A Night Full of Transcribing!

I realized that I needed more qualitative data within my research study. I wanted to focus more on the part of my research question that deals with reading attitudes. Today, I decided to interview the students that fell on the extreme ends of the spectrum on the Garfield Reading Attitude Survey. As a reminder, here are the results of the scores in a graph.

 

The Interview: I interviewed three students. I interviewed the two students that fell in the 42-52 score range and the student that scored in the 75 and above range. I wanted to get a better idea of the background behind the students' reading attitudes. Were the students reading abilities connected to their attitudes? It just so happened that all three students on the extreme ends of the survey were boys. I was going to use an app on my Iphone in order to dictate what the students were saying as they were speaking. This would save me a step of not having to transcribe everything that was said during the interview. I quickly decided that this wasn't the method for me. The body language that I seeing and the head nods and shakes needed to be on camera. First graders are full of emotions and I wanted to get this on camera. I decided to videotape the interviews. I did all three separately as I wanted to make sure I was able to get enough information from each student. I was afraid that one person would out speak the others if doing a group interview. Me knowing the students that I would be interviewing helped me decide this. Here is a picture of the interview questions that I used.

The step before coding: Basically, I have spent the entire night transcribing the interviews. I had to pause the video, type what I heard and saw, and then start the video back. I repeated this over and over and over. I would only let it play a few seconds at a time so that I could type everything that was happening. It took a couple hours to do this as I wanted to make sure everything was recorded accurately. My next step now is to start coding the interviews. I will post again this week about my progress with the coding process and what it involves. In the mean time, take a look at the interviews that I videotaped and transcribed today. I feel like I was able to gather a lot of good information from them. I transcribed the interviews word for word based on exactly what was said.

HM G Student Reading Interview 2/24/14 (In Houghton Mifflin Group)

(made eye contact most of the time)

Teacher: Do you like to read?

Student: I love to read. 

Teacher: Okay..uh…about how many books did you read last year?

Student: Well I wasn’t a really good reader so I probably just read about four books, six maybe.

Teacher: Okay …uh…how often do you read at home?

Student: I read a lot.

Teacher: Okay. How often? Like every night?

Student: Well mostly I read a lot on the weekends.

Teacher: Okay and what books have you read recently?

Student: Well I’ve read really short books.

Teacher: Alright. Do you ever read any chapter books at home?

Student: Um, I read chapter books here but not at home.

Teacher: Okay and where do you get your books that you read?

Student: Um well I have a shelf but my books are real heavy so they are stacked up high but they stay and I can just grab the books to read.

Teacher: So you have the books already at home?

Student: I have a lot of Disney books.

Teacher: Oh okay. Got ya. Uh so what do you do when you’re reading and something doesn’t make sense?

Student: Well I just ignore it. Usually I just ignore it.

Teacher: Okay and do you just keep reading?

Student: Yeah

Teacher: Okay and what else do you do? Do you try to sound it out?

Student: I try to sound it out usually too.

Teacher: Okay and what do you do when you come to a word you have trouble reading?

Student: I sound it out.

Teacher: Okay. How do you feel when you’re reading out loud say in class or at home when you’re reading out loud? How do you feel?

Student: Like really nice.

Teacher: Okay. Do you like to read out loud?

Student: I love to read out loud.

Teacher: Okay. Why do you like to read out loud?

Student: Well it’s fun and it teaches other people how to read.

Teacher: Very good. Okay, uh let’s see…what kind of books do you like to read? Do you like to read chapter books, magazines, newspapers? What do you like to read the most?

Student: Well, I just like reading the books.

Teacher: Like the picture books that we read?

Student: Yeah, so I can learn about things like maybe.

Teacher: Okay and why do you think reading is hard or easy for you?

Student: Well it’s easy because I’m a really good reader.

Teacher: Okay and how do you think you got there? How did you become a good reader?

Student: Well…you taught me. (smiling)

Teacher: Okay, very good and where is your favorite place to read?

Student: Um in my bed upstairs. It’s really comfy.

Teacher: Okay so that’s your favorite place?

Student: Yeah

H A Student Reading Interview 2/24/14 (In HELPS Group)

(Student made little to no eye contact during interview)

Teacher: My first question is do you like to read?

Student: Yeah

Teacher: Okay. Why do you like to read?

Student: Because it makes me fluent. (couldn’t hardly hear him)

Teacher: It makes you what?

Student: Get better at reading.

Teacher: Okay because you get better that’s a good answer. Good job. About how many books did you read last year?

Student: You mean like yesterday?

Teacher: Yeah, what do you think? (After realizing the concept of last year was too difficult)

Student: (thinking)

Teacher: How many books did you read yesterday? Did you read any?

Student: 3

Teacher: Okay. Do you think you read three books yesterday?

