Message Boards

1
Message Boards

• Dr. Gilda Martinez
• Towson University, MD
• Dr. Barbara Laster
• Towson University, MD
• Ms. Betty Conte
• Dade County Public Schools, FL

2
Modeling Writing at Home

• Note pads or whiteboards are used in many homes
  to write down messages
• Message Boards extend this type of communication
  into the classroom

3
What is the Message Board activity?

• Students, teachers, and parents write / draw a
  picture about an important event on a large or
  small chalkboard
• Oral language is used to describe written
  messages
• Students are encouraged to participate daily

4

• Drawing and/or Writing Explanation
• Message Board

5
When the teacher was asked, What is a Message
Board?, she responded

• A place to communicate through words and
  picto-writing, which teaches communication
  skills. It is a springboard for language
  development, a bridge between home and school,
  and a way to collect authentic assessments.

6
When students were asked, What is a Message
Board?, they responded
April 2007

• It is important.
• We like to share our stories.
• We dont get to tell our stories at other
  times.
• It has to be real, cant be imaginary.

7
It has to be real?
Michelle is an ELL not eligible for services.
Michelle 11-6-06 "I was playing ball and I
found Ethan." Teacher Ethan is your friend from
your other school? Michelle He was behind. He
came to Abba's house. Student Is he your
neighbor? Michelle He's not my neighbor. He
lives far away. He's my best friend. His Mom
talked to Abba. M for me and E for Ethan. This is
me and this is Ethan.
8

• That was Michelles first message on Message
  Boards.

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Importance of the Study

• To determine the overall effectiveness of Message
  Boards on literacy development (and/or other
  areas) in Pre-K students
• To determine how students from various
  backgrounds, including English Language Learners
  (ELL), use Message Boards

10
Research Questions

• 1 - What student achievement in literacy is
  evident through the Message Boards?
• 2 - What differences are noted between Message
  Boards when comparing students from 1997 to
  students from 2007?
• 3 What additional student outcomes are derived
  through Message Boards?

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Message Board example
Nathan is an ELL (L4) receiving services.
Nathan 8-21-06 He says, "That's just him. (He
points to the chrysalis.) That wasn't the trunk
of an elephant. It's a dolphin one." When Ms.
C. says, "It looks like a dolphin to you," he
writes DF under the object he drew and says,
"Dolphin. He had previously told us that the
chrysalis looked like an elephants trunk.
12

• Nathan began writing messages for Message
  Boards in August.

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Message Board example
Nathan 5-3-07 "My Dad finished the pool
yesterday." Peer asks Is it a medium pool or a
big pool? The group discusses the depth and
Nathan says, "It's bigger than me." His Mom says,
"He means he can go underwater in it. It's about
3 feet deep." Note He wrote POOL without
assistance.
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Data Collection

• Teacher
• takes pictures of messages
• records oral messages
• in a log

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Data Collection Continued

• Outside Researchers
• Messages Boards reviewed for two years, 1997 and
  2007
• Interviewed the teacher and the students
• Observed Message Boards in action
• Collected artifacts from the teacher related to
  Message Boards, such as the childrens
  observation records and curriculum

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Data Analysis

• Data Triangulation created by review of the
  interviews, observation, Message Board writing
  and information, teacher notes, and curriculum

17
Data Analysis Continued

• Message Boards were analyzed to determine
• language and literacy development,
• similarities and differences among students,
• how Message Boards have changed over the last 10
  years, and
• Overall effects of Message Boards

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Data Analysis Continued

• Charts were created to segregate the data by
• Oral language development,
• Written language development,
• Native English speakers,
• English Language Learners, and
• Year (1997 vs. 2007)

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Pre-K Literacy Curriculum (Part 1)

• High/Scope
• Daily routine explore sounds, letters, and
  language reading and writing tied to meaning and
  comprehension print-rich environment various
  writing materials and reasons to write anecdotal
  records and portfolios used for assessment

