Elementary Education Commons^™

How Rhythm Affects Prosody, Mckenzie Ward

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Music interventions and how they benefit reading fluency have been researched, but there is more to be done in discovering the benefits of rhythm and prosody. This quantitative research study looked at how rhythm-based interventions affect student prosody in a second-grade classroom. Data were gathered from a music experience survey, a prosody pre-assessment, and a prosody post-assessment. The music intervention in this study involved three rhythm-based interventions called “DeeDee games.” This research analyzed and compared the growth between the prosody pre-and post-assessments and the results between students with musical backgrounds and students without musical backgrounds. This study found insufficient evidence …

Better For Gifted Students? Comparing The Sem-R Program For Gifted And Typically Gifted Students, Catie Snowden

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Schoolwide Enrichment Model in Reading will raise comprehension and retelling in typically developing and gifted and talented students. The research questions ask whether the program will increase comprehension (question 1) and if the program was more effective for the gifted students versus the general classroom population (question 2). The Schoolwide Enrichment Model in Reading was implemented through a 4-week study with pre- and post- assessments to measure the changes in comprehension and retelling. The results showed that the Schoolwide Enrichment Model in Reading was effective in raising comprehension and retelling …

Using Song To Teach Sight Words, Taylor Hagood Guin

Graduate Research Showcase

This research is about how a group of seven kindergarten classes used a short and straightforward song to recognize the following six common kindergarten sight words: on, off, up, us, no, & go. As a current music educator and former middle grades English teacher, I wanted to create an opportunity to establish cross-curricular connections in my music classroom. For this specific experiment, seven different classes, including General Education, Self-Contained Special Education, and English Language Learning classes, were selected. They were taught these six sight word songs through the “Sight Word Song.” I selected the sight words specifically because the students …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Teaming Practices In Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support And Overall Implementation Fidelity Of Elementary School-Wide Reading Models, Stephney Anderson Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) have been increasingly implemented in schools since the re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. Despite researchers’ efforts to identify elements of MTSS— including evidence-based practices, leadership and communication systems and structures to address learning needs— it has been challenging to identify what makes MTSS work in schools. In fact, researchers have found that schools who implement MTSS on their own tend to stray from the intended practices when the external support of coaches or research teams fades from the school (Balu, Zhu, Doolittle, …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teaching Literacy To English Language Learners (Ells) Who Struggle With Reading And Who Are In A Suburban District In New York State, Kara A. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP; National Center for Education Statistics, 2020) have shown that despite efforts to raise the literacy skill levels of students in elementary school, the average reading scores for fourth-grade students in 2019 were still cause for concern. The NAEP data showed the reading scores in four percentiles (i.e., 10th, 25th, 50th, and 75th) from 2019 dropped in comparison with the corresponding data garnered in 2017 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020). In addition, the number of students whose first language is not English has soared by 105% in the last decade (i.e., …

Improving Vocabulary Outcomes Through Language Resources: A Single Case Design Of First Grade Emergent Bilinguals Engaged In Literacy Intervention, Brooke S, Coté

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While there is a strong literature base demonstrating the importance of early literacy interventions for monolingual learners at-risk for reading difficulties, little research exists on how to effectively support the literacy needs and language assets of emergent bilinguals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an evidence-based reading intervention with a translanguaging component, on vocabulary outcomes for first grade emergent bilinguals. By utilizing an alternating treatment single case design with two conditions, this project aimed to address the following research questions: Is there a functional relationship between an evidence-based reading intervention with a translanguaging component compared …

Third- Through Fifth-Grade Males And The Reading Gap: Factors That Aid In The Reading Gap In Relation To Their Female Counterparts, Tina Alexander

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The study was designed to provide key factors that impact male reading gaps in relation to females using a quantitative approach. K-5 teachers and reading specialists were given a survey on reading and how it pertains to males and reading. The surveys consisted of the importance of reading, reading efficacy, reading avoidance, reading challenges, recognition for reading, social reasons for reading, reading curiosity, reading for grades, compliance, and competition in reading. I analyzed the perceptions of K-5 teachers and reading specialists as they relate to males and their reading gaps in relation to female students in a small school district. …

