Literacy Development in Afterschool program at Yeronga State High School Essay

IntroductionYeronga State High naturalise was set up in 1959 by Queensland Government on 60 acres of land. This enlighten comprises of learner from much than(prenominal) than 60 cultural and linguistic back grounds, umpteen learners come from Africa, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. More than 90% of this recite is refugees coming from warf ar-torn countries ache from war trauma. This exact is carried out during a Volunteering for ESL (English as Second Langu eon) architectural plan for grade 8 to12 student. As a volunteer, there was an opportunity to figure in respective(a) later on drill course of studyme run by train much(prenominal) as Home be countenance club. This frame circulate attempts to comprehend reach of literacy in after instruct design with a focus on researches made in ago relates to literacy practise and outcome. The core objective is to investigate how the literacy is ascended among student during this dish up through sexual oral hearing an d observations.This paper in any case investigate what puzzle student face in after give less(prenominal)ons computer design and what steps necessitate to be taken to over come that problem as an educator. This send off bill endorsed the fact that after develop day platforms with pass and activities enhance childs literacy formulatement which is a consistent inclination as per faculty member publications authored by Garbarino and others (Garbarino et al., 1992 Werner, 1990).In order to require a crystal clear understanding of emergence of literacy occurred in after developtime program, an extensive literary works review has been done. It would be in truth eventful to none that this project report covers a sm entirely body of research so as a meditateer one should emphasize on relevance and signifi lavce of the belles-lettres review in con educate school give of the body of this project report. This project report briefly discuss of pertinent research re lated to specific literacy application. These applications argon selected on the base of their existence at after school program at school, their endorsement in research in the filed of afterschool program and literacy and their enchantness.The center hypothesis of this project report is a main last of aft(prenominal)school program is to constrain aptitude for rich donnish content through charter student in ch each toldenging culture activities for their own donnish enrichment. subsequentlyschool program should non act as an extension of school day save should be able to append high-interest generating activities that complement school-day education in descriptor of ports. looker has been standardizedwise suggested that afterschool program indirectly supports academic action in various ways much(prenominal) as it provides platform to enhance non academic literacy and competencies which help students to enhance their academic training it too ensure that stude nts develop critical development inputs which helps them to prosper in their academic triumph and cover them fully prepargon and active creation of alternate rich learning purlieu and help students to chastise the hurdle (Sheley,1984).According to Miller (2003), for a positive results and succeederful development of literacy, after school program should be equipped with slightly critical characteristics, first and fore close demonstrateation of both successful later on-school program is It has to be carried out in visible and mentally safe environment. In order to develop literacy they should be dictated under load-bearing(a) relationships, its also important to create the jot of be languishingness among student so they shag feel important and recognized. Main conclusion of after school program should be opportunity for science edifice through integration of school, society and family.Rationale of ProjectFor building academic successful literacy in academic succes s (Broh, 2002 Cairns, 1995 Campbell, Storo & Acerbo, 1995 baby birdress, 1998 Cooper, Valentine,Nye, & Lindsay, 1999 Eccles & Barber, 1999 Gerber, 1996). After school programs can track down a key role in engaging offspring in the learning emergence by providing opportunities to explore interests, gain ability in real world skills, solve problems, assume mastermindership roles, develop a convocation identity with similarly engaged peers, connect to handsome role models and mentors, and become come to in improving their communities. Early adolescence is a era of dramatic change in every area of a untried persons life. During this period, young muckle forge ad hominem identities in a stage oscilloscope of physical and emotional changes, the increasing vastness and influence of a peer sort out, and growing independence. It is the confluence of change on many aims-biological and physiological developing, peer and social expectations, and the school environment-that ca n figure out primeval adolescence a leaveicularly risky period (Lerner, 1993a Solodow, 1999 Weissberg & Greenberg, 2000).The research attempt of this project report is a grade 8 to 12 student of Yeronga state high school where ninety pct of total population comes from war torn country. These students can go social changes that whitethorn pain them from academic pursuits they also enter an academic environment less in tune with their developmental needs. Studies by Eccles and her colleagues (Eccles & Midgley, 1989 Eccles & Midgley, 1990 Gutman & Midgley, 2000) paint a convincing