Faculty Biography | Juliet L. Halladay

Dr. Halladay is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education, specializing in elementary literacy teaching and learning. Her recent research has focused on mixed methods investigations of reader-text interactions, particularly related to text difficulty, reading comprehension, and motivation to read. She is also interested in measurement of text readability and assessment of oral reading fluency and reading comprehension. Her teaching interests involve language development and literacy instruction for elementary school teachers and preservice teachers. She has contributed to the edited books Shaping Literacy Achievement: Research we Have, Research we Need and Finding the Right Texts: What Works for Beginning and Struggling Readers, as well as to the recent 4th edition of the Handbook of School Psychology.

• Expertise
• Scholarship
• Courses
• Education
• Associations

Areas of Expertise:

Assessment and Evaluation; Curriculum and Instruction; English Language Learners; Learning and Cognition; Literacy and Numeracy; Reading Education and Literacy; Response to Intervention (RTI); Teacher Education

Scholarship

Selected Publications

• Duke, N.K., Halladay, J.L., & Roberts, K.L. (in press). Reading informational text. In L.M. Morrow, T. Shanahan, & K.K. Wixson (Eds.), Teaching with the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts: What educators need to know (Book 1: Grades PreK-2). New York: Guilford Press.  [abstract]
  Abstract: This chapter addresses the Common Core State Standards for reading informational text, with a focus on implications for preK-2 classrooms. It discusses each relevant standard and suggests some research-based practices that teachers can use to support their students in meeting the standards.
• Halladay, J.L., & Duke, N.K. (in press). Informational text and the Common Core State Standards. In S.B. Neuman, L.B. Gambrell (Eds.), & C. Massey (Assoc. Ed.), Reading instruction in the age of Common Core Standards. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.  [abstract]
  Abstract: The development and widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have drawn increased attention to the type of texts used in K-12 classrooms. The CCSS call for opportunities for students to engage with a wide range of complex informational as well as literary texts. In this chapter, we describe the CCSS as they relate to the use of informational texts for classroom instruction. In doing so, we make connections between the CCSS recommendations and research on informational text, and we offer some practical suggestions for implementing the CCSS in K-12 classrooms.
• Halladay, J.L. (2012). Revisiting key assumptions of the reading level framework. The Reading Teacher, 66(1), 53-62.  [abstract]
  Abstract: Since Emmett Betts first devised a framework of independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels in the 1940s, these levels have played a large role in classroom assessment and instruction. It is important for teachers to have a deep understanding of the research that supports the reading level framework. This paper identifies four key assumptions upon which the reading levels are based: 1) decoding accuracy and reading comprehension are closely linked; 2) independent reading requires nearly perfect oral reading accuracy; 3) oral reading performance is a reasonable proxy for silent reading behaviors; and 4) certain levels of decoding and comprehension difficulty cause frustration. For each of these assumptions, the paper summarizes the relevant research base and discusses implications for classroom practice.
• Halladay, J.L., & Neumann, M.D. (2012). Connecting reading and mathematical strategies. The Reading Teacher, 65(7), 471-477.  [abstract]
  Abstract: There have been many reform measures advocated in elementary education over the last several decades. These reforms have led to teachers participating in professional development experiences across the content areas in order to enhance teaching and learning. This article highlights some of the similarities between reading comprehension and mathematical problem-solving strategies. It provides examples of ways that teachers can use a common language to promote learning across subject areas and emphasizes the importance of having teachers understand pedagogical connections between reading and mathematics.
• Halladay, J.L. (2011). Fostering engagement and achievement through independent reading. Primer, 40(1), 12-13.  [abstract]
  Abstract: This article offers a set of principles related to independent reading in elementary classrooms. For each of the principles, it provides suggestions for classroom teachers.

Selected Presentations

• Halladay, J. L. (2012, November). "Books I can actually read:" Kindergarteners' reading choices and perspectives on learning to read. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association, San Diego, CA.
• Halladay, J. L. (2012, September). Dual scaffolds: Supporting reading and motivation for complex texts. Presentation at the annual conference of the New England Reading Association, Nashua, NH.
• Halladay, J.L. (2012, July). Making monsters into meatballs: Differential impacts of reading error types on text meaning and reading comprehension. Interactive paper presentation to be presented at the annual conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Montreal, PQ.
• Duke, N.K., Keene, E., Phelan, K., Allen, P., Halladay, J.L., Daniels, H., Kuhn, M., Stahl, K.A., & Martin, N.M. (2011, May). Professional developers and researchers share insights and advice about fluency, comprehension, motivation, and self-selected reading, research, and professional development. Symposium presented at the annual convention of the International Reading Association, orlando, Fl.
• Halladay, J.L. (2011, April). Matching readers with texts: Lessons from research and practice. Presentation at the Spring 2011 Conference of the Vermont Council on Reading, Stowe, VT.

Courses Taught in the Last 5 Years

Critical Issues in Language and Literacy; Lab Experience in Literacy; Language Arts and Literacy Skills

Education

• Ph.D. in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy from Michigan State University
• M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Washington University in St. Louis
• B.A. in English and Preprofessional Sciences from University of Notre Dame

Professional Associations

• American Educational Research Association (AERA), International Reading Association (IRA), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), National Reading Conference, New England Reading Association (NERA), Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Vermont Council on Reading (VCR)