Table Of ContentMultiple Perspectives on Difficulties in Learning
Literacy and Numeracy
· ·
Claire Wyatt-Smith John Elkins Stephanie Gunn
Editors
Multiple Perspectives
on Difficulties in Learning
Literacy and Numeracy
123
Editors
Prof.ClaireWyatt-Smith Prof.JohnElkins
GriffithUniversity FacultyofEducation
Fac.Education GriffithUniversity
KesselsRoad170 MtGravattCampus
4111NathanQueensland 176MessinesRidgeRoad
MtGravattCampus MtGravattQueensland4122
Australia Australia
c.wyatt-smith@griffith.edu.au j.elkins@griffith.edu.au
StephanieGunn
GriffithUniversity
Fac.Education
KesselsRoad170
4111NathanQueensland
MtGravattCampus
Australia
[email protected]
ISBN978-1-4020-8863-6 e-ISBN978-1-4020-8864-3
DOI10.1007/978-1-4020-8864-3
SpringerDordrechtHeidelbergLondonNewYork
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Acknowledgements
Anybookisthesumoftheeffortsofmanyindividuals,andthisisespeciallytruefor
aneditedbook.We’dfirstliketoextendourappreciationtoourchapterauthors.We
approachedyouall,valuingyourinsightsonissuesinlearningdifficultiesandyour
highprofessionalstandinginyourrespectivefields.Thankyousomuchforagree-
ing to contribute to this book, despite your busy professional lives. Together, your
chaptersprovide yetanother contributiontothegoalofimprovingtheeducational
opportunitiesforstudentswithdifficultiesinlearning.
WealsowouldliketoofferspecialthankstoPetaColbert,whohasassistedwith
chaptereditingandthebook’screationfromthebeginning.Youareavaluedlong-
term colleague, and it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with you. We
appreciate your skills and willingness to engage with the creative process of book
productionandwiththedialoguescontainedwithin.
Oureditorialconsultant,RenéeOtmar,hasbeeninvaluableforhereditorialeye
oneach chapter as wellasforensuringtheauthors mettimelines,asmuch aswas
withinhercontrol!Renée,ourauthorshavecommentedonhowpleasanttheirinter-
actions with you have been in the development of this book and how smooth the
processhasbeen.
The development of this book is a part of our academic work. However, it also
reflectsthedeepbeliefsweholdoftheimportanceofresearchintolearning,theoreti-
calperspectivesandmethodologies.Finally,wewouldliketosaythat,asco-editors,
wehaveenjoyedoncemoretheopportunitytocollaboratewitheachotherandwith
colleaguesaroundtheworld.
Brisbane,QLD ClaireWyatt-Smith
Brisbane,QLD JohnElkins
Brisbane,QLD StephanieGunn
v
Contents
1 TheoreticalFrameworksandWaysofSeeing:Operatingat
theIntersection—Literacy,NumeracyandLearningDifficulties . . 1
ClaireWyatt-SmithandJohnElkins
2 Learning Difficulties, Literacy and Numeracy:
ConversationsAcrosstheFields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
StephanieGunnandClaireWyatt-Smith
3 ResearchingtheOpportunitiesforLearningforStudents
withLearningDifficultiesinClassrooms:AnEthnographic
Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
JudithGreen,MariaLuciaCastanheira,andBethYeager
4 TheNewLiteraciesofOnlineReadingComprehension:
New Opportunities and Challenges for Students with
LearningDifficulties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
JillCastek,LisaZawilinski,J.GregMcVerry,W.IanO’Byrne,
andDonaldJ.Leu
5 Literacy, Technology and the Internet: What Are the
ChallengesandOpportunitiesforLearnerswithReading
Difficulties,andHowDoWeSupportTheminMeeting
ThoseChallengesandGraspingThoseOpportunities? . . . . . . . 111
ColinHarrison
6 Essential Provisions for Quality Learning Support:
ConnectingLiteracy,NumeracyandLearningNeeds . . . . . . . . 133
PetaColbert
7 ‘Reading’ the Home and Reading in School: Framing
DeficitConstructionsasLearningDifficultiesinSingapore
EnglishClassrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
AnnelieseKramer-DahlandDennisKwek
8 Parent,FamilyandCommunitySupportforAddressing
DifficultiesinLiteracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
JaniceWearmouthandMereBerryman
vii
viii Contents
9 Enhancing Reading Comprehension Through Explicit
Comprehending-StrategyTeaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
JohnMunro
10 TheWritingAchievement,MetacognitiveKnowledgeof
WritingandMotivationofMiddle-SchoolStudentswith
LearningDifficulties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
ChristinaE.vanKraayenoord,KarenB.Moni,AnneJobling,
JohnElkins,DavidKoppenhaver,andRobynMiller
11 TheRoleofSelf-MonitoringinInitialWord-RecognitionLearning 235
RobertM.SchwartzandPatriciaA.Gallant
12 EffectiveInstructionforOlder,Low-ProgressReaders:
