Four NIU colleges collaborate with each other and with school districts to raise students’ literacy skills through school-based projects that integrate clinical diagnostics, arts, and literacy education.
Representatives of NIU’s three clinics, which have different perspectives on language and literacy issues, began meeting and collaborating in 2009. The clinics are the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, Psychological Services Center, and the Literacy Clinic.
School partnership projects that integrate the arts into literacy were approved in summer 2009.
Participants expect to see improvement in students’ literacy, self-efficacy, and motivation as well as increased collaboration among teachers and across colleges at NIU.
Graduate students from the three NIU clinics shared their perspectives and diagnostic approaches in a Collaborative Case Conference.
Graduate and undergraduate students in several colleges are involved in projects that utilize art activities in literacy education.
Interdisciplinary Literacy Project Semi-annual Meetings
November 17, 2009, 3pm – 5pm, Gable 146
April 20, 2010, 3pm – 5pm, Gable 146
(Meeting date and time subject to change)
Quarterly and Semi-Annual Report Outlines (PDF)
Quarterly Reports: October 16, 2009, and March 26, 2010
Semi-Annual Reports: December 15, 2009, and June 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 30, 6-7:30 pm
Farady West, Room 200
Understanding the Science behind the Impact of Exercise on Literacy and Learning
Paul Zientarski, Physical Education Dept. Chair from Naperville Central High School
Visual Culture and Art Education
Art Education faculty and their NIU pre-service students are working with the students and teachers at St. Mary School in DeKalb to create interdisciplinary art lessons that help students critically understand the world they live in and to create artworks that express their interpretations of contemporary and historic cultures.
Reaching Out Through Art (ROAR)
Chris Carger from Literacy Education, College of Education, is working with NIU students from the Early Childhood and Elementary Education programs to organize Read Aloud events that incorporate an art activity as a way of assisting English language learners with vocabulary and listening skills.
Integrating Content Area Instruction and Literacy
Corrine Wickens is partnering with several NIU Secondary Education programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Science incorporating literacy teaching strategies into other academic content areas.
Improving Reading and Writing through the Creation of Art
Meryl Domina, Department of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education, is working with Clinton Rosette Middle School to create lessons that aim to increase student reading and writing skills through imaginative art activities.
Enhancing Multi-Literacies through Digital Story Creation
Rhonda Robinson from Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, College of Education, is working with a doctoral student to assist Genoa Elementary School in the use of digital storytelling activities to impact a variety of different literacy skills.
COE: Kristin Brynteson, Chris Carger, Meryl Domina, Laurie Elish-Piper, Rhonda Robinson, Sharon Smaldino, Corrine Wickens
HHS: Anne Davidson, Heidi Kluga, Sherrill Morris, Janet Olson, Pat Tattersal,
LAS: Karen White
VPA: Douglas Boughton, Glenda Cosenza, Debbie Smith-Shank, Christine Staikids, Shei-Chau Wang, Christine Woywood-Edlund
Staff Support: Kristin Brynteson, Paulette Bowman
Contact: Kristin Brynteson (kbrynteson@niu.edu or 815-753-0298)