Musical Group Participation And Reading Fluency: Is There A Connection?, Kimberly Breamer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if there is a connection between reading fluency and sight-reading music in a music performance group. Students were given a sight-reading test during their first and second years in band. They also took the Minnesota Comprehension Assessment test in reading during their 5^th and 6^th grade years. Data collection was obtained using the test scores from students who participated in a musical group (band, choir, orchestra) and students who did not participate in a musical group. Findings indicated that students who participate in a musical group (band, choir, orchestra) …

Influence Of Phonics Instruction On Reading Fluency And Accuracy, Shelby Bolkema

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research study investigated the impact that an explicit phonics curriculum had on second grade readers. Blast Phonics was implemented in first grade during the 2018-2019 school year. Thus, data from 2018-2019 second graders provided baseline data from students who did not receive Blast Phonics. Data from 2019-2020 second graders provided data from students who did receive Blast Phonics. The FAST CBM Reading assessment provides data on fluency (WPM) and accuracy (%). The Press Decoding Inventory provided data on accuracy of targeted phonics skills. Comparing data from the two groups pointed to the impact that the phonics instruction had …

Gamification Of The Classroom: Seeking To Improve Student Learning And Engagement, Kyle Iverson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find how gamification of the classroom would affect middle school students in a northern suburban school district in Minnesota. This work was designed to find if student proficiency would increase because of gamification and if students would become engaged with the classroom material due to its implementation. Using three classes taught in this new setting and two classes taught in the standard of past years, test scores were measured and studied to find significant changes along with a survey to the gamified classes about their experience regarding engagement. The study found that …

Growth Mindset In Physical Education, Kyle Herber

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Growth mindset continues to be a popular topic of conversation in the field of education. The purpose of this study was to observe and analyze the impact growth mindset intervention can have on student’s performance as well as their self-efficacy in physical education. This study took place in an elementary school in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, using four different 4^th grade classes. For this study, the author collected data in the form of pre- and post- Likert scale surveys as well as pre- and post- presidential fitness tests. Classes were randomly selected to receive growth mindset intervention or …

The Impact Of Physical Activity Breaks In The Classroom, Ryan Iverson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the relationship between physical activity breaks and their impact on student achievement and behavior. The participants included 30, eleven and twelve-year-old students, who attended a public school in the north suburbs of MN. Students participated in 5-10-minute physical active breaks in health class during a 6-week trial period. Data was collected through the use of summative assessments, student surveys, and an observational behavior chart. The study found that implementing physical activity breaks in the classroom can have a positive impact on students’ academic achievement and behavior. The researcher recommends further …

Comparing The Use Of Book Clubs And Repeated Reading In Terms Of Gains In Fluency And Reading Attitudes In 5th Grade Struggling Readers, Erin Gaul

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This classroom action research project compares the impact of repeated reading fluency intervention and book clubs, using partner reading and listen while reading intervention strategies, to build fluency in Tier 2 5^th grade Response to Intervention (RTI) groups. The project also looks at the impact of these two reading fluency intervention strategies on the reading attitudes of 5^th grade students using McKenna and Kear’s Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) created in 1990. While scores varied drastically between individual students, the action research project shows that the repeated reading intervention led to greater gains in fluency as compared to …

Family/Caregiver Engagement In Early Intervention, Jessica Hawkins

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research has shown that the early years of child development and intervention that occurs during those years has a large impact on the architecture of the brain which creates a sturdy or fragile foundation for overall developmental and success later in a child’s life (Shonkoff & Bales, 2011). For children with or at risk for disabilities, early intervention programs were developed to assist with increasing a child’s success or closing the gap if one exists. For the purposes of this literature review, the early years and early childhood are referring to children ages birth to age 3. Early intervention services …