MeetingtheNeedsofIndigenousStudents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
KevinWheldallandRobynBeaman
13 Actualising Potential in the Classroom: Moving from
Practising To Be Numerate Towards Engaging in the
LiteratePracticeofMathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
RaymondBrown
14 EffectiveInstructioninMathematicsforStudentswith
LearningDifficulties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
MarjorieMontague
15 Language,CultureandLearningMathematics:
ABourdieuianAnalysisofIndigenousLearning . . . . . . . . . . . 315
RobynJorgensen(Zevenbergen)
16 ‘She’s Not in My Head or in My Body’: Developing
IdentitiesofExclusionandInclusioninWhole-ClassDiscussions . 331
LauraBlack
17 BreakingDowntheSilos:TheSearchforanEvidentiaryBase . . . 349
JohnElkinsandClaireWyatt-Smith
AuthorIndex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
SubjectIndex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Contributors
RobynBeaman MacquarieUniversity,Sydney,NSW,Australia,
[email protected]
MereBerryman UniversityofWaikato,Hamilton,NewZealand,
[email protected]
LauraBlack UniversityofManchester,Manchester,UK,
[email protected]
RaymondBrown GriffithUniversity,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,
ray.brown@griffith.edu.au
MariaLuciaCastanheira FederalUniversityofMinasGerais,BeloHorizonte,
Brazil,[email protected]
JillCastek UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,CA,USA,[email protected]
PetaColbert GriffithUniversity,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,
p.colbert@griffith.edu.au
JohnElkins GriffithUniversity,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,
j.elkins@griffith.edu.au
PatriciaA.Gallant UniversityofMichigan-Flint,Flint,MI48502,USA,
pgallant@umflint.edu
JudithGreen UniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara,CA,USA,
[email protected]
StephanieGunn GriffithUniversity,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,[email protected]
ColinHarrison UniversityofNottingham,Nottingham,UK,
[email protected]
AnneJobling TheUniversityofQueensland,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,
[email protected]
RobynJorgensen(Zevenbergen) GriffithInstituteforEducationalResearch,
GriffithUniversity,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,r.jorgensen@griffith.edu.au
ix
x Contributors
DavidKoppenhaver AppalachianStateUniversity,Boone,NC,USA,
[email protected]
AnnelieseKramer-Dahl NationalInstituteofEducation,NanyangTechnological
University,Singapore,Singapore,[email protected]
DennisKwek NationalInstituteofEducation,NanyangTechnologicalUniversity,
Singapore,Singapore,[email protected]
DonaldJ.Leu UniversityofConnecticut,Storrs,CT,USA,
[email protected]
J.GregMcVerry UniversityofConnecticut,Storrs,CT,USA,
[email protected]
RobynMiller TheUniversityofQueensland,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,
[email protected]
KarenB.Moni TheUniversityofQueensland,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,
[email protected]
MarjorieMontague UniversityofMiami,CoralGables,FL,USA,
[email protected]
JohnMunro TheUniversityofMelbourne,Melbourne,VIC,Australia,
[email protected]
W.IanO’Byrne UniversityofConnecticut,Storrs,CT,USA,
[email protected]
RobertM.Schwartz OaklandUniversity,Rochester,MI48309,USA,
[email protected]
ChristinaE.vanKraayenoord TheUniversityofQueensland,Brisbane,QLD,
Australia,[email protected]
JaniceWearmouth UniversityofBedfordshire,Bedford,UK,
[email protected]
KevinWheldall MacquarieUniversity,Sydney,NSW,Australia,
[email protected]
ClaireWyatt-Smith GriffithUniversity,Brisbane,QLD,Australia,
c.wyatt-smith@griffith.edu.au
BethYeager UniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara,CA,USA,
[email protected]
LisaZawilinski UniversityofConnecticut,Storrs,CT,USA,
[email protected]
About the Authors
Robyn Beaman is a research fellow at Macquarie University Special Education
Centre (MUSEC) and deputy director of the MULTILIT (‘Making Up Lost Time
InLiteracy’)ResearchUnit,basedinSydney,Australia.Robynhasextensiveexpe-
rienceintheimplementationofremedialliteracyprogramsincommunitysettings,
includingtheco-direction,fortheExodusFoundationinSydney,oftheSchoolwise
Programs for disaffected, older low-progress readers since 1996 and the estab-
lishment of MULTILIT tutorial centres for indigenous low-progress readers in
Cape York, since 2005. In addition to effective literacy instruction, Robyn also
researchestroublesomeclassroombehaviour.In2005,shewasawardedaMacquarie
UniversityCommunityOutreachAwardforherMULTILITwork.