personation of the conflict amongst the developmental stage of proto(prenominal) adolescence and the environment of most nerve center and junior high schools. Apart from that Poverty, violence and family distress are 3 lethal risk factors for children grown up in war traumatized country (Garbarino, Dubrow, Kostelny, & Pardo, 1992).Poverty has a direct fatal affect on growing child as it limits the resources gettable for their disposal for learning and in an indirect flair negative parental behavior which is an outcome of psychological distress faced by parents due to poverty (McLoyd, 1990). Children from war-torn countries consent a posttraumatic stress syndrome which generates from sleep disturbance and aggressive behavior (Bell, 1991 Osofsky, Wewers, Hann, & Fick, 1991). After school programs can also create a twain or border zone between the culture of peers, families and communities on the one hand, and the school environment on the other (Heath, 1994 Jackson & Davis, 2000 Scharf & Woodlief, 2000).This report argues that after school programs can agree a difference in building the prerequisites to learning, financial support not provided school achievement, but long-term competence and success as well. Students are usually viewed as important contributors rather than passive voice recipients.They choose their roles, help others who are less skilled, and are critic al to the success of the project. They are honored for their accomplishments as well as evaluate to soak up strong feelings and relationships. In many high quality afterschool activities, young concourse experience a sort out setting where every individuals effort makes a difference, where they go through significant time (rather than a division period) foc utilise on a specific skill, and where they receive a agglomerate of individual attention from bounteouss. Will these recitations increase students engagement in learning? To answer this question, we must explore education books to grade factors that make a motion students to become committed to learning.Due to limited body of research available in the field of after school program, the focus of this report is generally narrowed down to literacy practise and outcome. In the next section, an extensive literature review of specific literacy employ which helps in developing literacy in after school program has been ana lysed. It would be really important to note that the interest literature review should be considered as stocky of most germane(predicate) research done in the field of development of literacy in afterschool program. hold ups ReviewThe following literature review is a focusing specifically on three specific literacy formulas variant aloud, dramatisation and book discussion. The excerpt of these three literacy practices is based on the relevant application at Yeronga state high school afterschool program. This literature review is a comprehensive summary of most relevant research and key reports carried in United States to mop up our understanding of the three selected literacy practice.Reading AloudThe single most important activity for postulateing success appears to be nurture aloud to children (Neuman, Copple, & Bredekamp, 2000)Reading aloud is a primeation stone for any literacy development. Its really important to get children interested on daily basis end-to-end th e primary grades. This literacy practice helps student with fluent necessitateing and injects a peevishness so that they can be a good evidenceer (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985 Calkins, 1997). This literacy practice transform less able reader to crack reader by motivating students to read rich and content full book. According Armbruster et al. (2001), in primary grades children learn meaning of words via listening to their instructor when they read the text edition. In this scenario Reading aloud can really help as while reading a book or a text when student pa mappings at a special word, its an opportunity for takeer to advert that he/she is facing a problem with unfamiliarity of word and to overcome this problem teacher can engage student in a conversation.This conversation can help student to understand new words, meaning, concepts as well as their correlation to their prior knowledge and experience. In basis of Vocabulary growth this Reading Aloud can pla y a major role. The base of this argument is in primary grades student learns language from devil opposite sources first is the word it self woven in text of book and second is words spoken by teacher (Dickinson & tabors, 2001). In certain cases it also depends on a source of text i.e. choice of book which can devour a positive or negative impact of language development. In other words, if a book has limited vocabulary than it would be difficult to develop vocabulary growth in student (Dickinson & Smith, 1994).Other important aspects which have to be taken into consideration while reviewing concept of Reading Aloud are methods, environmental influences, attitudes and synergetic behaviours (Morrow, 1990). These factors can play a crucial role in literacy development. In an experiment conducted by Morrow (1990) at kindergarten students, his initial idea tooshie this experiment was to investigate the effect of small separate fiction readings in dissimilar class room environme nt. Children were distributed among six schoolroom in a school based in urban area which had a children from middle to lower socio sparing level, with over 60 percent belonging to minority group . This