The Impact Of Repeated Reading Interventions On Second Grade Readers, Katelyn Schmitz

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

ABSTRACT

Reading is a lifelong skill that is used in many other subject areas. When students aren’t meeting the academic standards set before them in reading, often times, reading interventions take place. Repeated reading is an intervention that targets improving students’ oral reading fluency. This study took place during a second grade classroom’s reading intervention time. The study included four students from my class that were reading below a second grade reading level. I worked one-on-one with these students to conduct the intervention. The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the intervention of repeated reading in …

Culturally Relevant Teaching For The 21st Century: The Success And Challenges Of Pre-Service Teachers When Using Technology In Critical Ways, Virginie Jackson, Stacy Delacruz, Dominique Harry

Georgia Journal of Literacy

This case study examined pre-service teachers' use of technology as they implemented culturally relevant literacy lessons while tutoring elementary students in their field placement sites. As we enter a new decade, we want our students to be future-ready with technology skills. Here, we present an examination of how pre-service teachers integrated culturally relevant teaching with technology along with a discussion of the tools and devices their students used. Findings provided evidence that as pre-service teachers experienced authentic and engaging learning experiences within a supportive space, they emerged equipped to teach in culturally responsive ways that supported student learning and deeper …

Efficiency Of Teaching Sight Words In Similar Vs Dissimilar Sets, Jensen Chotto

LSU Master's Theses

Early reading intervention can decrease the likelihood that children who struggle with reading develop long-term reading problems. Due to the prevalence of words that cannot be read phonetically in the English language, sight word instruction is required to supplement phonics instruction. In this study, we compared the effects of creating sets of sight words with the same starting letter (3 words per set, 3 total sets) versus distributing words with the same starting letter across sets when assessing acquisition of the combined set (9 words) in five 4-to-6-year-old children using a combined adapted alternating treatments design and pre-posttest design. All …

Front-End-Connective Phonics Effectiveness In Reading And Spelling In Fifth Through Seventh Grade Students, Bridget Weber

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This 2021 study experimentally investigated the impact five front-end-connective phonics had on the academic performance of middle school students in reading and spelling DIBELS nonsense words. In the upper grades, students depend on whole-word instruction instead of phoneme awareness. My focus was on whether or not front-end-connective phonics instruction played a significant role in the outcome of students’ scores on reading and spelling tests. Participants were assessed twice in both reading and spelling. The participants took an assessment at the beginning of the study and then a final assessment at the end of the study. The research took place in …

Learning To Adapt: Redesigning Ela Instruction While Student Teaching During Covid-19, Elizabeth A. Morphis

New Jersey English Journal

Preservice teachers who were student teaching in the Spring of 2020 were faced with unprecedented challenges, however, they were also presented with many learning opportunities. This article considers the perspectives of the newest members of the teaching profession and how they adapted ELA instruction during COVID-19.

Uniting In A Reading Education Course To Support Mental Health Awareness During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Latasha Holt, Teesha Finkbeiner

New Jersey English Journal

This article discusses a unique attempt to support pre-service teachers in a reading course as they grappled with abrupt changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. A partnership raised awareness of mental health impacting pre-service teachers in the present and serving students in the future improving academic success.

The Impact Of Station Rotations In 2nd Grade Reading, Rebecca Draayer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Selecting a classroom approach which engages students and prepares them for success can be challenging for teachers. Educators have to take into account resources available for instruction as well as the demographics of their classroom. This action research study followed second grade students over a four-month period in a reading classroom that utilized the station rotation approach of blended learning. The reason for selecting the station rotation model of blended learning was to improve students' reading scores. It was a goal of this action research to see if a more active approach to teaching would help improve student reading skills. …

Evidence-Based Best Practices For Kindergarten Reading, Rachel Dolehanty

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review aims to highlight evidence-based best practices for kindergarten reading instruction. Popular reading curriculums and instructional cueing strategies are discussed in relation to their effectiveness for kindergarten reading success. Meaning-emphasis versus code- emphasis reading curriculum philosophies are explored, and specific curriculums that fall into these categories are discussed. Metacognition strategies and their relation to successful reading instruction are underscored. Interventions are examined in the areas of kindergarten phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension, and writing. Successful interventions in each of these areas of literacy instruction are highlighted through current research.