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Pre-K Literacy Curriculum (Part 2)

• Wright Skills Program
• Enhances High/Scope program with big books and
  nursery rhyme posters that help to develop oral
  language skills, phonological awareness, concepts
  of print, and alphabet knowledge

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Pre-K Literacy Curriculum (Part 3)

• MESSAGE BOARDS

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Results Answers to Research Questions

• 1 - What student achievement in language and
  literacy is evident through the Message Boards?
• Language and Literacy example of progress

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Charlie in November
Male native English speaker
Charlie 11-28-06 Charlie brought a dead Monarch
Butterfly in a bag. He signed his message by
writing his initials. He reports, "I saw this
butterfly in my pool. It drowned. My Mom got
something to pick it up. It didn't work." The
group discusses what happened to the butterfly.
Charlie answers questions by saying, "It was the
storm. It was trying to get nectar, but it fell
into the water."
24
Charlie in April
"Today is my brother's Birthday. Note Writes
HRDAE. Changes the H to a b after reporting his
message. He might have been remembering Nadias
Happy birthday message.
Charlie 4-13-07
25
Gilda in October
Female L4 ELL

• Gilda 10-26-07
• "My hamster
• has a new cage."
• Casey Is the wheel inside?
• Gilda Yeah, a yellow one.

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Gilda in April

• Gilda 4-23-07
• "I was at K-Mart and then I won a
• dog."
• Note She describes the machine that her cousin
  put money in and how they moved the metal hand to
  grab the stuffed dog toy. She wrote C__(Cousin,
• K (Kmart), S__(Slept)
• She then reports, "My brother slept over."

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Lisa in September
Female L2 ELL

• Lisa 9-11-2006
• She draws a butterfly on
• the Message Board at
• Greeting Time and
• reports, "This is
• butterfly." She then
• says, "I forgot." and
• adds antennae to the
• drawing.

28
Lisa in May

• Lisa 5-21-07
• "I, my Mom buy a book in
• the library."
• Note Detailed figure holding a bag. Writes B__
  (Book) independently.

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Student Achievement Evident through Message
Boards

• Based on Robbs Oral Conversation Checklist,
  overall the students began the year using single
  words or phrases and could name objects or events
  (in English or in their native language) by the
  end of the year students were able to use
  compound sentences and/or multiple phrases and
  they were able to name objects or events (in
  English)

30
Based on the Florida Pre-K Education Standards

• at the beginning of the year, overall the
  students could gain meaning by listening and by
  the end of the year they could also speak
  clearly, had expanded their vocabulary, were
  developing conversations, expressed emotions,
  asked questions, and took turns speaking

31
Based on the 6-Trait Assessment for Beginning
Writers

• at the beginning of the year students were
  generally between Levels 1 2, called Exploring
  Writers and by the end of the year were between
  Levels 2 3, called Emerging Writers

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Based on Gentrys Developmental Spelling Stages

• overall the students began the year between the
  pre-communicative semi-phonetic stage and by
  the end of the year were between the
  semi-phonetic phonetic stages

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1 - What student achievement in language and
literacy is evident?

• Based on the DIBELS Initial Sound Fluency
  assessment
• 97 of the students were ready for Kindergarten

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills
(DIBELS) University of Oregon
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1 - What student achievement in language and
literacy is evident?

• Based on the DIBELS Letter Naming
• Fluency assessment
• 92 of the students were ready for Kindergarten

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1 What student achievement in language and
literacy is evident?

• Based on the ECHOS 100 of the students
• were ready for Kindergarten when assessed in
• Concepts About PrintPhonological
  AwarenessPhonicsFluencyOral Language and
  VocabularyComprehensionWriting
• Early Childhood Observation System (ECHOS) -
  Harcourt Assessment

36

• 2 - What differences are noted between Message
  Boards when comparing students from 1997
• to students from 2007?

