Papers by Maria Selena Protacio
School Community Journal, 2020
This report from the field showcases authentic examples of initiatives targeting increased family... more This report from the field showcases authentic examples of initiatives targeting increased family engagement of English learners (ELs) in several culturally and linguistically diverse school districts in the Midwest. The authors use a framework wherein family engagement spans a continuum starting with traditional notions of school involvement to family engagement wherein families have agency on how they can support their child's learning. This article shares specific initiatives that teachers implemented in their classrooms or school settings such as bilingual game nights, cultural celebrations, creating family books, and conducting home visits. Recommendations are shared to assist educators and school leaders in maximizing engagement with their EL families.
Supporting Newcomer English Learners During Remote Learning
The Reading Teacher, 2022
Investigating the reading engagement of English language learners
I would first like to thank Dr. Selena Protacio for guiding me through each step in the process f... more I would first like to thank Dr. Selena Protacio for guiding me through each step in the process for writing my thesis. She never failed to make herself available to me for help whenever I needed it. She has great dedication and embodies a love for literacy that I cannot help but feel blessed to witness. Above all, I appreciate her challenging me again and again. I knew she believed in me and what I could achieve through my research, and her challenges made that apparent.
Reading Horizons, 2015
Background and Purpose of StudyWith the increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in... more Background and Purpose of StudyWith the increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in schools across the United States, research has documented the benefits of collaboration between English as a second language (ESL) teachers with their content area counterparts in meeting the educational needs of ELLs (Dove & Honigsfield, 2010; Teemant, Bernhardt, & Rodriguez-Munoz, 1996). The collaboration between ESL and content area teachers is especially important in light of research which has documented that mainstream teachers often feel ill-prepared to address the needs of ELLs in their schools (Fu, 2004; Gandara, Maxwell-Jolly, & Driscoll, 2005; Li & Zhang, 2004). Further, a survey showed that middle school teachers wanted more training and information so they could better address the academic needs of ELLs in their content area classes (Hansen-Thomas & Cavagnetto, 2010).Successful forms of ESL teacher/content area teacher collaboration include a shared model in which one teach...
Family engagement in the middle: Reaching out to families of English learners
Middle School Journal, 2020
Abstract At the middle school level, active family engagement is difficult enough with native Eng... more Abstract At the middle school level, active family engagement is difficult enough with native English speaking families but even more so with parents of English learners (ELs). Using a funds of knowledge approach in this article, we position families as knowledgeable participants with strengths who contribute significantly to their adolescent’s academic and overall development. We provide three cases of middle grades teachers who took the initiative to engage with families of ELs. Each teacher utilized different strategies, but they ultimately all increased EL family engagement in their middle school setting. This article shows that EL families will be more engaged when strategies used are more inclusive and responsive to their needs.
Reading Psychology, 2020
This cognitive interview study aims to improve the content validity of a newly developed reading ... more This cognitive interview study aims to improve the content validity of a newly developed reading motivation instrument for English learners. Previous research has shown there is a significant need for survey developers to conduct cognitive interviews to ensure that in real world settings survey respondents interpret the items as the framers intended. The proposed study focuses on six main patterns of student misinterpretation that could suggest the need for further revision of survey items in order to improve their content and item validity: lexical ambiguity, unclear referential scope, inapplicability, long recall period, complex judgment, and cultural variation. Further implications and suggestions were discussed in relation to both classroom practice and future research.
Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice, 2016
The role of motivation in engaging students in reading activities and thus improving their readin... more The role of motivation in engaging students in reading activities and thus improving their reading achievement has been widely reported for the past decades. However, despite the increasing numbers of English learners (ELs) in the United States, little is known about how teachers perceive their motivation to read. Focus group methodology was used in this study to explore English as a second language teachers’ perceptions of ELs’ reading motivation. Three major themes that emerged from our qualitative analysis were (a) accessible texts, (b) self-concept, and (c) fitting in. The implications for both future research and classroom instruction are provided.
International Journal of Multicultural Education, 2015
This study examines culturally responsive pedagogy across the fields of special education, multic... more This study examines culturally responsive pedagogy across the fields of special education, multicultural literacy education, and teaching English language learners. A systematic review of recommendations identified culturally responsive practices in five key areas: dialogue, collaboration, visual representation, explicit instruction, and inquiry. Educators are encouraged to adopt a critical and responsive stance that incorporates students’ cultural knowledge and lived experiences when implementing these recommendations. Creating classrooms that promote culturally responsive and effective instruction is grounded in the definition of literacy as a social practice and leads to more equitable learning opportunities in all areas.
