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Title: THE IMPLICATIONS OF STUDENT LEARNING STYLES FOR PRESCRIBING READING SKILL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Creator: ROBERTSON, PIEDAD F., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: This study established the effectiveness of matching prescriptions in an individualized reading program to the learning styles of students at the Community College level. The study was made at Miami-Dade Community College (South) during the Winter Term, 1977. Two questionnaires were administered to measure the experimental and control group 1 students' perception of the learning experience and to measure the experimental and control group 1 instructors' perception of the students. It was...
Show moreThis study established the effectiveness of matching prescriptions in an individualized reading program to the learning styles of students at the Community College level. The study was made at Miami-Dade Community College (South) during the Winter Term, 1977. Two questionnaires were administered to measure the experimental and control group 1 students' perception of the learning experience and to measure the experimental and control group 1 instructors' perception of the students. It was concluded that the tests selected were valid and reliable for this study. The results obtained by the experimental group students showed that matching produced higher means in posttest scores. The sex and age factors did not influence the students' final scores to the degree that the ethnic factor did. It was recommended that further similar research be done in the matching of student learning style and reading materials.
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Date Issued: 1977
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11696
Subject Headings: Reading (Higher education), Reading, Psychology of
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A comparison of the reading characteristics of college student poor readers with and without learning disabilities.
Creator: Warde, Beverly Aileen, Florida Atlantic University, Taylor, Ronald L., Smiley, Lydia R.
Abstract/Description: Fast, efficient reading skills are essential in college where the majority of learning comes from independent reading. However, reading college-level expository texts is a potential problem for college students with learning disabilities (LD) who classically have difficulty with reading. Since little is known about young adults with LD who attend college, the purpose of this study was to examine the reading abilities of this group. More specifically, reading comprehension scores, from both...
Show moreFast, efficient reading skills are essential in college where the majority of learning comes from independent reading. However, reading college-level expository texts is a potential problem for college students with learning disabilities (LD) who classically have difficulty with reading. Since little is known about young adults with LD who attend college, the purpose of this study was to examine the reading abilities of this group. More specifically, reading comprehension scores, from both oral and silent reading, as well as analyses of oral reading miscues were examined. Additionally, the influence of expository text structures on reading comprehension and oral miscues was explored. A total of forty undergraduate subjects from one state university participated in the study: twenty were upper class (junior/senior status) students with childhood diagnoses of LD in reading; twenty were upper class students without LD who were considered poor college readers. Four passages from a college textbook on social problems were selected for the reading assessment: two passages of an enumeration text structure, and two of an historical text structure. All subjects read two passages silently and two passages orally from each structure, The subjects' oral readings were analyzed for types of miscues. After reading each passage, the subjects then orally summarized the readings. A comprehension score was derived for each passage from the oral retellings. Results revealed that the college students with LD produced a greater total number of oral reading miscues and earned fewer comprehension points than their peers without LD. Text structure did not effect the comprehension scores of the students with LD; however, the type of text structure did effect the oral reading comprehension scores of the students without LD. The subjects with LD also produced a significantly higher percentage of miscues categorized as loss-of-meaning miscues. The results of this study indicated that college students with LD continue to have reading difficulties: difficulty decoding words; poor comprehension; and a lack of metacognitive awareness and use of strategies for comprehending various expository text structures.
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Date Issued: 1995
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12437
Subject Headings: Reading (Higher education)--Ability testing, Learning disabled youth--Education (Higher), Reading (Higher education), Reading comprehension, Reading disability
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Exposure to reading and motivation to read as mediators of the relationship between socioeconomic status and reading comprehension skills in adolescents: A multi-national investigation.
Creator: Vagi, Kevin J., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: This study examined the hypothesis that both exposure to reading materials in the home and intrinsic motivation to read mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status and reading comprehension skills in adolescents. Data were derived from the Program for International Student Assessment 2000 dataset (PISA 2000). Six countries out of forty-three were chosen on the basis of country-level SES: two from the bottom 25th percentile (Thailand, Mexico), two at the 50th percentile (Austria,...
Show moreThis study examined the hypothesis that both exposure to reading materials in the home and intrinsic motivation to read mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status and reading comprehension skills in adolescents. Data were derived from the Program for International Student Assessment 2000 dataset (PISA 2000). Six countries out of forty-three were chosen on the basis of country-level SES: two from the bottom 25th percentile (Thailand, Mexico), two at the 50th percentile (Austria, France), and two at the 75th percentile (Norway, United States). Data analysis was conducted on a total of 27,351 participants and 823 schools. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses were conducted to examine predictors of reading comprehension skills. Follow-up analyses using logistic regression were conducted to predict group membership (i.e., poor vs. normal readers). Results support the idea that exposure to reading materials in the home mediates the relationship between SES and reading comprehension skills at the child level, regardless of the overall economic state of the country. This relationship did not hold when predicting at the school level. Intrinsic motivation to read was consistently a poor predictor.
