Education Commons^™

Independent Readers Increase Library Use, Joanne Patricia Harrell

Masters Theses

This study focuses on the use of the Accelerated Reader^R program at Ellis Elementary School in Belding, Michigan. The students were introduced to the program in January, 1999. The students were encouraged to use the program through the end of the school year, June, 1999.

The Accelerated Reader (AR) program is a reading program which uses the computer to test students on literature-based books from the library they have read independently. Students earn points for the tests that they pass based on the number right and the difficulty of the book. The computer keeps track, for the students and …

The Relationship Between Vocabulary And Reading Comprehension In Junior High Aged Students With Learning Disabilities, Harvey Burkhour

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the reading ability, particularly in the area of reading comprehension and the level of reading vocabulary possessed by junior high aged students with learning disabilities. Reading is a complex process involving the simultaneous integrated application of the four cuing systems: (a) graphophonic, (b) syntactic, (c) semantic, and (d) schematic. While most people learn to utilize these systems rather easily, this is not true for everyone. Failure to effectively employ any one or more of these cuing systems can spell disaster for the reader both in school and in many …

Accelerated Reader: Does It Work?, Deborah J. Morse

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if increased independent reading practice, as verified by 50 or more Accelerated Reader points, would significantly improve standardized reading scores. The reading practice and assessment performance of 60 first, second, and third grade students was monitored for eight months. The students were pre-tested and post-tested using the Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (S.T.A.R.). Descriptive statistics were used to determine if a significant difference existed between the overall mean scores of the high reading practice group who earned 50 or more Accelerated Reader points, versus the low reading practice group who …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Factors Related To The Effectiveness Of Educational Technology Implementations In Poorer, Rural School Districts, Daniel John Vomastek

Masters Theses

As the use of educational technology in our classrooms continues to increase, schools must take every reasonable step they can to ensure the time and money invested in educational technology is not wasted. This is especially true in poorer, rural school districts that do not always have the money and personnel that larger, more affluent school districts have access to. These poorer, rural schools must take extra precautions to ensure their investment of limited resources has the greatest gain possible.

The goal of this thesis was to identify those specific factors related to the effectiveness of educational technology implementations to …

The Effects Of The Directed Reading Thinking Activity On Second Grade Reading Comprehension, Connie Eilar Renn

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of reading comprehension scores in a second-grade classroom where reading instruction was provided using the traditional Directed Reading Approach (DRA), to the reading comprehension scores in a second-grade classroom where reading instruction was provided using the Directed Reading Thinking Activity approach.

Much of the reading instruction being provided in elementary schools across the country is textbook-centered. Teachers typically use the textbook questions suggested in the teacher’s edition of the book to check for students’ understanding of the text. Rarely, however, are students actually being instructed in the strategies and skills …