Beyond academic vocabulary, the constellation of skills that comprise academic language proficien... more Beyond academic vocabulary, the constellation of skills that comprise academic language proficiency has remained imprecisely defined. This study proposes an expanded operationalization of this construct referred to as core academic language skills (CALS). CALS refers to the knowledge and deployment of a repertoire of language forms and functions that co-occur with school learning tasks across disciplines. Using an innovative instrument, we explored CALS in a cross-sectional sample of 235 students in Grades 4–8. The results revealed between- and within-grade variability in CALS. Psychometric analyses yielded strong reliability and supported the presence of a single CALS factor, which was found to be predictive of reading comprehension. Our findings suggest that the CALS construct and instrument appear promising for exploring students’ school-relevant language skills.
Narrative attainment was assessed in a group of 76 four-year-old children at risk for brain injur... more Narrative attainment was assessed in a group of 76 four-year-old children at risk for brain injury because of histories of early corrective heart surgery. Elicited personal experience narratives were coded for narrative components, evaluative devices, and information adequacy and were contrasted with narratives produced by a comparison group of typically developing 4-year-olds. The production of autonomous narrative discourse was identified as an area of special vulnerability for children with this medical history. Despite considerable heterogeneity in narrative performance, children with early corrective heart surgery produced fewer narrative components than typically developing children. Results suggest that the elaboration of events and contextual information, the expression of subjective evaluation and causality, and clarity and explicitness of information reporting may constitute special challenges for this population of children. Implications of these findings for clinical assessment and possible risks for socioemotional relationships and academic achievement are discussed.
Abstract This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of an Internet-delivered universa... more Abstract This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of an Internet-delivered universally designed depth of vocabulary intervention that targeted both English-speaking and SpanishEnglish-speaking students. Two hundred forty stu-dents, 49% of whom were ...
ABSTRACT Thesis (Ed. D.)--Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2003. UMI # 3114082 Includes bibl... more ABSTRACT Thesis (Ed. D.)--Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2003. UMI # 3114082 Includes bibliographical references (leaves 234-239). Vita.
Beyond academic vocabulary, the constellation of skills that comprise academic language proficien... more Beyond academic vocabulary, the constellation of skills that comprise academic language proficiency has remained imprecisely defined. This study proposes an expanded operationalization of this construct referred to as core academic language skills (CALS). CALS refers to the knowledge and deployment of a repertoire of language forms and functions that co-occur with school learning tasks across disciplines. Using an innovative instrument, we explored CALS in a cross-sectional sample of 235 students in Grades 4–8. The results revealed between- and within-grade variability in CALS. Psychometric analyses yielded strong reliability and supported the presence of a single CALS factor, which was found to be predictive of reading comprehension. Our findings suggest that the CALS construct and instrument appear promising for exploring students’ school-relevant language skills.
Narrative attainment was assessed in a group of 76 four-year-old children at risk for brain injur... more Narrative attainment was assessed in a group of 76 four-year-old children at risk for brain injury because of histories of early corrective heart surgery. Elicited personal experience narratives were coded for narrative components, evaluative devices, and information adequacy and were contrasted with narratives produced by a comparison group of typically developing 4-year-olds. The production of autonomous narrative discourse was identified as an area of special vulnerability for children with this medical history. Despite considerable heterogeneity in narrative performance, children with early corrective heart surgery produced fewer narrative components than typically developing children. Results suggest that the elaboration of events and contextual information, the expression of subjective evaluation and causality, and clarity and explicitness of information reporting may constitute special challenges for this population of children. Implications of these findings for clinical assessment and possible risks for socioemotional relationships and academic achievement are discussed.
Abstract This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of an Internet-delivered universa... more Abstract This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of an Internet-delivered universally designed depth of vocabulary intervention that targeted both English-speaking and SpanishEnglish-speaking students. Two hundred forty stu-dents, 49% of whom were ...
ABSTRACT Thesis (Ed. D.)--Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2003. UMI # 3114082 Includes bibl... more ABSTRACT Thesis (Ed. D.)--Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2003. UMI # 3114082 Includes bibliographical references (leaves 234-239). Vita.
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