Degrees and Certifications

• B.S., Elementary Education and Spanish, Butler University
• M.S., Teaching English as a Second Language, Indiana University
• Ph.D., Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy (Literacy Specialization), Michigan State University

Responsibilities

Within the Division of Teacher Education, administrative duties, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, advising graduate students, research, serving on various committees

Academic Interests

Biography

 A former kindergarten teacher, Kathryn L. Roberts earned her doctoral degree in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy, with a specialization in Literacy, from Michigan State University. Currently, Dr. Roberts is a Professor of Reading, Language, and Literature in the College of Education at Wayne State University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focused on emergent and content-area literacy, as well as theoretical foundations of literacy in the departments of Reading, Language and Literature; Early Childhood Education; and Bilingual-Bicultural Education.

Dr. Roberts’ primary research interests include content-area literacy, graphical comprehension, and family literacy. She has authored several publications on literacy education and speaks widely for both practitioner and researcher audiences about various aspects of literacy, such as family involvement, cross-curricular approaches to instruction, and literacy in early childhood contexts.

Area of Expertise

Early Literacy
Comprehension
Informational Literacy
Family Literacy
Visual Literacy

Research Interests

• Early Literacy
• Comprehension
• Informational Literacy
• Family Literacy
• Visual Literacy

Awards

• 2015: Article of the Year, The Geography Teacher
• 2018-2019: University Recognition for Program Assessment, Ph.D. in Educational Studies
• 2019: Faculty Service Award, Wayne State University
• 2020: Kathleen Reilly Koory Faculty Development Award 
• 2022: Distinguished Alumni Award, Butler University

Grants

• A Unified Approach to Literacy Instruction (Co-PI)
  2015 - 2016, 2017-2018
  In this Improving Teacher Quality Grant, we engaged in 180+ hours of professional development with grade K-5 teachers. We will be studied the effects of a contextually embedded intervention over the course of one year.
• The SEED Pathway Project. (Co-PI; PI, Dr. Christina DeNicolo)
  2022-2027
  National Professional Development Grant submitted to the U.S. Department of Education; $2,397,000). This study examines the impact of a program designed to certify 110 bilingual and ESL teachers and improve outcomes for ELs.

   

   

Community Engagement Activities

Presentations

•  Inquiring minds: Pre-service teachers reading, writing, and researching history through multi-genre projects
  Brugar, K. A., *Roberts, K. L.* 12 2016 annual meeting of the College and University Faculty Association
• Developing pedagogical content knowledge in content-area literacy
  *Roberts, K. L.*, Brugar, K. A. 12 2016 annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association
• When textbooks don’t have GPS: Award acceptance presentation
  Roberts, K. L., Brugar, K. A. 8 2015 annual meeting of the National Council for Geographic Education
• A hierarchy of teacher needs: Professional development practice informing theory
  Roberts, K. L., Brugar, K. A. 4 2015 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association
• Reimagining teacher education. Forming communities of practice across content areas and contexts for learning
  Brugar, K. A., *Roberts, K.L.* 4 2015 the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association
• Practicing what we preach: Relationships between third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers’ beliefs and practices related to genre
  Roberts, K. L., Norman, R. R. 12 2015 annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association
• Flourish followed by failure: Professional development as situated practice
  Roberts, K. L., Brugar, K. A. 12 2014 annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association
• Seeing is believing: Social studies and visual literacy
  Brugar, K. A., *Roberts, K.L.* 11 2014 annual meeting of the College and University Faculty Association
• Engaging families in early literacy development
  Roberts, K. L. 11 2014 Family & Community Engagement Symposium
• Third graders’ interpretations of graphical devices in content-area texts: In their own words
  Roberts, K. L., Norman, R. R. 12 2013 annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association
• Literacy assessment in k-2: Reaching past the low-hanging fruit
  *Roberts, K. L.* 2013 Michigan School Testing Conference, Ann Arbor, MI
• Maps, timelines, and tables: Reading graphics in the social studies
  Brugar, K., *Roberts, K. L.*, and McGuire, D 10 2013 Michigan Council for Social Studies, Lansing, MI
• Fantastic family literacy workshops: Please do try this at home!
  *Roberts, K. L. * 11 2013 National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, D.C.
• The relationship between graphical device comprehension and overall text comprehension for third-grade children
  *Roberts, K. L.* & Norman, R. R. 12 2012 Literacy Research Association, San Diego, CA.
• Common Core State Standards on digital media, text, and sources in action: Elementary
  Roberts, K. L. 3 2011 Michigan Reading Association Research Pre-Conference
• Common Core State Standards on writing in action: Elementary
  Roberts, K. L. 3 2011 Michigan Reading Association Research Pre-Conference
• Getting the bigger picture: Children's utilization of graphics in text
  Norman, R. R., & *Roberts, K. L.* 12 2010 Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association
• Examining the efficacy of comprehension strategy instruction during parent-child lap reading
  Roberts, K. L. 12 2011 Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association
• Young children's understanding of specific graphical devices in informational text
  Duke, N. K., *Roberts, K. L.,* Norman, R. N. 5 2011 Annual Meeting of the International Reading Association

