Education Commons^™

Reading For The New Era: Assessing Reading In A Digital Environment, Dara Searle, Tom Lumley, Juliette Mendelovits

Dr Tom Lumley

No abstract provided.

Reading For The New Era: Assessing Reading In A Digital Environment, Dara Searle, Tom Lumley, Juliette Mendelovits

Juliette Mendelovits

No abstract provided.

What Information From Pisa Is Useful For Teachers? How Can Pisa Help Our Students To Become More Proficient?, Juliette Mendelovits, Dara Searle, Tom Lumley

Juliette Mendelovits

A frequent objection to large-scale testing programs, both national and international, is that they are used as an instrument of control, rather than as a means of providing information to effect change. Moreover, concerns about large-scale testing often take the form of objection to the specific characteristics of the assessments as being prescriptive and proscriptive, leading to a narrowing of the curriculum and the spectre of 'teaching to the test' to the exclusion of more important educational content. Taking PISA reading literacy as its focus, this paper proposes, on the contrary, that a coherent assessment system is valuable in so …

The Implementation Of Interventions And Strategies For Children Who Struggle With Reading Utilizing The Read 180 Program, Rebecca Josephine Haag Guyne

Dissertations

All children can learn if given the opportunity, correct assistance, and appropriate instruction. Finding the learning tools which will enhance and encourage learning is the ultimate way to make certain that all students can and will learn. Many teachers use their gut instinct to determine the interventions and strategies to present in their classroom. Improvement will only occur for teachers and students when best practice or research based interventions and strategies are not only accessible but utilized correctly on a daily basis. Children with reading disabilities find fluency and reading comprehension a challenge. The most effective method reported in the …

Phonics Instruction Using Pseudowords For Success In Phonetic Decoding, Jessica M. Cardenas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined a Pseudoword Phonics Curriculum to determine if this form of instruction would increase students’ decoding skills compared to typical real-word phonics instruction. In typical phonics instruction, children learn to decode familiar words which allow them to draw on their prior knowledge of how to pronounce the word and may detract from learning decoding skills. By using pseudowords during phonics instruction, students may learn more decoding skills because they are unfamiliar with the “words” and therefore cannot draw on memory for how to pronounce the word. It was hypothesized that students who learn phonics with pseudowords will learn …

La Educación Secundaria En Los Estados Unidos. ¿Qué Pueden Aprender Otros De Nuestros Errores?, John H. Bishop, Ferran Mane, Michael Bishop

John H Bishop

[Excerpt] El ritmo de los estudiantes estadounidenses para adquirir nuevas habilidades se desacelera durante la educación secundaria.

Validation Of A Reader Self Perception Scale (Rsps2) For Use In Grades 7 And Above, Steven A. Melnick, William A. Henk, Barbara A. Marinak

NERA Conference Proceedings 2009

Clearly, the attitudes, values, expectations, and beliefs that individuals possess about literacy will play a vital role in shaping their engagement with reading, writing, and other language processes. Grounded in Self-Efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1977, 1982; Schunk, 1984), the Reader Self Perception Scale Version 2 predicts that students take four basic factors into account when forming literacy self-perceptions: Progress, Observational Comparisons, Social Feedback, and Physiological States. Student response data (n=3,031 in grades 7-10) provides evidence of construct validity through a principal components analysis of the factor structure. Alpha reliabilities by factor are reported.

The Black-White Achievement Gap Amongst Struggling Readers: A Case Study Of Early Intervention Outcomes In Massachusetts, Emily Dexter, Jessica Simon

NERA Conference Proceedings 2009

A number of analyses of large data sets have suggested that the reading achievement gap between African American and White U.S. is negligible or small at school entry, but widens substantially during the school years because African American students show slower rates of growth in elementary and secondary school. Identifying when and why gaps occur, therefore, is a an important research endeavor. In addition, being able to predict which African American children are most likely to fall behind can contribute to efforts to close the achievement gap. This paper analyzes first grade and third grade data on African American and …

Language And Speech Predictors Of Reading Achievement In Preschool Children With Language Disorders, Juliet K. Haarbauer-Krupa