group of children were divided into data-based and chink group on random bases.Each group has assigned one research assistance and time frame for the study was decided for 11 weeks. search help in experimental group were asked to use maximum level of interactive behaviour techniques such as managing, prompting, supporting and informing. In a control group research assistant were schooled to follow teachers manual. As a result children under experimental group were asking to a greater extent questions, making more comments and involving in discussion with fellow classmate. Interactive environment helped them to develop their literacy in terms of dealing with meaning in context of area of detail, interpretation, reflection from own experience as well as narration. Children from t his group chronicled a high grades in reading lore. The conclusion of the study was, reading aloud practice increase literacy by involving student in verbal participation, comprehension and complexity of verbal interchange.Story and Literature DramatizationsIts a well known fact that from early age children have enjoyed and used bosh and drama play as a connecting bridge to their literacy. According to Rowe (1998) this kind of practice is a crucial part of enhancing literacy-learning process as during process student may contain dramatization as a means of exploring content of books. Primary age students who are engaged in this kind of practice can facilitate literacy activity and can motivate cooperative learning behaviour (Stone and Christie, 1996). This literacy practice provides a plat form to student for bringing a piece of literature to life. go they are in this process, acting out characters part helps engaged student to build memorization, fluency, and comprehension ski ll. According to (Berk & Winsler, 1995), develops literacy in jr. children by* Encouraging them to use language in creative way* Providing them an open platform to sort out problem and concern* serve well students to understand how the transition from oral to written language can evanesce* Enhancing their ability to recall, imagination and story reading.In an area of text literacy development fluency plays a vital role, during this kind of literacy practice, students are comply to read passage repeatedly aloud with guidance so that they can advance their fluency because its really necessary to derive comprehension from their reading.Rose, Parks, and Androes (2000) canvass an approach that used drama as a vehicle to instruct reading. The participants for the study were drawn from quaternion Chicago-area public elementary schools that previously worked with Whirlwind, a non profit liberal arts education organization that developed the reading program under study-Reading Comprehen sion Through Drama (RCD). The schools were large and served populations that were primarily African American or Hispanic, in low-income neighbourhoods. Four fourth-grade classrooms were haphazard chosen and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. For 10 weeks, the experimental group was taught reading using the RCD program, while the control group used traditional text-based methods.Comparisons were based on pre- and post-tests using the reading comprehension score from the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). The treatment consisted of two, one-hour sessions each week of in-class work with a acting artist. The students primary work was to dramatize a piece of narrative text in short skits. The RCD program was divided into four stages story, sequence, perception, and evaluation. Breaking stories into their various elements allowed students to better understand the different pieces, or propositional elements, of the story. The first stage of the program require d the students to read a text, create symbols to elaborate the Northwest regional facts of lifeal Laboratory 24 various story elements (e.g., what, who, where) and then iterate the story to another student using the symbols. In the second stage, students were asked to identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story, and then represent that in a three-panel illustration.In the thirdly stage, students had to act out a scene using their cinque senses to illustrate possible sensations experienced by the story characters. Finally, students explored ideas of interpretation, critique, and spirit, and were interviewed as if they were characters from the story. After autocratic for differences in pre-test ITBS scores, reading grade equivalent scores for the experimental group increased significantly more than for the control group. On the factual comprehension subscale of the ITBS, the experimental group modifyd significantly more than the control group. On the inferential compr ehension subscale, no significant differences were appoint between the two groups. The researchers concluded that drama-based reading pedagogy can improve reading skills more than traditional.Book Discussion and literature CircleBook discussions and literature circles were among the practices found in Spielberger and Halperns (2002) case studies of 16 afterschool programs identified as having symbolical or innovative approaches. In afterschool programs, literature circles provide a fortuity for students to engage in extended discussion about the books they read. Students can also reflect on and respond to the connections between those books and others they have read, their own in the flesh(predicate) experiences, and the world around them. However, the authors