Student: (Nods head yes)

Teacher: Okay. Did you read them at home?

Student: (Nods head yes)

Teacher: Yeah? Okay. How often do you read at home?

Student: (Shrugs shoulders)

Teacher: How often do you read at home? Do you read every night?

Student: Fridays I don’t read.

Teacher: Fridays you don’t read?

Student: (Shakes head no)

Teacher: Okay. What books have you read recently? What books have you read?

Student: “I Like the Dress”

Teacher: Okay. What other book did you recently read?

Student: Magic School Bus

Teacher: The Magic School Bus is a good book. Very good. Any more that you recently read?

Student: (Looks deep in thought) I don’t know the other ones.

Teacher: Okay you don’t know the other ones? Alright. What do you do when something doesn’t make sense when you’re reading?

Student: (deep in thought)

Teacher: What happens when something doesn’t make sense?

Student: Fix it. (very quietly)

Teacher: What?

Student: Fix it

Teacher:  You fix it? How do you fix it?

Student: (no answer)

Teacher: Let me ask you this…what do you do when you come to a word you have trouble reading?

Student: hmm raise your hand.

Teacher: You raise your hand? But what do you do if you are all by yourself? What would you do?

Student: I’d sound it out.

Teacher: You’d sound it out. That’s a good idea. I like that you said that. How do you feel when you’re reading out loud? Say in here I called on you and said “please read to the class”. How would you feel?

Student: Shy (very quietly)

Teacher: Huh? Shy? Why do you think you would be shy?

Student: Because when I try to speak in front of people I don’t say it loud.

Teacher: Because you don’t say it loud?

Student: (shakes head no)

Teacher: Okay. What kind of books do you like to read? Do you like the read the newspaper, magazines, just picture books, chapter books? What do you like to read?

Student: (shrugs shoulders)

Teachers: What we read in here is picture books. What do you like to read?

Student: (hands on face) mumbles

Teacher: You read what?

Student: On buildings.

Teacher: Oh good. You read words on buildings? That’s wonderful! Okay, what else do you like to read? Do you like to read picture books or magazines or newspapers?

Student: (Shrugs shoulders with jacket over face)

Teacher: You don’t know? Okay. Uh do you think reading is easy or hard for you?

Student: easy

Teacher: Easy? Why?

Student: (rubbing face with hands) I don’t know.

Teacher: You don’t know? You just think it’s easy for you? And where is your favorite place to read?

Student: At school.

Teacher: And at your desk? Or where?

Student: (hands on face thinking)

Teacher: Where do you like to read?

Student: (points) Over there.

Teacher: Over there in the reading corner?

Student: (Nods head yes)

Teacher: Okay, very good.

H K Student Reading Interview 2/24/14 (In HELPS Group)

Teacher: My first question for you is do you like to read?

Student: (nods head yes)

Teacher: Okay. Yes?

Student: (nods head yes) Yes.

Teacher: Why do you like to read?

Student: To be smart.

Teacher: Okay. About how many books did you read last year?

Student: (shrugged shoulders) I forgot.

Teacher: Okay. You don’t know? Do you think you read a lot or a little?

Student: Uhhhh…. A little.

Teacher: A little bit? Okay. How often do you read at home?

Student: Not that much.

Teacher: Not that much? Okay, do you think you read a book at least every night?

Student: Sometimes (shakes head no with a look of concern)

Teacher: Sometimes? What books have you read recently?

Student: Biscuit books.

Teacher: Do you like Biscuit books?

Student: (nods head yes)

Teacher: What else have you read?

Student: (looking up and then shrugs shoulders)

Teacher: You don’t know? No other books?

Student: (still shaking head no)

Teacher: Okay. What do you do when something doesn’t make sense when you’re reading?

Student: Do it again.

Teacher: You do it again? Very good. And what about when you come to a word that you’re having trouble reading?

Student: Uhhhhh.. I tell my parents.

Teacher: Okay and what else do you do? If you’re by yourself and you didn’t know a word.

Student: I sound it out.

Teacher: Good. That’s a wonderful idea. I love that you said that. How do you feel when you are reading out loud?

Student: Sad

Teacher: Sad? Why do you feel sad?

Student: (smiling) Because I don’t want nobody to hear me.

Teacher: You don’t want anyone to hear you? Why’s that?

Student: (shrugs shoulders smiling)

Teacher: Are you scared to read out loud?

Student: (nods head yes)

Teacher: Okay, let’s see. What kinds of books do you like to read? Do you like to read the newspaper, or magazines?

Student: (cuts in) Biscuit

Teacher:  Just Biscuit books with pictures in it? Do you like those?

Student: (nods head yes)

Teacher: Do you think reading is hard or easy for you?

