ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL Kimberly Miniter EDU671 Dr. Dennis Lawrence July 27, 2016

AREA OF FOCUS  The purpose of this study is to determine the most effective method of teaching writing to a rising fourth grade student with processing difficulties through the use of various writing techniques.

EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM  10-year old daughter entering fifth grade  Struggled in school for years – “lazy”  School administered psychological testing  Diagnosed with “dysgraphia”  Inability to free-write

 Reading specialist  Lack of time  Lack of resources  Over-abundance of students  Will help her overcome this challenge EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM

 Evidence-based strategies  Overall writing improves  Eliminate variables to elicit genuine change

VARIABLES  “Force of change” (Elements of Research: Variables, n.d.)  Reduced motivation  Timing of project  Familial relationships

RESEARCH QUESTIONS Postcard Graphic Organizer Journal Strategies

RESEARCH QUESTIONS Postcard Graphic Organizer Learning details Comprehension Paraphrasing

RESEARCH QUESTIONS Journal Sentence writing Recite facts from memory

LOCUS OF CONTROL  “…manageable…interesting…avoid disruption…” (Landrum, 2013, p.7)  Number of subjects  Location  Time constraints  Motivated subject

INTERVENTION / INNOVATION Strategies Sentence construction Recalling details Paraphrasing Re-telling a story

INTERVENTION/INNOVATION Graphic Organizer:  CCSS 1.2.5E, “Use text structure…to interpret information…  “…chronology, comparison, cause/effect…”(Common Core State Standards, 2016, p.1). Postcard:  CCSS 1.2.5A, “Determine…main ideas in a text…  …explain key details; summarize the text” (Common Core State Standards, 2016, p.1). Journal:  CCSS 1.2.5C “Explain…interactions between…individuals, events, ideas, concepts  …based on specific information in the text” (Common Core State Standards, 2016, p.1). Common Core State Standards: Pennsylvania 5 th grade English Language Arts

NEGOTIATIONS  No potential obstacles identified  Student is cooperative and motivated  Study takes place at home  Timing

ETHICS  Ethics: “…how [we] treat individuals…[in] school…” (Mills, 2014, p.31)  “…little distance between researchers and their subjects” (Mills, 2014, p.31)  Main concern is the mother/daughter relationship  Pushing too hard?  Remember boundaries/limits  Treat her like a student – not daughter

STATEMENT OF RESOURCES  Books: Student’s choice  Pens, pencils, markers, crayons  Graphic organizer hand-out  Postcard hand-out  Journal or lined paper

TIMELINE Discuss dysgraphia; explain project Complete informed consent Choose books for each week Create calendar; add book titles Begin reading books; one / week Complete four assignments weekly Review daily using CCSS guidelines Continue for 3 weeks Administer semantic differential survey BEGIN END

DATA COLLECTION Research Questions Data Collection Tool Why this tool?Timeframe: 1. If the student completes a graphic organizer after she finishes her reading, will that improve her writing over time? Completed graphic organizer Facts from memory Details Twice per week. Data reviewed daily to compare against CCSS. 2. If the student creates a postcard to complete after her readings, will that improve her writing over time? Completed postcard Comprehension Paraphrasing Twice per week. Data reviewed daily to compare against CCSS. 3. If the student completes a journal entry about the readings, will that improve her writing over time? Completed journal entry Facts from memory Re-telling the story Twice per week. Data reviewed daily to compare against CCSS. RESEARCH QUESTIONS and TOOLS

DATA COLLECTION Boring Exciting Journal Postcard Graphic organizer SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL (Mills, 2014, p. 103) SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL (Mills, 2014, p. 103)

REFERENCES Common Core State Standards. (2016). Retrieved July 16, 2016, from Elements of Research : Variables. (n.d.). Retrieved July 29, 2016, from Gillespie, A., & Graham, S. (2011, Winter). Evidence-based practices for teaching writing. Johns Hopkins School of Education: Evidence Based Education Magazine. Retrieved July 29, 2016, from Landrum, R. E. (2013). Research design for educators: Real-world connections and applications. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Mills, G. E. (2014). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.