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

ABSTRACT LANGUAGE AND SPEECH PREDICTORS OF READING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE DISORDERS by Juliet K. Haarbauer-Krupa The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between language and reading in children diagnosed with developmental language disorder (DLD) during preschool. An archival data set was available for analysis. Preschool children with DLD who were assessed between 35 and 74 months for preschool language and speech abilities (Rapin, 1996) returned for language, speech and reading testing at age seven years. Children who enrolled in the study were a clinically referred sample, met criteria for average nonverbal intellectual functioning, …

Gjr Volume 22 Number 2 Fall 2009, Elizabeth Pendergraft, Elizabeth Lilly

The Georgia Journal of Reading Archive

The Georgia Journal of Reading's Fall 2009 issue theme is 'Literacy Theory Into Practice: What is Working' and includes:

Message From the Editor by Elizabeth Pendergraft (pg. 5)

Organically Grown: Development of the Georgia State University Urban Literacy by Clinic Lori Elliott and Nancy Lee Daily (pg.6)

University-School Partnerships: A True Story of How They Work and Who They Help by Loleta D. Sartin and Vicki Luther (pg. 9)

An Efficient Reading Diagnosis and Effective Intervention Plan Provides Answers for Parents and Teachers by Sallie Averitt Miller and Jeffery T. Conklin (pg. 15)

The Five Components of Reading Workshop: Preservice …

Analyzing The Effects Of Two Response To Intervention Tools, Oral Reading Fluency And Maze Assessments, In The Language Arts Classrooms Of Middle School Students, Donna Lyerly Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study analyzed data to find a valid and reliable assessment for progress monitoring also having predictive power of a student's future reading performance on a state-mandated standardized reading achievement evaluation. The Response to Intervention (RTI) model was implemented in the language arts classrooms of a rural middle school in northeast Georgia to study the effectiveness of instruction for all students, the at-risk, general, and advanced population. This study used Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Maze fluency assessments to monitor student progress and to analyze data to drive instruction. The data were gathered weekly over a 23 week period, …

Patricia Polacco Author Study [2nd Grade], Catherine Brackett

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Through the study of Thank You, Mr. Falker, Firetalking, The Thinking Quilt, Thundercake, Ginger and Petunia, My Ol’ Man, and The Limonade Club, this unit will allow students to grow as writers by studying an Patricia Polacco. The students will also learn to apply lessons addressed in literature to their own lives. Most importantly, the students will learn how their words and actions can either build a person up or tear them down. In the end, they will be asked to apply what they have learned to create a story or play that will help a bullying situation in a …

Sarah Plain And Tall Book Study [3rd Grade], Karen Morrison

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this unit, students will be doing a chapter book study using the novel, Sarah Plain and Tall. At the end of the unit, the students will deeply understand that there are always things to miss no matter where you are, a sense of belonging happens when someone accepts where they are, and that we carry symbols and artifacts that represent the people and places that matter the most to us. Students will be engaged using the 6 Reading Comprehension Strategies: Phonics/Decoding, Predict/Infer, Monitor/Clarify, Question, Summarize, Evaluate. Other skills such as analytical thinking, predicting outcomes and connecting text to self …

What Section Do I Go To In Barnes And Noble? [7th Grade], Carol Cagnoni

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

The following unit is based upon the 7th grade reading TEKS and College and Career Readiness Standards for TEXAS. In this unit, students will explore a variety of genres. Through group discussion, lectures, and self-discovery, students will be able to better understand how to choose a book in a genre that interests them. The unit ends with students reading a self-selected book based on criteria tailored to them. Finally, after reading a book, the students will create a brochure advertising the book they completed as well as share their opinion with their peers.

