Library

Original: We wonder how a stocked bookshelf will boost students' interest in reading and exploring various genres.

Revised: We wonder how a stocked bookshelf will help boost bilingual students' interest in reading and exploring various genres of their choice.

1. What do you want to change based on data collection?

Based on our data collection, we want to provide an effective strategy for bilingual students and their reading interest in specific genres. It's important for bilingual students to receive proper care and attention when it comes to their reading skills.

2. How will you implement that change?

This change can be implemented by keeping progress of bilingual students in reading, and their preferred reading genre.

3. How often? 

Regularly it is important to track progress and make adjustments often. This could be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the intensity of the intervention and the student's needs. (Adjust the frequency based on the student's improvement. If they are showing significant progress, you might evaluate less frequently. If they're struggling, more frequent assessments are needed).

4. How long will it take? 

This process will take at least 20-30 minutes to create reading logs for each child, and continue on throughout the year.

5. How will you track progress? 

Progress can be tracked through reading logs, completed weekly. Students can write about what they read, what stood out to them, and why they enjoyed the book that they read. Reading logs can help the student reflect on their reading, and help them determine what book genres interest them the most.

6. How will you collect measurable data? 

Track scores from standardized tests and running records overtime. Analyze the types of errors the student makes during reading. As well as have the students reflect on their reading experience and what they're working on. 

7. How will you document and reflect? 

Progress reports would be a great way to document student's progress, including data, observations, and goals. Reflect on your own practice and seek out opportunities to learn more about effective strategies for bilingual readers. 

This inquiry taught us the significance of diving deeper into research and data strategies to provide care and academic support for a certain group of students in the classroom. One thing that stood out to us as a group is learning to find different research strategies to collect data, and evaluate if the strategy has succeeded, based on the data collected. Another thing that we learned as a group is finding different strategies to use for our future students in the classroom. It's important to have key strategies on deck so that as a teacher, you're able to use your own background knowledge and research-based strategies to help educate your students. 

Based on the research that our group has done, one recommendation to provide a diverse classroom library is to include multiple and a variety of genres, so students can feel included and contain a sense of belonging in the classroom. One way to show a sense of belonging to all students is to provide a variety of book genres that reach all students of their interest. It has been proven that, "Mirror books are those that align to students’ identities and interests, while window books provide ways for students to become familiar with identities and experiences that may be different and unfamiliar to them." (Ascenzi-Moreno, Quinones, p. 65.) When each student is reached and cared for genuinely, they will begin to show a bigger interest in reading. Acknowledging and validating what students want to read in the classroom will help students feel welcome, develop a better love for reading, and improve their reading comprehension skills. 

References: 

Ascenzi-Moreno, L., & Quiñones, R. (2022). “Those books are not mirror books to me”: Learning from children about how to engage in identity work through picture books in a dual-language bilingual classroom. Journal of Children’s Literature, 48(1), 64-76.

Ascenzi-Moreno, L., & Quiñones, R. (2022). “Those books are not mirror books to me”: Learning from children about how to engage in identity work through picturebooks in a dual-language bilingual classroom. Journal of Children’s Literature, 48(1), 64-76.

This article explores how children in a dual-language bilingual classroom engage with picture books to explore their identities as well as a sense of themselves. In this study Ascenzi-Moreno and Quiñones observed and interviewed children as they were to read and then discuss the picture books in English and Spanish. Throughout this study it came to my attention that children use books as a way to relate to their own experiences, identities, and to challenge or affirm the relationship between themselves and their communities relating to the books. As well the authors mention how “identity work” is an important aspect in literacy education. This is a great way in which teachers can learn from a children's perspective by engaging the texts in such ways that can be found meaningful yet relatable to their everyday lives. 

​​Fractor, J.S., Woodruff, M.C., Martinez, M.G., & Teale W.H. (1993). Let’s not miss opportunities to promote voluntary reading: Classroom libraries in the elementary school. The Reading Teacher, 46(6), 476-484. 

This source mentions the importance of having children value reading so they will be able to expand their knowledge as well as find enjoyment. It is not only important for children to be able to read but to help them build reading habits in which they are able to do so voluntarily. It went on to discuss how having books in your classroom is not enough to get students interested. Instead, a classroom library should be well designed to allow children to read when selecting from a variety of classroom activities. This article provided advice when arranging a classroom library of different grade levels. 

Henderson, J.W., Warren, K., Whitmore, K.F., Flint, A.S., Laman, T.T., Jaggers, W. (2020). Take a close look: Inventorying your classroom library for diverse books. The Reading Teacher, 73(6), 747-755. doi:10.1002/trtr.1886

This source takes a closer look into the importance of including a classroom library with diverse books. Based on the research that was conducted we are able to see a list of findings that allow room for improvement in the classroom setting. This resource talks about the lack of diversity and the access that the students in the classroom have in their classroom library. The article goes in depth and shares the lack of categories students have to choose from. This article highlights the importance of including books that relate to students culturally, emotionally, and hold a significance to them. There are also many great strategies that teachers could include into their own classroom in order to create a welcoming and engaging classroom library. 

Johnston, N., & Karafotias, T. (2016). Flipping the classroom to meet the diverse learning needs of library and information studies (LIS)      

              Students. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 57(3), 226-238. https://www.jstor.org/stable/90015223 

              This article contains a correlation between using different teaching methods for students require diverse learning needs. There is also 

              a project included in this article that provides videos for students to watch before class. The purpose of this project was to deepen an

              understanding of how students learn and their preferences and evaluate how effective the project is regarding meeting students' needs.               After results came in from the project, evaluations and student feedback were taken into consideration to create a flipped classroom

              model for library and information students. This project is an interactive and engaging approach that is student centered. Video   

              style lectures are included for students to be able to re-watch the videos and learn at their own time and pace.

McNair, J.C. (2016). #Weneedmirrorsandwindows: Diverse classroom libraries for K-6 students.    

            The Reading Teacher, 70(3), 375-381. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44001452 

This article discusses the importance of providing books in the elementary classroom to deepen the academic knowledge of students. However, this article provides a great amount of ideas for teachers to develop a classroom library full of diverse texts. When it comes to implementing diverse books for students, there are 2 approaches and topics to remember. The first approach is finding cultural diversity books that allow students to learn more about race, disability, and class. The second approach dives into racial diversity regarding genres and books written by people of color. These 2 approaches are relevant for students’ learning and their awareness of race, class, and diversity. A strategy mentioned in this article that is recommended for teachers is to become aware of race-based awards so that teachers can provide different books in the classroom regarding authors of color. Also, this article provides a list of recommended diverse books and books about class and disability to give teachers a good idea of what books can be used in the classroom to deepen students’ knowledge.

Pollard-Durodola, S. D., Gonzalez, J. E., Saenz, L., Resendez, N., Kwok, O., Zhu, L., & Davis, H. (2017). The effects of content-enriched shared book reading versus vocabulary-only discussions on the vocabulary outcomes of preschool dual language learners. Early Education and Development, 29(2), 245-265. https://doi-org.hmlproxy.lib.csufresno.edu/10.1080/10409289.2017.1393738

    This article discussed the importance of supporting dual language learners’ (DLLs’) English language development during content areas. This study provides both information about which teaching strategy works best for DLL students and provides more information for teachers to know what ways they could implement certain strategies in their classroom. One way is by integrating content vocabulary knowledge during interactive books discussions. This article also takes into account that dual language learners come from a lower socioeconomic background and states that students will learn and obtain more vocabulary through reading books rather than mainly using oral vocabulary lessons. Another important topic that is also talked about is a second language acquisition framework for accelerating content vocabulary knowledge during shared book reading.