Lisa M. O’Brien
Part-Time Instructor
Dr. Lisa O’Brien is a part-time instructor at Boston University. Her research focuses on ways to provide all children access to opportunities that ameliorate early and later opportunity and knowledge gaps and support families and teachers (i.e., preservice and inservice) in understanding and implementing these practices. These efforts include investigation of family literacy program effects, transformative technology integration practices, and relations between text type, knowledge, and comprehension.
Previously, Dr. O’Brien worked as a head preschool teacher serving children from low- to middle-income families. She has also worked as an elementary grade classroom teacher, supported special education students in middle and high school, and served as a reading specialist/literacy leader in a K-4 school.
Education
EdD, Language and Literacy, Boston University
MEd, Reading Education, University of New Hampshire
BA, Elementary Education and Psychology, Rowan University
Courses
SED LR501 Teaching of Reading
SED LR 503 Reading and Writing Assessment
SED LR551 Reading Development, Assessment, and Instruction in the Elementary School
SED LS734 The Roles and Responsibilities of the Literacy Specialist: Leadership, Coaching, Teaching (Prepracticum)
Research
Selected Publications
Paratore, J. R., O’Brien, L. M., Jiménez L., Salinas, A., & Ly, C. (Under Review) Engaging preservice teachers in integrated study and use of educational media and technology in teaching of reading. Submitted to Teaching and Teacher Education, August 6, 2015)
O’Brien., L. M. (Under Review). Effects of combining narrative and expository text on young children’s conceptual knowledge and expository text comprehension. Submitted to TheElementary School Journal, March 26, 2015.
O’Brien, L. M. & Leighton, C. M. (In Press). Exploring Use of Increasingly Complex Text to Enhance ELLs’ Knowledge and Academic Language. Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice.
O’Brien, L., Paratore, J.R., Leighton, C., Cassano, C., Krol-Sinclair, B., Green, J. (2014). Examining Differential Effects of a Family Literacy Program on Language and Literacy Growth of English Language Learners with Varying Vocabularies. Journal of Literacy Research, 46(3), 383-415.
Paratore, J. R., Edwards, P. A., O’Brien, L.M. (2014). Helping parents help children achieve the CCSS: Reading out in different ways. In L. M. Morrow & L. B. Gambrell (Eds.) Best practices in literacy instruction, 5th edition. New York: Guilford Press.
O’Brien, L. M. (2009). Book review: To understand: New horizons in reading comprehension. Education Review: A Journal of Book Reviews: edrev.asu.edu.
Selected Presentations
O’Brien, L. M., Leighton, C. M., Paratore, J. R., & Ford-Connors, E. (Forthcoming). Exploring relations between classroom talk and young ELLs’ disciplinary literacy. Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Carlsbad, CA.
Paratore, J. R., O’Brien, L. M., Jiménez L., Salinas, A., & Ly, C. (Forthcoming). Preservice teachers’ use of educational media and teaching reading: A design-based study. Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Carlsbad, CA.
O’Brien, L. M. & Leighton, C. M. (July, 2015). Disciplinary literacy: Talk, text, and tasks, that motivate and engage English language learners in learning about complex science concepts. Poster to be presented at the International Literacy Association Annual Conference. St. Lois, MO.
Paratore, J. R. & O’Brien, L. M. (2015). Books, e-books, apps, interactive whiteboards and more! How can a transmedia approach to instruction support access to complex curricula?Preconference institute presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
O’Brien, L. M. (2015). Effects of genre on first graders’ vocabulary, conceptual knowledge, and comprehension. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
O’Brien, L. M. & Leighton, C. M. (April 2015). Text, talk, and tasks that facilitate ELLs’ engagement with complex text. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Reading Association. Quincy, MA.
O’Brien, L. M. & Leighton, C. M. (December 2014). Exploring use of increasingly complex text to enhance ELLs’ Knowledge and Expository Text Comprehension. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Marco Island, FL.
OBrien, L. M., Paratore, J. R., & Jiménez, L. (December 2014). Developing preservice teachers’ attitudes, awareness, understanding, and abilities related to integration of technology into their instructional practice. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Marco Island, FL.
Paratore, J. R., O’Brien, L. M., Krol-Sinclair, B. (December 2014). Relationship between using educational media and technology in a family literacy program and parents’ understanding of ways to support their children’s academic learning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Marco Island, FL.
O’Brien, L. M. & Leighton, C. M. (2014). Facilitating young ELL’s access to complex text through a multi-faceted read-aloud intervention. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Reading Association, New Orleans, LA.
O’Brien, L. M. (2013). Examining the effects of combining narrative and expository text on children’s conceptual knowledge and expository text comprehension. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Dallas, TX.
O’Brien, L. M., Leighton, C. M., & Shveda, M. (2013). Raising the bar: Mediating engagement with and understanding of complex informational text for children acquiring English. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the New England Reading Association, Portland, ME.
Johnson, P., Crawford, J., Paratore, J. R., & O’Brien, L. M. (2013). Teaching games well: Effective use of online games to enhance children’s early mathematics and literacy development in preschool Settings. Presented at the 2013 National Association of Education for Young Children’s Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, San Francisco, CA.
Paratore, J. R., O’Brien, L., & Dwyer, J. (2013). Extending the reach of the classroom teacher: Joining effective games, effective technology, and effective teaching to develop early literacy, language and mathematics skills. Preconference institute presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Research Association, San Antonio, TX.
Paratore, J. R., O’Brien, L. M., Leighton, C. M., Katz, R., Baughan, J., & Krol-Sinclair, B. (2012). Explaining the effects of a family literacy program on children’s language and literacy performance. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, San Diego, CA.
O’Brien, L.M., Paratore, J. R., Cassano, C., Leighton, C., Krol-Sinclair, B., & Greif Green, J. (2012). Family literacy and differential Effects: The role of vocabulary knowledge. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Paratore, J. R., O’Brien, L. M., Cassano, C. M., Leighton, C, & Krol-Sinclair, B., Greif Green, J. (2011). A quasi-experimental study of effects of participation in a family literacy program on preschool to grade two children’s vocabulary and early literacy knowledge. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
O’Brien, L. M. & Maniglia, M. (2009). Bridging vocabulary and comprehension: Instructional strategies to support understanding nonfiction. Presented at the Literacy for All Conference, Providence, RI.
Paratore, J.R., Krol-Sinclair, B., Cassano, C., Leighton, C., O’Brien, L., Smock, J., Schick, A., & Tobar, C. (2008). Effects of a family literacy intervention on the vocabulary and literacy growth of children in ore-kindergarten to grade two. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference, Orlando, FL.