Annotated Articles

1. Wheeler,R. , Cartwright, & K. B., Swords, R. (2010). Factoring African American Vernacular English (AAVE) into Reading Assessment and Instruction. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=14&sid=61488b29-ab89-45c5-9155-a9353afd4fdd%40sessionmgr115&hid=106

The authors make a point that reading assessments clearly intended that dialect influence not count as reading error. Reading assessments are designed to assure that students can decode and comprehend Standard English texts, even though many students’ home varieties are not Standard English. However, recognizing that dialect may influence oral reading, designers of reading instruments caution that dialect substitutions are distinct from reading errors.

Therefore, I found this article useful for the purpose of teaching here in Guam because of the multicultural and ethnicity diversity in Guam Public School System. Teachers need to consider and keep in mind that accurate assessment requires that we separate dialect influence from decoding error in Standard English.

2. August, Gayle. (2011). Spelling Facilitates Good ESL Reading Comprehension. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=61488b29-ab89-45c5-9155-a9353afd4fdd%40sessionmgr115&vid=31&hid=106

In this article, August examines the important of spelling toward reading comprehension for ESL students. The responsibility of ESL students is to learn spelling words to help them comprehend the reading text. In fact, beginning readers may concentrate so intently on individual words that they lose the meaning of the beginning of a sentence by the time they have struggled to the end.  In addition, many will not retain important concepts of an introductory statement while reading through the other ideas presented in longer texts. Finally, the article concludes that the addition of spelling instruction to vocabulary acquisition would be an important step in making vocabulary knowledge more effective and more relevant to ESL and all developing or struggling readers as well to support reading comprehension. For children, good spelling is evidence that the mental representation of the word is stable and accurate.  

In particular, this article is useful for my study as a TESOL major. Because this study done on multicultural students from diverse language backgrounds, I think it best fits to apply here on Guam Public School system because it has the same background as this study. 

3. Qahtani, Mona F. (Sept. 2013). Relationship between English Language, Learning Strategies, Attitudes, Motivation, and Students’ Academic Achievement. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=27&sid=61488b29-ab89-45c5-9155-a9353afd4fdd%40sessionmgr115&hid=106

The article presents a study that has been done to explore the key factors that affect learning a second language in a medical college in Saudi Arabia. The study showed that students utilize all types of language learning strategies. However, cognitive strategies were the most frequently utilized. Students considered their learning environment as more positive than negative. Achievement in English was associated positively with performance in the general medical courses, motivation, and social learning strategies. In the context of medical education, the literature claims that mastering the complex professional and technical language of medical education is the biggest challenge for medical students. This challenge becomes even bigger if medical students come from a country that has little contact with the English language.

In particular, this article indicated that students utilized cognitive strategies more widely than the other types such as, metacognitive, and social language learning.  It also suggests that students use both 'integrative' and 'instrumental' motivation. In addition, students perceived their learning environment as more positive than negative. Students were pleased with their teacher and with their English courses. They also had a positive attitude toward English speaking people. Therefore, I found this article useful for teachers who teach ESL kids to consider these strategies in their yearlong teaching. I notice this same situation mentioned in this article happened within the Micronesian realm. In Chuuk, students have positive attitude toward the English teacher and people who speak the English language. ESL students in public school system in Guam with no English or limited English were pleased with their teacher and had a positive attitude toward their teacher too.

4. Ghamrawi, N., (2014). Multiple Intelligences and ESL Teaching and Learning: An Investigation in KG II in One Private School Beirut, Lebanon  

This article examined teachers’ use of the Multiple Intelligences Theory on vocabulary acquisition by preschoolers during English as a second language (ESL) classes in a K-12 school in Lebanon. Results indicated three important things to consider such as,

1.            students acquired new vocabulary faster using traditional methods of teaching; however, their retention of such vocabulary was significantly weaker when compared with the vocabulary acquired in Multiple Intelligence (MI) classes;

2.            the MI profile of teachers was correlated with their teaching styles and lesson delivery; and

3.            teachers who used MI in their teaching also had lower usage of higher order thinking skills.

