Draft 1: I-Search Paper

Deidra Darst

11/4/07

Introducing/Questioning

Prior to researching this topic for my CD315 project I knew a little about bilingualism in United States educational curricula.  I knew about the various methods of instruction, how each is employed, and the postive and negative effects of each method.  While I had previously researched the effectiveness and importance of bilingual education and educators, I did not know much about bilingual students.  Furthermore, I knew very little about the development of reading literacy skills.  In regard to my specific research question, “how can speech-language pathologists help facilitate reading skills in the bilingual first grade children,” I knew very little.  I did not know much about the development of second languages in children, and did not understand the components of reading literacy. 

The genesis of my research question was a trial-and-error process as well as a process of refining several different versions of my initial essential question.  I began with a broader group of interest, culturally and linguistically different children.  I wanted to learn how techonology could aid speech-language pathologists in improving this population’s literacy skills.  I soon found that my focus was too broad and too narrow, all at the same time.  I needed to focus on a more specific group of persons (bilingual children), expand upon the means through which aid could be provided to these students (and include all possible strategies), and choose a particular aspect of literacy (reading literacy) in order to have a more researchable topic.  My final essential question proved to be researchable, interesting, and relevant.  My searching endeavors have returned a substantial amount of information regarding this population and their reading literacy skills.  I find this topic interesting because I could possibly work with this population at some point in my future career.  It is relevant to the practicing speech-language pathologists of today.  With over five million non-native English speakers enrolled in our schools today, professionals need to be aware of this population’s academic needs.   

 My essential question is the basis of my research.  I set out to find an answer to the following question:  How can speech-language pathologists help facilitate the development of literacy skills necessary for reading in the second language of bilingual first grade children?  The essential question can be broken down into three specific foundation questions.  These three questions have guided the research process:  What is bilingualism?  What literacy skills are necessary for reading?  How can speech-language pathologists help facilitate the development of such literacy skills?

 Searching  

 The United States is a country comprised of individuals from a multitude of backgrounds.  It has been estimated that 5.5 million students attending public schools in the United States are not native English speakers (Garcia, McCardle, & Nixon, 2007).  Because the changing demographics of this country are expanding to include more and more linguistically different peoples, research must be conducted in order to understand how to best educate this population. 

According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, bilingualism is the ability to use two languages with equal proficiency.  The first language is labeled Language 1, or L1.  L1 is the first and dominate language of the individual.  The second language is labeled Language 2, or L2.  School systems in the United States are concerened about those students whose second language is English; these students have been defined as English Language Learners (ELLs).  ELL students have mastered their first language and are in the process of developing English.  The literature about this population circulates around a predominate question:  when should instruction in the second language begin?  Should second language instruction take precedence in order to facilitate L2 development?  Should academic instruction be equally shared between the two languages?  Specifically, when should reading skills in the second language be comparable to first language reading skills?   

Learning to read is a process that requires time and practice.  The website Time 4 Learning states that six component parts make up reading literacy: print concepts, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension (Edelson, 2007).  These component parts must be developed sequentially and completely in order for young readers to be successful readers (2007).  I will discuss each component as it relates to the development of reading literacy skills. 

Learning to read is a journey that begins with the knowledge of print concepts.  Students must understand that graphic representations of letter exist, and that alphabetic letter can be combined to form words (2007).  Lenters (2004) writes that young readers need to understand that alphabetic understanding is key for both monolingual and bilingual students.  Phonemic awareness is a vital milestone for the young reader.  “Wagner and Torgesen (1987) defined phonological awareness as a set of linguistic and metalinguistic skills involving sensitivity to the sound structure of spoken words” (Paez & Rinaldi, 2006).  Phonics, which relates to phonemic awareness, teaches students how to connect alphabetic letters to sounds received auditorily.  Fluency, as defined by the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), is “the ability to read a text accurately and quickly” (2007).  Increasing children’s vocabularies aids in the development of reading literacy skills.  The more words he or she knows, the easier reading becomes.  Comprehension is key for the young reader.  Young readers must learn how to find meaning in the written word. 

