Education Commons^™

The Effect Of Prosody Instruction On Reading Fluency And Comprehension Among Third-Grade Students, Tammy B. Overstreet

Dissertations

Problem

Many students are failing to become proficient readers with current instructional methods used in American schools. Students frequently make improvements in two of fluency’s dimensions, rate and accuracy, but these improvements have not consistently correlated to improvements in reading comprehension, which is the objective of reading. The automaticity plus prosody (APP) model was developed by this researcher from Topping’s deep processing fluency model to explain why teaching and assessing the multiple dimensions of fluency (rate, accuracy, and prosody) improve comprehension. The purpose of this study was to compare students in a private school in a small town in southwestern …

Word Calling In 3rd And 4th Graders: Exploring Student And Teacher Characteristics, Lindsay Starr Couzens

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reading difficulties in elementary school-aged children may occur when two components of reading- word identification, comprehension, or both of these skills- are weak or underdeveloped (Gough, 1972; Hoover & Gough, 1990; Joshi & Aaron, 2000; Savage, 2001). One type of reading difficulty that is frequently identified by teachers is known as "word calling." Previous research (Hamilton & Shinn, 2003; Hendricks, Reynolds & Sinatra, 2003, Meisinger, Bradley, Schwanenflugel, Kuhn, & Morris, 2009) found that teachers were not accurate in their identification of word callers (word callers). They tended to over-identify these students in their classrooms, confusing them with typical struggling readers. …

Effects Of Teacher-Led Reading Teaching Activities And Student Independent Reading On Fourth Grade Ell Student Reading Comprehension, Siping Liu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation study examines the effects of four teacher-led reading activities recommended by the reading teaching policy and student independent reading activity on the development of English language learners (ELL) reading proficiency at fourth grade in U.S. elementary schools. In this study, I first introduce the significance of studying the relationship between ELL reading development and the reading teaching activities recommended for ELL students' reading development and discuss the potential conflicts of the ideas underlying these teaching activities with some assumptions underlying the second language theories. With such an introduction as a base, I raise some research questions for my …

A Comparison Of The Incremental Rehearsal Method, The Pocket Word Method, And Repeated Reading Instructional-Level Text On The Word Retention, Words Read Per Minute, And Comprehension Of First-Grade Students, Lara Lynne Macquarrie

Dissertations

As partial fulfillment of a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, a retrospective, multi-element study was performed. The study compared the Incremental Rehearsal method (IR) and the Pocket Word method (PW) to each other and to Repeated Reading (within Instructional Level [RR-IL] by individually teaching words from the Dolch Word List to first-grade students. The effects of IR, PW, and RR-IL on the word retention, reading accuracy, words read per minute, passage retell, and aided comprehension of seven first-grade students were compared. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (4th edition) and the Dolch Word List were administered prior to intervention. The three …

Differentiated Reading In Primary Grades, Cara Cathleen Axe

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to help teachers integrate reading differentiation into the classroom and thus help students with their varied needs in learning to read. Differentiation of instruction is valuable in all areas, particularly in teaching reading. This project emphasizes that it is essential that teachers make reading skills and content accessible to all students. My purpose is to show the importance of differentiated reading instruction and to provide information and resources for teachers and parents.

Shared Reading Lessons For Fourth, Fifth, And Sixth Grade English Language Learners, Erin Marie Goin

All Graduate Projects

This project explains what shared reading is and how it fits into balanced literacy. It explores the benefits of shared reading for English language learners and things the teacher should consider when teaching them. The project includes a collection of shared reading lesson plans for teachers of fourth, fifth and sixth grade ELL students. It explains what shared reading is, materials needed, possible texts, and skills and strategies that can be taught in a lesson. This guide is intended to help teachers of fourth, fifth and sixth grade ELL students teach shared reading lessons in their classrooms.

Using Music With Read-Alouds, Michael James Bento

All Graduate Projects

The primary purpose of this project is to explore and expand the connection between music and picture book read-alouds. The literature review looks at the established educational value of the read-aloud as well as the use of music and how it has been used to help teach reading. Also, literature looking at student music preferences and the use of music as a tool for increasing intelligence is reviewed. Additionally, critical thinking skills and the subject specific area of music listening is examined. The process of the picture book selection and recorded music selection is explained and the project suggests music …

Enumclaw School District Summer Reading Program, Lea Kai Tiger

All Graduate Projects

The aim of this project is to improve the elementary summer school program currently offered by the Enumclaw School District by developing a reading program to be used by the summer school instructors. Instruction outside of the school day, characteristics of successful extracurricular programs, why reading needs to be the focus of the summer school program, and what to teach and how to teach reading were researched. Taking the information found after studying the aforementioned topics, a program to be used for the Enumclaw School District summer school was developed. The program consists of lessons, games, and strategies that can …