Featured publications

Partnering for success: Text and peer engagement during paired reading

Roberts, K. L., Arya, P., Plond, Kathleen K. (2024). Partnering for success: Text and peer engagement during paired reading. Reading Teacher, 77(4), 453-461.

Keywords

Partner reading
Peer engagement

This article describes partner reading in a third-grade classroom. Though challenging, partner reading provides opportunities for students to engage with texts and each other in ways that support young readers.

Preparing the expert novice: Core practices for implementing blueprints for inquiry design

Brugar, K. A., Roberts, K. L., Allen, A., Ratcliff, K., & Capps, C. (2023). Preparing the expert novice: Core practices for implementing blueprints for inquiry design. Journal of Teacher Education, 74(5), 495-507.

Keywords

Inquiry
Social Studies
Pre-Service teachers

In this study we share the understandings and the reflections of pre-service teachers as they engage in focus group interviews about inquiry and Inquiry Design Model blueprints. These pre-service teachers first discussed their understanding of inquiry which was rooted in their university coursework. They then described their efficacy for implementing inquiry, generally, and the blueprint, specifically, in their current field placements and future classrooms. This envisioned implementation often involved adaptations of the blueprints. In an effort to understand and reconsider how pre-service teachers experience and learn about inquiry, this study can inform teacher educators to better support pre-service teachers to enact socially-conscious and developmentally-appropriate elementary social studies inquiry in their present and future classrooms.

Using verbal protocol to explore fourth graders construction of meaning from social studies texts

Roberts, K. L., & Brugar, K. A. (2021, advanced online publication). Using verbal protocol to explore fourth graders construction of meaning from social studies texts. Journal of Social Studies Research.

Keywords

Reading comprehension
Social Studies
Verbal protocol

Verbal protocol methodology is used to examine how fourth-grade students construct meaning as they read and respond to two informational social studies texts. Results indicate most students are active readers, often engaging in higher-level comprehension strategies and critical thinking as they read independently. However, critical thinking and comprehension processes are not often captured in their responses to end-of-reading questions (ERQ), which as a result have limited scope and utility for guiding social studies instruction. Results also indicate that when students change their patterns of strategy use for reading and responding to text in response to a change in text, they are more successful on the ERQ than when their strategy use remains 

Real classrooms, real teachers: The C3 inquiry in practice

Brugar, K. A., & Roberts, K. L. (Eds.). (2021). Real classrooms, real teachers: The C3 inquiry in practice. Information Age Publishing.

Keywords

Inquiry
Social studies
Elementary education

As social studies standards shift to place a higher emphasis on critical thinking, inquiry, interaction, and expression, many teachers are scrambling to figure out how to appropriately shift their instruction accordingly. This book provides examples and ideas for working with elementary and middle school students to building the social studies skills and knowledge in order to become independent learners and thinkers. Teaching these skills helps to support students in ways which are important to them, and to society at large.