comment that book discussion groups and literature circles may be difficult for afterschool rung to implement without experience and skills in star(p) discussions.This kind of literacy practice helps students to extend their reading skills, learn to analyze different kind of literature as well as how to develop opinion on the same and find curtilage from text. According to Gambrell (1996), this kind of literacy practice promotes deeper understanding of text, higher level thinking and improved communication skill among students. Indicating the effectiveness of discussion in promoting readers deeper understanding of text, Palinscar (1987) and Palinscar and Brown (1984) have found that students in reciprocal article of belief groups outperform comparison groups on reading comprehension. Morrow and Smith (1990) also found that kindergartners who engaged in small- group discussions of stories that were read aloud had superior story recall compared to students who discussed the story one-to-one with the teacher or who worked in larger groups.In study done by Hudgins and Edelman (1986), found that 60 fourth- and fifth-graders in 10 classrooms who participated in small-group discussions in which they w ere further to take responsibility for thinking and talking provided more supporting evidence for conclusions than did a control group. Studies by Almasi (1995), Villaume and Hopkins (1995), and Green and Wallet (1981) (all cited in Gambrell, 1996) file further evidence that student led discussions encourage higher level thinking and problem solving. question by Almasi (1995, cited in Gambrell, 1996) indicates that students communication skills improve as they become more experienced in small-group discussions. In addition, Eeds and rises (1989) findings support the belief that through book study groups, students can participate in enriching conversations that foster their understanding of literature, even when discussion groups only meet twice a week for 30 minutes and where the teacher-leader is a novice with no teaching experience.In their non-experimental study, Eeds and Wells investigated four literature study groups of fifth- and sixth-grade students. Of particular interes t is that the study groups were led by undergrad education students who had no prior experience functional with children. The study group leaders were encouraged to participate as group members working with the children to construct meaning rather than acting as all-knowing interpreters of the text. Teacher-leaders were discouraged from preparing a set of explicit comprehension questions, letting the meaning emerge from group discussion however, they were encouraged to capitalize on a teachable present moment if they noticed one. Dickinson and Smith (1994) suggest that book discussions can affect vocabulary development.They followed 25 children who met the income requirements of Head come out and who were either enrolled in Head Start or a similar subsidized program for low income children. The children were four years old at the beginning of the study and took a stamp battery of language/literacy development tests at the age of five. Based on classroom observations, the resear chers found that teachers oral book reading styles could be grouped into three approaches co- rehabilitative, didactic-interactional, and performance-oriented.Each approach is characterized by different types and amounts of talk before, during, and after the book reading session.Several of these studies comment on the influence of text type. Dickinson and Smith (1994) found that a book with limited vocabulary and plot, which was observed in use with the didactic-interactional approach, did not show the same strong correlation to vocabulary development as the other two approaches. They note that a steady sustenance of books with predictable text may not be optimal. Eeds and Wells (1989) also wonder if the exceptional quality of a text may lead students to higher levels of dialogue and richer insights and generalizations. A study by Leal (1992, cited in Gambrell, 1996) found that informational storybooks enhanced discussion more than narrative or instructive texts.Methodology First and foremost step in direction of this project report was to conduct a search of literature and research studies that laborious on afterschool program. It has been found that very little research has been done on Afterschool syllabus, though this is an area that is beginning to receive more attention. The primary goal of the search process was to secure a nonbiased, representative sample of studies obtained through a systematic search for published and unpublished reports sources as tissue article, daybook article, books and electronic database such as Proquest, Emerald and Jstor for search using the keywords read aloud and afterschool, dramatization and afterschool, and bookdiscussion and afterschool, and associated terms as well as manual searches of the contents of several journals that published afterschool outcome studies. Reports based on some methodological and content grounds were excluded. Such as After discipline Programs that focused on academic performance or schoo l swear outing and only reported such outcomes, adventure education and Outward leap out programs, extracurricular school activities and summer camps. This also includes extracurricular school activities, academic and recreational programs conducted during the summer, and educational and social events offered by local libraries, museums, parks and faith-based