After-School Programs And Reading Achievement, Jamie M. Mack

All Graduate Projects

The relationship between participating in an after-school program and accelerating reading levels was studied. Seventy-three fifth-grade students were pre- and posttested using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test to determine reading levels. Thirty-six of the 73 students participated in an on-going 21" Century Academic After-School Program. The other 37 did not. The results showed that there was no statistical difference between participating in an after-school program and accelerating reading levels. The study also broke down the data by gender. These results showed that there was no statistical difference between males who participated and males who did not; however, there was a significant …

Using A Balanced Reading And Spelling Approach To Enhance The “Spell To Write To Read” Program For Preschool To Fifth Grade, Dawn A. Heer

All Graduate Projects

Reading is the foundation of much that society aspires to, even now in the age of technology. The teacher plays a key role in facilitating the learning of reading in an elementary school. By using a balanced reading approach through the use of spelling, phonics, writing and language, teachers will be able to apply user-friendly principles of reading with the curriculum, Spell to Write to Read. A handbook will be used to present this information during a workshop for teachers and para-professionals of preschool to fifth grade students.

Motivating Readers Through Policies And Classroom Practices, Christi Lynn Worthington

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project examined the role of motivation on literacy, through a specific method of teaching called Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI). The CORI program is designed to encourage reading motivation and comprehension through thematic teaching strategies designed around science concepts.

Increasing Fluency In Struggling Readers Through Newspaper Reading, Kimberly Bonice Koch

Theses Digitization Project

The focus on this study was on improving the oral reading fluency of third grade students who struggle in reading. One third grade teacher and six of her students participated in this 4 week study that examined the effect on fluency of newspaper reading and various constructive reading and engagement activites. These six students were assigned to an Optimal Learning Model pull-out fluency instruction using the newspaper as text. Results from the Developmental Reading Assessment instrument reveal significantly improved effects in the number if miscues, correct words per minute, and prosody for the six students. From the results, it is …

The Use Of Reciprocal Teaching As A Mediational Tool To Enhance Reading Comprehension, Luz Elena Nguyen

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to study how Reciprocal Teaching can best serve students in a third grade classroom for reading comprehension. A curriculum was developed to help the classroom teacher find a better way to teach reading comprehension using four important reading strategies: predicting, summarzing, clarifying and questioning. Several mediated tools were developed to enhance reading comprehension with clear explanations on how to implement Reciprocal Teaching with the current curriculum and California Standards on comprehension.

Creating A School Based Family Literacy Institute, Teresa Ann Cimino

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to assist parents, through the development of a school-based Family Literacy Institute, to learn to actively help their children when they read at home. The study will teach parents how to pick appropriate books for and with their children and use them as a read aloud. It is, also, to get parents involved with their children's literacy development and to support their educational experiences from elementary school through high school.

Use Of Read Alouds To Increase Reading Comprehension, Heather Cynthia Williams

Theses Digitization Project

There is a shift from learning to read towards reading to learn beginning in the fourth grade. This project focuses on the use of read alouds to teach concepts such as inference, generalization, and drawing conclusions to increase reading comprehension in fourth graders.

Effects Of Administrator Implemented Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Grouping On Reading Achievement Of Selected Sixth-Grade Students, Jerry L. Thacker

Dissertations

Problem. A Nation at Risk reported that the average achievement score of high-school students on most standardized tests is lower now than it was a quarter of a century ago, and the majority of the brightest students fail to achieve according to their ability. A salient problem in educating pupils is that of attaining reading comprehension achievement scores comparable to their intellectual potential. This study examines the effects of administrator implemented homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping on the reading achievement of selected sixth-grade students.

Method. This was a quasi-experimental study using parametric techniques. The tests for hypotheses were analysis of …

A Syllabus For First Grade Teachers: Introducing Reading As A Functional Skill Through Food-Related Activities And Food Preparation, Tonia Carlene Mckenzie

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of the project was two-fold. First, it was developed to teach first grade children the importance of learning to read as a functional necessity. The second purpose was to develop methods of doing this while simultaneously reinforcing several beginning reading and comprehension skills in a motivational way. Both purposes are addressed in a syllabus for first grade teachers that outlines how to use food-related experiences to supplement a beginning reading program.

