Students Reading Below Grade Level: 4th Grade By: Annie La ED 7202, Spring 2012

Table of Contents Introduction Statement of Problem Review of Literature Statement of Hypothesis Participants Instrument(s) Research Design Procedure Results Discussion Implication References

Introduction Successful reading comprehension increases reading level (Pang, Muaka, Bernhardt & Kamil, n.d.) College readiness (ACT, n.d) Instructions, research and simple tasks (Mounce, n.d.) Reading Strategies Include fluency, vocabulary and comprehension (Duncan, 2010) Student frustration without application of reading strategies (Cooper, n.d.) Teachers need to model skills and strategies (Brenda, Buck & Giles, 2009)

Statement of Problem Eight million students in the nation read below grade level (Alliance of Excellent Eduaction, 2006) 40% are not fluent readers (Begeny, 2011) 46% of large city public schools in the fourth grade read below reading level. (The National Center for Education Statistics, 2009) 34% of the Nations public schools in the fourth graders are below reading level.

Review of Literature: Current Instructional Strategy Read aloud Model reading fluency (Kruse, 2007) Children learn through interactive read aloud (Campbell, 2001) Preview- Predict- Confirm Model (Furtado, 2008) Guided Reading Small groups working on the same reading strategy (Thames, 2008) Provides structure, instruction and purpose to reading (Ford & Opitz, 2011)

Pros: Read Aloud Increases comprehension of text, build vocabulary and familiarity with sound (Cummins & Stellmeyer-Gerade, 2011) Provide students with reading fluency (Adamson, Adamson, Anderson, Clausen-Grace, Earnes, Einarson, … Wooten, 2006) Critical questioning through text and talk (Beck & McKeown, 2001)

Cons: Read Aloud Does not teach reading strategies and skills Nonsense Word Fluency: phonetics and decoding (Cummings, Dewey, Latimer & Good III, 2011) Prevents beginning readers from reading independently Lost of interest Comfort of read aloud (Kruse,2007)

Pros: Guided Reading Students become independent readers (Ford & Opitz, 2011) Build comprehension strategies through model and practice (Ferguson & Wilson, 2009) Increase reading comprehension, accuracy, fluency and vocabulary Gain skills in word recognition, reading texts and writing (Santa & Hoien, 1999)

Cons: Guided Reading The strategies taught in guided reading are redundant and can be seen in other lessons throughout the day. Reading skills and strategies are taught as part of a lesson within the curriculum (Ferguson & Wilson, 2009)

Theorists & Practitioners Francis Galton: mental measurement Lewis Terman- intelligence test in 1922 (Cadenhead, 1987) Fountas & Pinnell: A-Z text gradient (Thomas, n.d.) Guided Reading: Emmett Betts- directed reading activity in 1946 Lillian Gray and Dora Reese- guided reading questions (Ford & Opitz , 2011)

Statement of Hypothesis Providing one group of six - fourth grade students in P.S. X, Brooklyn, NY with guided reading instruction for 40 minutes, every morning, four days a week for six weeks, will increase students’ reading level as measured by Fountas and Pinnell’s running record. Having the second group of six - fourth grade students in P.S. X, Brooklyn, NY without guided reading instruction, every morning, four days a week for six weeks, will not increase students’ reading level as measured by Fountas and Pinnell’s running record.

Participants Two focus groups Group 1: extra guided reading in the morning Group 2: does not receive guided reading in the morning

Research Design Quasi-Experimental Design Two groups Non-equivalent control group Two groups Groups randomly assigned but individuals are not Individuals based on reading level: J/K/L Groups may include IEP and ELL learners Symbol Design: O X1 O O X2 O (O) Pre-test, (X1) Treatment for Group 1, (X2) Treatment for Group 2, (O) Post-test

Threats to Internal Validity History Maturation Testing/ Pretesting Instrumentation Mortality Statistical Regression Selection-Maturation Interaction

Threats to External Validity Ecological Validity New York City public schools Multiple Treatments An increase in guided reading throughout the day/week Novelty Effect Guided reading books online

Procedure Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System: Level K Pre-Test: January Post-Test: March Accuracy scores: 95%-100%- independent level K, re-tested level L 90%-95%- guided reading level K Below 90%- re-tested level J

Pre-Test/ Post-Test Results Descriptive Statistics   Pre-Test Post-Test Mean 85.500 88.667 Descriptive Statistics   Pre-Test Post-Test Mean 87.667 92.833 3.70% 5.89%

Survey Analysis and Correlation Post Test Scores Pre-Test Scores .rxy= 0.229 .rxy=0.797 Student x y 1 4 78 2 5 94 3 71 82 89 6 92 7 93 8 90 9 91 10 11 74 12 Student x y 1 4 91 2 5 97 3 68 90 6 95 7 92 8 99 9 87 10 11 12 98

Bell Curve Post-Test Pre-Test Mean: 90.75 Mean: 86.583 SD: 8.058 Var: 64.932 Pre-Test Mean: 86.583 SD: 8.163 Var: 66.629

Discussion & Implications Additional guided reading instruction increases reading level Treatment group V.S. Non-treatment group: 5% increase Further research is needed Extended period of time

