Education Commons^™

The Science Of Reading And The Use Of Decodable Texts In The Classroom, Anna Hudson

Honors Theses

This honors thesis includes a definition and explanation of the Science of Reading research, decodable texts and how they are used in the classroom, my creative process in writing my own decodable text, and a copy of my original decodable text "Can Meg Get In?"

Evaluation Of Personalized Learning, Jorly Thomas

Education Theses and Dissertations

The persistent challenges surrounding student achievement continue to raise questions about the effectiveness of personalized learning methods, and educators seek a reliable means to determine if the implementation of personalized learning can lead to improved academic outcomes. Improvement science presents a promising approach, providing iterative inquiry cycles and data-driven decision-making strategies that can empower teachers to make informed decisions (Regional Educational Laboratory Program, 2017). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of personalized learning on reading achievement in sixth-grade students on a Texas middle-school campus. While prior research has demonstrated promising outcomes with this learning method (Pane …

The Influence Of Bolded Keywords In Online News Texts On Reading Speed And Comprehension For Heritage+ Learners Of Arabic, Marwah Khost Aljarkas

Theses and Dissertations

Learners and readers of Arabic, especially Heritage Language Learners, suffer more than ever from the lack of focus while reading online texts. This becomes a challenge that negatively impacts their overall learning process. This paper explores the influence of one salience feature - bolded keywords - over reading speed and comprehension amongst Heritage+ Learners of Arabic. Heritage+ refers to Arabs living in the Arab world, but who have minimum exposure to the language. Thirty-two students, who are Heritage+ Learners of Arabic, currently studying at the American University in Cairo and belong to Generation Z (18-25 years), participated in the study. …

Literacy Instruction For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sonja Hall

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper reviewed current literature on instructional strategies for providing literacy instruction to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Literacy is made up of many strands, literacy was broken into three subsections for the purpose of this review: phonics instruction, reading comprehension, and writing. According to experts, reading comprehension and writing are two main areas in which students who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenged by. The studies in this review revealed that direct, systematic, and explicit instruction in the area of literacy is essential for student success in the targeted areas. Different teaching strategies involved …

Impact Of Audiobooks On Reading Attitudes Of Upper Elementary Students, Jessica Grace Dewit

Master of Education Program Theses

There is a documented complex relationship between reading attitudes, reading volume, and reading comprehension skills. Stanovich (1986) documented the impact of positive attitudes towards reading on reading volume, and Allington (2014) described how reading volume impacts reading comprehension skills. This mixed methods action research study builds on these studies and explores the use of audiobooks during free reading time to examine their impact on reading attitudes. Twenty-three students in a grade 5/6 class in Alberta, Canada, listened to audiobooks during free reading time for 20 minutes, three times a week, for six weeks. Results indicate no significant change in attitudes …

The Impact Of Opendyslexic Font On The Reading Comprehension Of Tier Ii And Tier Iii Reading Intervention Students, William David Whitmire

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods action research project measured the effect of OpenDyslexic font on the reading comprehension of MTSS Tier II and Tier III reading intervention students. A review of the literature revealed little research about OpenDyslexic font or its effect on reading comprehension. The study consisted of a 7-week period with 4^th grade Tier II and Tier III reading intervention students using OpenDyslexic font while reviewing previously taught comprehension strategies before end of the year testing. Results show positive growth for Tier II reading intervention students and results were inconclusive for Tier III students.

Understanding The Relationships Between Social-Emotional Competency, Reading Fluency, Reading Comprehension, And Reading Achievement In Adolescent Students, David Phillips

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The improvement of social-emotional factors is thought to help increase students’ achievement by 11% (Durlak et al., 2011). This current study is a descriptive study set in a rural setting, and it included 101 seventh and eighth-grade students. The study explored the relationship between social-emotional competency, reading ability, and reading achievement in adolescent students. Correlation results showed statistically positive relationships between reading measures and social-emotional measures except for social awareness and grit. Regression results revealed that social-emotional competencies explained from 7% to 36% of the variance in adolescent reading. Social-emotional competencies and reading ability measures together explained 51% to 53% …

Evaluating The Impact Of Reciprocal Teaching Embedded Within A Web 2.0 Tool Upon Fifth-Grade Students’ Reading Comprehension During Integrated Readers’ Workshop At A Professional Development School, Aisja Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Historical data showed evidence of repeated poor performance on end-of-year (EOY) state tests (South Carolina Department of Education [SCDE], 2017, 2018, 2019). For this study, 12 fifth-grade students read expository text, employed reciprocal teaching strategies, collaborated face to face and online using a Web 2.0 tool during the reading workshop. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of reciprocal teaching embedded in the Wakelet Curation Tool, a Web 2.0 tool, on fifth-grade students’ reading for comprehension, reading attitudes, and perceptions of the innovation in an integrated reading class at an urban characteristic (Milner et al. 2018) …