institutions. These types of activities were not included in our review. select sample of this project was a student of Yeronga state high school selected in random order for an liberal oral interview during their afterschool program activities. No standard format was followed informal interview however, question asked during the interview process and times for each interview were kept same in order to maintain uniformity in process. The research on these literacy practices-reading aloud, dramatization, and book discussion-provides strong support for their inclusion in afterschool programs. Although the available research on literacy practices in the afterschool context does not provide obvious results regarding their benefit in that context, their general benefits are well naturalizedAnalysisAccording to DAmico (2001) and Soto (1990), lam, class and ethnicity remain powerful predictors of school achievement. Despite 40 years of education reform (Alexander, Entwisle & Bedinger, 1994), the achievement gap-the differences in school performance between rich and poor children, between children in affluent communities and those living in poor communities, and between white children and Asiatic on one hand, and African American and Latino children on the other-persists. Students who are engaged in learning take interest in their schoolwork, make an effort to earn good grades, and attempt to master the subject question on their own before requesting assistance (Connell, Halpern-Felsher et al., 1995).Students who are alienated from school, on the other hand, score lower on psychological assessments of a djustment, are more presumable to act out aggressively, are far more likely than their peers to use alcohol and drugs, become sexually active at an early age, and commit acts of juvenile delinquency and crime (Hawkins & Weis, 1985 Resnick et al., 1997). Poor children, especially those from non-dominant cultures, do not enter school with the same soft skills (understanding of the behaviour, social, communication, and work styles expected in school) due to their different cultural backgrounds. They have developed different interaction styles, expectations, social norms, and assumptions than those they face in the mainstream school culture (Allison & Takei, 1993 Comer, 1988 Delpit, 1988 Heath, 1982, 1994). period span after school hours adds its own challenges in literacy development. Several studies, all somewhat outdated, suggest that about 60 percent of adolescents time is invested in school and other productive activities, while about 40 percent is discretional (Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 1984Timmer et al., 1985). Of this leisure time, 40 percent is spent socializing 20 percent is spent watching television and very little time is spent readingor in other constructive activities like the arts and sports (Medrich et al., 1982Timmer et al.,1985 Zill et al., 1995). An estimated viii million children between the ages of 6 and 14 regularly spend their discretionary time without adult supervision ( matter Institute on Out-of- give instruction Time,2001). National data suggests that middle school-age children are much more likely to be in self-care and less likely to be in supervised ar deviatements than younger school-age children.While only 10 percent of 10 to 12 year-olds attend afterschool programs as a primary arrangement (the one in which they spend most of their after school time), 24 percent spend more of their time home alone than in any other setting (Capizzano, Tout & Adams, 2000). More than one third of children in this age group spend some time caring for themselves each week as either a primary or secondary arrangement. This proportion increases with age 23 percent of 10-year-olds spend some time caring for themselves compared to 44 percent of 12-year-olds (Capizzano et al., 2000). Research admits that there is a great risk involved in spending lots of time with peers without adult supervision or monitoring. Students who hang out without supervision or engagement in constructive activities are likely to develop negative attitudes towards school and other anti-social or risky attitudes and behaviors (Dryfoos,1990).While Jordan and Nettles research was conducted with a sample of high school age students, research on younger children suggests the findings would probably also apply to middle school students (e.g., Pierce, Hamm & Vandell, 1999). Coopers (1999) investigation of the relationship between five afterschool activities and academic achievement included nearly 500 students in grades 6-12 from urban,suburban and rural school districts. Controlling for the do of student background characteristics like ethnicity, income, gender, and grade level, the researchers found that time spent in structured groups, doing cooking and extracurricular activities was positively associated with higher grades and test scores.Time spent working after school was negatively associated with academic achievement. Research indicates that most young people who are home alone or on the streets for long periods of time dont do well. Formal afterschool programs provide adult supervision for more hours in addition to offering a wider range of activities. literature analysis of this report shows that Afterschool program has a positive effects on overall literacy development for student in following manner Increases in Attitudes and Behaviors Linked to instruct Success? Increased sense of efficacy, competence and leadership (Campbell et al., 1995Fleming-McCormick & Tushnet, 1996 Heath & Soep, 1998)? dampen behavior in school (Bak er & Gribbons,1998Johnson et al.,1999Posner & Vandell, 1994)? Better emotional adjustment (Baker & Gribbons, 1998 Kahne, Nagaoka,OBrien, Quinn, & Thandiede, 1999 Marshall et al., 1997)? Better use of time (e.g., less time watching television,more time in enrichment and academic activities) (Johnson et al., 1999 Posner & Vandell, 1994)? Better work habits (Schinke et al., 1992Vandell & Pierce, 1999)? Better conflict resolution skills ( Posner & Vandell, 1994) modify Academic Performance? Improved skills in data analysis and writing (Schlegel, 2003)? Improved homework closedown or quality (Johnson et al., 1999)? Improved grades (Baker & Witt, 1996 Brooks, 1995 Cardenas, 1992 Hamilton & Klein, 1998)? Higher scores on achievement tests (Hamilton & Klein, 1998 Hamilton et al.,1999 Huang, 2001 Huang et al., 2000 Johnson et al., 1999)? Reductions in grade retention (Hamilton et al., 1999)? Decreased dropping out of school (Jones & Offord, 1989)ConclusionTo support literacy teaching and le arning in the after school programs following steps should be taken in consideration firs of all focus should be set on encouraging student to have high expectations. Secondly, motivate staff involved in afterschool program in order to cultivate a shared commitment to help every student develop strong literacy skills afterschool program should provide regular opportunities for teachers who teach the same students to discuss and collaboratively plan literacy programs for their students (e.g., the special education teacher and the classroom teacher, the librarian and the classroom teacher) analyse how the schools timetable supports effective literacy learning, portion reasonable blocks of instructional time for literacy support inquiry-based learning, where students explore issues, big ideas, and questions, including those of particular interest to them, and where they understand what and why they are learning (Routman, 2000) after school program should promote models of classroom ma nagement and instructional approaches that facilitate literacy learning, such as small-group instruction designed to meet a variety of needs and flexible student groupings it should demonstrate a commitment to critical literacy and higher-order thinking by asking students questions about the texts they are usingAfter school program should also value the cultural literacy that exists in the school association and across the province by displaying family stories written in languages other than English, polyglot signs, and books (including dual-language books) that inspire pride in the community and its languages afterschool program should work in collaboration with parents, community members, students, and teachers to create school-wide literacy celebrations and traditions (e.g., e-mail exchanges with e-pals from across the province, letter-writing campaigns, poetry festivals, literature graffiti boards) (Harwayne, 2000 Booth, 2002) last but not the least it should provide a framewo rk outlining the responsibilities of volunteers and educational assistants to ensure that reading and writing instruction and amends remain the central responsibility of classroom teachers, and ensure that struggling readers and writers have opportunities to learn through sustained interaction with teachers (Allington & Cunningham, 2002)In addition to fortune students to acquire literacy skills, these practices are also transferable to the afterschool context. As discussed in the installation of this document, when designing academic enrichment programs in afterschool, other factors must be considered in addition to the academic element. For example, activities in afterschool programs must be engaging for students and not duplicate what is happening during the school day. After school activities must also address the needs of youth and expand on their learning in ways that are relevant to them. These literacy practices offer the opportunity to accomplish all these tasks, while sim ultaneously strengthening students literacy skills.As research continues in the field of academic enrichment in afterschool, it is necessary to continue to consider the nature of the afterschool context. Literacy instruction and skill development in afterschool programs can not truly be understood without considering other critical factors such as engagement, relevancy, and not duplicating the experience of the school day for participating students. The quality of program implementation and staff are also critical factors to consider. Given the understanding of the afterschool context, research and practice suggest there is great potential for afterschool programs to provide a supportive role in the development of students literacy skills.Reference list* Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R. & Bedinger, S. D. (1994).When expectations work Race and socioeconomic differences in school performance, Social Psychology Quarterly Vol.57, pp. 283-299.* Allison, K.W. & Takei,Y. (1993). changeTh e cultural contexts of adolescents and their families. In R. M. Lerner (Ed.), Early Adolescence Perspectives on Research, insurance and Intervention. Hillsdale, NJ Lawrence Erlbaum.* Anderson, R.C., Hiebert, E.H., Scott, J.A., & Wilkinson, I. (1985). decorous a nation of readers The report of the Commission on Reading. Champaign, IL nerve centre for the Study of Reading.* Armbruster, B., Lehr, F., & Osborn, J. (2001). 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