First Grade Teachers' Literacy Instructional Practices Influence on the Learning of Elementary School Students in English Language Arts (ELA) and Reading

This qualitative case study investigated the literacy educational practices of five general education first grade teachers in a charter school in Western New York. Charter schools typically hire teachers with less experience; therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how first grade teachers in English Language Arts (ELA) and reading modified their literacy instruction to support all students, including, but not limited to, students with a variety of different disabilities. Through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, this study focused on how specific literacy instructional tools and teaching methods, such as the arts and/or technology, impacted students’ literacy learning.