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Date Issued: 2006
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12236
Subject Headings: Education, Reading, Psychology, Developmental, Psychology, Experimental
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effect of computer-assisted instruction on the reading skills of emergent readers.
Creator: Barnett, Louise B., Florida Atlantic University, Crawley, Sharon J.
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on the reading skills of emergent readers in kindergarten classes at select Reading First schools in the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. The reading software analyzed was Destination Reading (Riverdeep, 2001), used during the 2004-2005 school year. Comparisons were made between users of the program and nonusers. Comparisons were also made between English language learners who used or did...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the effect of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on the reading skills of emergent readers in kindergarten classes at select Reading First schools in the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. The reading software analyzed was Destination Reading (Riverdeep, 2001), used during the 2004-2005 school year. Comparisons were made between users of the program and nonusers. Comparisons were also made between English language learners who used or did not use the program, as well as Exceptional Education students who used or did not use it. Another factor analyzed was how teacher attitude toward the computer affected student reading achievement. This was established by survey responses. The measures used to compare treatment and non-treatment schools were the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), which tested letter naming ability, initial sound identification, phoneme segmentation ability, and nonsense word decoding. The Word Recognition and Reading Running Record assessments from the School District of Palm Beach County Reading and Writing Assessment System Grades K-1 protocol booklet tested identification of 25 sight words and ability to read continuous text. Students using Destination Reading (Riverdeep, 2001) did not benefit significantly from use of the program compared to nonusers. Only on the letter-naming measure was there a significant advantage for all students in the sample and the English language learner group. The CAI group scored significantly lower on the initial sound fluency measure. Word Recognition and Reading Running Record assessments showed no significant results. ESE students showed no significant advantage in having had supplemental computer-assisted instruction on any measures. Factorial ANOVAs were used to compare DIBELS scores for effectiveness of the treatment, pre- and posttest comparisons, and interaction of treatment with test scores for the CAI compared with the nonuser group. T distributions were used to analyze data from the Reading Running Record and Word Recognition assessments. There were no significant differences between the CAI and comparison schools on these two measures. Teacher attitude toward computers did not affect students' acquisition of reading skills, as survey responses were in the positive range for all participants.
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Date Issued: 2006
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12189
Subject Headings: Reading (Kindergarten)--Computer-assisted instruction, Reading readiness, Media programs (Education), Internet in education
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A comparison of the metacognitive knowledge about reading of fourth-grade students with and without learning disabilities taught by two methods of reading instruction in inclusion classrooms.
Creator: Bunker, Melise Rankin, Florida Atlantic University, Smiley, Lydia R.
Abstract/Description: Although metacognition is an area that has been receiving considerable research interest in recent years, few studies have been concerned with metacognitive knowledge about reading. An even fewer number of studies have included students with learning disabilities (LD) as part of the subject pool. This reality is cause for concern. Increasingly, students with LD are receiving their reading instruction in general education classrooms. Because little is known about the effects of method of...
Show moreAlthough metacognition is an area that has been receiving considerable research interest in recent years, few studies have been concerned with metacognitive knowledge about reading. An even fewer number of studies have included students with learning disabilities (LD) as part of the subject pool. This reality is cause for concern. Increasingly, students with LD are receiving their reading instruction in general education classrooms. Because little is known about the effects of method of reading instruction on students with LD in general education classrooms, the purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference between the metacognitive awareness about reading of fourth-grade students with LD and without LD (NLD) taught by code-based (CB) and meaning-based (MB) instruction in inclusion classrooms. Further, the study was concerned with determining if there was an interaction between learning condition (LD, NLD) and instructional approach (CB, MB). A total of 88 fourth graders from seven elementary schools in a large south Florida school district participated in the study: 38 were students with LD; 50 were students without LD. Forty-five of the students received their reading instruction in CB classrooms and 43 were taught reading in MB classrooms. All students were given the silent reading section of an informal reading inventory, a metacognitive interview, and a metacognitive questionnaire. Results revealed that although there is a significant difference between the metacognitive knowledge about reading between students with and without LD, this difference did not appear to be influenced by their method of reading instruction. Students with LD consistently scored below students without LD, whether they were in code-based or in meaning-based classrooms.
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Date Issued: 1997
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12511
Subject Headings: Reading (Elementary), Inclusive education, Learning disabled children--Education
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Reading strategies in secondary social studies: teacher reported practice and professional development.
Creator: Newstreet, Carmen L., College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: This quantitative study investigated the relationship between high school social studies teachers' reading professional development through Project CRISS: Creating Independence through Student-Owned Strategies (CRISS) and the implementation of active reading strategies in the classroom. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey in order to provide a comprehensive picture of high school social studies teachers' self-reported classroom practices relating to the use of active...