37
1997 2007

• Write the letter b for bed

• b is followed by a line indicating they know
  more letters are in the word

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1997 2007

• No invented spelling, teacher spells key words

• Invented spelling (mostly semi-phonetic and
  phonetic)

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1997 2007

• 4 ELL out of 24 students
• ELL students were native Spanish speakers

• 15 ELL out of 18 students
• ELL students were mostly native Spanish speakers
  however,
• 1 spoke French/Creole, 1 spoke Creole, and
• 1 spoke Bengali

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1997 2007

• All ELL speak in English by December
• Considering ELL are the minority, there is time
  pressure to communicate in class

• All ELL speak in English by May
• Considering the majority are ELL, they can speak
  to each other in their native language without
  feeling left out, which helps foster BILINGUAL
  development

41
1997 2007

• More types of messages (personal, informative,
  questions)
• This may be because
• Anglo-Americans value all types of communication

• Messages were more personal in nature, few were
  informative
• This may be because this type of communication is
  valued more in Latino cultures

42
1997 2007

• Beeper discussed
• Teacher used
• 35 mm camera and handwrote her notes about
  Message Boards

• Cell phone discussed
• Teacher used a digital camera and a computer to
  type her notes
• This made data analysis much easier

43
1997 2007

• Pictures or writings do not always have a name by
  them (on Message Board)
• The notes were written on the day the Message
  Board was written, but the pictures needed to be
  developed before placing them by the teacher
  notes
• This makes it difficult to follow specific
  students

• Pictures or writings do not always have a name by
  them (on Message Board)
• Having computers makes writing notes next to the
  digital picture of the Message Board easier
  hence, it is easier to note the students names,
  etc. directly next to the message

44
1997 2007

• Letters were used in the Message Boards as the
  year progressed

• Letters were used in the Message Boards since the
  beginning of the year
• Perhaps parents and caregivers were assisting
  with this process earlier on

45
Teachers Comments

• The teacher believed students were writing and
  labeling their
• Message Boards more in 2007 as a result of the
  Wright Skills Pre-K program

46
Teachers Comments

• The teacher believed there was more writing
  occurring in 2007 also because
• students used a Read, Sing, and Play ABC book/CD
  regularly in the classroom, and
• parents had purchased alphabet books

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3 - What additional information is derived
through Message Boards?

• Social/Emotional Collaboration
• Students express concerns or emotions
• Students get feedback from each other as well as
  the teacher
• Aids with home / school connections, enhancing
  communication of key events

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Example of Social/Emotional Collaboration
Lily 2-12-07 "My Daddy was mad at my sister.
She was crying. I was crying too because my
sister was going to another home. A group
discussion follows.
49
Example of Social/Emotional Collaboration
Randy 2-28-07 "My Dad wants to get rid of my
new dog but I don't want him to." The group
discusses the dogs toileting problems.
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• 3 - What additional information is derived
  through Message Boards?
• Motivation
• Messages show continuity (i.e. messages often
  relate to ones they did previously)

51
Example of Motivation to Use Message Boards -
topic of interest
Carla is a native English speaker.
Carla 11-3-2006 She says, "It's when my Mom and
Dad were on the boat. They went down to see
stingrays. The big one they saw was called Zoom.
They saw the pregnant shark." She shows the group
a picture in a shark resource book of the egg
case.
52
Example of Motivation to Use Message Boards
extending topic of interest

• Carla 11-9-2006
• Carla brings a paper
• from home and uses it
• as a model to represent
• it on the Message
• Board. She reports,
• "Me and Christian drew
• about sharks."

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3 - What additional information is derived
through Message Boards?

• ELL vs. Native English Speakers
• Messages by ELL were personal in nature
• Messages by native English speakers varied
  personal, informative, and in the form of
  questions

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3 - What additional information is derived
through Message Boards?