A First Year Program Evaluation Of Language Essentials For Teachers Of Reading And Spelling: The Effect On Student Achievement And Teacher Perception, Danielle C. Vogelsang

Dissertations

An indicator of student achievement is the ability to read. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2000) stated that reading comprehension is critically important to the development of children’s reading skills and their ability to obtain an education. The ability to read was found to be both necessary and crucial for academic success. With the adoption of No Child Left Behind, national concern about the quality of our schools and the achievement of all students was as high as it has ever been. The primary purposes of this study were to (a) investigate the impact of the …

Student Perceptions Of Reading Motivation In A Voluntary Summer Reading Program: A Mixed Methods Dissertation, Julie Mcgaha

All Dissertations

How might a voluntary, high school summer reading program affect students' literacy motivation? A sequential exploratory mixed methods line of research attempted to answer this question. In study 1, after completing a summer reading program, 900 students from the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades provided written responses to the open-ended question, 'What was the best thing about the summer reading program?' The researchers analyzed their responses with a phenomenological technique adapted from Moustakas (1994), yielding 11 motivational themes. In study 2, those themes guided the creation of a survey instrument, which then was administered to a different sample of 1600 …

Getting Boys To Read: A Look At The Research And The Books They Love, Carrie Lynn Cooper, Kathy Cox Watson

Library Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

This session focuses on what the research says about males as readers and introduces the audience to great boy books and other types of text that appeals to male readers. The presenters have chosen titles from the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards program that are of interest to young male readers. Presenters also introduce and promote Kentucky’s children’s choice reading program, the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards. To misquote George Ella Lyon, the presenters would like to get boys to "shake hands with a book."

Getting Boys To Read: A Look At The Research And The Books They Love, Carrie Lynn Cooper Dean Of Libraries, Kathy Cox Watson

Kathy Cox Watson

This session focuses on what the research says about males as readers and introduces the audience to great boy books and other types of text that appeals to male readers. The presenters have chosen titles from the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards program that are of interest to young male readers. Presenters also introduce and promote Kentucky’s children’s choice reading program, the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards. To misquote George Ella Lyon, the presenters woudl like to get boys to "shake hands with a book."

Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between State Fiscal Effort And Academic Achievement, Timothy A. Goodale

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Prior empirical research has taken many varying approaches to determine if differences in funding significantly impacts student academic achievement. However, much of these studies exhibit weak generalizability due to their limited scope, timeframe and dissimilar achievement measures. To expand upon the already robust literature in education finance this study measures interstate funding disparities via state fiscal effort and determines its impact on several measures of student academic achievement. To control for threats to external validity the research investigates the variables over ten years to determine if the relationships hold over time. Statistical measures employed within the research include bivariate correlation, …

The Effects Of Reading Nonfiction Aloud On The Vocabulary Acquisition Of Middle-School Students, Patricia Ann Braun

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if eighth-graders could acquire vocabulary incidentally while listening to nonfiction read-alouds connected to the physical sciences curriculum. In this quasi-experimental study 3 of 6 intact eighth-grade science classes listened to 14 nonfiction read-aloud selections of nonfiction passages selected from books not commonly found in schools but which related to the curriculum which the students would be experiencing in eighth grade. Pretests and posttests were administered to all 6 classes comprising 154 students. Reading ability was included as a variable. Target words comprised of technical and nontechnical words. Assessments included a vocabulary matching …

The Use Of Item Response Theory In Developing A Phonics Diagnostic Inventory, Cynthia A. Pirani-Mcgurl

Open Access Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate the reliability of the Phonics Diagnostic Inventory (PDI), a curriculum-based, specific skill mastery measurement tool for diagnosing and informing the treatment of decoding weaknesses. First, a modified one-parameter item response theory model was employed to identify the properties of potential items for inclusion in each subtest to then inform the construction of subtests using the most reliable items. Second, the properties of each subtest were estimated and examined. The test information and test characteristic curves (TCC) for the newly developed forms are reported. Finally, the accuracy and sensitivity of PDI cut scores for each …

A National Survey Of Teachers On Their Perceptions, Challenges, And Uses Of Information And Communication Technology, Amy Hutchison

All Dissertations

This study had five main purposes: (a) to investigate the extent to which literacy teachers nationwide integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) into literacy instruction; (b) to investigate the extent to which ICTs are utilized in ways that promote the acquisition of literacy skills within digital environments; (c) to identify the perceived obstacles and challenges teachers face in their attempts to integrate ICTs into instruction; (d) to determine how literacy teachers define ICT integration and how they perceive the importance of ICT integration into reading instruction; and (e) to identify the distinguishing characteristics of teachers who report no or minimal …

