary teachers and stakeholders."
Best Practices in Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students: A Case Study Abstract: "This paper considered best practices in teaching culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. A case study research design was used to discover specific English as second language (ESL) strategies teachers are using in their classrooms and specific ESL strategies students find engaging and helpful to learn. This study collected data using teacher surveys, student surveys, and observations from two lessons that were created and implemented by the researchers in a 3rd grade classroom comprised of diverse students. One lesson used the Madeline Hunter model and did not incorporate ESL strategies, while the second lesson utilized the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model and incorporated several ESL strategies. Data were analyzed with the constant comparative method and open coding. Findings showed limitations with knowledge of and use of ESL strategies among teachers and increased levels of engagement and understanding among students during lessons infused with ESL strategies."
Increasing Engagement of English Learners through Universal Design for Learning Abstract: " English learners (ELs) are the fastest growing segment of K-12 students. When ELs do not respond to instruction as quickly as their English-speaking peers, teachers may focus on their deficits and wrongly label them as having a learning disability. In this article on the universal design for learning engagement guidelines, we summarize how we have anticipated learning barriers and increased engagement with academic content for ELs in our practice. By teaching strategies for self-regulation and individual coping skills, providing guided practice and support to sustain effort, and giving students various ways to achieve the same goal in a safe learning environment, teachers of ELs and collaborative staff can engage students in their classrooms and schools. We explore universal design for learning for ELs through an assets-based approach and suggest strategies for elementary and secondary teachers to modify for ELs through illustrative case vignettes based on our classroom practice."
Progress Monitoring of Language Acquisition and Academic Content for English Learners Abstract: "Meeting the needs of English learners (ELs) effectively must be an individualized, purposeful, and data-driven process. Progress monitoring can help practitioners to target their EL students' most significant academic and linguistic needs and, subsequently, develop and deliver instructional programming that may help students develop to their fullest potential with regards to language acquisition as well as content knowledge. This article offers considerations of best practices for educators in K-12 settings interested in learning more about progress monitoring of the academic and language proficiency of ELs receiving instruction in varied settings. Considerations regarding progress monitoring for ELs are reviewed, and tables of resources for instructional activities and supporting materials are provided."
Providing the Best Possible Learning Environment for K-8 English Learners in Social Studies Content Abstract: " The purpose of this study is to provide the best possible learning environment for K-8 English Learners (ELs) in social studies content suggested by ESL teachers and school administrators in North Carolina. ESL teachers and school administrators share their perceptions of best practices and strategies that have been effective in addressing the needs of ELs in the K-8 social studies classroom. Authors propose multifaceted approaches to meeting the needs of ELs in the social studies classrooms: First, effective professional development activities train social studies content teachers to acquire research-based effective instructional models for ELs. Second, literacy strategies provide social studies teachers the necessary information to make pedagogical modifications. Third, collaboration among content teachers, ESL teachers, and school administrators creates open communication to take initiative in sharing effective strategies that can be easily implemented and challenges that can be addressed."
Teacher Perceptions of the Effectiveness of a Science-Infused Literacy Intervention for English Language Learners Abstract: "In this study, we analyzed the perceptions of treatment teachers who participated in a randomized controlled trial study which targeted a science-infused literacy intervention, "Let's Talk Science," for first grade English language learner students. Three aspects, including the effectiveness of the intervention, details of instructional practice, and recommendations of teachers, were investigated. We used the qualitative approach of content analysis. Results suggested that (a) the intervention had a positive result for both treatment students and teachers and (b) four core strengths contributed to the successful effect of the intervention related to science-infused literacy -- professional development, time-scripted teaching materials, effective questioning strategies, and visuals and hands-on activities. We advocate that special consideration be given to English language instructors' ongoing professional development, as well as to the learning environment with a lowered affective filter using effective instructional strategies."