Minority Students: A Quantitative Study Of Self-Efficacy And The Relationship To Fourth Grade Reading Achievement, Tanicia Marie Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

Education reform continues at a rapid pace in American schools, yet many minority students continue to struggle with reading achievement. This quantitative study examines the relationship between self-efficacy and fourth grade reading achievement. The theoretical framework for this study uses Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and Jerome Bruner’s Constructivist Theory. This research study asked three questions. First, what is the relationship between self-efficacy and student reading achievement? Second, is there a significant relationship between self-concept and socioeconomic status on student reading achievement? Third, is there a significant relationship between self-efficacy on student achievement for any of the independent variables of …

Examining The Relationship Between Academic Achievement And English Language Proficiency, Cynthia Grant Hyacinth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

English language learners continue to be a growing demographic in American schools. Despite this, linguistically diverse students’ academic achievement continues to lag behind their native English-speaking counterparts. Historically, language proficiency measures have measured language proficiency in terms of social English, neglecting the importance of academic language development. Using Cummins’ threshold hypothesis as a framework for distinguishing social English development from academic language development, language proficiency assessments and standardized assessments focused on reading achievement were examined. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine if a relationship exists between 5th grade English language learners scores on a state-mandated standardized …

Teaching Children To Decode Words: Connected Versus Segmented Phonation, Selenid M. Gonzalez-Frey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Two methods of decoding instruction were compared. Kindergartners who could not decode nonwords participated in the study, N = 38, M = 5.6 years. Segmented phonation, frequently used in synthetic phonics programs, taught students to convert graphemes to phonemes by breaking the speech stream (“sss – aaa – nnn”) before blending. Connected phonation taught students to pronounce phonemes without breaking the speech stream (“sssaaannn”) before blending. Kindergartners were matched and randomly assigned to the two conditions. Both groups were taught to decode the same set of CVC nonwords consisting of continuant consonants and vowels that could be stretched and connected …

Story Squad: Connecting Books, Standards, And Literature Circles, Leslie Cowell

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Story Squad was developed after experiencing the use of Literature Circles in a fourth grade classroom. Students enjoyed the idea, but the jobs themselves and process were not engaging. Story Squad presents roles for connecting to literature after giving students “a mission” to solve. Roles expand past the traditional Literature Circle roles and directly connect to state standards. Can be used and adapted for 3-8^th grade.

Read, Write, Rhyme: Increasing Reading Performance With Hip-Hop Texts, Crystal Monique Lavoulle

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation describes the Harlem Renaissance to Hip Hop Movement, a literacy program that uses best practices in literacy instruction to improve reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing. Moving beyond educational hip-hop songs and videos, this presentation offers insight into effective ways to increase Georgia Milestone Assessment scores in both English language arts and social studies using a variety of hip-hop texts.

Creating Strategies: Designing Lessons For The Elementary Classroom, Elizabeth A. Morphis

The Montana English Journal

The relationship between reading skills and reading strategies is important to consider as teachers design individual strategy lessons to support bigger concepts or skills that elementary students need to apply. This article highlights three reading strategy lessons that were designed and implemented by preservice teachers to support students in the elementary classroom. The reading strategies supported the skills of communication, summarizing, and reading comprehension. The lessons were effectively planned and executed because they connected to the students’ lives and interests, facilitated communication, and focused on the lesson objective.

Differential Effects Of Digital Vs. Print Text On Reading Comprehension And Behaviors In Students With Adhd, Lara Nash Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

This study was conducted using a qualitative single-case, embedded design in a 4th grade elementary classroom with five participants. One purpose of this inquiry was to evaluate the differential effects between digital and print text on reading comprehension of literary texts on students with ADHD. A second purpose of this study was to evaluate and determine the differential effects reading digitally and from print have on specific off and on-task reading behaviors with these same participants. The goal of this research was to generate a comprehensive case description and analysis that will contribute to the evolving theories of best practice …

Learning To Teach Reading Responsively Through Tutoring, Jodi Nickel, Scott Frederick Hughes