Show moreThis quantitative study investigated the relationship between high school social studies teachers' reading professional development through Project CRISS: Creating Independence through Student-Owned Strategies (CRISS) and the implementation of active reading strategies in the classroom. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey in order to provide a comprehensive picture of high school social studies teachers' self-reported classroom practices relating to the use of active prereading, during-reading, and postreading strategies. Additionally, the survey asked teachers to self-report their observations of student independent implementation of the same active reading strategies. These data were used to provide an in-depth look that expanded on high school social studies teachers' self-reported classroom practices relating to reading. The results of this study indicated that there was no significant relationship between teachers' reading professional development through CRISS and their self-reported classroom practices in the implementation of active pre-, during, and postreading strategies. Further findings indicated no significant relationship between teachers' reading professional development through CRISS and their self-reported observations of student independent implementation of the same active reading strategies. Lastly, there were no correlations that indicated that years teaching in the classroom moderated these relationships. Implications and suggestions for future research were offered for future reading professional development for secondary teachers and educational researchers who intend to utilize survey instruments.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3333061
Subject Headings: Social studies, Study and teaching (Secondary), Reading, Psychology of, Teacher effectiveness, Achievement in education, Content area reading, Reading comprehension, Reading (Secondary)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A COMPENSATORY READING PROGRAM FOR THE COMMUNITY JUNIOR COLLEGE.
Creator: WEISS, LUCILE S., Florida Atlantic University, Wiegman, Robert R.
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to determine if a compensatory reading program based on the language experience approach could raise the reading level o f underachieving disadvantaged students in the community junior colleges to a level commensurate with their ability and high enough for subsequent success in college level academic courses. The literature indicates that this student has special needs which must be met if he is to succeed in college level work. Programs which meet these needs...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine if a compensatory reading program based on the language experience approach could raise the reading level o f underachieving disadvantaged students in the community junior colleges to a level commensurate with their ability and high enough for subsequent success in college level academic courses. The literature indicates that this student has special needs which must be met if he is to succeed in college level work. Programs which meet these needs must be developed to implement the open door policy and the concept of universal higher education. The community colleges actively recruit students who would not attend college if such programs were not promised. Statistics indicate, however, that only a small percentage of these students succeed in college level courses. It is suggested by this fact that the programs offered arc inadequate. The failure of these students imposes a great burden on the students and on the colleges. The program which is the subject of this study was implemented during the fall quarter, 1974, at Broward Community College, Broward County, Florida, as part of its Special Services Program. Ninety four entering freshmen needed compensatory reading instruction. Forty two of these were enrolled in the Special Services Reading Component, SRD 999. Fifty two were enrolled in the experimental program. All Ss were administered the Nelson Denny Reading Test, form A, during the first week of the quarter. They were also administered the Revised Beta Examination and produced a projective drawing of a person. The potential reading level of each student was calculated from the IQ score of the Beta Examination. The drawings were evaluated on five criteria as a measure of self concept. During the final week of the quarter the students produced a second drawing and were administered the Nelson Denny Reading Test, form B. Thirty six of the experimental group and twenty six of the control group remained to complete the post tests and earn a grade. An analysis of covariance showed there was no statistically significant difference between the groups for the vocabulary subtest of the Nelson Denny Reading Test. There was statistically significant difference, at the .5% level of confidence, for both paragraph comprehension and total reading. Difference in persistence between the groups was tested by the z-test of correlated proportions. It was not statistically significant. The test of chi square, corrected for continuity, was applied to the changes in self concept as measured by the projective drawings. There was statistically significant difference between the groups for only one of five criteria. The study was limited both in number of subjects and in time allowed. The fifteen week quarter was further shortened by the necessity of administering pre and post tests. Two weeks at the beginning of the quarter and one week at the end of the quarter were used for testing. The students met for threa hours a week. It was concluded that replication of the study for a longer period of time would be worthwhile. The students enrolled in the experimental program were also enrolled in at least one other compensatory course and in some cases in college level courses. Success in academic courses, however, depends largely upon reading ability. It is suggested that this program be implemented as a pre-college enrollment course.
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Date Issued: 1974
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11634
Subject Headings: Reading--Remedial teaching, Compensatory education, Community colleges--Curricula
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Middle Grades (6-8) Reading Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding the State’s Academic Reading Standards, Curriculum Materials, and Instructional Practices.
Creator: Dacres, Lascelia Cadienne, Baxley, Traci P., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: Teachers’ beliefs about the reading standards as well as curriculum materials used to address the standards affect how teachers implement the standards, which further impacts student learning. In this case study, 26 middle grades (6-8) reading teachers each participated in a 90 minute one-on-one audio-taped interview consisting of 33 openended questions. Analysis was conducted on the teachers’ beliefs regarding the state’s academic reading standards, content materials the teachers used to...
