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

2. 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

3. 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?

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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 fall to winter growth with

8. 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%

9. 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