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article describes a community service learning collaboration between a teacher education program and a nonprofit literacy society. Seventeen teacher candidates (TCs) tutored young readers weekly for seven months as part of their course-related field experience and completed reflective assignments analyzing their own learning and the learning of their tutees. The study demonstrates how the tutoring experience enhanced the pedagogical competence of TCs (kid-watching, assessment, instruction, responsiveness, professional conversations, and affirmation of impact). These findings align with contemporary research in literacy teacher preparation, which identifies that the combination of coursework and tutoring is effective in promoting the integration of TC …

Power Of Choice: Empowerment Through Reading, Sarah Heise

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the impact and relationship between empowerment through choice of literary work and hand-selection “on-level” books within public schools, precisely grade three, in the West-Central region of Minnesota. Twenty-three third graders completed a written questionnaire before and after the study to determine their preference when reading for enjoyment using a Richter Scale. Upon completion of the study, students’ Accelerated Reader scores, a tool for comprehension, were thoroughly analyzed and calculated. Scores were sorted between choice books, those that students chose for themselves, and hand-selected “on-level” texts that I chose for them. The …

The Missing Mirror: A Critical Content Analysis Of Multicultural Children's Literature With Black Male Characters, Wendy Harris

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Education in America is facing many challenges, such as the adoption of common core standards and the demand for highly qualified teachers (Darling-Hammond, 2010). Further, the achievement gap lingers on, with Black males often performing poorly on national assessments of reading proficiency (Tatum, 2005). Although Black males are highly literate, they may feel alienated from traditional school systems and classroom reading selections (Kirkland, 2013). One of the most effective strategies for teachers to bridge the gap in reading is to inspire Black males to get engaged with their books and read for longer periods of time. However, children are more …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Reading Wonders: Is It Really A Wonder? A Program Evaluation, Myra A. Richardson

Dissertations

Reading programs are essential tools for leaders to use while building literacy. The transfer from instructional delivery to student knowledge should be easily recognizable in the end-of-year assessment data. As the principal analyzing the end-of-year data, I discovered a problem when I struggled to see this transfer in my data. The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine whether teachers perceived Reading Wonders to be an effective reading program for the school district as well as whether the assessment data aligned with teachers’ perceptions. A survey was used to collect responses from the participants and an Excel spreadsheet was …

Successful Instructional Reading Practices For African American Male Third-Grade Students, Kimberly D. Whaley, Steve Wells, Nancy Williams

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

African American male third graders in U.S Title I schools frequently fail to read on grade level. However, in three Title I schools in East Texas, this demographic demonstrated exceptionally high reading ability. This explanatory case study investigated the instructional strategies and practices linked to high reading achievement for these students. The study is grounded in Ladson-Billings’s theory of culturally relevant pedagogy and supported by Vygotsky’s theory of social and cognitive constructivism. The research questions were used to examine the instructional strategies and practices used on each campus that may have resulted in such high reading achievement. This study engenders …

The Effectiveness Of Cooperative Learning In The Reading Classroom, Amelia Tankersley, Joshua A. Cuevas

Perspectives In Learning

This research examined the effectiveness of specific methods of cooperative learning on reading comprehension, motivation, and attitudes. The study implemented Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) and the Jigsaw method in a rural public elementary school and included 60 participants from 3rd grade reading classes. One group used the CSR method to read information on four different topics while the other group read information on the same topics using the Jigsaw method. After controlling for initial attitudes, motivation, and global reading comprehension, the results indicated that neither of these methods led to greater gains in these areas than the other. However, when …

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 …

Creating Real-World Readers: Literacy Circles In Third Grade, Dejanee Gregory

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study addresses the topic of literature circles in an elementary classroom and their implications on students’ attitudes toward reading and their self-perceptions as readers. The author was a preservice teacher placed in a yearlong clinical teaching internship in a third-grade English Language Arts departmentalized classroom. The goal of the study was to implement literature circles in hopes to better understand students’ attitudes and self-perceptions as readers. For this study, the author collected data in the form of student interviews, survey data, a personal reflective journal, observations, and students’ reflections. Utilizing the constant comparative method, the author analyzed data for …