Show moreTeachers’ beliefs about the reading standards as well as curriculum materials used to address the standards affect how teachers implement the standards, which further impacts student learning. In this case study, 26 middle grades (6-8) reading teachers each participated in a 90 minute one-on-one audio-taped interview consisting of 33 openended questions. Analysis was conducted on the teachers’ beliefs regarding the state’s academic reading standards, content materials the teachers used to teach reading, the teachers’ self-reported instructional practices, and how the selected teachers understand the relationship between their beliefs and instructional practices. Likewise, content analyses were performed using documents such as lesson plans, classroom assignments, and assessments that were collected from the participants. There were six major findings in this study. The first finding indicated that participants had mix feelings regarding the standards; they were viewed by some teachers as guides and building blocks while others viewed the standards as not being beneficial to have in the classroom. The second finding depicted that participants had mixed experiences of collegial planning; some shared that collegial planning assisted their efforts with understanding the standards while others indicated that collegial planning could be improved. The third finding portrayed that the curriculum materials used to teach reading were both district-given and supplemental. Due to a lack of rigor with the district-given resource, some participants opted to use supplemental resources that better aligned to the expectation of the standards. The fourth finding addressed both teacher and student challenges faced by the participants. Teacher challenges included the fast pace and implementation of the standards while student challenges included lack of motivation and student misbehavior. The fifth finding highlighted how participants viewed the relationship between their beliefs and instructional practices. Participants discussed the impact, or lack thereof, of the implementation of the shifts in the standards. The sixth and final major finding of this study emphasized that professional development was needed to teach the reading standards. As a result of these findings, implications include providing teachers with professional development opportunities that target practical ways on how to implement the shifts of the standards in day-to-day instruction and instructional strategies to enhance student motivation.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005964
Subject Headings: Reading teachers, Education and state--Florida, Reading--Standards, Middle school education--United States--Standards
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effect of skill-focused minilessons on students' independent use of reading skills during literature circles.
Creator: Kennedy, Gail., College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: Increased accountability in contemporary public elementary schools requires that teachers provide evidence they are using research-based strategies that reinforce skills assessed on standardized tests. There is a need to provide empirical evidence that literature circles can reinforce skills assessed on these tests. A literature circle is a research-based strategy that is common in language arts classrooms. This study investigates the connection between these skills and student discussion...
Show moreIncreased accountability in contemporary public elementary schools requires that teachers provide evidence they are using research-based strategies that reinforce skills assessed on standardized tests. There is a need to provide empirical evidence that literature circles can reinforce skills assessed on these tests. A literature circle is a research-based strategy that is common in language arts classrooms. This study investigates the connection between these skills and student discussion that takes place during literature circles. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of skill-focused minilessons on students' independent use of reading skills. The study investigated whether application of skill-focused minilessons prior to literature circles would have an effect on students' independent use of reading skills within student discussions during literature circles. Sixteen students participated in the study. The study also investigated the impact that minilessons prior to literature circles had on students' scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in reading. Students were randomly assigned to the researcher's fifth grade class in the 2008/2009 school year. All students read the same material and received the same treatment. During the course of the study, students first took the FCAT diagnostic in reading and then engaged in five literature circle meetings, each preceded by a minilesson. Students then engaged in five literature circles with a different book and without skill-focused minilessons, followed by the administration of the reading FCAT. The data, which included content analyses of transcriptions of students' discussion and the collection of FCAT scores, yielded several findings., The two skills most commonly used by students in independent literature circles were analyzing character and discussing plot. The two least commonly used skills were describing conflict and using context clues. Each skill within student discussion.The way in which students transferred the use of these skills to literature circles not preceded by skill focused minilessons varied. Multiple modes of transfer were identified for each skill. A dependent t-test for the FCAT scores did not indicate a statistically significant increase in the use of the five skills identified for this study when minilessons preceded literature circles.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2705076
Subject Headings: Group reading, Book clubs (Discussion groups), Reading (Primary), Guided reading, Educational tests and measurements, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests, Achievement in education
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The impact of fluency intervention on the oral reading and fluency comprehension of middle school students with learning disabilities.
Creator: Russell, Janice M., College of Education, Department of Exceptional Student Education
Abstract/Description: Proficient reading is a necessary skill for a quality life. While educators would like to believe that most students master the art of reading and can understand what they read, national reports indicate that learning to read and becoming a skilled reader is not mastered by all (No Child Left Behind Act, 2001 ; NICHD, 2000a). One component of successful reading is the ability to read a text with appropriate speed, accuracy, and prosody. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (Pinnell...
Show moreProficient reading is a necessary skill for a quality life. While educators would like to believe that most students master the art of reading and can understand what they read, national reports indicate that learning to read and becoming a skilled reader is not mastered by all (No Child Left Behind Act, 2001 ; NICHD, 2000a). One component of successful reading is the ability to read a text with appropriate speed, accuracy, and prosody. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (Pinnell et al., 1995) reported that 44% of the nation's fourth grade students were not able to read at an acceptable level of fluency that was considered necessary for comprehension. Since the publication of that report, research has shown that with direct instruction and remediation of fluency, students in the elementary grades can increase their reading rate. One of the most common fluency intervention techniques is repeated readings (Samuels,1979). However, most of the studies completed include ele mentary students and were focused on increasing their reading rate. Some students are arriving at the secondary level with reading problems which include fluency and comprehension. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of repeated readings on the rate, accuracy, and comprehension of students with disabilities at the secondary level. This study involved a total of 35 students with learning disabilities in grades 6-9. A quasi-experimental design was used for this study. The treatment group received a total of 20 sessions of repeated reading with immediate feedback., goal setting, and independent practice with graphing of reading rate. The comparison group continued their reading instruction with no fluency intervention.The results indicate that this combination of repeated readings had a significant influence on reading rate only., The other two variables, accuracy and comprehension, did not improve significantly in the treatment group when compared to the comparison group.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3352833
Subject Headings: Reading (Middle school), Remedial teaching, Learning disabled children, Education, Reading comprehension, Language arts (Middle school), Content area reading, Study and teaching (Secondary)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Effects of Interactive Read-Alouds on the Reading Achievement of Middle Grade Reading Students in a Core Remedial Program.
