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The Effect of Giving Class Time for Reading on the Reading Achievement of Fourth Graders and the Effect of Using a Computer-Based Reading Management Program on the Reading Achievement of Fifth Graders
This study investigated the problem that educators have throughout the state of Texas. The problem educators have is that reading scores continue to fall short of state expectations. This study investigated the effectiveness of 90 minutes of class time given for reading to students who use the Electronic Bookshelf Program and the effectiveness of the Electronic Bookshelf Program, which is being sold to school districts throughout the nation. The literature review focused on the effectiveness of independent reading on reading achievement, and the effectiveness of using computer-based reading programs to increase reading achievement.
A Content Analysis of Children's Historical Fiction Written about World War II
The purpose of this study was to investigate the evolution of children's historical fiction dealing with World War II in order to describe the changes that have occurred over the past 50 years. Two questions were asked in the study: (1) Has the characterization of protagonists portrayed in historical fiction about World War H evolved since 1943? and (2) Have the accounts of the events of World War H portrayed in historical fiction evolved since 1943? Content analysis was used as the method of collecting data. The sample consisted of 86 novels written from 1943 to 1993. Upon completing the reading and coding, the researcher discussed the categories and questions posed. As part of analysis, the discussion of the novels in each period was accompanied with an overview of trends in children's literature and events affecting society. The analysis led to the following conclusions: 1. Authors were impacted by changes in the social and political climate, as evidenced by the changes in the gender of the protagonists, an increase of violence, and the inclusion of women. 2. Novels written during the 1980s and 1990s were written with a stronger American perspective. 3. At the time that an increase of violence was seen in American society, descriptions of World War II events and protagonists' actions became more violent and more graphic. 4. Though the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war with Japan, an inadequacy still exists in the number of novels that provide readers with details related to the atomic bombs. Though much of World War II was fought in the Pacific Rim, a deficiency remains in the number of novels set in Pacific Rim countries. Recommendations for further research include performing a study that examines other genres, analyzing the changes observed in the portrayal of protagonists. A study …
ReSource, Volume 3, Number 1, [1986]
ReSource magazine includes articles and notes about research at North Texas State University in various academic fields.
ReSource, Volume 4, Number 1, [1987]
ReSource magazine includes articles and notes about research at North Texas State University in various academic fields.
[David Reddin]
Photograph of David Reddin, sitting in an arm chair reading a book.
"Hey Fellows!" Your money brings the book we need when we want it : American Library Association, United War Work Campaign, Week of November 11, 1918.
Poster showing one soldier in green holding a book and calling out, and a sailor in white sitting on the ground reading. The background is orange. There are silhouettes of 3 soldiers behind them.
Computer-Assisted Instruction in Literacy Skills for Kindergarten Students and Perceptions of Administrators and Teachers.
The perceptions of administrators and teachers of a computer-assisted instructional program in literacy skills were collected by a survey. The survey participants were kindergarten teachers and administrators from four elementary schools in the same, fast-growing, suburban school district in Texas. Literacy assessments were given to all kindergarten students in the district in the fall, winter, and spring of the 2005-2006 school year. This study included a quasi-experimental research design to determine if students using the computer-assisted instructional program improved more on the district literacy assessments than students who did not use the program. The treatment group members were the 449 kindergarten students of the survey participants. The treatment group worked in The Imagination Station program for a nine-week trial period. The control group members were 1385 kindergarten students from thirteen other schools in the same school district. The study found that teachers and administrators perceived that their students' improvement in literacy skills after using the program was good. The quasi-experimental portion of the study found that there was a statistical difference between the treatment and control groups on the composite literacy assessment score. The group membership variable could explain 1.4% of the variance in the students' literacy assessment scores. Based on the small effect size, there was no practical difference between the groups.
Play Therapy with Low Achievers in Reading
Play therapy in a school setting was studied to determine its therapeutic effectiveness on students' reading achievement, self-concept, and locus of control. The sample consisted of 24 students in two first grade classes who had been retained because of low achievement in reading. Instruments used in the study were the Gates MacGinite Reading Test, the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, and the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance, used to test the significance of the difference between the adjusted post-test means of the experimental and control groups, showed that participants in play therapy scored significantly higher in self-concept than did those who were not exposed to treatment. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in reading achievement or locus of control. Since research has shown that low achievers in reading tend to have low self-concepts, it seems reasonable to assume that improved self-concept would be related to improved reading scores. The nature of such a possible relationship needs further study. Recommendations were made for integrating affective components into academic remediation programs, and suggestions for further research were made.