Mere Berryman’s work in special education began after more than 20 years as
a classroom practitioner. This led to the proposal of a research centre focused on
working collaboratively with families and educators in order to raise student par-
ticipation and achievement. This research centre is now part of the New Zealand
Ministry of Education Special Education. As the manager of this centre, Mere
andherteamhavefoundthatapproaches thatacknowledge theimportanceoffirst
developing relationships with students and their families, in ways that maintain
respectforeachother,aremostsuccessful.Thisinvolvesculturallyresponsiveand
collaborativeapproachestounderstandingandresolvingproblems.
Laura Black is a lecturer at the University of Manchester. Her research interests
focusonpedagogicprocessesintheclassroomandtheconstructionoflearneriden-
tities,particularlyinrelationtomathematics.Lauraiscurrentlyworkingonseveral
projects on widening participation in mathematically demanding programs within
post-compulsoryeducation.
Raymond Brown isaseniorlecturer intheSchool ofEducation and Professional
StudiesatGriffithUniversity,GoldCoastCampus,Australia.Hecametothisposi-
tion after 31 years as a classroom teacher, where he implemented and studied
inclusive approaches to teaching and learning. Over the past 10 years, Raymond’s
researchhasbeenconcerned withprovidinginsightsintohowinclusiveclassroom
practices emerge and are sustained within classrooms; how students construct and
displaycertainidentitypositionswithinclassroomlearningenvironments;andhow
xi
xii AbouttheAuthors
learning processes interact at the personal and social levels to motivate and guide
peopleto‘speak’and‘act’asmembersoflearningcommunities.
Maria Lucia Castanheira is professor of Education at the Federal University of
Minas Gerais, Brazil. She is particularly interested in examining the social con-
struction of opportunities for learning in diverse classrooms (elementary school
and adult education) and literacy practices in and out of school. As a member of
CEALE/UFMG, a literacy centre, Maria works in national projects supported by
the Brazilian Ministry of Education (Brazilian Textbook Evaluation and Teacher
DevelopmentalPrograms).Shehaspublishedonthediscursivenatureofclassroom
interaction, access of learning disabled and hearing-impaired students to literate
practices,textbookanalysisandresearchonepistemologicalissues.
Jill Castek is a post-doctoral scholar with the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading
projectattheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,whereshedevelopsandresearches
integratedscienceandliteracycurricula.Herclassroom-basedresearchexploresthe
opportunities for reading, writing and learning on the Internet, and the contexts
and conditions through which new literacies are acquired. She investigates ways
in which to use a wide variety of instructional strategies to support the skills and
strategiesneeded toread,writeandcollaborate online.Jillearnedherdoctoratein
educational psychology, with an emphasis on cognition and instruction, from the
UniversityofConnecticut,UnitedStates.
PetaColbertisaresearchfellowintheFacultyofEducationatGriffithUniversity
inQueensland,Australia.Shehasco-authoredseveralreportsonlargegovernment-
funded projects and evaluations focused on students with disabilities and learning
difficulties,assessmentreformandliteracyprofessionaldevelopment.Petahasalso
workedonnational,competitiveresearchprojects,includinganAustralianResearch
Council-funded project exploring standards-driven reform in assessment, with a
focusonteacherjudgmentandmoderation.
John Elkins John Elkins is Emeritus Professor at The University of Queensland
andAdjunctProfessorofLiteracyatGriffithUniversityinBrisbane,Australia.He
servedontheBoardofDirectorsoftheInternationalReadingAssociation,waspres-
ident of the Australian Reading Association and edited the Journal of Adolescent
and Adult Literacy and the International Journal of Disability, Development
and Education. His research interests include reading difficulties and inclusive
education.
Patricia A. Gallant is an associate professor of education in the School of
EducationandHumanServicesattheUniversityofMichigan—FlintintheUnited
States.Inadditiontoteachingliteracymethodscourses,sheisthecoordinatorforthe
K-12LiteracySpecializationmastersprogram.Patricia’sresearchinterestsinclude
early literacy instruction (especially kindergarten), teacher change, the effects of
educational policies on teachers and classrooms and field-based teacher education
program reform. She currently serves as the president of the Michigan Reading