Creator: Bishop Temple, Catherine, Crawley, Sharon J., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to examine an effect of read-alouds on the reading achievement of middle grade students in a core intensive reading program in the School District of Palm Beach County, the fourth largest school district in Florida. This was accomplished conducting literature studies through read-alouds and sustained silent reading with sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade intensive reading students as a supplement to the READ XL® remedial program. Specifically, this study...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine an effect of read-alouds on the reading achievement of middle grade students in a core intensive reading program in the School District of Palm Beach County, the fourth largest school district in Florida. This was accomplished conducting literature studies through read-alouds and sustained silent reading with sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade intensive reading students as a supplement to the READ XL® remedial program. Specifically, this study investigated the difference on the achievement scores on the Florida State Fluency Probes (FORF), the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test in Reading (FCAT), the Florida Comprehensive Norm Reference Test Scale Scores (FCAT/NRT), the Scholastic Reading Inventory Lexile Levels (SRI), and the teacher created tests on the literature during the period 2006-2007. The study further examined the interaction of both grade level and gender with the readaloud strategy and sustained silent reading. A Factorial ANOV A (analysis of variance) was used to test the effect of each of the treatments, read-alouds and sustained silent reading, on the dependent variables, FORF, the FCAT, the FCAT/NRT, the Scholastic Reading Inventory Lexile Levels, and the teacher created tests and the interactions with grade level and gender. Results indicated a greater increase in fluency, as measured by the Florida State Fluency Probes, from 2006 to 2007, for students in the read-aloud group (test) as compared with students in the sustained silent reading group (control group), and for students in grades 6 and 7 as compared with students in grade 8. Overall there was no difference in fluency as moderated by gender. The results of this study also found that read-alouds promoted increased performance of female students on the teacher-created tests. This suggests that readalouds may play a role in increasing the performance of middle school at-risk female readers on similar instruments.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000657
Subject Headings: Oral reading, Activity programs in education, Academic achievement--Social aspects, Reading--Remedial teaching--Social aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The relationship between non-school factors and reading achievement among LEP and English-fluent students in the school district of Palm Beach County, Florida.
Creator: Pinkos, Margarita Perera-Zamora., Florida Atlantic University, Kerensky, Vasil M.
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between reading gains and the following demographic variables: economic status, ethnicity, and gender. The reading gains of limited English proficient (LEP) and English-fluent students in the school district of Palm Beach County, the fourth largest school district in Florida, were examined for two consecutive years. The researcher also sought to determine if LEP status affected the relationship between reading gains and the variables...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between reading gains and the following demographic variables: economic status, ethnicity, and gender. The reading gains of limited English proficient (LEP) and English-fluent students in the school district of Palm Beach County, the fourth largest school district in Florida, were examined for two consecutive years. The researcher also sought to determine if LEP status affected the relationship between reading gains and the variables identified. The sample included 51,590 English-fluent and 11,907 LEP students in the first year. In the second year of the study, the sample included 53,400 English-fluent and 12,830 LEP students. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the correlations and significance of the predictor variables for the subgroups, LEP and English-fluent students. Factorial analysis of variance was used to determine if there was an interaction between LEP status and the regression models for each of the predictor variables. The results indicated that yearly reading gains of English-fluent and Limited English Proficient students in Palm Beach County Schools could not be predicted from the predictor variables used during the years of the study. The results of multiple regressions revealed that a very small percentage of the criterion variable could be explained by the predictor variables (R 2 values ranged from .000 to .003). In the cases where the regression model was statistically significant, the results were not practically significant but the product of a trivial relationship between the variables, perhaps due to the size of the sample. After examining the interaction of LEP status with each of the predictor variables, it was concluded that the interaction between LEP status and each of the predictor variables did not increase significantly the predictive value of the models. No significant difference was found in the regression slopes between LEP and English-fluent students for any of the predictor variables.
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Date Issued: 2002
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT12019
Subject Headings: Limited English-proficient students, Minorities--Education, Academic achievement, Reading--Florida--Palm Beach County
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Teaching Reading Comprehension Skills Using A Science Textbook In A Charter School.