To Determine Whether or Not the Tarrant County Free Library is Taking Care of the Recreational Reading Interests of the Elementary Pupils in Fourteen Schools of Tarrant County, Texas
A study to determine whether the Tarrant County Free Library is meeting the recreational readying needs of elementary school students.
Factors Influencing Older Adults' Patterns of Information Acquisition
A group of 101 older adults (sixty-five years of age and over) who lived independently in three retirement apartment residences in Denton, Texas, were asked about their patterns of reading, television viewing, and radio listening habits for two periods in their lives: (1) at age forty to fifty-five and (2) at the present. Respondents were asked about their use of external information sources (public library, grocery store, newsstand, etc.) and their use of proximate information sources (radio, friends/relatives, television, etc.) They were also asked about access to transportation, income satisfaction, status of general health, vision, hearing, physical mobility and reasons for utilizing various information sources. Four hypotheses relating changes in health, environment, economic status, and education to reasons for reading and use of information sources were tested through the use of t-tests, regression analysis and analysis of variance. Within this group of older adults, use of external information sources decreased from the past to the present. There was, however, no change in the use of information sources located in or near the residence as difficulties in these areas increased. A relationship was found between educational level and reading for pleasure earlier in life. Also, those with higher educational levels reported fewer differences in their reasons for reading in the present and in the past.
How the Reading Difficulties Are Being Met in Some Fifth Grades of Tarrant County, Texas.
A study to determine the most common reading difficulties in the fifth grade in Tarrant County, Texas, to evaluate the ways they are being met, and to suggest solutions.
[News Clip: Portrait J. Weatherford]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story. This story aired at 10pm.
[News Clip: Day Care]
B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story. This story aired at 5pm.
Read to Succeed
This paper discusses research on reading and a study on transition times in the classroom.
Measures of reading comprehension: The effects of text type and time limits on students' performance.
Although the importance of reading comprehension is generally recognized, a better understanding of the factors influencing measurement of reading comprehension may impact the ability to assess strengths and deficits. The current study examined the effects of text type and time limits on the rate of students' performance across four common assessments of reading comprehension. Results showed similarities between performance with narrative and expository texts and across time limit conditions for all of the assessments. In terms of comparing across reading comprehension assessments, the findings are limited by the differences in the response channels and stimulus conditions of each assessment. The results have implications for the development of measurement systems and the assessment of reading comprehension.
[Men under tent looking at tables of books]
No Description Available.
[Men looking at books on tables under tent]
Photograph of a men browsing through books from a table with a wide variety of books on it. The men are in a large tent with several tables that have books on them.
[Men looking at tables of books]
Photograph of a men browsing through books from a table with a wide variety of books on it. The men are in a large tent with several tables that have books on them and other people are shown in the photograph browsing through the collection of books.
The Effects of Fluency-Based Instruction on the Identification of Component Reading Skills
This study examined the effects of fluency-based instruction on the identification of six component-composite relations for early reading skills. Five participants (ages 5-8) who struggled with reading participated. A multiple probe design was used to assess the effects of frequency building on prerequisite skills on the emergence of composite reading skills. The results show that the prerequisite skills taught did not have an effect on the composite skill probes but did have an effect on the assessment scores. The data expand the research pertaining to Precision Teaching, fluency-based instruction, and component-composite relations. These data suggest that additional skills may be needed to be taught in order to effects on the composite skills. In addition, these authors identify the need for the identification of the component skills necessary to teach rapid autonomic naming.
[Woman with book]
Photograph of a woman sitting on a small, cushioned chair and holding a book. The woman is wearing a white shirt and looking to the upper left. She has a neutral expression on her face and is holding the book open in her lap. Her left hand is laid on the book, and she has a bracelet on said wrist.
[Family reading a story]
Photograph of a family sitting in an office reading a children's book. The mother and father are sitting in clam shell chairs on opposite sides of a desk. The mother is on the right side and is wearing a long sleeve light colored button up with striped bottoms. She has an closed children's book on the desk in front of her. A young boy is standing behind her and is resting his head on his palm on the desk. There is a lamp at the back of the desk and a pen at the front. The father is sitting on the left side of the desk and is wearing a white long sleeve button up with a dark tie. He has his left arm around his young daughter who is sitting in his lap and he is holding a book with his right hand. The wall behind the desk is made up of floor to ceiling windows that are covered by sheer curtains.
