Several
instruments are being used in order to collect the proper data. To measure the
impact the HELPS, repeated reading, and the decodable readers have on student
reading attitude, I am using the Garfield Reading Survey. This instrument will
been given to the students at the beginning and end of the study. In this
survey, the students have to circle the Garfield character that corresponds to
their feelings about reading. There are four Garfield characters given for each
question. This ranges from an excited Garfield to an unhappy Garfield. There
are twenty questions on the survey.
This Elementary Reading Attitude Survey
(ERAS) can be given to an entire class in a short amount of time. This is one
reason why I have chosen to use this survey. It is also very kid-friendly for
my first grade students. The teacher begins by familiarizing the students with
the instrument and the purpose of giving it. Next, the teacher reads the items
aloud twice as the students mark their responses based on their feelings. Each
item is assigned a range of points and a scoring sheet can be used to determine
recreational and academic motivation (McKenna & Kear, 1990). This survey is
ideal because it is free and easy to assess. It is important to measure
students’ reading attitudes as this can affect fluency in students. Marshall
and Rossman (2006) bring up an important point when they state, “In using
questionnaires, researchers rely totally on the honesty and accuracy of
participants’ responses” (p.125). I will be measuring the students reading attitudes to
see if it corresponds with fluency rates.
I will be using AIMSweb R-CBM fluency passages with the students every two weeks.
This is simply a short reading passage that is on grade level that the students
read out loud to the teacher. The teacher marks the students miscues and totals
the students words read correctly per minute (WCPM). The students in my study will be
tested on Fridays. Students are all given the same passage each time they are
tested. I have chosen to use this instrument because the R-CBM passages allow
me to check for gains and errors in fluency every two weeks. It is also
important to note that “more than 30 years of research has shown that listening
to a child read graded passages aloud for one minute and calculating the number
of words read correct per minute provides a highly reliable and valid measure
of general reading achievement, including comprehension”(AIMSweb, 2012). It is
a quick way to assess the students when not a lot of extra time is available in
the classroom to pull students one-on-one. I can easily see how many words the
students are able to read in one minute. The passages used come from the
AIMSweb probes which can be found on the AIMSweb website. This method is ideal
because I already use the AIMSweb program in the classroom to track the RTI
students so this assessment goes along with what we are already doing in class.
Most of the students are comfortable and familiar with these reading passages. It
also allows me to create graphs on the computer in order to easily track the
students’ fluency progress. Below is an example of an AIMSweb passage:
I
have pulled demographic information in order to place the students into one of
three groups. I have been able to access this information online using Infinite
Campus. I used Infinite Campus because all of the student’s demographic
information is organized and easy to access. I have split up RTI and RTA (Read
to Achieve) students so they were not all placed in the same group. I
distributed males and females evenly amongst the groups. I also split up my
four students that have speech IEP’s. Since all students speak English, race
wasn’t a factor when splitting up groups. I split up the groups in this manner
so that I would gather accurate results. If I developed groups based on ability
level, I wouldn’t be able to accurately see which fluency method is more
helpful and effective to use in the classroom.
Running
records are being used with the students in the small group sessions. These
reading passages allow us to practice fluency and it allows me to study gains
and errors within groups. I can see patterns of miscues so that I know what to
work on with the students. Running records are ideal because it allows me to
track fluency rates which is what I am studying within my groups. Also, the
HELPS passages can be accessed free of cost. I have accessed these reading
passages from the HELPS Program and the ReadingA-Z website. The HELPS group
will receive the reading passages that go along with the HELPS Program. These
passages start simple and get harder as the child progresses through the
program. The running record is specific as the directions instruct the teacher
to slash errors on the child’s first reading of the passage, underline errors
on the second reading, and to circle the errors the third time the child reads
the passage. The repeated reading group will receive reading passages from the
ReadingA-Z website. It is necessary to have a subscription to this website. On
this site, leveled fluency passages can be accessed with a printable running
record sheet that goes with the passage. I have pulled fluency passages from
this website that are on a mid-first grade year level. Both the HELPS Program
and ReadingA-Z will allow me to have access to grade appropriate reading
passages.
I will observe the participants in their groups. Observing is important because
“participant observation is both an overall approach to inquiry and a
data-gathering method” (Marshall and Rossman, p.100). The researcher spends a considerable
amount of time in the setting. Along with marking student miscues on running
records, I will be looking for student behavior patterns. Rossman
and Rallis (2003) state, “Observations signal participants’ emotions, attention
and interest, authenticity, and fatigue” (p.173). It is important as a
researcher to be aware of the surroundings, especially when I am looking at
reading attitudes.
The
STAR Reading Enterprise assessments will be used in this study to determine the
students’ reading levels at the beginning and end of the study. This test is
being used in order to help determine whether or not the fluency activities had
a significant impact on student’s reading levels. The test is on the computer
and can be accessed through the Renaissance Learning website. As the students
are taking the test, the questions adjust to the student’s ability level
(Renaissance Learning, 2013). The students have to be able to read at an
independent level to receive a score on this assessment, as nothing is read to
them. The program initially gives the students a practice test with five
questions and if the student does poorly on this section, the test will end and
the student will not be able to move on to the main part of the assessment. With
laptops available for each student, the entire class can take the test in just
a matter of twenty minutes. The STAR Test is ideal because it is fast, easy to
administer, and allows you to see a variety of data within the students score
(Renaissance Learning, 2013).
As
you can see, many different methods are being used to collect data in the
classroom. Rossman and Rallis (2003) state it well when they
say, “Gathering data is a discovery process” (p.172). All of these methods are
used in order to attempt to accurately measure improvements in reading fluency
and to measure changes in students’ reading attitudes.
Works Cited
AIMSweb.
(2012). Reading assessment resource for educators. Retrieved from
http://www.aimsweb.com/products/features/assessments/reading-cbm
Marshall, C.
& Rossman, G.B. (2006). Designing qualitative research, (4th ed.). Thousand
Oaks: Sage Publications.
McKenna,
M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: A new tool
for teachers. 1-16. Retrieved from http://www.professorgarfield.org/parents_teachers/printables/pdfs/reading/readingsurvey.pdf
Renaissance
Learning. (2013). Star reading enterprize. Retrieved from
http://www.renlearn.com/sr/default.aspx
Rossman, G.B.
& Rallis, S.F. (2003). Learning in the field: An introduction to
qualitative research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
