The Nature of Effective First-Grade Literacy Instruction.

Abstract

Five teams of researchers observed literacy instruction in 28 first-grade classrooms in diverse settings across five states. At each site, they observed teachers who had been identified by administrators as outstanding or typical, and they noted how each teacher taught and the literacy achievements of the students in each class. Based on student academic engagement and classroom literacy performances, the most effective and least effective teachers in each locale were selected and their instruction further analyzed. The classrooms of the most effective teachers were characterized by high academic engagement, excellent classroom management, positive reinforcement and cooperation, explicit teaching of skills, an emphasis on literature, much reading and writing, matching of task demands to student competence, encouragement of student self-regulation, and strong cross-curricular connections. The lowest achieving students in these classrooms outperformed their peers in more typical classrooms on several measures. (Contains 54 references and 3 tables of data; appendixes contain a description of research personnel responsibilities, and a list of characteristics that differentiate the most-effective-for-locale classrooms.) (Author/RS) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 4F(This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. o Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. THE NATURE OF EFFECTIVE FIRST-GRADE LITERACY INSTRUCTION MICHAEL PRESSLEY Rum WHARTON-MCDONALD RICHARD ALLINGTON CATHY COLLINS BLOCK LESLEY MORROW CELA RESEARCH REPORT NUMBER 11007 ENGISH :EARNING ACHIH VEM:N THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY o THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA 0 THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON 0 BEST COPY AVAIIILABILE THE NATURE OF EFFECTIVE FIRST-GRADE LITERACY INSTRUCTION MICHAEL PRESSLEY UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME RICHARD ALLINGTON UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK LESLEY MORROW RUTGERS UNIVERSITY KIM BAKER THE SAGE COLLEGES EILEEN NELSON TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY RUTH WHARTON-MCDONALD UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE CATHY COLLINS BLOCK TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY DIANE TRACEY KEAN UNIVERSITY GREGORY BROOKS JOHN CRONIN UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK DEBORAH WOO RUTGERS UNIVERSITY The National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement The University at Albany State University of New York 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 Report Series 11007 http://cela.albany.edu/ 1 stgradelit/index.html 1998