[Father reading a book to his children]
Photograph of a family sitting in an office reading a children's book. The mother and father are sitting in clam shell chairs on opposite sides of a desk. The mother is on the right side and is wearing a long sleeve light colored button up with striped bottoms. She has an open children's book on the desk in front of her. A young boy is standing behind her and leaning on the desk. There is a lamp at the back of the desk and a pen at the front. The father is sitting on the left side of the desk with his legs crossed at the knee and he is wearing a white long sleeve button up with a dark tie. He has his left arm around his young daughter who is sitting in his lap and he is holding a book with his right hand. The wall behind the desk is made up of floor to ceiling windows that are covered by sheer curtains.
[Family reading a book]
Photograph of a family sitting in an office reading a children's book. The mother and father are sitting in clam shell chairs on opposite sides of a desk. The mother is on the right side and is wearing a long sleeve light colored button up with striped bottoms. She has a closed children's book on the desk in front of her and is looking to the left of the image. A young boy in a blazer and black and white oxfords is leaning on the arm of her chair and is looking down and to the right. There is a lamp at the back of the desk and a pen at the front. The father is sitting on the left side of the desk with his legs crossed at the knee and he is wearing a white long sleeve button up with a dark tie. He has his left arm around his young daughter who is sitting in his lap and he is holding a book with his right hand. They are both looking towards the right of the image. The wall behind the desk is made up of floor to ceiling windows that are covered by sheer curtains.
[Photograph of Byrd Williams IV reading a newspaper]
Photograph of Byrd Williams IV reading a newspaper on a patterned couch. He sits with a foot propped up on his knee and holds the paper out in front of him, staring at it intently. A framed picture hangs on the wall above him.
[Photograph of Albert Irving Stiles reading]
Photograph of Albert Irving Stiles reading a newspaper. He leans back in a chair and looks down towards the newspaper that he holds out in front of him. He wears a hat, glasses, a dress shirt, and a patterned tie. Sheer, frilly curtains hang on a window behind him. A salt and pepper shaker and some folded newspapers rest on a covered table in the foreground.
The Effectiveness of Electronic Books in the Primary Classroom
Paper describes study exploring the effectiveness of using electronic books in an elementary school classroom to teach reading skills.
[Photograph of Doris Stiles Williams at a table with Tim and Carol Williams]
Photograph of Doris Stiles Williams standing next to a table where young Tim and Carol Williams are working. Doris wears a short-sleeved shirt with horizontal stripes and has a plaid apron tied around her waist. Tim sits on a stack of pillows in a wooden chair in front of her, writing on a piece of paper. Carol sits at the table with her back to the camera. Papers, an eraser, and a book are spread out on the table top in front of her. A wood stove and wicker furniture is visible in the background.
[Photograph of Pam Williams reclining in a chair]
Photograph of Pam Williams lounging in a leather recliner in a living room. She looks off to the left, away from the camera, and rests a hand on the open magazine in her lap. Her fair hair is worn down around her shoulders and she wears a dark, sleeveless top. An organ with two keyboards is visible on the wall behind her.
[Photograph of Doris Stiles Williams and Albert Stiles]
Photograph of Doris Stiles Williams sitting at a table with her father, Albert Stiles. Doris sits on the left, resting her chin in her hand, and writes on a newspaper with a pencil. Albert rests his elbows on the table and looks down at the stack of newspapers in front of him. He wears a hat, glasses, a dress shirt, and a patterned neck tie. A salt and pepper shaker sit on the center of the table.
[Photograph of young Carol Williams reading a book]
Photograph of young Carol Williams with a book. She sits on the floor with her legs crosses and looks down at the back cover of a book, which she holds in her lap. Her short, fair hair is pinned away from her face and she wears a plaid, short-sleeved dress with lace details. A stack of papers and small boxes sits net to her. Behind her, clothes are visible hanging in an open wardrobe.
The Implementation of Transition from Spanish Reading to English Reading Programs in Bilingual Classrooms
The purpose of this study was to describe the actual implementation of the transition process as observed in bilingual classrooms, and in particular, to examine the critical components (policy, curricular, and instructional characteristics) of the Spanish-to-English reading transition policies implemented in bilingual education programs in elementary schools in the Denton Independent School District in Texas. Four research questions drove this study. To investigate these questions, a multidimensional, descriptive research design was employed. The researcher used questionnaires, interviews, and field observations. The 11 educators, 6 bilingual teachers, 2 school-site principals, 2 school-site coordinators, and 1 district bilingual coordinator, were asked several types of questions (open response and closed response) using different types of instruments (questionnaires and interviews). Also, the six bilingual teachers were observed using two types of instruments (field notes and video tapes).
