{"id":21826,"date":"2026-07-07T08:31:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T12:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/?p=21826"},"modified":"2026-07-07T10:45:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T14:45:32","slug":"elizabethtown-college-scarp-series-secondary-teachers-perceptions-of-structured-literary-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/2026\/07\/07\/elizabethtown-college-scarp-series-secondary-teachers-perceptions-of-structured-literary-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Elizabethtown College SCARP Series: Secondary Teachers\u2019 Perceptions of Structured Literary Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elizabethtown College Education major Sacha Prasad \u201927 is conducting research on structured literary practices to determine what modifications can be made to better support students and secondary educators as part of Etown\u2019s Summer Creative Arts and Research Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Working with her faculty mentor, Katie Caprino, Associate Professor of Education, PK-12 New Literacies, Prasad is comparing primary research on secondary educators\u2019 perceptions of structured literacy practices and instructional textbooks, to identify ways in which secondary educators can be better supported to assist students with reading challenges.<\/p>\n

Title of Research
\n<\/strong>Secondary Teachers\u2019 Perceptions of Structured Literary Practices<\/p>\n

Student Researcher
\n<\/strong>Sacha Prasad \u201927 (Education)<\/p>\n

Faculty Mentor
\n<\/strong>Katie Caprino, Associate Professor of Education, PK-12 New Literacies<\/p>\n

\"\"What are you researching?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prasad: <\/strong>The goal of my project is to investigate how structured literacy practices can be adapted for secondary classrooms to support students with reading challenges. My research has two main components. First, I will conduct a literature review where I analyze primary sources to answer questions on how secondary teachers perceive secondary literacy practices. I will analyze the ways in which they are prepared to teach reading and the ways in which they need more support. After this, I will be doing a document analysis of some teacher textbooks to examine which areas of structured literacy practices are featured in the professional books. I will analyze teacher textbooks to identify which structured literacy practices are emphasized and which are missing, comparing these findings to areas teachers say they need more support.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why did you choose this topic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prasad: <\/strong>I chose this topic because during the final years of elementary school, students transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This means that in a way, all secondary teachers become teachers of reading. Early childhood and middle grades candidates are required to learn about structured literacy practices, which are designed to support all readers. Currently, there are no Pennsylvania-mandated requirements for secondary teachers to learn about structured literacy practices \u2013 even though many of these teachers encounter students who have reading challenges across multiple areas. I became curious about what could be done for both teachers and students to help bridge this gap.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is the most interesting aspect of this research?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prasad: <\/strong>The most interesting part of my research so far has been learning more about the concept of disciplinary literacy. Disciplinary literacy is the practice of teaching students to read, write, think, and communicate like experts in specific academic subjects. I think that an important part of literacy instruction in secondary education is making sure that students engage with content-specific texts in an authentic manner. It is interesting to learn about what sort of teaching strategies are the most effective in implementing disciplinary literacy and what barriers teachers encounter when trying to implement these practices in real classrooms.<\/p>\n

What are you hoping to accomplish through this research project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prasad: <\/strong>The main thing I am hoping to accomplish through this project is to learn how to support my students better. My goal as a teacher is to do my part in helping every student develop the tools and skills they need to become adults who are inquisitive about the world around them and partake in community. I believe that literacy is foundational to that growth, and I want to make sure that my instructional practices can meet the needs of all learners. I am also considering ways to share what I learn from this project, through some type of future professional development. I hope that my findings can contribute to the broader conversation about improving literacy instruction in secondary schools.<\/p>\n

Talk about working with your mentor. How have they helped you throughout this experience?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prasad:<\/strong> Through this process, I have realized that having a supportive mentor is one of the most valuable aspects of the SCARP experience, especially because I wish to do research throughout my professional career. I always look forward to my meetings with Dr. Caprino because I come in with many questions, ideas, and wonderings, and she creates a space where those curiosities are welcomed and encouraged. She understands both my personal and professional goals and consistently pushes my thinking in ways that help me grow as a researcher and as an educator. Her guidance has helped me develop confidence, refine my ideas, and given me the support I need to embody the role of a lifelong learner. I hope to continue learning with her as my time in SCARP progresses.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hear from the faculty mentor: Katie Caprino<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Sacha is incredibly curious, which I believe is one of the most important qualities of a strong researcher. She genuinely wants to learn more and approaches the process with enthusiasm and joy. She asks thoughtful questions and often teaches me new things through her discoveries. Sacha is an exceptionally hard worker, and I sometimes have to remind her to take a break and recharge so she can return to her work refreshed. I continue to be impressed by her dedication to learning and her commitment to sharing that knowledge with fellow educators. Her future students and colleagues will undoubtedly benefit from the passion and energy she brings to helping secondary students develop literacy skills across all content areas.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Elizabethtown College Education major Sacha Prasad \u201927 is conducting research on structured literary practices to determine what modifications can be made to better support students and secondary educators as part of Etown\u2019s Summer Creative Arts and Research Program. Working with her faculty mentor, Katie Caprino, Associate Professor of Education, PK-12 New Literacies, Prasad is comparing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158,"featured_media":21828,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1338,775],"tags":[63,197,1350,329,195],"class_list":["post-21826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics-and-research","category-campus","tag-education","tag-elizabethtown-college","tag-etown","tag-research","tag-scarp","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/158"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21826"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21964,"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21826\/revisions\/21964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.etown.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}