Pacific Resources for Education and Learning
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Reading and Literacy
Assessing Reading Fluency
This booklet is intended to assist practitioners in monitoring students' fluency development. Assessments are discussed in terms of three components of fluency: Accuracy - accurate decoding of words in text; Automaticity - decoding words with minimal use of attentional resources; and Prosody - appropriate use of phrasing and expression to convey meaning. Sample assessments are included.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
By Word of Mouth: A Storytelling Guide for the Classroom
This selection of classroom resources is useful for teachers seeking to develop literacy skills in elementary school students through storytelling. Information and classroom activities from three unique perspectives on speech and performance are included.
Cosmos Chaos!
Cosmos Chaos!™ is an educational game for the Nintendo DS console that targets 4th grade vocabulary learning in science, social studies, and mathematics. The game embraces the strengths of the DS platform to create a unique experience that highlights:
• Diverse interactive environments
• Exciting turn-based robot battle system
• Vocabulary –building mini-games
• Built-in assessment
If you want to learn more about Cosmos Chaos! ™ visit www.cosmoschaos.info. Cosmos Chaos! ™ is currently available where games are sold or order directly from Amazon.
Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series
Little Books: Exploring Comprehension through Retelling: A Teacher's Story
This booklet, part of the Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series, shares a teacher's experiences creating opportunities that enhance comprehension through narrative retelling.
Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series
Little Books: Letter Knowledge: A Teacher's Story
This booklet, part of the Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series, shares a teacher's experiences in creating a rich learning environment that enhances letter learning for young students. Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series
Little Books: Little Honu's Journey - Insert
This illustrated children's book accompanies Exploring Comprehension through Retelling: A Teacher's Story, part of the Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series. It describes a baby turtle's adventures on his journey to the ocean.
Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series
Little Books: Print Literacy: A Teacher's Story
This booklet, part of the Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series, shares a teacher's experiences learning how to create a rich learning environment that enhances literacy for young students.
Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series
Little Books: Word Identification: A Teacher's Story
This booklet, part of the Early Literacy and Assessment for Learning (K-3) Series, shares a teacher's experiences creating a rich learning environment that enhances accurate and automatic word identification for young students. Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Effective Instructional Strategies Series
Text Structure: Cause and Effect
The Effective Instructional Strategies Series is a collection of six booklets based on the components used in Pacific Communities with High-performance In Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD), a principles-based professional development program consisting of research-based teaching and learning strategies proven to help improve students’ reading comprehension using informational text.
Text Structure: Cause and Effect is intended to assist practitioners on how to build students’ knowledge on using text structure to improve comprehension. Practitioners will learn about research that supports the use of text structure and what they must include in their instruction so they can be prepared to explicitly teach cause and effect in reading and writing.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Effective Instructional Strategies Series
Text Features
The Effective Instructional Strategies Series is a collection of six booklets based on the components used in Pacific Communities with High-performance In Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD), a principles-based professional development program consisting of research-based teaching and learning strategies proven to help improve students’ reading comprehension using informational text.
Text Features is ubiquitous in nonfiction and informational texts. This booklet will explain the research supporting text features as an important tool to help students better comprehend content area text. The booklet contains several strategies and examples for practitioners to try in their classroom.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Effective Instructional Strategies Series
Interactive Tasks
The Effective Instructional Strategies Series is a collection of three booklets based on the components used in Pacific Communities with High-performance In Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD), a principles-based professional development program consisting of research-based teaching and learning strategies proven to help improve students’ reading comprehension using informational text.
Interactive Tasks is an instructional approach that promotes the use of language by the teacher and students. Practitioners will learn about research supporting interactive tasks as an effective way for students to learn from each other and how teachers’ use of specific strategies can increase language development and achievement for all students.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Effective Instructional Strategies Series
Growing Professionally
The Effective Instructional Strategies (EIS) Series is a collection of six booklets based on the components used in Pacific Communities with High-performance In Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD), a principles-based professional development program consisting of research-based teaching and learning strategies proven to help improve students’ reading comprehension using informational text.