Syntactic Complexity In Reading Comprehension: An Eye-Tracking Study Of Text Processing Among Bilinguals And Monolinguals, Guoqin Ding

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For Chinese students, studying in a country with different cultural components and language structures is challenging. Compared to English, the Chinese prefers shorter and simple sentence structure and allows for two sentences to be stated side by side. Different sentence structures in Chinese may influence native-Chinese readers’ understanding of English sentences and even a whole text. This exploratory study examined whether there were any differences between English monolingual and Chinese-English children while reading varied English texts with simple or complex structures at different reading difficulty levels. This study explored the differences across texts and readers, as well as the possible …

Effective Reading Practices For Inclusive Classrooms, Andrew Block

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper examined research on what are best practices for teaching reading comprehension to students in an inclusive classroom. This topic is explored through research findings from multiple quantitative and qualitative studies which examined the effectiveness of structured reading instruction, explicitly taught reading strategies, student autonomy, and discussion and collaboration as best practices for improving reading comprehension skills. While research showed a variety of effective practices and strategies to increase reading comprehension among all students, the research also suggested the need for content area teachers to receive on-going professional development to consistently implement evidence-based practices throughout the course of the …

Fostering College Students’ Fact-Checking Skills: Three Studies Assessing Lateral Reading Instruction In A General Education Course, Jessica E. Brodsky

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

While online information is abundant and easily accessible, its quality varies widely. Fact-checkers evaluate online information by reading laterally, i.e., opening a new browser tab to research sources and verify claims. This dissertation consisted of three studies that used course outcomes assessment data to examine the impact of a lateral reading curriculum on college students’ fact-checking skills. The curriculum was first implemented in Fall 2018 as part of a general education civics course. It has been taught every semester since then, though the content and format of implementation have changed. Data used in the current studies were collected during the …

The Study Of Morphological Awareness For English Learners, Jane Beeninga

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

English Learner (EL) students in American schools are becoming increasingly common, but there does not seem to be enough support for these students. This is causing EL students to fall behind in content areas such as reading (Richards-Tutor et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to investigate what barriers are keeping EL students from succeeding in reading. After identifying a need for vocabulary instruction, the researcher will be conducting a morphological awareness intervention to improve EL students’ ability to figure out unknown words. Morphological awareness is the understanding of a word’s smaller units such as prefixes, suffixes, and …

The Effect Of Explicit Vocabulary Instruction On Elementary Students’ Vocabulary Knowledge And Reading Comprehension: An Action Research Study, Tonia Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

Reading comprehension seems to be a significant challenge for rising fifth graders with limited vocabulary knowledge. A possible solution is to provide them with explicit vocabulary instruction which may positively impact their reading comprehension. This action research aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing explicit vocabulary instruction delivered through Schoology on fifth graders’ vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension at an urban elementary school in the southeastern United States. This study also sought to analyze students’ perceptions of the usefulness of the online vocabulary learning modules. A convergent mixed-method approach was applied to answer the research questions. The quantitative data (e.g., …

Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Implementing Student-Centered Instructional Practices In Reading Comprehension, Gloria Nnenna Edeh-Okwuosah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that the English as foreign language teachers in five government elementary schools were not consistently instructing in a manner that contributed to a student-centered learning environment when teaching reading comprehension. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of English as foreign language teachers in the five government elementary schools regarding implementing student-centered instructional strategies when teaching reading comprehension. Weimer’s learner-centered teaching served as the conceptual framework. The research questions focused on English as foreign language teachers’ perceptions regarding implementing student-centered practices when teaching reading comprehension. Data were collected …

Today A Reader, Tomorrow A Leader: How Reading Comprehension Plays A Role In Academics Among Low-Income Students, Marissa Sandra Francisca Torrez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For this Capstone Project, the researcher investigates how teachers and low-income families view the resources needed for students to increase their reading comprehension and what they thought could be done to improve access to those resources. Interviews included a fieldworker who has a child enrolled in a middle school, a middle school Community Liaison who is very familiar and close to low-income families and the issues they face with education. Additionally, three middle school students completed a survey on reading comprehension. Based on an analysis of the interviews, surveys and the relevant research literature, the researcher used what they had …

The Effects Of Watching Text-Relevant Video Segments On Reading Comprehension Of Culturally Unfamiliar Texts With Adult English Language Learners Supported By The Schematic Information-Processing (Sip) Model Of Reading Comprehension, Amirreza Karami

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to investigate the effects of watching text-relevant video segments on reading comprehension of a culturally unfamiliar text when technical words are present or absent. Therefore, 44 adult English Language Learners (ELLs) with higher-intermediate to advanced English language proficiency levels from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) School of Languages located in the Dominican Republic were chosen and randomly assigned to two different groups: control vs. experimental.