• ELL vs. Native English Speakers
• By the end of the year, all ELL were using
  English to communicate

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3 - What additional information is derived
through Message Boards?

• ELL vs. Native English Speakers
• Errors in syntax and verb usage occurred as ELL
  students attempted to use English
• By the end of the year, as they became more
  proficient in English, the errors decreased

56
ELL student exampleat the beginning of the year
Lorena is a L2 ELL.

• Lorena 9-29-06
• Lorena draws a
• figure inside a
• rectangle under a
• structure.
• She reports
• in Spanish about seeing
• Mrs. Castillo at Ross
• (store). She signs the
• message by writing her
• first initial.

57
ELL student examplein the middle of the year
Lorena 1-8-07 Lorena writes T___ and draws a
house on a small board. She talks about spending
the night at her aunt's house. The teacher asked
about the T that she wrote, she says, "Tia".
58
ELL student example at the end of the year
Lorena 5-24-07 "When I was sleeping at my
cousin's house we were playing, fighting -
" Note Writes, BooBoo h__ (House) S__ (Sleep)
De__ (Demalys) Da__ (Darlene) independently.
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Lorena (ELL student)

• Oral Language
• At the beginning of the year, she could not speak
  in English
• By the end of the year, she is able to
  communicate independently in English

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Lorena (ELL student)

• Written Language
• At the beginning of the year, she does not label
  her drawing with any letters
• By the end of the year, Lorena had similar
  writing skills as native English speaker examples
• She labels people in her message using letters
  for beginning and middle sounds
• She draws a line following the letters
• Her stick person has gained weight

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ELL vs. Native English Speakers

• ELL (L1) students wrote the least number of
  messages (on average 5 10 messages in the
  year)
• when compared to Native English speakers or L2 or
  above ELL
• This extends the research about the silent
  period ELLs might go through during their first
  year of learning a new language
• (Peregoy Boyle, 2005)

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ELL vs. Native English Speakers

• ELL (L2 L4) wrote almost as many messages as
  native English speakers
• ( 20 40)
• Native English speakers wrote on average 20
  50
• ELL not receiving ESOL services because they did
  not qualify, also wrote as many (on average 20
  to 40 messages in the year)

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Students who did not write a message on the day
the observation took place were asked by the
teacher

• Why no message today?
• I was sick.
• I couldnt draw anything.

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Recommendations for theMessage Boards (by the
teacher and researchers)

• Conference with reluctant writers to see what
  support they need
• Write down an idea from the conference and remind
  the child the next day during Message Boards

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Recommendations

• Reluctant writers
• Talk to the childs parent or caregiver to help
  the child think of an important event to share
  during Message Boards
• Model on small boards while seated next to the
  child and have the child make similar marks on
  their small boards
• Then assist the student while they verbalize
  their message to the class

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Recommendations

• Encourage and model different types of messages
  
• personal,
• informative, and
• questions

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Teachers Comments

• It took months to get the students to write and
  speak at length, listen and respond to each and
  every Message Board with respect and care.
• Researchers Comments
• The results of her determination

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Highlights of Message Boards

• STUDENT TEACHER MOTIVATION
• to write, discuss, listen, provide feedback, and
  follow-up on stories

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Conclusions

• Student messages (words, pictures, writings) are
  given importance
• Messages develop over time
• (oral and written)
• Home / school communication

70
Student Success

• In the county this study took place
• when this group of students were tested in
  Kindergarten this year, overall - they scored
  better than 95 of the other Kindergarten
  students in the county

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Passing the Torch!

• The teacher involved in this study is retiring at
  the end of this school year
• Message Boards must continueshe is passing the
  torch to those working with Pre-K students

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Contact Information

• Gilda Martinez
• gmartinez_at_towson.edu
• Barbara Laster
• blaster_at_towson.edu
• Betty Conte
• pre_k_er_at_yahoo.com
• FOR THIS PPT AND MORE
• http//pages.towson.edu/gmartine/