Creator: Mikes, Lisa, Kumar, David D., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: The present experimental study examined the effects of using a science textbook for the purpose of teaching reading comprehension skills to a sample of 99 fourth grade students from four classrooms at Pembroke Pines/Florida State University Charter School in Broward County, Florida. Ninety-nine students were assessed twice in word recognition, oral reading, silent reading, spelling, and word meaning using the Diagnostic Assessment of Reading. Approximately half of the students in the sample ...
Show moreThe present experimental study examined the effects of using a science textbook for the purpose of teaching reading comprehension skills to a sample of 99 fourth grade students from four classrooms at Pembroke Pines/Florida State University Charter School in Broward County, Florida. Ninety-nine students were assessed twice in word recognition, oral reading, silent reading, spelling, and word meaning using the Diagnostic Assessment of Reading. Approximately half of the students in the sample (n=49) were in the control group with the remainder (n=50) in the experimental group. Overall there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups based on MANOVA, which tested an optimized composite of dependent variables. Scores for all subtests for both groups increased from the pretest to the posttest, and the highest scores were for the oral reading subtest. Upon individual ANOVA, statistically significant effect for time was found for word recognition, oral reading, spelling, and word meaning subtests, but no statistically significant group effect or interaction was observed.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000680
Subject Headings: Reading comprehension--Study and teaching, Lesson planning, Language arts (Elementary), Motivation in education
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Teaching sight words to students with mental retardation and learning disabilities: Constant time delay versus interspersal of known items.
Creator: Knight, Melissa Gail., Florida Atlantic University, Ross, Denise
Abstract/Description: This study compared the efficacy and efficiency of using constant time delay (CTD) with interspersal of known items (IKI) paired with an error correction technique to teach sight words to students with mild mental retardation and learning disabilities. Time delay is a technique that transfers stimulus control from a controlling prompt (a prompt that results in correct task performance) to the discriminative stimulus (stimulus presented before a response can occur) by delaying the presentation...
Show moreThis study compared the efficacy and efficiency of using constant time delay (CTD) with interspersal of known items (IKI) paired with an error correction technique to teach sight words to students with mild mental retardation and learning disabilities. Time delay is a technique that transfers stimulus control from a controlling prompt (a prompt that results in correct task performance) to the discriminative stimulus (stimulus presented before a response can occur) by delaying the presentation of the prompt after the stimulus has been presented. During the initial trial, the delay between prompt and stimulus is at 0-seconds; during all other trials the delay is fixed at 4-seconds. Interspersal of known items is a method of sequencing unknown or target words among known words. Two sessions were provided each day in the classroom, one with constant time delay technique and the other with interspersal of known items as the training technique. The parallel treatment design was used to assess the efficacy and efficiency of the two strategies. The results indicate that both techniques were effective for students with LD. Constant time delay was significantly more effective than interspersal of known items for the students with MMR. Based on both the number of minutes of instructional time and the number of sessions through criterion, the constant time delay procedure was more efficient for students with MMR. However, the interspersal of known items technique was more efficient in terms of percentage of errors and rate of correct responses for both students with MMR and LD.
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Date Issued: 2001
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12824
Subject Headings: Children with mental disabilities--Education, Learning disabled children, Reading (Elementary)--Whole-word method
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of an interactive computer-based reading strategy on student comprehension.
Creator: Worrell, Jamie L., College of Education, Department of Exceptional Student Education
Abstract/Description: The computer-based testing mode has received limited research as a task condition for elementary students as it relates to comprehension for both narrative and expository text. The majority of schools now use computer-based testing to measure students' progress for end of the year exams. Additionally, schools are also delivering state-wide assessments like the Florida Comprehension Assessment Test through computer-based testing instead of paper-pencil testing. There is little research to...
Show moreThe computer-based testing mode has received limited research as a task condition for elementary students as it relates to comprehension for both narrative and expository text. The majority of schools now use computer-based testing to measure students' progress for end of the year exams. Additionally, schools are also delivering state-wide assessments like the Florida Comprehension Assessment Test through computer-based testing instead of paper-pencil testing. There is little research to indicate whether computer-based assessments are an effective way to measure student progress. This study investigated the effects of an interactive computer-based reading strategy on student comprehension for both expository and narrative passages. The intervention evaluated students' percentage of learned strategy use and comprehension accuracy for expository computer-based passages. Additionally, the intervention measured whether students generalized the learned strategy when given a paper-pencil narrative passage and whether generalization of strategy use improved comprehension vi accuracy. This study used an A-B-A-B design across participants, with a follow-up phase. The results from the data showed that all students made significant increases in strategy use from baseline to follow-up. Additionally, all the students had an increase in comprehension accuracy from baseline to follow-up for both computer and paper-based passages. All students were able to generalize successfully the strategy use to narrative passages, and improved their comprehension accuracy of narrative passages. The effects of the study suggest the value of teaching students the interactive computer-based reading strategy for students who struggle with passage comprehension.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3322518
Subject Headings: Reading comprehension, Computer-assisted instruction, Educational tests and meausrements, School improvement programs, Academic achievment, Reading, Ability testing, Computer-assisted instruction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The elementary principal's role in promoting reading improvement.