First, the researcher compared two different types of reading instruction—traditional text-based vs. video-based reading instruction supported by the Schematic Information-Processing (SIP) model of reading …

Impacts Of Model Misspecification On Individual-Level Differential Item Functioning Detection In Multilevel Data Using Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model, Yue Yin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) has become more and more popular in detecting differential item functioning (DIF) items in multilevel contexts due to its flexibility and efficiency. This dissertation aims to investigate and compare four different HGLM DIF detection models under various DIF conditions with multilevel data. Three studies were conducted in this dissertation. The first two studies were simulation studies and the third one was an empirical study. Simulation Study One compared the performance of two-level HGLM and three-level HGLM with the individual-level covariate (HGLM-IL) on detecting individual-level DIF items with two-level and three-level data structures. Simulation Study Two …

Using A Self-Paced Reading Task To Examine The Comprehension Monitoring Abilities Of Children With And Without Adhd, Olivia J. Ward

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current study examined how children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) deployed their attention while reading and the cognitive processes thought to be related to successful comprehension. 42 children between 9 and 14 years of age read passages during a self-paced reading task. Half of the passages contained semantic inconsistencies. Of interest was the two groups of children’s subsequent comprehension and the extent that they noticed the inconsistencies. The children’s working memory, inferencing ability, verbal and non-verbal intelligence and decoding ability were also measured. Only the typically developing children’s reading times were impacted by the passages’ consistency. …

Improving Reading Comprehension In Arabic English Language Learners, Amanda Watson

Culminating Experience Projects

While working at a charter school where students first language is Arabic, there has been a concern that Arabic English Language Learners (ELLs) often struggle with reading comprehension and teachers strive to find ways to fit additional instruction in with their rigorous reading curriculum. Therefore, the topic of this project thesis is how to increase reading comprehension for Arabic English Language Learners. It will look at the causes of why some Arabic ELLs struggle with reading comprehension and will briefly explore the differences between the English and Arabic orthographies. An increase and focus on phonological processing skills (specifically phonological awareness) …

Evaluación De Una Estrategia De Enseñanza Mediante La Plataforma Moodle© Para Promover La Comprensión Lectora En Inglés Como Lengua Extranjera, Javier Ricardo Acosta Méndez, Olga Yurany Acosta Méndez, Mónica Ríos Olarte

Maestría en Didáctica de las Lenguas

Esta investigación se realizó con la población de undécimo grado de la Institución Educativa Departamental Técnico Comercial de Tibacuy. El problema identificado fue la baja comprensión lectora en inglés como lengua extranjera. El proyecto se desarrolló bajo un enfoque cualitativo que permitió que los datos fueran tratados mediante la interpretación. El tipo de investigación correspondió a un estudio de caso debido a que se centró en una población específica con características particulares. Atendiendo a las necesidades, intereses y expectativas propias del grupo, se evaluó la adaptación de una estrategia de enseñanza que buscó promover mediante el uso de entornos virtuales …

Reading In Kapampangan, Filipino, And English: A Look At Multilingual Children In An Economically Challenging Philippine Community, Portia Padilla

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The present studies advance current understanding of the skills and processes involved in multilingual reading, especially in less researched alphabetic languages. These studies examined whether the dominant models in reading in English can explain the reading processes involved among low-income multilingual speakers of Kapampangan (L1), Filipino (L2), and English (L3) in the Philippines, a developing country. Kapampangan and Filipino use the same Roman alphabet that English uses. However, these two languages have transparent orthographies while English has an opaque orthography.

Study 1 examined the psycholinguistic grain size theory within the context of multilingual reading. There were three hundred twenty-six children …

The Impact Of Reading Intervention On Retained Elementary-Age Students, Elizabeth Lazar

Dissertations

Due to historically high rates of retained students, one low-performing school needed to fix the endless cycle of student failure. After implementation of a close reading program, participating students made growth on the state reading test. My main goal was to examine which key elements of this program supported retained third grade students resulting in learning gains. My data showed t-test findings with a statistically significant difference in both scale scores and achievement levels on the state reading assessment.