Student: Uh sometimes hard and easy.

Teacher: Sometimes hard and easy?

Student: (nods head yes)

Teacher: Why is it hard for you?

Student: I don’t know

Teacher: Why do you think it’s easy for you?

Student: Because I know some of the words

Teacher: Yeah. You do! You’re becoming a great reader. And where is your favorite place to read?

Student: Everywhere

Teacher: Everywhere? You like to read everywhere? What about do you like to read in the classroom more or at home more?

Student: Uh…everywhere.

Teacher: Just everywhere? Okay that’s a great answer.

Problems and Group Updates

The problem...
What I am finding is that my students are doing a good job with the repeated reading process. The students in the HELPS group and repeated reading group have both shown wonderful progress in the amount of words they are able to read per minute within each session. I have not calculated this progress from week to week yet but I feel like their scores look great. However, it is important to remember that when I complete the running record with them to calculate their WCPM, this is the fourth time the students are reading the passage. Therefore, the repeated reading process is working BUT when I go to test my ten RTI students on their AIMSweb R-CBM probe each week, they only get to read the passage once. Since they only have one chance to read the passage they are not scoring well. I have conducted the first whole class R-CBM passage to track progress. This will occur every two weeks. Below you can see the results.

 

The students highlighted in yellow are my RTI students. Students should be able to read 54 WCPM by the end of first grade. None of these students scored at 54 WCPM. Actually, some of my students that are not in RTI scored below that word amount as well. I will say that some of the R-CBM AIMSweb passages are harder than others. I do think this was a more challenging passage but students still have to be able to score well on all passages. Their scores were discouraging to see when I feel like the group sessions have been going well. I think the disconnect is that this passage can only be read once, errors are not discussed, and the comprehension component is missing. Students get one shot with no discussions and that's it.

Group Updates:  I am posting all of the current data and info that I have. I will be analyzing and coding all of the data very soon so I wanted to show you the latest and greatest scores. Bogden and Biklen (1982) stated, "The analytic task, interpreting and making sense out of the collected materials, appears monumental when one is involved in a first research project"(p.145). Since this is my first research project I have conducted in my classroom, I expect that making sense of all of the data will be challenging at first.

HELPS Group:

Here are the latest scores for the HELPS group. I have worked with them a total of seven times. I have one session to make up with them due to snow. 

Repeated Reading:

 Here are the latest scores for the repeated reading group. I have worked with them a total of six times. I have one session to make up with them due to snow.

Houghton Mifflin: 
I have worked with this group a total of two times. I have one session to make up with them due to snow. The pictures are from the make up session that I had with them earlier this week. This group has really enjoyed these center activities that go along with our reading story for the week. The activities have seemed fairly simple thus far. I actually had them write an additional sentence in this activity because the activity only asked them to draw a picture and I thought that seemed too simple for them.

Almost a full week of school!

I thought last week was going to be our first full week of school since November. I guess I got a little too hopeful because we ended up having a snow day on Friday. This means that I didn't get to work with my Houghton Mifflin group. This also means that we didn't get to have our Valentine's Day party so I get to look forward to all of that excitement tomorrow. I am hoping to get my group sessions in every day of this upcoming week. We do have a field trip on Friday so I am hoping to still fit my group session in on this day. At least it looks like snow will not be an issue this week.

Make up sessions: Due to snow days, I currently have 2 Houghton Mifflin sessions, 1 repeated reading session, and 1 HELPS session to make-up. I also have to give all students an R-CBM passage. I am giving the students an R-CBM passage every two weeks to check progress. Friday, February 14th was supposed to be the first of these passages. Of course, we were not in school. If I have any extra time this week, my first priority is to pull my Houghton Mifflin group since I have worked with this group the least. Unpredictable snow days have definitely been the biggest challenge of this research study.

Repeated Reading Group Update: I have worked with this group a total of five times. I have updated the chart so that you can see the results from their repeated reading passages at this current point in time.

In particular, the session on 2/13 stood out to me. Four students read every word in the passage in less than one minute with zero mistakes. Another student, RR I, read 70 words per minute but made zero mistakes. This means that five students on this day made zero mistakes, which to me shows wonderful results. Here is a picture of the students' Reading A-Z fluency passage on this particular day(2/13).

Stay tuned for updates on the HELPS group and Houghton Mifflin group...