The Use Of Learning Centers In The Kindergarten Classroom, Debra J. Hamand

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review discusses the necessity of learning centers in the kindergarten curriculum. The review first looks at pioneers in the field of education and how they feel children learn best. Learning centers is defined and tells why it should be in the kindergarten classroom and the benefits it offers. The review will discuss the legislation of why some people feel that play-based learning should be taken away from the school system and schools should only focus on academics. Today with high stakes testing and meeting state standards there is no time for learning centers. There are many challenges that …

Preschool Students Learning From Play Based Learning And Small Group Instruction, Molly Nicholson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to use two different types or learning and see which one is more effective for preschool students. It seeks to answer this question: Do preschool students learn more effectively from small group instruction or from play-based learning? Preschool is where learning really begins, it is important to have a solid foundation for an educational career, this foundation is built in the preschool setting. Students learn in a variety of ways, hopefully this study helps determine the most effective way for the majority of the students to learn. Play-based learning is a relatively newer concept …

The Effects Of Early Technology Use On The Development Of Young Children, Kara E. Avis

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

With technology becoming a prevalent part of daily life, early childhood experts, teachers, and parents have concerns as to what is appropriate for young children to do and use. Research shows both benefits and potential risks associated with technology use. Benefits can include enhanced creativity and collaboration with peers and adults, literacy achievement gains, language and vocabulary development, and opportunities for independence. These benefits generally occur in purposeful situations with developmentally appropriate educational content alongside adult guidance and scaffolding. Risks include health factors, cognitive and behavioral challenges, displacement of traditional developmental activities, and fewer personal interactions. These risks are more …

The Impact Of Making Reading Heavenly Instruction On Fluency And Accuracy, Hannah Sefcik

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if using the systematic phonics program Making Reading Heavenly would have an impact on student fluency and accuracy in reading. For five weeks, the researcher introduced a new phonics lesson each day, where students learn and practice a new skill. With each new lesson, students continued to practice skills learned in previous lessons. Each Monday, the teacher-researcher assessed student fluency and accuracy using reading passages from a benchmark leveling kit. Analysis of the data shows that overall, the majority of students made progress between the pre-test and post-test assessments, increasing …

Trauma-Informed Schools: Impacts For Students And Applications For Educators, Megan Meister

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Students exposed to trauma face a range of negative outcomes from poor adult physical and mental health, behavioral and emotional problems, and difficulties performing in the classroom. Trauma-informed schools attempt to break that cycle by identifying students early, providing interventions to promote healing, and preventing future trauma from happening. In order to meet this goal, schools must make systematic changes and collaborate with parents and mental health agencies. Teachers make changes to their classroom practices and environment to ensure that students feel safe and connected. In this literature review, the negative impacts of trauma and history of trauma research are …

How Mindsets Impact Learning, Kari Mueller

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Students who believe that their abilities and intelligence can grow and change are able to shift their mindset (fixed vs growth). This literature review evaluates how mindsets impact both teaching and student learning. A teacher’s role in providing feedback and implementing strategies to help build a growth mindset classroom culture plays a significant part to this review. Many studies have taken place over the years that bring about some opposing viewpoints, but after significant review, most of the data from studies has indicated positive profound impacts on how mindsets impact learning. Future research suggests to continue studies on how teachers …

The Use Of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures In Music Education To Promote Rhythm Skills And Knowledge, Emily Labes

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures produced greater achievement in music education than those who did not have the opportunity to engage in Kagan structures. The participants included 114 fourth grade students attending a public school in southern Minnesota. The scores of pre and post-tests determined student growth and achievement for both the control and treatment groups. The specific music skill assessed was rhythm. Results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference on rhythm when assessed by a paper and pencil exam when Kagan Structures were used. Analysis of a performance …

The Implications Of Blended Learning In Today’S Classroom: A Look Into The History, Views, Impacts, And Research, Sarah Jones

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Blended learning has transformed the landscape of classrooms over the past few years, as technology has become more readily accessible. This review of literature aims to explore this transformation by looking into the history leading up to the regular use of technology in the classroom, as well as the theoretical frameworks that support the premise of blended learning. Several significant themes in the literature are discussed, next, in addition to some of the main oppositions to the implementation of blended learning. Legislation pertaining to blended learning and technology in education is briefly described, followed by a description of the impacts …