Creator: Hillard, Lurana Case., Florida Atlantic University, Guglielmino, Lucy M.
Abstract/Description: The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there were commonalities in the approaches of ten elementary school principals in the state of Florida identified as "success stories" in leading reading improvement in their schools in 2002 shortly after enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act at the national level and the Just Read, Florida! initiative at the state level. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between the elementary school...
Show moreThe primary purpose of this study was to determine if there were commonalities in the approaches of ten elementary school principals in the state of Florida identified as "success stories" in leading reading improvement in their schools in 2002 shortly after enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act at the national level and the Just Read, Florida! initiative at the state level. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between the elementary school principals' reported success in leading reading improvement at their schools and reported level of agreement with the Survey Form for Elementary Principals , (Hillard, 2005), the Instructional Leadership Behavior Checklist (McEwen, 1997), and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (Guglielmino, 1977/78). In a qualitative analysis of selected interview questions, five major themes emerged: Philosophical Framework, Human Resources, Programs/Strategies, Use of Data, and Use of Federal and State Initiatives and Information. The principals had initiated reading improvement before the Just Read, Florida! initiative had begun. When analyzing the Survey Form for Elementary Principals and the Instructional Leadership Behavior Checklist (McEwen, 1997), a pattern of high agreement emerged with a majority of the statements that earned average scores in the range of 4.0 to 5.0. On the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (Guglielmino, 1977/78), the principals' scores were exceptionally high, comparable with those of the top entrepreneurs in the United States. The overarching conclusion of the study centers on the identification of these exemplar principals as "educational entrepreneurs" who employ innovation, teacher empowerment, shared leadership, and reliance upon data to lead reading improvement in their schools.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12156
Subject Headings: Reading (Elementary), Reading (Elementary)--Florida, Educational innovations--Florida, School improvement programs--Florida, School principals--Florida, Elementary school administration--Florida--Evaluation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Gender and socioeconomic status as predictors of reading gain scores on the Stanford Achievement Test for fifth grade students who participated in computer-assisted instruction.
Creator: Rose, Garie H., Florida Atlantic University, Jurenas, Albert C.
Abstract/Description: This study investigated Stanford Achievement Test (Eighth Edition) reading scores in vocabulary, comprehension, and total reading achievement. Scores were obtained from gender and socioeconomic levels (SES) of regular education fifth grade students following the use of computer assisted instruction (CAI) using Jostens Learning Corporation software. Factorial analyses of variance were performed to test the interaction between high and low socioeconomic levels (SES) of regular education...
Show moreThis study investigated Stanford Achievement Test (Eighth Edition) reading scores in vocabulary, comprehension, and total reading achievement. Scores were obtained from gender and socioeconomic levels (SES) of regular education fifth grade students following the use of computer assisted instruction (CAI) using Jostens Learning Corporation software. Factorial analyses of variance were performed to test the interaction between high and low socioeconomic levels (SES) of regular education students, and gender on the Stanford Achievement Scores (Eighth Edition) in the areas of vocabulary, comprehension, and total reading achievement. All participants used computer assisted instruction for three years as a supplement to basal reading instruction. The sample consisted of 590 elementary students (312 females and 278 males) in grade 5. Socioeconomic levels were determined by whether or not the students received free or reduced price lunch (139 low SES students and 451 high SES students). All participants attended the same school for three years and had three consecutive years of scores in vocabulary, comprehension, and total reading achievement on the SAT. Gain scores were obtained by subtracting the 1994 scores from the 1996 scores in vocabulary, comprehension, and total reading achievement. Mean gain scores were compared between groups using factorial analysis of variance, with SES and gender as the factors. Analyses revealed that there was not a significant (p < .05) difference between high and low SES students in comprehension or total reading achievement. There was a significant $(p < .05)$ difference between high and low SES students in vocabulary gain scores, but the difference was too small to be of practical significance. Analyses revealed that there was not a significant (p < .05) difference between males and females and scores in vocabulary, comprehension, or total reading achievement. There was a significant interaction (p < .05) between gender and SES in vocabulary, comprehension, and total reading achievement scores. Results of this study clearly indicated that there were more gains for certain groups of students. Recommendations suggest that future research includes close examination of low SES male students and their unique learning styles. Characteristics, their interactions with the computer and software design should also be studied.
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Date Issued: 1997
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12542
Subject Headings: Educational tests and measurements, Educational tests and measurements--Sex differences, Educational tests and measurements--Social aspects, Reading readiness--Testing
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The relationship between professional development and the changing reading practices of teachers in low-performing elementary schools.
Creator: Vaughan, Michelle., College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this multi-case study was to identify the influence of professional development experiences on the changing reading practices of third-grade teachers in low-performing schools. Schools were chosen to participate based upon a steady increase in reading achievement scores despite failing to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and being placed within the Corrective Action Phase of No Child Left Behind. Six teachers from 4 schools were chosen as participants based on the changing...