Theory Into Practice, 2019
Current educational shifts brought about by 21 st century standards, including the New York State... more Current educational shifts brought about by 21 st century standards, including the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy ("the Standards"), aim to ensure that all students are college and career ready. Reflected in the standards are essential practices such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Students across all grade levels and content areas are now expected to engage critically with increasingly complex texts, use evidence to support their conclusions, evaluate the validity of arguments and counterarguments, present their ideas orally and in writing, and work collaboratively with their peers. Embedded within these standards are increased demands that students gain deeper understandings of content, engage in analytic and complex thinking about that content, and participate in discourse that is appropriate to the discipline. These three arenas of development-conceptual, analytical, and linguistic-grow simultaneously through participation in social interaction. Thus, it is essential that all students, especially English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners (ELLs/MLLs), be provided instructional activities that engage them in quality interactions that are intentionally structured to support their conceptual, analytic, and linguistic development and ultimately that promote their ability to apply these skills and practices on their own (autonomously) in new learning situations. By creating classroom environments and activities with abundant opportunities for purposeful student collaboration and discussion, teachers can capitalize on the ways youngsters naturally learn from one another.
A team-training approach to professional development: Perceptions and practices of in-service teachers of ELLs in two urban high schools
ABSTRACT
Li, G., & Protacio, M. S. (2010). Best practices in professional development for teachers of ELLs. In G. Li and P. A. Edwards (Eds.), Best practices in ELL instruction (pp. 353-380). New York: Guilford Press
RMLE Online, 2017
This study investigates the reading engagement of four middle school English learners in their En... more This study investigates the reading engagement of four middle school English learners in their English or English as a Second Language classroom. Students with high levels of reading engagement are those who (a) are motivated to read, (b) use strategies when reading, (c) use reading as a way to construct meaning from texts, and (d) participate in social interactions around reading (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000). This study focuses on all four aspects of reading engagement and explores whether there are any additional components that should be considered with English learners' reading engagement. Data included in this case study research include semi-structured interviews, field notes from classroom observations, comprehension assessments, reading activity inventories, and student artifacts. Findings from this case study research indicate that all four components are essential to consider with English learners' reading engagement. Results of this study also reveal that English learners' identities are an essential component of their reading engagement.
Math Tasks to Promote Oral Language Development With English Learners
Kappa Delta Pi Record
Improving Instruction for English Learners: A Professional Development Study Using SIOP
Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, 2020
School Community Journal , 2020
This report from the field showcases authentic examples of initiatives targeting increased family... more This report from the field showcases authentic examples of initiatives targeting increased family engagement of English learners (ELs) in several culturally and linguistically diverse school districts in the Midwest. The authors use a framework wherein family engagement spans a continuum starting with traditional notions of school involvement to family engagement wherein families have agency on how they can support their child's learning. This article shares specific initiatives that teachers implemented in their classrooms or school settings such as bilingual game nights, cultural celebrations, creating family books, and conducting home visits. Recommendations are shared to assist educators and school leaders in maximizing engagement with their EL families.
Reading Psychology , 2020
This cognitive interview study aims to improve the content validity of a newly developed reading ... more This cognitive interview study aims to improve the content validity of a newly developed reading motivation instrument for English learners. Previous research has shown there is a significant need for survey developers to conduct cognitive interviews to ensure that in real world settings survey respondents interpret the items as the framers intended. The proposed study focuses on six main patterns of student misinterpretation that could suggest the need for further revision of survey items in order to improve their content and item validity: lexical ambiguity, unclear referential scope, inapplicability, long recall period, complex judgment, and cultural variation. Further implications and suggestions were discussed in relation to both classroom practice and future research.
The Reading Matrix , 2020
The majority of the current research regarding home literacies practices are explored through Nor... more The majority of the current research regarding home literacies practices are explored through North American family structures. For this reason, there is a lack of knowledge about what Dominican families, a subgroup within the Latino culture, do at home to assist their children in their literacy acquisition in the Dominican Republic. This qualitative research study provides insight as to what literacy practices take place within the Dominican household by conducting semi-structured interviews with 10 Dominican parents. Findings from this research indicate literacy practices include parents participating in the following: (1) helping their children with homework; (2) reading with their children at home; (3) helping their children practice proper diction with everyday conversation; (4) using singing and music to build language development; and (5) providing access to different modes of technology to support literacy learning. Instructional implications are discussed based on these findings.
Michigan Reading Journal , 2019
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Papers by Maria Selena Protacio