Learning to read is an arduous task, requiring direct instruction, practice, personal development, and requires the development of several components relating to reading.  This task is duplicated for children trying to develop reading skills in not one, but two different languages.  ELL students who are learning to read in their second language must overcome obstacles specifically related to second language development.  Lenters (2004) combiled information from various sources, summarizing “unique challenges” (2004) face by this population: sound/symbol dissimilarity or interference, oral vocabulary constraints, limitations due to background knowledge, and difficulties with text structure (Figure 1, 2004).  It has also been postulated that bilingual students reading development suffers due to a lack in academic language (Calhoon, Al Otaiba, Cihak, King, & Avalos, 2007). 

 Concluding/Answering 

My research returned much information regarding reading literacy development in the second language of bilingual first grade students.  ELL students face numerous hardships throughout the course of their academic careers.  Learning to read is but one facet of their academic endeavors.  Speech-language pathologists can help facilitate reading literacy skills in bilingual first graders.  Vocabulary building procedures can be implemented in order to enhance the students’ overall second language abilities, which in turn facilitates reading skills.  Speech-language pathologists should also encourage development of the first language.  Because of known crossover between the first and second languages, learning in the first language often aids in the development of the second language.  The SLP can focus on phonological awareness tasks with bilingual children.  As a foundational necessity of reading literacy, this would help facilitate reading skills.   

 References

Armbruster, B.B., & Osborn, F.L.J. (2001).  Put reading first: The research building blocks for teaching children to read: Kindergarten through grade 3.  Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read.  Retrieved November 4, 2007, from http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/publications/reading_first1.html. 

Calhoon, M.B., Al Otaiba, S., Cihak, D., King, A., & Avalos, A. (2007, Summer).  Effects of a peer-mediated program on reading skill acquisition for two-way bilingual first-grade classrooms.  Learning Disability Quaterly, 30, 169-184).   

Edelson, J. (n.d.).  Time 4 learning.  Retrieved November 3, 2007, from http://www.time4learning.com/learning-to-read.shtml.   

Garcia, G.N., McCardle, P., & Nixon, S.M. (2007, July).  Development of English Literacy in Spanish-speaking children:  Transforming research into practice.  Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 38, 213-215. 

Hammer, C.S., & Miccio, A.W. (2006)  Early language and reading development of bilingual preschoolers from low-income families.  Topics in Language Disorders, 26, 322-337.  

Lenters, K. (2004, December).  No half measures:  Reading instruction for young second-language learners.  The Reading Teacher, 54, 328-336.  

Paez, M., & Rinaldi, C. (2006).  Predicting English word readhing skills for Spanish-speaking students in first grade.  Topics in Language Disorders, 26, 338-350. 

Reyes, I. (2006).  Exploring connections between emergent biliteracy and bilingualism.  Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 6, 267-292.  

Swanson, H.L., Saez, L., & Gerber, M. (2006).  Growth in literacy and cognition in bilingual children at risk or not at risk fore reading disabilities.  Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 247-264. 

A11.3: Week 11 Participation Memo

 

Deidra Darst
11/4/07

Aims and Objectives: 
My personal goal with regard to this week of CD 315 was to complete a draft of my I-Search Paper.  I set out to do most of my work during the weekend .  I set out to do this because I had a CD424 Diagnostics test on Thursday and knew that it would consume most of my time during the week.  I wanted to devote several hours to working on my draft of the paper, so I thought that the weekend would be a good time to do that.  I am actually writing some of this memo on Friday night so I can spend the rest of my ‘designated CD315 time’ working on my research and the I-Search Paper. 

Declarative Knowledge: 

I learned more about branching literacy skills, which in turn, taught me something about my own digital literacy skills.  I learned that branching literacy skills are necessary for one to successfully navigate the non-linear worlds such as the World Wide Web.  I learned that my abilities could improve in this particular area.  I often have difficulty staying oriented during my research endeavors within the digital realm.  I also learned more about my research topic, facilitating reading skills in the second language of bilingual first grade students.  I found several websites and journal articles that presented interesting studies conducted with this population. 

