Intensive Phonics Instruction An Action Research Project Elisabeth Bowman CURR-650

The Problem Large number of beginning and low intermediate English language learners Lack of phonics instruction in upper elementary and middle school Need to produce grade-level ability readers in very short time Students also struggling with new grapheme system

The Question Will intensive and direct phonics instruction help English language learners become better readers more quickly than the general English language development that has been provided to them in the past?

The Students Name Grade/ ELPA level Sex First Lang. Immi- gration Parent ability Sibling ability Abu 2 (repeat) Basic M Bengali 2010 Mother: none Father: LI None Jafrul Father: B Brother: 1st grade, LI Aniut 3 High Int. birth unknown Sabab Low Int Mother: Int. Father: lives in Bangladesh Brother: 7th grade, LI

The Students Name Grade/ ELPA level Sex First Lang. Immi- gration Parent ability Sibling ability Shaima 3 LI F Arabic 2010 Mother: none Father: I Brothers: 7th LI K B Sisters: 5th AP PK none Zackary 4 M Mother: native Father: HI oral, no reading or writing Brother: 1st grade, LI Sisters: high school, HI Abdulla 6 B

The Intervention Self-developed word family based phonics and sight words Review vowel sounds: short and long Read aloud books with target phonemic element signal (snap fingers) Decodable book Word work Daily sight word practice

The Results Progress monitoring NWEA test Spelling tests Sight word speed / accuracy NWEA test Same test, new items Responsive to student answers Able to calculate growth Compare 2010-2011 fall to winter growth with 2011-2012

The Results 2010-2011 Average Growth: 16% 2011-2012 Average Growth: 159% Grade Name Winter Growth % 10-11 Winter Growth & 11-12 2 Jafrul -33% 12% Abu 81% 18% 3 Sabab 14% 58% Shaima 67% 233% Aniut 48% 55% 4 Zackary -82% 520% 6 Abdulla 31% 220%

Limitations / Further Research Time for implementation 30 min a day, 4 days a week Lost time for immediate need instruction Lost time for standardized testing administration Age appropriate reading material Full experimental style research on L2 acquisition, particularly reading, for students with different L1 graphemes