Increasing Students’ Levels Of Fluency By Reinforcing Sounds And Syllabic Recognition In Their First Language Of Spanish, Janelly Chacon Isaac

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This research studied the effects of an intervention, which the participants, received in their first language. It analyzed the effectiveness of having extensive knowledge of phonics in one’s first language in order to read fluently in one’s second language. It explored the student's ability to transfer their phonetic knowledge in their first language of Spanish when reading in English, their second language. The research examined the efficacy of didactic material in Spanish used during the research intervention. The goal of the intervention was to help English Language Learners transfer their phonetic knowledge from Spanish to English and as a result, …

The Impact Student Behavior Has On Learning, Ashton J. Kirkpatrick

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was conducted to determine if a child’s behavior can affect their learning, especially in the area of early literacy. Information from FAST Bridge and the documentation from the “Check In/Check Out” process was used to determine if certain students using this process struggled in the area of literacy. After analyzing the data, it was determined that this certain student that was followed did struggle in the area of literacy and showed signs of emotional and social concerns alongside their behaviors. After the “Check In/Check Out process was implemented, the student showed academic growth according to the …

Impacts Of Project-Based Learning On Student Engagement, Dale De Jong

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this paper is to share the results from an action research project that explored the impacts of Project-Based Learning (PBL) on in-class student engagement. This was done in a 10th grade world studies classroom that compared PBL to traditional instruction. The main patterns that emerged from this project showed that percentage of student engagement and types of higher order thinking increased when components of PBL were implemented in the classroom. This can be attributed to PBL’s learner-centered approach, where the students’ perspectives are continually taken into account and students are at the center of their learning process. …

Impacts Of Parental Involvement On Early Literacy Skills, Sara Harlan

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was conducted to identify a correlation in high literacy skills with parental involvement and support. Baseline data was gathered from kindergarten student's winter FAST screener scores. Parental involvement began by sending homework for my students to work on with an adult in their home. A spreadsheet was kept tracking which students returned their parent signature sheet weekly and which students did not. All students were progress monitored on letter sounds weekly. The spring FAST screener data was then used to gather ending data. Growth was compared from the winter to spring data with the amount of parental …

Movement And Action: Action-Based Learning In The Classroom, Jordan Nguyen

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this literature review is to explain what action-based learning is, how does action-based-learning fit within the classroom, and what are the effects it has on English Language learners and students who are placed in academic support programs in the classroom. The hope of this literature review is to gain more knowledge about what is action-based learning and to gain insight on how educators can effectively implement action-based learning within their classrooms. After analyzing the literature on this topic, the results of the analysis determined the effectiveness of action-based learning within the classroom on English Language Learners and …

The Effectiveness Of Student-Centered Technology Use During Early Elementary Small Group Math Instruction, Brenna Lind

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to determine whether students would show more growth when using paper and pencil activities or technology during small group instruction in mathematics, specifically on the skill of telling time. Data was collected from ten second-grade students over a five-week period. The two intervention groups involved in the study met for equal amounts of time and were given the same tests for data collection purposes. The test questions were randomized pictures of clocks that required students to tell time to the nearest five minutes. One intervention group practiced the skill of telling time …

Morning Meeting: An Examination Of Its Effect On Student Behavior And Peer Relationships, Allison Dooley

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects Morning Meeting has on student behavior and peer relationships. Data was collected on student behavior through observations in a first-grade classroom. Negative student behaviors decreased as a result of the implementation of Morning Meeting. Analysis of the data collected suggested the positive impacts Morning Meeting has on student behavior and peer relationships. Positive student behavior and peer relationships create a positive classroom community, increasing student performance. Therefore, Morning Meeting should be a consistent strategy in lower elementary classrooms.