Ghamrawi emphasizes the importance of using MI in ESL classrooms, particularly in the teaching and learning of vocabulary. He suggests that through MI instruction, the retention of acquired vocabulary is higher. This is parallel to Schumann’s (1997) finding that learning is better maintained with the use of MI theory in classrooms. However, the study also suggests two aspects that need to be taken into consideration by teachers who wish to use MI in their classrooms. Teachers should address not only their intelligences but all the intelligences so that all students will learn. The study recommends the utilization of MI in ESL teaching and learning, yet also stipulates some aspects to be taken into consideration.

5. Kafadar, T. & Tay, B., (March 02, 2014). Learning Strategies and Learning Styles Used by Students in Social Studies. Retrieved from

In this article, Kafadar & Tay review research studies done on learning strategies and learning styles. According to Keefe (1979) learning style is cognitive, sentimental and physiologic educations of the individual that have relatively consistent indicators of how person perceive learning environment, how they interact with another and show reaction. According to Riding & Rayner (1998) learning styles based on learning tradition explain personal differences on learning of model process and for this reason learning styles are closely related with learning strategies. While strategies can be learned and changed, learning styles remain stable and unchanged characteristics of person. In social studies it was recognized that learning strategies of 5th, 6th and 7th classes became significantly different according to learning styles they have. Students who have converge learning strategies from all learning strategies use strategy on significant level than students who have assimilation learning styles.

These theories are supported by well-known researchers in this field, such as Jean Piaget, John Dewey, and the others. There are different kinds of learning strategies and styles mentioned in this article; however, reasons of using or not using of these strategies, status of students can be searched qualitatively. In addition, Tay determined in his research conducted with students of 4th, 5th and 5th classes that students always used their affective strategies on every time level in social studies. It is seen that students of 5th, 6th and 7th classes use affective strategies at most while they use coding and monitoring strategies at the very least level.

6. Afflerbach, P., (December 2014). Self-Assessment and Reading Success. Retrieved from

In this article, Afflerbach discuss the value of students assessing their own thinking and reading. Self-assessment involves strategies that put students in a good position to control and succeed at reading. They plan their reading, set goals, measure their ongoing progress at constructing meaning, keep an eye out for difficulty and blockages, determine the nature of difficulties when encountered, address and fi x them, and get back on track. They continually assess their work in relation to their goals, which includes comprehension and the use of the knowledge they gain from reading. In addition, self-assessment influences student affect. Accurate self-assessment gives readers a sense of control and contributes to reading achievement. Students’ awareness of past performances and the challenges they overcome leads them to approach reading with a “can-do” attitude.

In contrast, students who lack self-assessment mindsets may turn away from reading, in and out of school, because they associate reading with failure and lack of control. Self-assessment is a   major contributor to reading development, and doing well at self-assessment has significant cognitive and affective benefits. It helps students appreciate their efforts and accomplishments. 

7. Hart, E. J., (2009). Strategies for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Special Needs

In this article, Hart provides an overview of the prevailing assessment and instructional issues related to culturally and linguistically diverse students with special education needs. The author also presents current trends and prevalence rates of students with disabilities who are also English language learners, in addition to general guidelines for the appropriate assessment of such students for special education services. Lastly, the author describes research based academic and behavioral strategies for these students, along with web-based resources geared to assist general and special educators working with diverse students with special needs.

The author provides some relevant issues related that related to our public school system here in Guam about culturally and linguistically diverse students. I found this article very useful and hope for teachers to consider it.

8. Stull,C. J., Varnum, J. S., Ducette, J., Schiller, S.,& Bernacki, M. (2011). The many faces of formative assessment. Retrieved: 4/6/15, from: http://www.isetl.org.

This article the authors had discussed ways in which it had been implemented in four different universities. Accordingly different aspects of formative assessment were illustrated by deconstructing and then demonstrative its efficacy both in teaching and students’ achievement. It appears specifically that what was done shows achievement gains. Furthermore, whether or not technology is used, the efficacy of using formative assessment indicate still a gain. This article is not just important because it shows us that it helps in student’s achievement, but also an informants to both instructors, teachers and their students as to the degree to which the students have mastered the material. It provides immediate feedback to students and reinforcement to successful leaning outcome. It also provide feedback to the instructors to at what degree their instruction is success and where it needs modification, solution, or remediation. These in particular, would be essentials for as well as the ESL teachers and students.

