CONNECT Basic Reading Skills is based on scientifically proven research and pedagogy in language and literacy. The science of reading as it pertains to developing readers is complex and requires a consideration of the intricacies of reading as an ongoing developmental process. Literacy encompasses much more than reading, as students traverse language domains (including listening, speaking, and writing). For today’s learners, literacy also includes digital and discipline-specific literacies. This process is nonhierarchical and not always linear. Each academic content area requires its own development of vocabulary, knowledge of syntax, and useful comprehension strategies for fluency and understanding to grow. Beyond content-area literacy, students often rely on out-of-school literacies as part of their development. Students have literacy skills that must be made evident in the classroom setting. Today, we recognize these skills as part of the funds of knowledge students bring forward, and capitalize on them as academic assets (Gonzales, Moll & Amanti, 2005; Moll 2019). Striving readers, multilingual learners, and students from a wide range of abilities and backgrounds all possess the talent necessary to become strong in literacy. Connect provides the supports necessary to aid and accelerate the process. Research background Importance of motivation and engagement In a classroom setting, complex factors come into play as students strive to develop language and literacy. Krashen (1982) referred to this as the “affective filter.” When the affective filter is high, students may experience anxiety, self-consciousness, boredom, annoyance, or even alienation. When the affective filter is low, students experience less anxiety and are actively engaged. Current research continues to support motivation and engagement as key to literacy development (Wilkinson, 2020). Connect is structured to create environmental and pedagogical supports that engage students in the simultaneous learning of language and content in an engaging and welcoming manner. Meaningful tasks for students with disabilities and neurodiverse learners, along with amplifications for students who would benefit from additional challenges, are included. Language and literacy interaction in the classroom The work of Vygotsky (1978) has long served as a foundation for much of the research and theory on language development. He strongly believed in the role of social interaction in the development of cognition and language—notably, the importance of multiple exposures and meaningful interactions with language. Students cannot learn a language through rote memorization and have it be preserved or applied in any meaningful way. Instead, repeated exposure is crucial. Further, Bruner’s (1977) work also emphasized the importance of revisiting concepts and ideas. He noted that learning requires a continual deepening of understanding in progressively more complex ways. Connect contains multiple opportunities for repeated interaction in pairs, small groups, and whole groups. Vocabulary and concepts are revisited and reviewed throughout the curriculum. This repetition with meaningful, curated interaction supports all students. PHILOSOPHY AND RESEARCH Tv
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