The Effects Of Fluency Training On Implementation Fidelity Of A Reading Intervention Conducted By Paraprofessionals, Breda Victoria O'Keeffe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Improving educational outcomes involves many variables, including identifying effective interventions and ensuring that they are effectively implemented in schools. Within a "response to intervention" model, treatment integrity of academic interventions has become increasingly important. However, recent research has suggested that ensuring treatment integrity by instructional staff may require intensive coaching, including daily or weekly performance feedback. This system may be unsustainable in typical schools because of limited resources for supervision. Some studies have found that treatment integrity can be achieved with intense prior training that includes extensive practice followed by feedback in the training setting. Fluency-based instruction has the advantage …

Seedfolks: Individual And Community [7th Grade], Vanessa Sanchez

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Students will focus on the impact an individual can have on a community. The unit will then move on to a study of individuals who have affected their communities and the affect a community has on the behavior and understanding of an individual. Students will also read and discuss the novel Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman as a connection to the focus of the unit. Students will use their knowledge of community and individual influence to make a difference within their own community and reflect on the experience.

An Overview Of Instructional Activities Used Before, During, And After Reading To Scaffold Guided Reading And Shared Reading Instruction, Stacey Lea Hoopes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of instructional activities that take place before reading, during reading, and after reading in guided reading and shared reading routines in elementary school classrooms in Utah school districts. This project used extant data from classroom observations to answer questions about how the observed activities were used as part of guided and shared reading routines in second and third grades within the five school districts of the Brigham Young University-Public School Partnership. The results of this study showed that there were differences in how teachers implemented the before reading, during reading, …

The Effect Of A Summer Reading Program On Student Reading Achievement, Danielle Triplett

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationship between reading during the summer and reading achievement. The participants consisted of second through fifth grade students in a rural, western North Carolina elementary school. Continued focus on increasing reading abilities and closing the achievement gap prompted the interest for this research.

Data were gathered through the use of qualitative and quantitative measures such as state and county assessments, surveys, and program reports.

Analysis of the data indicated the role that reading during the summer had on reading achievement.

Terrific Teaching Tips: Affective Reading Empowers Student Response, Laurel Borgia, Carol Owles, Kylee Merendino, Edward J. Dwyer

ETSU Faculty Works

As educators, we are faced with the challenge of creating an effective classroom environment that stimulates creativity and fosters student learning through effective instruction. To assist teachers in meeting this challenge, this column provides information about current resources, programs, techniques, and strategies that teachers are using in their classrooms. By sharing these ideas, it is IRCJs hope to foster teacher growth and energize teacher performance.

The Effects Of Accelerated Reader (Ar) As An Extrinsic Motivation Tool For Improving Gifted Students’ Reading Levels, Clay Brindger

The Corinthian

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of extrinsic motivation provided through an Accelerated Reading program (AR) on gifted students’ reading levels as indicated by a voluntary test. Fifty-six gifted students enrolled at two middle schools located in central Georgia participated in this study. Twenty of the students received extrinsic motivation through AR during this research. Thirty-four of them also read through the AR program, but without any additional extrinsic motivation. Their scores on the voluntary test indicate that the group who did not receive extrinsic motivation actually gained more between the pretest to the posttest than …

The Role Of The Teacher In Moving Students From Below Grade Level To Grade Level, Kathy Beck

The Corinthian

The purpose of this study is to research some of the challenges that teachers face when teaching students who are reading below grade level. The study involved third grade students at Southwest Laurens Elementary School in Laurens County, Georgia. The study revealed that through the intense use of some basic reading strategies that students’ fluency, reading comprehension, and reading levels increased more than basic sight word recognition. The study recommends that teachers continue to spend time each day allowing students to read aloud individually to the teacher. The study further recommends that since it is difficult for one teacher to …

Activboard Instruction: Does It Increase Reading Skills?, Denita Hall

The Corinthian

The purpose of my research project was to involve students in interactive activities using the ActivBoard in order to guide practices that may lead to increased reading skills. My research project involved an ActivBoard group and a control group. Each group consisted of twenty second grade students in separate classes but taught at the same elementary school. The ActivBoard group engaged in active learning using guided practices incorporating the ActivBoard into the reading curriculum. Each group completed four pre- and posttest reading quizzes, two CRCT reading tests, and two STEEP reading fluency tests. I conducted this study over a two …