Donna Scanlon

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) emphasize reading complex texts and writing argumentative and explanatory essays across content areas, including social studies. However, the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that 70 percent of twelfth graders do not read and write proficiently. Additionally, research shows that students who are behind academically by the end of ninth grade are at greater risk for leaving school before graduating. Supplementary literary instruction in h...

Research suggests that good early literacy instruction can dramatically improve student achievement. Despite the acknowledged importance of teachers, little research has directly focused on pre-service teacher education, or on ways to enhance teacher's problem-solving skills as they relate to the needs of children who struggle with literacy acquisition. In the current project, the researchers plan to develop a set of multimedia materials that can be used in the context of pre-service langu...