Real Classrooms, Real Teachers: The C3 Inquiry in Practice is aimed at in-service and pre-service teachers, grades 3-8. This text includes six sections: an introduction, one section for each of the four dimensions of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards (National Council for the Social Studies, 2013), and a conclusion. Each chapter begins with a vignette based on a real-life social studies lesson authored by a practicing teacher or researcher. This is followed by a sample lesson plan associated with the vignette and suggestions for appropriate texts and supporting materials, as well as suggestions for modifications.

Integrative and illustrative: Multimodal acquisition, comprehension, and composition

 Roberts, K. L., Meyer, C. K., Brugar, K. A., & Jimenez, L. J. (2020). Integrative and illustrative: Multimodal acquisition, comprehension, and composition. The Middle School Journal, 51, 9-17.

Keywords

Comprehension
English language arts
graphic novels
Interdisciplinary
Social Studies

In this study, we examine evidence of transfer from reading instruction to students’ learning of language arts and historical content as demonstrated by their independent writing and growth in background knowledge. We taught a unit in a sixth-grade language arts classroom in which students learned about design elements of graphic novels (e.g., line, color) and typical features (e.g., gutter, panel) to bolster reading comprehension, using a historically accurate graphic novel about the American Revolution as an anchor text. We asked, (a) When students are taught about elements of graphic novels during content-area reading instruction, in what ways are they able to demonstrate understanding of those elements in independent compositions? (b) Does this type of instruction also build historical content knowledge? Results indicate that students were able to simultaneously learn about the graphic novel form and the content of the focal text.

