Language & Literacy

Faculty

Please click on each faculty name to read a full profile:

• Vicki A. Jacobs
• Nonie K. Lesaux
• Pamela Mason
• Barbara Alexander Pan
• Catherine E. Snow
• John Strucker
• Kendra Winner

Selected Faculty Work

Catherine Snow

Catherine Snow is a Principal Investigator on the HGSE Middle School Literacy Initiative. This initiative is part of the Boston Higher Education Partnership Research Collaborative, which has convened leading researchers from its member colleges and universities with interest and expertise in the area of literacy development along with several Boston Public School (BPS) administrators and literacy specialists. The Research Collaborative hopes to understand the literacy problems facing middle school students, ways to assess these problems, and effective teaching practices for various student populations. The aim is for this productive partnership, which began in the 2004-2005 academic year, to grow into a Field Site for the Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP), an exciting initiative proposed by a committee established by the National Research Council that seeks to support such collaborative ventures. The initiative is working closely with six BPS middle schools that serve as sites to better understand the literacy problems students are experiencing, teachers' assessments of students' literacy, how teachers use assessments and data to tell them about student performance, and the strategies and pedagogies that work best with different students.

With the rapid growth of English Language Learners (ELLs) in today's schools, best practices for educating ELLs is a heated topic in both academic and popular discourse. The current research of Language and Literacy faculty Nonie Lesaux and Barbara Pan reflects the importance of generating useable knowledge in this area.

Nonie Lesaux

Related to links between research, instruction and policy for ELLs, Nonie Lesaux--together with Amy Crosson, a Language and Literacy doctoral student-- recently examined the suitability of the San Diego City Schools reform process for this group of students. Nonie and Amy synthesized their research findings in a chapter aptly titled "Addressing Variability and Vulnerability," presented at the San Diego Review Conference (September, 2004). The chapter will also appear in a published volume of policy papers generated to review San Diego's reform efforts.

On the research end, Barbara Pan was recently awarded a Head Start Measurement Grant. "Developing Methods for Tracking Bilingual Children's Language Development" is a three year research project designed to develop accurate, efficient means for Early Head Start and Head Start staff to use in assessing and monitoring the vocabulary development in both Spanish and English of toddlers and preschoolers from homes where Spanish is spoken. Students interested in becoming involved in data collection at sites in Boston and Roxbury should contact either Barbara Alexander Pan or Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez.

L&L Faculty Research

Catherine Snow

"Middle Ground: Shattuck Professor Catherine Snow's Project on Adolescent Literacy", Ed. Magazine, September 1, 2005.

"Engaging Achievement: Literacy in English-Language Learners", Ed. Magazine, November 1, 2005.

"The ESL Advantage: A Lift-Off to Literacy", Ed. Magazine, April 1, 2004.

"Initiating a Global Research Bank: The Development of the Strategic Education Research Project", March 1, 2004.

"The New Head Start: From Cradle to Classroom", Ed. Magazine, August 1, 2003.

"Strategic Education Research Partnership", An Interview with Shattuck Professor Catherine Snow, June 1, 2003.

"Painting a New Picture of Learning to Read", May 1, 2003.

"Breaking Dyslexia's Cryptic Code", November 1, 2003.

"Looking Closely at Second Language Learning", An Interview with Shattuck Professor Catherine Snow, October 1, 2002.

Jeanne Chall Reading Lab

The Jeanne Chall Reading Lab (JCRL) is named for a well-respected Harvard professor who made significant contributions to the field of reading research. Housed on the ground floor of Larsen Hall, the JCRL provides students and faculty with many opportunities to exchange ideas and knowledge. Whether they are conferring on research, discussing effective instruction, or planning for practicum assignments, students have access not only to an abundance of carefully chosen resource materials but also to personal guidance on best practices in effective language and literacy instruction.