1. The Effect of Guided Reading Strategies on First-Grade Student’s Reading Comprehension
By:
Pamela Chapin

2. Purpose
Will reading comprehension strategies increase first-grade student’s reading comprehension?
This action research project was designed to help first-grade students increase their reading comprehension by using reading comprehension strategies.

3. Introduction
The purpose of reading is comprehension, or to get meaning from the written text. Without comprehension, reading would be frustrating and pointless. A major goal of reading comprehension instruction is to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and experience they must have if they are to become competent and enthusiastic readers.

4. Procedures of the Study
This action research project was performed at Canton-Galva Elementary School in December of 2007.
The targeted population for this study consisted of eighteen first-grade students.
Over a two-week period, the teacher used reading comprehension strategies to increase reading comprehension.

5. Reading Comprehension Centers Whole Group/Reading Groups
Interventions
Reading Comprehension Centers
Whole Group/Reading Groups
Students will identify key parts of a text.
Students will sequence events from a text.
Students will arrange words to make complete sentences.
Students will retell or summarize a story to a partner.
Students will identify fiction/non-fiction texts.
Students will construct a single character map from a text.
Students will fill out a Problem/Solution graphic organizer.
Students will construct a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast a text.
Students will construct a Cause/Effect T-chart about a text.

6. Instruments
Before beginning the study, students were given a pre-test to provide data for the research. This pre-test consisted of questions concerning a text that was read as a class.
On the last day of the research project, a post-test was given to the students. This post-test consisted of questions concerning a text that had been read during reading groups.

7. Results
Each of the 18 students received a percentage for both the pre-test and post-test.
In the pre-test, ten out of 18 students scored a 100%. Three out of 18 students scored a 70% or below. In the post-test, 16 out of 18 students scored a 100%. One out of 18 students scored an 80%. One out of 18 students scored a 70%.
Data indicate that ten out of 18 students had scores that remained the same while eight of the 18 students showed an increase in their reading comprehension scores.

8. Results Female Students Male Students
Data show that of all female students six out of ten female students scored a 100% on both tests. For those female students not scoring a 100% on the pre-test, they all showed an increase in scores. Of those four female students not scoring a 100% on the pre-test, three scored a 100% on the post-test. The one female student who did not score a 100% on the final, showed an increase of 15 percentage points.
Data show that of all male students four out of eight male students scored a 100% on both tests. For those male students not scoring a 100% on the pre-test, they all showed an increase in scores. Of those four male students not scoring a 100% on the pre-test, three scored a 100% on the post-test. The one male student who did not score a 100% on the final, showed an increase of five percentage points.

9. Conclusion
To summarize all data, 18 students took the test. Ten of the 18 students scored a 100% on the pre- and post-tests. Sixteen out of the 18 students scored a 100% on the post-test. Two students, one male and one female, raised their scores 5 and 15 percentage points respectively. Further research needs to be done in this study to determine if the comprehension strategies used were the reason for the slight increase or if it was the type of tests given.