A Comparison of the Leisure Reading Habits of Female Teachers and Non-Teachers
The purpose of this study was to determine, whether there was a significant difference in the leisure reading habits of two groups of women who were college graduates; one group of elementary classroom teachers, grades one through six, and another group of women who were not teachers.
The Effects of Using Networked Integrated Testing and Skills Software and Parental Involvement on Achievement, Attitude, and Self-esteem of At-risk Students
The purpose of this study was to determine whether using integrated, networked testing and skills software combined with parental participation would increase students' achievement in reading, improve students' self-esteem and improve attitude toward school. Further, the purpose was to determine if parental participation promotes improved attitude toward school.
The Use of Nonfiction/Informational Trade Books in an Elementary Classroom
The purpose of the study was to describe the use of nonfiction/informational trade books within a literature-based elementary classroom by students and the teacher. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, the researcher became a participant observer in a third grade classroom during a two and one-half week thematic unit about the westward movement. Data were collected from field notes, audiotapes of class discussions and informal interviews, documents of students' work, photographs, daily observer comment summaries, and memos. These data were coded, analyzed for recurring patterns, and grouped together, resulting in grounded theory.
Reading interests and activity of older adults and their sense of life satisfaction
This study addresses the problem of reading among older adults and the relation of such reading to their sense of life satisfaction. The study also considers the relation between reading interests and activity of older adults and the availability to them of reading materials and services.
Examining First-Graders' Construction of Knowledge of Graphophonemic and Orthographic Relationships: Reading and Writing Student-Selected Continuous Text
The purpose of this study was to examine first-graders' construction of knowledge of graphophonemic and orthographic relationships. Three levels of treatment were assigned randomly to three groups of first-graders in their first semester of first grade. Treatment varied in student engagement with reading and writing texts based on student interests and in the amount of interaction students had with one another and the researcher as they read, wrote, and examined words, word patterns, and graphophonemic relationships. The study was based on a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design (Campbell & Stanley, 1963) with an added within-subjects factor of 12 weekly test occasions. These weekly tests involved students writing a researcher-dictated continuous text selected by students in the full-treatment group from the larger portion of text read each week. Additional elements of qualitative research were included in the design and analyses. Quantitative analyses revealed statistically significant results. Qualitative data analyses confirmed that students who interacted daily with each other and the researcher in reading and writing activities constructed more knowledge about graphophonemic and orthographic relationships than peers from the partial-treatment group and the control group. Results led to conclusions and implications involving a reexamination of current and traditional methods of spelling instruction and assessment for young children.
[Student Studying in Wooded Area]
Photograph of a female student studying at the North Texas campus in Denton, Texas. She sits on a bench surrounded by several trees, bent over a book in her lap. A pond is visible in the lower right corner of the image.
An Evaluation of the Newbery Medal Books
The writer's purpose in this study has been to make a thorough investigation of the Newbery Medal books to determine if they represent the best literature suitable for children's reading that has been published since 1922, and to investigate carefully the group as a whole to see if the books possess those rare qualities and characteristics which, deservedly, would set them apart from the ordinary type of books usually designated as suitable for children's reading.
The Relationship Existing between Reading and the Social Studies in the Waelder Elementary School
The purpose of this study is to determine what degree, if any, relationship exists between reading and social studies in the intermediate grades of the Waelder Elementary School, and then to determine means of using reading as a tool to aid children in their social studies.
An Evaluation of the Program of Phonetic Instruction in Relation to Reading in the Schools of Panola County
The problem of this study is to evaluate the program of phonetic teaching in the Panola County schools in terms of criteria developed from current literature on the history, theories, and studies relating to the teaching of phonics in connection with the reading program in the elementary grades.
An Experimental Investigation of the Relation Between the Percentage of Possible Gain in Reading Comprehension and Academic Success in Major Fields of Study
Determination of gains made in reading comprehension and the relationship of these gains to the academic success of 545 college freshmen of North Texas State Teachers College is the main consideration of this study.
A Comparison of Certain Reading Textbook Manuals with Certain Reading Authority Standards for Intermediate Grades
This study was made in an attempt to determine whether or not the manuals for the reading textbooks published since 1930 meet the standards set up by the leading educators in the field of reading.
An Evaluation of Audio-Visual Instruction in Low-First Grade Reading
The problem of this investigation was two fold: first, to obtain information on available auditory and visual aids adaptable to teaching reading on the low-first-grade level; and second, to determine the progress in general reading efficiency of three groups of beginning readers who were taught by three different methods.
[News Clip: Laura Bush]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story. This story aired at 10 PM.