Choice-Based Learning In The Art Room, Carrie J. Mathison

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review outlines the basis of the choice-based art education philosophy Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB). The review addresses the history of the philosophy and what it looks like in the classroom setting with a focus on the creativity, engagement, motivation and connections, and supporting student autonomy. The TAB philosophy and pedagogy is based on a three-part theoretical framework of what do artists do, the child is the artist, and the classroom is the child’s studio. TAB is compared and contrasted to traditional Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE). When TAB is implemented, the art classroom looks different and impacts the …

The Impact Of Play-Based Learning, Lauren Walther

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research study investigated if students can make appropriate academic growth in a play-based preschool classroom. This action research answered the question: can students make appropriate academic growth in a play-based classroom? Appropriate academic growth defined as, the amount of growth needed for each individual child to be progressing towards being at or above benchmark in certain areas by the end of the school year. The preschool students were engaging in a play-based learning classroom with learning experiences specifically planned out by the teacher based on the theme at the time or areas of development being assessed. This research …

Utilizing Ipad Applications To Increase Preschool Students’ Knowledge Of Rhyme, Trisha Whelan

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if utilizing iPad applications (apps) in a preschool classroom can increase students’ phonemic awareness skills, specifically knowledge of rhyme. Research completed by Hornsby and Wilson tell us that rhyme is a great opportunity for students to practice phonics, which in turn enhances literacy skills. Rhyme allows them to play with the sounds within words and helps them to understand the sounds that letters make. A classroom of ten preschool students were allowed to utilize ABCmouse (2005) and Montessori-Rhyme Time learning games for kids (2013) applications on iPads during free choice times for …

Effects Of Movement On Student Achievement, Nicole Davidson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review explores the effect that movement has on the achievement of elementary aged students. The research provided through scholarly articles, journals, and books, explains why there is a need for movement activities in the classroom and how physical activity effects the engagement and success of children in a positive way. This literature review examines the constructive impact that movement plays on the brain activity of young children in their early developmental stages of life. Studies also provide research that examine how the overall health of children can benefited by the amount of movement that their body receives daily. …

Increasing Engagement During Circle Time Using Technology, Amanda Williams

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

All preschool teachers dream of a way to make all students engaged during circle time. This may seem like an impossible task but this study finds that adding technology during circle time can increase engagement. In this study the teacher and the students will be using a Smart Board as the technology. This is done by using interactive hands on activities allowing the students to be involved in their own learning rather than being lectured the information. In this study a rubric was used to assess the student’s engagement during circle time. Engagement without the use of technology scored a …

Social Stories And Student Behavior In A Kindergarten Classroom, Amy Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of a whole group social story on the practice and development of self-regulatory skills of kindergarten students. The research setting was a small, rural public school in the Midwest. The participants were 16 five and six-year old students in a general education kindergarten classroom. Qualitative and quantitative data focusing on self-regulatory behaviors was collected through observation during pre and post-intervention times. Kindergarten students participated in four weeks of a whole group social story intervention that occurred between the data collection weeks. This social story focused on positive and appropriate …

Equipping Special Needs Ministries In The Church And/Or School, Leah Van Tol

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Inclusion of children, teens, and adults with various disabilities within religious settings, private schools, and church is less common than that of a public school or work environment. Inclusion reaches far beyond just invitations to events or places, it requires physical adaptations, attitude changes, and/or environmental changes. This review of literature provides a leader or educator with relevant research as well as how to start an inclusive religious program. It discusses how to include these individuals within the church setting as well as what the role of said leader or educator could or should be. It also provides numerous teaching …

The Trauma Informed School: Effects On Student Success, Emily Larson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

There is a great need in schools today for school staff to be trauma informed. Many students are coming into the classroom after having dealt with traumatic experiences. Many people assume that the only trauma they are experiencing comes from abuse. However, that is not the case. Students are experiencing a variety of trauma in their lives such as death, neglect, community disasters and nation-wide disasters. All these factors change the way that children respond to others, their behaviors in the classroom and their academic success. Because of this trend, school staff are becoming trauma informed. Staff is trained to …