Assistant Professor of Education Bronwyn Harris recently published a peer-reviewed article with collaborators Tonya Moore and Ashley Pennell of Appalachian State University in the “Journal of Case Learning & Exceptional Learners.”

Titled 鈥�,鈥� the article uses a real kindergarten classroom example to explore how early literacy assessments can be adapted to better capture what students with limited or no spoken language understand about reading and writing. The study focuses on students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools, such as communication devices or tablets.

Using an inclusive classroom case, the authors show how adjusting familiar assessment routines allows students with autism and other communication differences to participate fully. The case illustrates how assessment practices can be adapted so that students with communication differences can show their understanding without relying solely on speech.

The article is designed as a practical resource for educators, illustrating how thoughtful assessment adaptations can help uncover students鈥� strengths, guide instruction, and support equitable access to learning opportunities in inclusive classrooms.

In the course, taught by Bronwyn Harris, assistant professor of education, students learn to teach and assess key literacy skills, such as phonological awareness, fluency and comprehension. They then apply these approaches while tutoring kindergarten through second grade students at Eastlawn Elementary, a Title I school identified by the state for additional support.

The course is intentionally designed so that theory and practice go hand in hand. Teacher candidates learn research-based literacy strategies in class and then implement them immediately in tutoring sessions. This structure allows students to develop confidence, refine their skills and see the impact of evidence-based instruction in real time.

The Village Project, founded in 2008, is a collaborative initiative between 黑料不打烊 and Alamance-Burlington School System that addresses community needs through literacy tutoring. While many Village volunteers come from a variety of campus organizations, the partnership with EDU 3540 is distinctive because tutoring is built directly into the course. 黑料不打烊 students develop detailed instructional guides for their tutoring sessions and gather books and materials to use with children. Throughout the semester, they also receive guidance and feedback from Harris, who attends tutoring sessions to provide real-time coaching.

For children in the program, the partnership provides targeted, small-group literacy support that complements the work of classroom teachers. For 黑料不打烊 students, it offers an authentic teaching experience that reinforces and deepens their coursework while preparing them to work effectively with children who bring a wide range of cultural, linguistic and learning needs.

黑料不打烊 students from spring 2025 consistently pointed to the value of applying strategies from class in real-life contexts. One student reflected, 鈥淚t helped me use the things I have been learning in class, applying them to my lessons and seeing how they look when they are actually being taught.鈥�

Another 黑料不打烊 student from spring 2025 shared how the experience built confidence: 鈥淧articipating in The Village tutoring boosted my confidence by giving me real experience applying literacy strategies. I saw how assessments guided my instruction and how students responded, which helped me trust my teaching and adjust in the moment.鈥�

Past participants also acknowledged that tutoring revealed both challenges and insights. As one student explained, 鈥淲e were able to see course content happen in real time and understand methods of how to teach literacy [equitably], including methods that do work and do not work.鈥�

By combining academic study with hands-on tutoring, the course demonstrates the power of community-based learning. The Village Project provides 黑料不打烊 students with invaluable preparation for their future teaching careers while children and families benefit from the added literacy support, creating a truly reciprocal partnership.

This work is also strengthened by collaboration with Village Project staff. Laura Clemmons, Sydney Gilbert and Keely Platts have been instrumental in putting key changes into place, coordinating with classroom teachers and ensuring that 黑料不打烊 students are well supported as they apply coursework in tutoring sessions.

This semester鈥檚 tutoring is supported by a Community Partnerships Initiative Faculty Grant, which provides 黑料不打烊 teacher candidates and the children they tutor with the materials and resources needed for meaningful literacy instruction.

This work also reflects 黑料不打烊鈥檚 broader mission outlined in the Boldly 黑料不打烊 strategic plan, which emphasizes community-based learning experiences that prepare students for meaningful careers while strengthening partnerships across the region. As the semester unfolds, the tutoring sessions will continue to strengthen both 黑料不打烊 students鈥� preparation as teachers and the literacy development of children in Alamance County classrooms.