Show moreThe purpose of this multi-case study was to identify the influence of professional development experiences on the changing reading practices of third-grade teachers in low-performing schools. Schools were chosen to participate based upon a steady increase in reading achievement scores despite failing to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and being placed within the Corrective Action Phase of No Child Left Behind. Six teachers from 4 schools were chosen as participants based on the changing reading practices they reported on an initial survey of 13 teachers. Interviews, observations, focus groups, and collection of archival data was completed over the course of 5 months in order to determine the influence of professional development on their reading practices. It was determined that teacher change following professional development is heavily influenced by the domain of power the directive or development is coming from. A continuum was developed to illustrate the relationship between these varying domains of power and their influence on changes made within reading practice. The changes were categorized as tending toward self-propelled or compelled changes. Teachers within this study reported higher levels of change when they were personally vested in professional development experiences and when those experiences met the immediate needs of their own personal growth or the growth of the students in their classroom.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/227978
Subject Headings: Teachers, Training of, Educational change, Language arts (Elementary), Reading, Study and teaching (Elementary)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effects of the Ready for Success program in the reading achievement of second- and third-grade students.
Creator: Goldberg, Michelle L., College of Education, Department of Counselor Education
Abstract/Description: The focus of this study is on evaluating the impact of a school counselor-led program, Ready for Success (RFS) on the academic achievement of second- and third grade students. The research question investigated in this study was: How do students in grades 2 and 3 who receive the RFS classroom intervention perform on the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) when compared to students in grades 2 and 3 who do not receive the RFS classroom intervention. This study is significant because it...
Show moreThe focus of this study is on evaluating the impact of a school counselor-led program, Ready for Success (RFS) on the academic achievement of second- and third grade students. The research question investigated in this study was: How do students in grades 2 and 3 who receive the RFS classroom intervention perform on the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) when compared to students in grades 2 and 3 who do not receive the RFS classroom intervention. This study is significant because it addresses the need for more outcome research tying school counselor led interventions to student achievement. Research based interventions for school counselors that improve academic achievement directly address the current focus on student achievement outcomes as well as the need for accountability of school counselors. The sample for this study included 240 participants, 107 in the treatment group and 133 in the comparison group. Students were selected from all second- and third-grade classes at four schools in South Florida. There were 66 participants in the second grade; 37 were male and 29 were female. There were 174 participants in the third grade; 92 were male and 82 were female. Academic achievement was measured using a standardized, objective, state-wide assessment instrument, the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI). The analysis used for this study was an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Pretest scores on the SRI were used in the study as covariates on the dependent variable to account for group differences at pretest. The statistical analysis shows that there was no significant difference between the comparison and treatment group reading achievement levels on the SRI. Upon further review of the research a significant, confounding variable was discovered. High concentration of non-ESOL students were in the comparison group as compared to the treatment group., Further data exploration led to a discovery of variance in the fidelity of treatment, which may have also accounted for the given results. The lack of a significant finding may suggest the need for elements of the program to be adjusted particularly when considering that the two programs upon which RFS was based have been consistently shown to be effective.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/359924
Subject Headings: School improvement programs, Academic achievement, Educational tests and measurements, Reading (Elementary), Study and teaching
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: How Do Children's Attitudes Toward Reading Relate To Reading Practice And Reading Achievement?.
Creator: Galipault, Lorraine D., Towell, Janet, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether children's attitudes toward reading and their perceptions of themselves as readers impacted their academic achievement. Additionally, the study investigated the effect oftime spent reading and reading practice on student achievement. Finally, the research examined whether reading attitudes and reading practice were moderated by gender or ethnicity. Participants included 63 third-grade students in a Title I Elementary School. Students were...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether children's attitudes toward reading and their perceptions of themselves as readers impacted their academic achievement. Additionally, the study investigated the effect oftime spent reading and reading practice on student achievement. Finally, the research examined whether reading attitudes and reading practice were moderated by gender or ethnicity. Participants included 63 third-grade students in a Title I Elementary School. Students were administered a questionnaire to collect evidence of their reading preferences and their reading practices. In addition, students kept reading logs as a measure of what they read and how often they read. The data collected were correlated to students' reading achievement scale scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). The study concluded that in the overall study sample, there was a negative correlation for the reading practice item, talking about reading, and FCA T Scale Scores and a positive correlation between the reading attitude item, how well do you think you read, and FCA T Scale Scores. In the examination of the moderation effect for gender, there was a positive correlation for the reading attitude item reading is important and FCA T Scale Scores for males. The examination of the moderation effect for ethnicity indicated a negative correlation between talking about reading and FCAT Scale Scores for White students.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000666
Format: Document (PDF)

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Educational tests and measurements (3)	+ -
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Florida Atlantic University (15)	+ -
College of Education (8)	+ -
Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry (5)	+ -
Baxley, Traci P. (2)	+ -
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