Publications

• Brugar, K. A., & Roberts, K. L. (Eds.). (2021). Real classrooms, real teachers: The C3 inquiry in practice. Information Age Publishing. 
• Roberts, K. L., & Rochester, S. E. (2021, online advanced publication). Learning through everyday activities: Improving preschool language and literacy outcomes through family workshops. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687984211005081
• Roberts, K. L., Meyer, C. K., Brugar, K. A., & Jimenez, L. J. (2020). Integrative and illustrative: Multimodal acquisition, comprehension, and composition. The Middle School Journal, 51, 9-17.
• Hodges, T., Wright, K. L., Roberts, K. L., Norman, R. R., & Coleman, J. (2019). Equity in access?: The number of books available in grade 1, 3, and 5 classroom libraries. Learning Environments Research, 22(3), 427-441.
• Brugar, K. A., & Roberts, K. L. (2018). Elementary students’ challenges with informational texts: Reading the words and the world. Journal of Social Studies Research. 42, 49-59
• Brugar, K. A., Roberts, K. L., Jimenez, L. M., & Meyer, C. K. (2018). More than mere motivation: Learning specific content through multimodal narratives. Literacy Research and Instruction, 57, 183-208.
• Roberts, K. L., & Brugar, K. A. (2017). The view from here: Emergence of graphical literacy. Reading Psychology, 38, 733-777.
• Jimenez, L. M., Roberts, K. L., Brugar, K. B., Meyer, C. K., & Waito, K. (2017) Moving our can(n)ons: Toward and appreciation of multimodal texts in the classroom. Reading Teacher, 71, 363-368
• Brugar, K. A., & Roberts, K. L. (2017). Seeing is believing: Promoting visual literacy in elementary social studies. Journal of Teacher Education. 68, 262-279.
• Roberts, K. L., & Brugar, K. A. (2017). The three r’s: Reading, (w)riting, and researching through multi-genre projects. Social Studies Research and Practice, 12, 42-55
• Stephens, G. E., & Roberts, K. L. (2017). Facilitating collaboration in online groups. Journal of Educators Online, 14(1). Retrieved from https://www.thejeo.com/archive/2017_14_1/stephens_roberts
• West, J. M., & Roberts, K. L. (2016). Caught up in curiosity: Genius hour in the kindergarten classroom. Reading Teacher, 70, 227-232.
• Brugar, K. A., & Roberts, K. L. (2015). Let’s table it: Using tables to reflect on informational reading. Oregon Journal for the Social Studies, 3, 31-42
• Roberts, K. L., & Rochester, S. (2015). Reading relationships: The power of parents. ASCD Express, 10(24), n.p. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascdexpress/vol10/1024roberts.aspx.
• Roberts, K. L., & Norman, R. R. (2015). Third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students’ perceptions of practices of strong readers of informational text. Journal of the New England Reading Association, 50(2), 14-25.
• Norman, R. R., & Roberts, K. L. (2015). Getting the bigger picture: Children’s utilization of graphics and text. Journal of Visual Literacy, 34, 35-55.
• Roberts, K. L., Norman R. R., & Cocco, J. (2015). Relationship between graphical device comprehension and overall text comprehension for third-grade children. Reading Psychology, 36, 389-420.
• Roberts, K. L., & Rochester, S. E. (2014/2015, Winter). Bringing them in and bringing them back: Strategies for improving family participation. Colorado Reading Journal, 54-59.
• Roberts, K. L., Brugar, K., & Norman, R. R. (2014/2015). Evaluating texts for graphical literacy instruction: The graphic rating tool. Reading Teacher, 68, 312-318.
• Roberts, K. L. & Norman, R. R. (2014). Practicing what we preach: Relationships between third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers’ beliefs and practices related to genre. Michigan Reading Journal, 47, 6-13.
• Roberts, K. L. & Brugar, K. (2014). Navigating maps to support comprehension: When textbooks don’t have GPS. Geography Teacher, 11, 149-163
  **Winner of the National Council for Geographic Education’s Best Content Article for 2015 award.
• Brugar, K. & Roberts, K. L. (2014). Timelines: An opportunity for meeting standards through textbook reading. The Social Studies. 105, 230-236.
• Grueber, D. & Roberts, K. L. (2013). Saturn, science, and cross-curricular literacy standards. Science Scope. 37(3), 26-32
• Duke, N. K., Norman, R. R., Roberts, K. L., Martin, N. M., Knight, J. A., Morsink, P. M., & Calkins, S. L. (2013). Beyond concepts of print: Development of concepts of graphics in text, pre-k to grade 3. Research in the Teaching of English, 48(2), 175-203.
• Norman, R. R. & Roberts, K. L. (2013). Common Core State Standards on visual literacy: Literacy instruction in the content areas. Journal of the Connecticut Reading Association, 1(2), 38-44.
• Norman, R. R. & Roberts, K. L. (2013). Not just pretty pictures. Educational Leadership, 71(3), 62-66.
• Roberts, K. L. (2013). Comprehension Strategy Instruction during parent-child shared reading: An Intervention Study. Literacy Research and Instruction. 52(2), 106-129. 
• Roberts, K. L., Norman, R. R., Morsink, P., Duke, N. K., Martin, N. M., & Knight, J. A. (2013). Diagrams, timelines, and tables—Oh, my! Twelve strategies for developing children’s concepts of graphics and comprehension of graphical devices in informational text. Reading Teacher, 67, 12-23.
• Roberts, K. L., Norman, R. R., & Shedd, M. K. (2012). The Common Core State Standards on technology: A *SHIFT* in focus for states. Journal of the New England Reading Association, 48(1), 56-65
• Roberts, K. L. (2012). The Common Core State Standards on reading and writing informational text in the primary grades: What are they, and what are the linguistic demands? Seminars in Speech and Language, 33, 146-159. [H index= 36, Quartile 2]

Courses taught by Kathryn L. Roberts

Fall Term 2024 (future)

• ELE6215 - Literacy Methods I (3-6)

Recent university news spotlights

• Tamara Hew-Butler, associate professor of Exercise and Sport Science in the College of Education, quoted in Real Simple, “8 resolutions you can actually stick to for a happier, healthier New Year”
• Wayne State University College of Education awarded grant to evaluate effectiveness of 313Reads literacy initiatives and support networks

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