A Day in the Life of a Researcher

I am going to try to paint a vivid picture in your mind in order for you to get a better grasp of what I am seeing while working with the students. Everything noted in the session is simply my observations. I haven’t conducted any student interviews in my research so I will not use exact student quotes. This is what I observed with the HELPS group today:

It is Wednesday, February 12^th at 3:00 pm. The students have just finished up PPA (planned physical activity aka recess) in the classroom. Today the students watched an episode of the Magic School Bus. They are a little “chatty” as usual when PPA comes to an end. I hear the normal moans and groans as I turn off the movie. I have the students clear off their desk as I am getting ready to tell the students what we will be doing next. I inform the students that it is time for me to work with my group for the day. They are getting in the routine now to where they know they work with me on certain days. I read the names of the seven students that are in the HELPS group and ask them to take a seat at my moon table that is near the reading corner in my classroom. I ask the students to take a pencil with them as they will need it to write with. I tell all other students that we will be doing our Daily Five “Read to Self”. It is “I Love to Read Week” and we are trying to get in plenty of reading time in the classroom. Students get their book boxes and to find an empty spot in the classroom. I walk over to my moon table to find my group I will be working with today. I take a seat at the head of the table only to find that not all students brought a pencil to the table. I ask these students to go back to their seats and get a pencil. The students that are doing the Daily 5 activity are beginning to get loud and I have to ask them to quiet down. All students finally return to the table with a pencil. I have the students write their name at the top of the reading passage. I read the first part of the directions that goes along with the HELPS program. As I read, I find that one student is looking around at the other students in the classroom as does not seem to be focused. I redirect the student and read the rest of the directions. I set the timer for one minute and tell the students to begin reading the passage. As all students read in their head and follow along with their finger, I notice that one student is just skimming with her finger down to the end of the passage and is not really “reading”. After the timer goes off, I have all students circle the word that they stopped on, assuming that they are being honest. I remind the students of the importance of really reading the passage and not just pretending to make it to the end of the reading. I now have two students that are not in the HELPS group standing around my table wanting my attention. I try to answer their questions while keeping my group on task. One student asks to go to the restroom and the other student asks to switch out their books in the classroom library. I make an announcement to the class as a reminder to “ask three students before you ask me” if possible. I continue reading the next part of the HELPS directions and have the students read the passage two more times. I tell the students to circle where they stop each time. As the clock strikes 3:25, busses start to pull up in the bus loop. Our huge floor-to-ceiling window in the classroom provides an easy distraction for students to want to look outside and see what is going. The students in the group begin to ask if it is time to go home. I tell the students they need to stay focused for a few more minutes as we finish up the session. Once we finish, I collect the students’ reading passages. I have all other students put away their book boxes and I inform the students it is time to pack up. As students are beginning to pack up, I call the students in the HELPS group over one at a time. I have the student read the passage once, while marking miscues along with marking where the student stops after one minute. I spend one minute with each student. I continue calling the seven students over, finishing just in time as car riders are called over the announcements.

As you can see, no session is perfect. Feeling rushed always seems to be an issue. There will always be students that need me, students that interrupt, some that are not focused, some that need redirecting, some that just skim the passage, etc. This is all part of a normal first grade classroom. With kids this age everything in a way seems unpredictable.

Thoughts on the data...

I just wanted to take the time to reflect on the research process thus far. It has proved itself to be a challenge only because of the many snow days. Last week we had three snow days at All-Star Elementary, so I was only able to get in two days of research in the classroom. This means I currently have 1 HELPS session, 1 repeated reading session and 1 Houghton Mifflin session to make-up. I didn't realize what a challenge it would be to find the time to make-up these group sessions. It is hard enough to find the 20-30 minute block each day to work with the scheduled group without interruptions. Also, two students were absent in the HELPS group on Monday so I have to make-up this session with these students. Just the factor of "time" itself has definitely been one of the greatest challenges so far in this research process.

Initial interpretations and thoughts about the data-

Please see the previous blog post for data that I have been collecting in this research journey. The data that I have collected is already beginning to answer some of the questions that I had. From the Garfield Reading Attitude Survey, I was able to see how motivated my students were to read. I could see that only three students fell on the extreme ends of the full scale scores. The STAR Test Results prior to beginning the study allowed me to see that thirteen of my students were reading below grade level. I was able to look at these students to see if they were in the RTI process, needed to begin the RTI process, or maybe just didn't score well on the assessment. I have been able to look at students individual data to see if I have any major concerns about the students progress in class. I can see which students are making large gains from session to session and which students are not. The data has also brought new questions to mind. After seeing results in the HELPS group and repeated reading group specifically, I am wondering which group has made the most progress so far. I have not compared the data from the running records of the two groups at this point. I have also thought about the fact that I am only working with the Houghton Mifflin group once a week but the other groups twice a week. Will this affect this groups scores? They are still working with me the same amount of time each week but it does make me wonder. I still lack one set of scores from the HELPS group, repeated reading group and Houghton Mifflin group due to snow days. Stay tuned for my next blog post which will include "thick descriptions" of what I am observing while researching.

I am also learning that analyzing the data takes time. The picture below shows a recent data party that I had...