References ACT. Reading between the lines: what the ACT reveals about college readiness in reading. Retrieved from http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/FF204E0B-65B5-4DD4-9FAE-EE0C99ACB370/0/ACTReportSummary.pdf Adamson, P., Adamson, B., Anderson, L., Clausen-Grace, N., Earnes, A., Einarson, C., … Wooten, A. (2006). Read and write it out loud!: Guided oral literacy strategies. School Library Journal, 52, 90. Alliance for Excellent Education. (2006, February). Adolescent literacy [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F62A486B-B05E-48F6-9503-F2A129416D28/0/AdolescentLiteracyFactSheet.pdf Beck, I., & McKeown, M. (2001). Capturing the benefits of read-aloud experiences for young children. The Reading Teacher. 55 (1), 10-20. Begeny, C. (2011). Effects of the helping early literacy with practice strategies (HELPS) reading fluency program when implemented at different frequencies. The School Psychology Review, 40 (1), 149-57. Brenda, B., Buck, K., & Giles, R. (2009). First-grade reading gains following enrichment: phonics plus decodable texts compared to authentic literature read aloud. Reading Improvement, 46(4), 191-205. Cadenhead, K. (1987). Reading level: A metaphor that shapes practice. The Phi Delta Kappan, 68(6), 436-441. Campbell, R. (2001). Read-alouds with young children. International Reading Association, 114. Cooper, D. (n.d.). Stopping reading failure: Reading intervention for upper-grade students. Retrieved from http://www.beyond-the-book.com/strategies/strategies_012506.html Cummings, K., Dewey, E., Latimer, R., & Good III, R. (June 2011). Pathways to word reading and decoding: The roles of automaticity and accuracy. The School Psychology Review, 40 (2), 284-295. Cummins, S., & Stellmeyer-Gerade, C. (2011).Teaching for synthesis for informational texts with read-alouds. Reading Teacher, 64(6), 394-405. Duncan, P. (2010). Instilling a lifelong love of reading. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 46 (2), 90-93. English Language Arts [Chart]. (2011). Retrieved from New York City Department of Education Web Site: http://schools.nyc.gov/daa/test_info/default.asp

References Ferguson, J., & Wilson, J. (2009). Guided reading: It’s for the primary teachers. College Reading Association Yearbook, 30, 293-306. Ford, M., & Opitz, M. (2011). Looking back to move forward with guided reading. Reading Horizons, 50(4), 225-240. Furtado, L. (2008). A read-aloud cross-age service learning partnership using multicultural stories. The Reading Matrix, 8(2), 96-107. Kruse, M. (2007). Read- alouds? Think again. School Library Journal, 53(6), 36-37. Mounce, A. (n.d.). Strategies to teach students reading below grade level. Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=9647&CAT=none National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Science. (2009). Trial urban district snapshot report: Reading 2009. [Data set]. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/dst2009/2010461XN4.pdf O’Connor-Petruso, S. (2012). Descriptive Statistics Threats to Validity [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://bbhosted.cuny.edu/webapps/portal/ Pang, E., Muaka, A., Bernhardt, E., & Kamil, M. (n.d.). Teaching reading: Educational practices series- 12. International Academy of Education, 6-24. Prado, L., Lee, P. (2011). Increasing reading comprehension through the explicit teaching of reading strategies: Is there a difference among the genders? Reading Improvement, 48 (1), 32-43. Ross, J. (2004). Effects of running records assessment on early literacy achievement. Journal of Education Research, 97(4), 186-194. Santa, C., & Hoien, T. (1999). An assessment of early steps: A program for early intervention of reading problems. Reading Research Quarterly. 34, 54-79. Thames, D., Reeves, C., Kazelskis, R., York, K., Boling, C., Newell, K., & Yang, W. (2008). Reading comprehension: Effects of individualized, integrated language arts as a reading approach with struggling readers. Reading Psychology, 29, 86-115. Thomas. (n.d.). Fountas and Pinnell- Early literacy experts offer new reading intervention program. Retrieved from http://www.openeducation.net/2009/05/15/fountas-and-pinnell-early-literacy-experts-offer-new-reading-intervention-program/

Student Survey Sample Question: Part I: Frequencies Directions: Fill in the lettered box corresponding to your answer.   (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Never- Once 2-3 times 4-5 times Everyday 0 times per week per week per week I spend time reading outside of school. 1. _______ I spend time reading in school. 2. _______ Part III: Short Response What are some of your favorite books to read? _______________________________________________________

Student Surveys Cont. Sample Question: Part IV: Background Information Directions: Fill in completely the lettered box corresponding to your answer. Example: Answer = a = = b = = c = = d = = e = 1. Gender: a. Male b. Female 1. __________ 2. Where were you born? 2. ________ a. USA b. South/ Central America c. Europe or Canada d. Asia e. Africa

Teacher Survey Sample Question Part II: Agree/ Disagree Directions: Fill in the lettered box corresponding to your answer. Example: (1) (2) (3) (4) Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 1. My lesson plans are interdisciplinary with reading. 1. ____ 2. I conduct read aloud in my classroom. 2. ____