My recommended policy change provides elementary students with a district-wide close reading program to teach comprehension strategies. Through policy measures, I …

Corpus-Based Data-Driven Learning In Reading English For Academic Purposes, Ira Rasikawati

Education Dissertations

One of the second language (L2) instructional approaches perceived as promising is data-driven learning (DDL) – the use of computer-generated concordances for language teaching and learning. DDL provides students with the opportunity to analyze language forms across contexts found in the concordance output. Notwithstanding the growing research support, DDL has not been widely adopted in L2 classrooms. Studies examining the use of DDL have mostly been carried out in a case study context with a small sample size. To bridge the gap between research and instructional practices, more empirical studies are needed to corroborate the claim that exposing students to …

Investigating The Relationship Between Perceptions Of A “Good Reader” And Reading Performance Among Elementary And Middle School Students: An Exploration Study, Jamie A. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between student perceptions of a “good reader” and their reading performance. The study employed a causal-comparative and correlational design. Participants, elementary and middle school (grades 1-8) students (N= 100) attending an after-school program in the Southeastern United States, were administered the Student Perceptions of a Good Reader Scale (SPGRS) which includes two subscales: Perceptions-Decoding Efficiency (PerDE), and Perceptions-Comprehension (PerC). Additional measures included Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth Reading (MAP Growth, 2020) to determine reading comprehension and a curriculum-based measure of oral reading fluency (ORF) which determines words …

Exploring The Influence Of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (Pals) In Increasing Reading Comprehension Of Grade-Level Biology Text And Biology Self-Efficacy In Students With Learning Disabilities: A Formative Experiment, K. Lea Priestley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study used a formative design experiment framework which does not answer a research question but addresses a pedagogical goal. The goal of this study was to determine the influence of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) on the reading comprehension of grade-level biology text and biology self-efficacy with students diagnosed with learning disabilities. As a result of this intervention, it was expected that students would better understand biology text and feel better about themselves as a biology student.

Students were separated into pairs, or dyads, with each pair having a stronger reader and a weaker reader. These dyads participated in …

The Impact Of Guided Practice In Argument Analysis And Composition Via Computer-Assisted Argument Mapping Software On Students’ Ability To Analyze And Compose Evidence-Based Arguments, Donna Lorain Grant

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative action research study was to document the impact of the use of computer-assisted argument mapping (CAAM) upon high school students’ ability to analyze and compose evidence-based arguments. The study used a one-group pretest posttest design with a convenience sample of the participant researcher’s seventy-one high school sophomores. During the six-week study, each participant generated four sets of artifacts, each consisting of two argument analysis maps from provided source arguments and one argument composition map representing the participant’s position on the given topic. Artifacts were generated at four separate benchmarks, the pretest, week four, week five, …

The Impact Of Read Aloud With Socratic Discussion On The Literacy And Critical Thinking Skills Of The Elementary Student Submitted On May 21, 2020 In Fulfillment Of Final Requirements For The Maed Degree Lesley Kirk Saint Catherine University St. Paul,, Lesley Kirk

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study aims to uncover a link between read aloud with Socratic discussion and its impact on literacy and critical thinking skills. In researching this relationship, both quantitative and qualitative data tools were used. Participants in the study included 60 students from a charter Montessori school in the Southwest United States ranging from grade 1 to 6. Students participated in a six-week intervention. The intervention included a 60-minute read aloud with Socratic discussion session conducted twice a week. The findings indicate that there is a general increase in literacy and reading comprehension skills. In addition, the study was also shown …

Teacher Questions In The Classroom: The Effects Of Using A Low- To High-Level Questioning Sequence On The Text-Based Reading Comprehension Outcomes Of Low-Performing Students, Shannon Harris Brown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Teacher questioning may be an effective instructional procedure for building students’ reading comprehension. Strategically asking questions at two different levels, low-level (text explicit) and high-level (text implicit), may be needed to assist students to engage in higher order thinking skills.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a low- to high-level questioning sequence without or with linking prompts on the text-based reading comprehension outcomes of fifth-grade students who evidenced poor reading comprehension. A secondary analysis was used to determine whether the questioning sequence was effective regardless of students’ interest in the narrative …

A Longitudinal Investigation Of The Effects Of A Kindergarten Multi-Tiered Oral Narrative Language Intervention On Later Literacy Outcomes, Tristin Carolyn Hampshire

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the longitudinal effects of a multi-tiered narrative language intervention in at-risk students provided in kindergarten on fourth grade reading comprehension. The participants included 686 students from four school districts in the upper Midwest. Twenty-eight kindergarten classrooms were randomly assigned to a treatment or control condition resulting in 14 treatment classrooms and 14 control classrooms. Every student in the study participated in a pretest regarding oral narrative language skills. Students in the control group were considered to be at-risk, average performing, or advanced performing depending on their pretest score. Each student in …

Using Parallel Narrative-Based Measures To Examine The Relationship Between Listening And Reading Comprehension, Collette Leifson Warr

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine how well the Narrative Language Measure (NLM) of Listening predicts the NLM Reading measure and the extent to which brief narrative-based listening and reading comprehension assessments administered to first, second, and third grade students demonstrate symmetry and equity. A total of 1039 first graders, 395 second graders, and 501 third graders participated in this study. The students were administered the NLM Listening and NLM Reading, and their scores were examined to address the research questions. Students with incomplete data sets and students who performed 1.5 standard deviations (7th percentile based on …