Growing Professionally by Jennifer F. M. Padua provides strategies for job-embedded professional development based on teachers’ needs, which is important to support teachers’ growth. Practitioners learn how school-level activities, principles of adult learning, and key findings from research can be implemented to design a professional development program at their school.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Effective Instructional Strategies Series
Question Generation
The Effective Instructional Strategies (EIS) Series is a collection of six booklets based on the components used in Pacific Communities with High-performance In Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD), a principles-based professional development program consisting of research-based teaching and learning strategies proven to help improve students’ reading comprehension using informational text.
Question Generation by Sharon M. Look shows why questioning is an important tool for all learners. Questioning helps readers fully engage the text, leading to better comprehension. Practitioners learn how to create a questioning environment and use the Question Generation strategy to help students ask text-based questions, turn these ideas into integrative questions, and answer the questions.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Effective Instructional Strategies Series
Teaching Vocabulary Explicitly
The Effective Instructional Strategies (EIS) Series is a collection of six booklets based on the components used in Pacific Communities with High-performance In Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD), a principles-based professional development program consisting of research-based teaching and learning strategies proven to help improve students’ reading comprehension using informational text.
Teaching Vocabulary Explicitly by Susan Hanson & Jennifer F. M. Padua offers a systematic approach to implementing effective vocabulary instruction in the classroom. Students face an increased amount of academic vocabulary as they progress through schooling. Teaching Vocabulary Explicitly explains the research supporting vocabulary instruction to support students’ with their reading comprehension.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
English Language Development in the Bilingual Classroom
(Available on DVD only)
This video is designed to help teachers foster the development of academic English-language skills in young bilingual learners. Practical teaching strategies that help students gain a firm foundation in the language skills are highlighted. 40 minutes.
Evaluation of the Outcomes and Impact of the Pacific CHILD Professional Development Model
(Research Report)
The Pacific Communities with High-performance in Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD) Professional Development Model research project was initiated in response to an overwhelming need in PREL's Pacific service region for improvement of teachers' knowledge and instructional practices in early reading. This report examines the question of the quality of the professional development provided through Pacific CHILD, how quality of this model program was measured, and the findings on the quality of professional development.
Focus on Comprehension, A
Research Based Practices in Early Reading Series
A Focus on Comprehension is the third booklet in the Research-Based Practices in Early Reading series published by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) at Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). The purpose of this booklet is to examine what research tells us about factors that affect reading comprehension and about what instruction must contain and what it must do to help students better comprehend the content they read.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Focus on Fluency, A
Research Based Practices in Early Reading Series
Intended for practitioners, A Focus on Fluency is the first booklet in the Research-Based Practices in Early Reading series published by the Regional Educational Laboratory at PREL. The 31-page report summarizes research on fluency and fluency instruction and describes strategies for fluency instruction. It also explains various ways of conducting repeated oral reading, the use of independent silent reading, an integrated fluency instruction approach, the role of texts, and fluency assessment.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Focus on Professional Development, A
Research Based Practices in Early Reading Series
A Focus on Professional Development is the fourth in the Research-Based Practices in Early Reading Series published by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) at Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). Because reading proficiency is fundamental to student achievement across all subjects and grades, the preparation of the teachers and administrators who are responsible for providing early reading instruction is of special importance. This booklet examines what research tells us about professional development and about the role that effective professional development plays in improving both teacher performance and student achievement.
Focus on Vocabulary, A
Research Based Practices in Early Reading Series
This second booklet in the Research-Based Practices in Early Reading Series explores vocabulary development as a component of reading comprehension. The text examines research results on students' vocabulary acquisition and instruction that helps them develop the kind of vocabulary knowledge that will contribute to their reading success.
Available for free download here. If you would like printed copies, please contact PREL at products@prel.org.
Island Alphabet Books
Island Alphabet Books: Each book of the series, which features languages and children’s artwork from the U.S.-affiliated Pacific, contains the complete alphabet for the language, examples for each letter, and a word list with English translations. Published by PREL, the books are available in Carolinian, Chamorro, Chuukese, English, Hawaiian, Kosraean, Marshallese, Palauan, Pohnpeian, Sâmoan, Satawalese, and Yapese. Available via download or order directly from Bess Press.