A Skill Based Approach To Organizing And Cataloguing Supplemental Reading Materials At The Elementary Level, Patricia E. Selby

All Graduate Projects

This project organized and catalogued all of the supplemental reading materials of an elementary reading room according to a reading skills code list. The code list was developed by consulting reading skills lists and the school district's student learning objectives. Fifteen major skill areas were included in the code list. Each was broken down into subskills which were assigned code numbers. Each supplemental material was examined and catalogued under the appropriate code number. A handbook was compiled which explained the system and listed all of the materials by skill area.

A Program For Parents In Children’S Literature And Prereading Activities, James Patrick Rogers

All Graduate Projects

This project developed an educational program for parents of children in the lower economic classes. The program consisted of a series of workshops for parents to help them enrich the prereading background of their preschool and primary-grade children. The major emphasis was to acquaint parents with children's literature and with the importance of their role in the reading development of their children.

Experiencing Literature Through The Use Of The Caldecott Books, Janet Marie Jansen

All Graduate Projects

A handbook was developed to assist teachers and librarians in the presentation of the Caldecott books to elementary children. This handbook provides suggested enrichment materials and activities which can be used with children. Through these related activities children should become more aware of the importance of the Caldecott books as special picture books in the field of literature.

A Teacher’S Guide To Improve Vocabulary Development Through Strategies Using Pictures And Specific Written Practice Lessons, Diane Marie Danklefsen

All Graduate Projects

A vocabulary enrichment program of one hundred and twenty words for use at the third grade level was developed. The program included thirty weekly sets of formal written lessons to provide the opportunity for students to practice the meaning or multiple meanings of each word. A picture was used to represent the meaning or multiple meanings of each word.

A Comparative Investigation Of The Affects Of Parental Cooperation And No Known Parental Cooperation In Children’S Reading Skills, Suzanne Dorothea Lorain

All Master's Theses

Due to the low economic area from which the subjects for this experiment were chosen, many were lacking in environmental experiences which contributed to their growth in reading skills and interests in the primary grades. This experiment was devised as a means to study reading difficulties in children from a low socioeconomic area, while, at the same time, parents were used to help overcome those problems. The main purpose of this study was to compare and contrast improvement in reading interest and reading skills in matched groups of subjects of an experimental and a control group.

A Comparative Study Of The Open Court And Basal Reading Programs, Janice Kathryn Smith

All Master's Theses

The purpose was to compare the Open Court first grade reading program with a traditional Basal Method being taught at Lakeview Elementary School in the Lake Washington School District.

A Survey Of The Provisions For Critical Reading Skills In Basal Readers, Louis Alan Dillard

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the number of critical reading skills included in six basal reading series and how many of these skills each series contained. It was also the purpose of this study to determine the grade level at which each specific skill was introduced and further how many of these skills were introduced at the grade one level.

An Experimental Study Of The Effect Of Specialized Reading Treatment On The Reading Achievement Of Second Grade Students, Mary Lou Ames

All Master's Theses

Many pupils do not achieve success in reading by the traditional instruction. A few can be helped by remedial classes offering individual children help for specific difficulties. In this study a method was explored that suggests a plan that can be used in a regular classroom to benefit all low-achieving students.

Individualized Reading Instruction With Programmed Materials In A Third Grade, Alpha Pauline Lieb

All Master's Theses

This study was made to determine whether programmed reading materials could correct some of the reading difficulties that develop in children more effectively than the conventional basal approach to reading. Other purposes were to evaluate (1) the financial and administrative feasibility of programmed materials, (2) their effectiveness in individualizing instruction in reading, and (3) the benefits and/or hindrances these materials were to the teacher and students while working in a self-contained classroom situation.

Pre-Reading Visual Exercises For Disadvantaged Children, Ina Mary Rutherford

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to create tapes and accompanying materials for auto-instruction in developing visual discrimination skills at the pre-reading level. The tapes and materials were specifically designed to meet the needs of first grade children from a low socio-economic environment in Calgary, Alberta.

A Beginning Reading Program In Marshallese, Charles E. Eko

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop a beginning reading program in the indigenous Marshallese where there currently is no formal program, designed in a way to enable the indigenous teacher to teach reading.

The Extent Of Basal Reader Usage In Reading Programs By Elementary Teachers In The Wenatchee School District, Joe H. Schomer

All Master's Theses

This survey is not intended to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the basal reader program. It is designed to determine whether or not beginning or inexperienced teachers do, in fact, utilize basal programs to a greater extent than those with more experience.

Techniques To Help Disadvantaged Intermediate Elementary Children Learn To Read, Myrtle J. Stoutenburg

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is two-fold. The first objective is to review research done in the area of helping disadvantaged elementary children learn to read, the importance of this research to scholastic growth and whether or not it merits the time required for development of techniques and activities. The second objective is to formulate a collection of techniques and activities for helping disadvantaged elementary children learn to read.