1. THEATRICAL INSTRUCTION DURING LITERACY WILL DECREASE BEHAVIORS AND INCREASE ENGAGEMENT FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE "ALL STUDENTS CAN LEARN!" BY: CELINA HAILE

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Demographics Children and youth with autism, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, or emotional disturbance each accounted for between 6 and 8 percent of students served under IDEA. (Statistics, 2015) Current demographics includes children with ED are more likely to be economically challenged (32%), male (80%) and single parent household (38%) (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). Students classified with emotional disturbance has an estimated prevalence rate of language deficits that are "between" 66% to 91%. Difficulties in pragmatics 71% and up to almost 90% in language deficits in children with emotional deficits are undiagnosed.

3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Students with special needs require a certain amount of attention and care during academic instruction in school. Such teaching requires careful thought of the audience one is teaching. It also requires a teacher to evaluate the students individually and as a whole in order to make a determination about what the students need in order to learn. How is teaching going to be meaningful and effective for students with severe deficits such as, Attention Deficit Disorders and Emotional Disturbance? These conditions of which will have an immediate effect on their learning abilities. These disorders will also impede the learning of their peers in their immediate contact. If children are interested in what the presenter in front of them is saying, students will be less likely to be distracted or aggressive. Theatrical Instruction can demand the attention of the audience and, hypnotize the crowd, with the animation of a voice and or illustrations.

4. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS Theatrical teaching during literacy will decrease aggressive behaviors for 2 six year old students, 2 seven year old students and 4 eight year old male students with Emotional Disturbance in a self-contained District 75 Public School in Brooklyn, NY. 1 time per day during Literacy for 50 minutes per day for 4 weeks will decrease aggressive behaviors by 50% as measured by a continuum of daily observations, checklist.

5. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The experimental design that will be used is a ABAB single-case experimental design. The reversal design is when an initial baseline stage (A1) is followed by a treatment stage (B1), a return to the baseline (A2), and then another treatment stage (B2). Observations will take place to see whether behavior changes on introduction of the treatment reverses when the treatment is withdrawn, and improves again when the treatment is introduced. The frequency of off task behaviors including aggressive behaviors during literacy will be recorded for each of the students, to determine a baseline. After a baseline has been established for all of the students, the implementation of theatrical instruction in the classroom for 50 minutes will be implemented during literacy. Next, the implementation will be withdrawn and the frequency of disruptive behavior will be recorded. Last, the intervention will be implemented again and the frequency of disruptive behavior will be recorded one last time.

6. THREATS TO INTERNAL VALIDITY History: History is a possible threat because there are possible outside events that could influence the authenticity of my research. For example, if a student or students are having challenges in their personal life, their classroom behavior and levels of engagement may be negatively affected. Another possible threat is the possibility of students behaviors affected by weather or if medication was taken at home prior to coming to school. Maturation: This is a possible threat because there can always be possible physical and emotional changes that are taking place.

7. THREATS TO INTERNAL VALIDITY Testing/Pretesting sensitization: Although there will be no formal testing done during my research, there will however be pre and post observations and pre and post student interest and preference sheets will be used as a measuring tool. Based on this, I believe the possible internal threats could be that the person who is observing the student may distract the student/s. Another problem could be that the students may not be truthful when about their reading preferences. Instrumentation: Is a possible threat because all participants such as students, parents and teachers/staff may not always be honest. Also, human error is possible. The opinion of "off task behavior" could vary from staff to staff.

8. THREATS TO EXTERNAL VALIDITY Threats to External Validity: Ecological validity: This is a possible threat because the methods used may not be carried over in different environments. Generalizable conditions: Is a possible threat because the data that is collected may vary depending on the opinions of the evaluators. Selection- treatment interaction: This is a possible threat because the students were not randomly selected for my study. Multiple treatments: Is a possible threat because the case studies that are being used are receiving other treatments and services for their conditions. For example, students who have one to one paraprofessionals working with them during literacy may alter student behavior.

9. DATA COLLECTION  DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS : STUDENT SURVEY- demographics, attitude, frequency  ABAB DESIGN : SYMBOLIC DESIGN:  TEACHER MADE OFF-TASK OBSERVATION SHEET. (pre and post)  TEACHER MADE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT SHEET. (pre and post)

10. STUDENT SURVEY Appendix (1)Sample Student Survey pre/post (DRAFT) Name____________ Date________________ Directions: Look at the pictures, circle number to answer the questions. (Students may need verbal prompts to answer questions.) 1=No 2=maybe/sometimes 3=Yes 1 2 3 I like when people read to me but sometimes, I don't like the stories. 1 2 3 I like to read books to someone. 1 2 3 I like to read books by myself. 1 2 3

11. SAMPLE PARENT SURVEY QUESTIONS  I am the only adult in the household 1= Strongly Disagree 2= Disagree 3= Agree 4= Strongly Agree Although I would love to read to my child, I just don't have the time 1= Strongly Disagree 2= Disagree 3= Agree 4= Strongly Agree When at home, my child would pick up a book to read without being asked 1= Strongly Disagree 2= Disagree 3= Agree 4= Strongly Agree

12. STUDENT RESPONSES (pre)

13. STUDENT RESPONSES (POST)

14. TEACHER MADE STUDENT OBSERVATION SHEET(raw data)

15. STATISTICAL DATA

20. RESULTS DEMOGRAPHICS  A PARENT SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED 3/16. Based on question #1, which asked the number of parents in the household; all parents of the participants response was 1. It is my opinion that a students disinterest in reading could be connected to children who parents just don't have time to read to their children. (Question #2) Concluding that children who fall in these categories, are more likely to be less engaged or struggle with reading. PARENT SURVEY According to the parent survey that was conducted, parents seem to wish that they had more time to spend with their children reading but it is very difficult to balance all the motherly duties and responsibilities. Including: Multiple children, work, cooking, cleaning and managing a household. The parent survey also shows that the participants are not observed reading at home. (according to parents.)

21. RESULTS PRE INTERVENTION  When asked if they enjoyed reading but sometimes did not like the story.  7 out of 8 students agreed and only 1 disagreed.  When asked if the student enjoyed reading to someone else, only 1 agreed and 7 disagreed.  When asked if the student enjoyed reading alone: All students agreed. POST INTERVENTION  In the end:  All students voted that they enjoyed listening to stories and that they enjoyed the stories more with “acting it out.”  7/8 students voted that they enjoyed reading to someone else.  All students voted that they like to read alone.

22. CONCLUSION  Literacy is an area that is most difficult for students that are diagnosed with disorders such as Emotional Disturbance, Autism or Attention Deficit Disorders. Teaching students with such disorders requires certain amount of patience, time and care. In order for students with such disorders to be able to focus, their attention must be captured long enough to get them to focus on what is being said and not distracted by everything else in their environments. Based on the student surveys: Theatrical Instruction seems to be successful during literacy based on the questionnaires of the students. All of the students answered that they enjoyed listening to stories as well as enjoyment of the stories selected. Observation Sheets : There was a significant difference between pre-and post off task behaviors. When the treatment was introduced and reintroduced, the students had less behaviors including aggression. Prior studies done on this subject did see significant improvements when implemented as well.

23. CONCLUSION  Based on the research that was conducted and the assessment of the review of literature, I believe more current research and treatments is needed in order for students with such severe deficits to have success.