Procedural Knowledge:  

I learned how to complete an I-Search Paper.  While I had been given the instructions several weeks ago, I did not really look at them until this week.  Besides, the best way to learn how to do something is to do it!  The process is as follows:  introduce your research question, provide the information you obtained during the research process, answer the question based on the information you found, and cite the sources you referenced. 

Conditional Knowledge:
The knowledge I gained this week has been quite helpful in the completion of my project for CD315.  I could also utilize this knowledge if I am ever asked to complete an I-Search paper again.  I also learned that I need to improve my branching literacy skills; by doing so, I could make my life much easier.  This week’s assignments have benefitted me as a student.  I am in the process of learning how to complete a research project in a new way.  By learning how to do something in a different manner I am forced to think and act outside of my “comfort zone,” which ultimately makes me a better learner.  As a pre-professional I have found this project beneficial.  I have learned more about a population that often requires the services of a speech-language pathologist.  I have also learned that I might have to seek information on my own and that everything I will ever need to know will not necessary be spoon-fed to me in college (as I used to think!)  As a citizen it is important for me to know and understand the things going on around me.  Bilingualism is an important issue in this country, and I think eveyone would benefit from learning about it. 

 

A11.1: Branching Literacy

Deidra Darst

11/2/07

What [do you know/can you find out] about branching literacy skills?

I was first introduced to the concept of branching literacy skills by the Alkali and Hamburger article Experiments in Digital Literacy.  They write that branching literacy skills aid people in staying oriented while searching for information in a non-linear manner (Alkali and Hamburger, 2004).  Aphek labels this type of literacy “lateral multidirectional literacy”(Aphek, 2007).  This term provides a self-explanatory definition of branching literacy; searching, interpreting, organizing, and learning must occur within undirect format.  Aphek writes that lateral literacy allows Internet users to construct new ideas by piecing together bits of information from various sites and sources.  Rather than the traditional linear format of books where information is given in a predetermined sequence, information is not provided sequentially but rather spread out across the Web, requiring users to find the information and construct the knowledge for themselves (2004). 

What are your reactions to the idea that there are such skills?

If I had to choose which of the five subcategories of digital literacy is the most important, I would have to choose branching literacy.  My own experience has taught me that the information I want/need is  usually out there somewhere, I just have  to find it!  Once I find it, I often have difficulties relocating it.  (This speaks to my need to improve my branching literacy skills.)  I am not trying to sound, cheesy, for lack of a better term, but I think branching literacy is something that most students need to improve.  We often expect information to be spoon-fed to us without any work on our part.  I am very guilty of thinking, “Why can’t they just teach us what they want us to know?  Why do I have to find the information on my own?”  Maybe if I had better branching literacy skills, I would not find Internet-based research projects so demanding!  I realize, too, that the process of retrieving the information on my own is the best way to learn.  Going through the process makes me appreciate the learning process more than I would if the information was handed to me during a class lecture. 

How do you think this “new” literacy will change education/schooling?

 Branching literacy has obviously changed today’s educational institutions.  I cannot even count how many times I have been required or encouraged to use the Internet or various databases to find information.  Without this skill I would have been completely lost!  As the readings stated, locating information in a non-linear fashion often requires researchers to compile information from numerous sources.  This allows students and teachers alike to gather information and combine it in order to create knowledge for themselves and others. 

Aphek, E. (2007). Digital, highly connected children: Implications for education. Retrieved October 27, 2007, from http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/aphek/digital-literacy.html

Eshet-Alkai, Y. (2004).  Digital literacy: A conceptual framework for survival skills in the digital era.  Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(1), 93-106. 

Eshet-Alkali, Y., & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2004, August).  Experiments in digital literacy.  Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7(4), 421-429.