Reader-Reported Influences on a Fifth Grader's Transaction With Extended Text
This study was designed to investigate the question of what goes on in a reader's mind as she transacts with extended text. It was a case study with one respondent, a ten year old girl. She reported, in writing, her thoughts during teacher read aloud, subsequent silent reading of the same text, and group discussions about the text. The findings support and flesh out Rosenblatt.s transactional theory, Vygotsky.s Zone of Proximal Development theory, and Lipman.s Philosophy for Children theory. Conclusions were that there are numerous sociocultural influences on a reader's transaction with text and that these influences must be taken into account in the classroom.
Early Literacy: An Examination of the Principal Behaviors That Impact Reading Achievement
Literacy is fundamental to formal education, learning, and training for future career related skills. It provides not only the means of acquisition of information and skills during schooling, but it is a vital predictor of a person's general level of education in school as well as successful completion of schooling. Literacy skills serve as the major foundational skill for all school-based learning and without it, chances for academic and occupational success are limited. Despite the efforts of teachers, a significant portion of students continue to fail to achieve success in early literacy in school, with severe consequences for their subsequent educational progress, career opportunities and life chances. The extent of this problem varies throughout school systems. All of our children are affected by their reading ability, and as educators it is critical to provide for all students the most effective literacy programs and strategies which are research based, data-driven and successfully replicated. Because of the psychological, social and economic consequences of reading failure, it is critical to review the research to determine the risk factors that may predispose youngsters to reading failure, and the instructional practices that can be applied to ameliorate reading deficits at the earliest possible time. The failure to achieve in literacy is a fact, which continues to carry dire social and economic consequences for the children, as well as for this society. Furthermore, there is a substantial body of research indicating that schools have a narrow window of opportunity to make a difference. Students who fail to make progress in literacy during the first two years of school rarely catch up with their peers and are at-risk of becoming low achievers who are alienated from school and who dropout of education at the earliest opportunity. On the other hand, impressive empirical evidence is now available to …
Assessing Allied Health and Nursing Post-Secondary Career and Technical Education Teacher Attitudes and Beliefs About Reading
This study examined allied health and nursing career and technical education (CTE) teacher beliefs and attitudes about reading. Since beliefs and attitudes influence the way teachers teach, it is important to understand what those beliefs and attitudes are, especially in relationship to reading in subject matter classrooms. One hundred twelve individuals responded to a written survey concerning their attitudes and beliefs about reading. A four-factor solution was achieved with a principal components factor analysis. A significant number of variables were associated with the factor labeled Reading Apathy, which appears to be indicative of the condition known as aliteracy among faculty who participated in the study. Professional development activities grounded in novice-to-expert theory are suggested as a way of overcoming the phenomenon. Recommendations for future research involve a more detailed study to further characterize the condition of aliteracy and its impact on student learning.
The Effects of Tests and Praise on Children's Hear-write and See-say Responses.
Four elementary school children were tested on 120 words containing the short e (e.g., ten, pen) and short a (e.g., tan, pan) sounds. Words were tested in the hear-write (H/W) and see-say (S/S) channels. No programmed consequences were scheduled during baseline (BL) tests 1-3. After BL, an error analysis categorized words based on channel error and topography of error. Praise was delivered during tests 4-6 for correct responses. Children's responses were variable within channel and across channels for a majority of words. By the end of the praise phase, there was a decrease in the number of words with errors, for all children in their error word group. Error topographies began to stabilize for some words during praise.
Gottshall Early Reading Intervention: A phonics based approach to enhance the achievement of low performing, rural, first grade boys.
Learning to read is critical for quality of life and success in our society. Children who cannot read well face unsuccessful educational careers and limited job choices. Recently, policy makers and educators have made progress toward increasing the reading achievement of America's children. Still up to 60% of boys who live in poverty cannot read or read two years below grade level. In this experimental study, I designed and examined the effects of the Gottshall Early Reading Intervention (GERI) to determine if direct instruction with a small group, phonics based approach would increase the literacy achievement of low performing, rural, first grade boys. Participants were selected according to Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) scores, matched them across race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status, and randomly assigned them to experimental/control group. Three times per week for 15 weeks, boys in the experimental group attended 30-minute pullout sessions taught by trained professionals in addition to classroom reading instruction. Control group members received classroom reading instruction only. Findings reveal no significant differences in reading gains across all variables. However, descriptive data indicate higher percentages of gains for the experimental group on four out of five reading components with rate of gain higher on fifth. Statistics also show that Hispanics are more likely to benefit.
[News Clip: Library Fees]
Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.
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