  

9. Pophan,W. J (2013). Waving the flag for formative assessment. Retrieved 4/6/15; from: http://www.isetl.org.    

 In this article the author emphasizes the importance of assessment in children’ learning outcome. The author testify that first of all formative assessment works in building children’ skills. Furthermore, ample research evidence indicates emphatically that when formative assessment process is used, students learn better-lots better, and the essence is surely commonsensical. This articles has given educators some importance features why assessment should be in use. First it helps teachers to find out if they need to adjust their ongoing instruction. For the students it is a way to find out if they need to alter the ways in which they are trying to learn. In other words, formative assessment at the bottom ends, is a process in which teachers and or students rely on assessment consequences to decide whether any adjustments are warranted in what they are doing. Two experimental research studies conducted by Fontana & Fernandes (1994) revealed greater improvement than those who do not for those who understand the learning objective and assessment criteria. It is important that all teachers, including the ESL teachers, should be all informed on what assessment can do to them and their students.

10. Boston, Carol (2002). The concept of formative assessment. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 8(9). Retrieved April 13, 2015 from: http://www.PAREonline.net.  

                       This article addresses the benefits of formative assessment and provides examples and resources to support its implementation. Teachers can build in many opportunities to assess how their students are learning and then use information to make beneficial changes in instruction. This diagnostic use of assessment to provide feedback to teachers and students over the course of instruction is called formative assessment. An extensive research review conducted by Black and William in 1998, of 250 journal articles and book chapters winnowed from a much larger pool to determine whether formative assessment raises academic standards in the classroom, produce significant learning gains as measured by comparing the average improvements in the test score of the student involved in the innovation with the range of scores found for typical groups of student on the same test. The effect of score’s ranged from a .4 to .7. This article, in particular is important because it teaches us that keeping track of students performances and take immediate action to remedy the problem is one important solution for success. Moreover, it teaches us that continuous assessment help us to assist students to learn the proper skills that students need to perform. In all, Carol (2002) stated that feedback given as part of an assessment helps learner become aware of any gaps that exist between their desire goal and their current knowledge, understanding, and skills.

11. Brookhart, S., Moss, C., & Long, B. (2008). Formative assessment that empowers. Educational Leadership. 66(3). Retrieved 4/6/15, from: http://www.ascd.org.

 This article discusses what teachers in Armstrong School District in western Pennsylvania had discovered on how formative assessment can transform students' sense of control over their learning—as well as fuel teacher learning. Armstrong is a rural district serving 6,308 students. More than 50 percent of Armstrong's students are economically disadvantaged, and 12 percent receive special education services. The district participated in a three-year initiative with the Center for Advancing the Study of Teaching and Learning in Pittsburgh. Approximately 85  teachers came together to learn about implementing formative assessment practices with the ultimate vision of increasing student-teacher communication and students' sense of ownership over learning. As a result, teachers were talking about the connection between this assessment and how students’ motivation toward learning has improved. Furthermore, teachers have seen excitement as they become more aware of what they have learned and take control of their won learning. Further, they watched self-efficacy and self-regulation skills kick in for formerly unmotivated students. These collaboration of effort to find means to students’ motivation and escalation in learning, is what I think the essential gist of this article. I would like to do this as part of my personal development.

12. Santi, L.S., York, B., Forman, R.B. & Francis, J.D. (2009). The timing of early reading             assessment in kindergarten.

The Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) was used to examine the effects of the timing of kindergarten assessment and the type of support provided to teachers to translate assessment results to instruction. Sixty-two schools with 201 kindergarten classrooms with 3,635 students in a southwestern state were randomly assigned to administer kindergarten assessment in the fall or in the winter, were participated in the yearlong study. The schools were from both the rural and urban southern states areas with a population of 735,000. Schools were randomly assigned to one of two times for screening; at the beginning and middle of the year. At the start of the study, school data were analyzed to determine if school status would interfere with the outcomes. Schools were comparable based on state assessment outcomes, teacher experience, and school socioeconomic (SES) levels. However, the statistical analyses included students’ results on both the TPRI and the Diagnostic Assessment. It is important to keep abreast with these instrument and be able to use them to see how well our kindergarten may score. As I teacher I would like to use this tool to see if there is a difference in learning with the kindergarteners locally or a comparison of results.