Language Cards
Each of these cards represents the language native to a Pacific entity in PREL's service region. Useful greetings are provided with English translations and phonetic pronunciations. The printed cards feature colorful artwork by children and are packaged in sets of 10, one card for each language.
Language of Instruction: Choices and Consequences
As English becomes the language of wider communication in the Pacific region, changes in culture and language-use are increasingly apparent and of concern to Pacific educators and community members. This briefing paper focuses on the choices of instructional language in Pacific classrooms, as mandated by national or state policies, and discusses consequences of such choices on students' achievement and career preparation.
Language Use at Home and School
Language Use at Home and School: A Synthesis of Research for Pacific Educators
Indigenous languages are spoken at home in American-affiliated Pacific Island communities, yet instruction at school is carried out in English. Are home and school languages compatible, and if not, how can they become compatible so children can learn? This paper discusses the complex issue of language compatibility in the Pacific.
Lost in Translation: From English to Pacific Languages in Early Reading Assessment
(Research Brief)
Are the skills and knowledge to be learned by early readers of English the same as those to be learned by early readers of the vernacular (L1)? Bringing together language and literacy in English and the L1 is difficult. Much can be “lost in translation.” We explore issues that surface when using English early reading assessments as the frame for developing L1 assessments.
Middle Grades: Putting All Students on Track for College
The focus of this briefing paper is to help middle grades educators close the opportunity gap for underserved students. The author provides reasons these grades are so critical to postsecondary preparation, background, examples, and recommendations for building school capacity to increase student performance for college access.
Pacific Area Language Materials (PALM)
(CD-ROM)
This CD-ROM is an archive of more than 700 educational materials that were developed for classroom use under a U.S. Department of Education grant in the 1970s. Eleven Pacific languages are represented with original text and illustrations.
Pacific Early Literacy Resource Kit
(CD-ROM-Early Literacy Learning Resources)
The Pacific Early Literacy Resource Kit was developed from PREL's research-based work performed with early literacy teachers in US-affiliated Pacific islands. The contents of the Resource Kit represent information, products, and processes we found beneficial as we worked to support literacy teachers in their efforts to improve student literacy achievement.
Pacific Language Early Readers
(CD)
This CD was created in response to the need for early reading materials in Micronesian languages from teachers in Hawaii and in the Pacific regions serviced by PREL. The CD contains 10 books translated into nine languages. Audio narrations for selected books (in six languages) are included on the CD. The books and audio books are appropriate for K-3 level. Educators can print out book files and listen to the accompanying audio tracks.
Reading Aloud to Children
(CD)
Reading Aloud to Chilldren: This CD uses local legends to model ways in which parents can read with their children. The CD comes in 11 different languages.
Reading Instruction for Older Struggling Readers
As students progress through the grade levels, the demands of academically rigorous subject matter combined with greater dependence on informational text make it imperative for students to attain age-appropriate reading skills. Yet increasingly, numerous less proficient readers are found in grades four through eight. Although most have a command of social English, many students experience difficulties in reading and writing academic English. This briefing paper discusses possible reasons for the high number of older struggling readers, what teachers can do, and the importance of matching instruction to meet children's needs.
REL Pacific: English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Pacific Region
Using various approaches to identify English language learners, several Pacific region jurisdictions are developing English language proficiency standards and assessments aligned with those standards. Others are working on content standards, including language arts, and have expressed interest in developing English language proficiency standards but lack formal assessment mechanisms.
The Language Question in Pacific Education: The Case of the Republic of the Marshall Islands
(Research Brief)
This paper examines complex issues surrounding language-in-education policy in Micronesia. It analyzes the difficult questions that arise as a result of the interplay between local traditions and globalizing economic and political forces.
Contact PREL
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning
Phone:
(808) 441-1300
U.S. Toll-free Phone:
(800) 377-4773
AskPREL
Phone:
(808) 441-1300
U.S. Toll-free Phone:
(800) 377-4773
AskPREL