Using Action Research To Empower North Carolina Educators A Race to the Top Initiative NC Department of Public Instruction Educator Effectiveness Division

Helping To Decrease The Number of Struggling/Reluctant Readers in First Graders Bernadine Wood Pasquotank County Sheep Harney Elementary

What is Action Research? Systematic inquiry conducted by teachers and other educators to find solutions for critical, challenging, relevant issues in their classrooms and schools. Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014

What is Action Research? Main Goals Include: Positively impact student outcomes Identify and promote effective instructional practices Create opportunities for teachers to become reflective practitioners Share research results with other educators Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014

What is Action Research? A systematic research process to: ● Identify an area of focus (critical, challenging issue) ● Develop an action research plan ● Implement action research plan in classroom/school ● Collect, analyze, and interpret data ● Share findings to inform practice Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014

How to Support and decrease the number of struggling/reluctant readers in First Grade What if children haven’t mastered or become proficient in Reading by the end of second grade what do we do? First grade is the grade in which the academic achievement gap is the smallest. This research impacts all K-5 teachers in NC. The research would showcase students behavior and attitude toward reading along with them creating a self extending system of reading for themselves by the time they leave First Grade.

Problems of Practice Question: What is the biggest reading problem faced with your students? TURN AND TALK!!!!!!!!! CHART/DISCUSS

What Does Peer-Reviewed Research say about my focus area? Classroom teacher can produce reading gains in struggling readers through a relatively modest investment of time with struggling readers. At the heart of the direct instruction method are explicit explanations, modeling or demonstrating, and guided practice. Direct instruction needs to be an integral part of learning the major content strands of the reading process – phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Focus Statement Decreasing the number of struggling readers by using Reading Recovery theory, best practices, and Foundational skills from the Common Core.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Purpose of the Study To help first grade students increase their ability to read and their behavior on reading.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Study Participants A class of first grade students.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Research Questions Will students’ text level reading and comprehension show a trajectory of increase? Will students’ reading behavior/attitude change positively ? Will students’ display a self – extending system by the end of the year?

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Innovation/Intervention The BOY TRC assessment data was analyzed to determine the concepts in which students needed the most instruction. Students were introduced to Reading Recovery theory Students then participated in different comprehension reading activities. Whole group, peer, teacher – student conferences

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Implementation in the Classroom Organization Additional seventy – five minutes to my ELA block. Explicit systematic teaching on Phonics (breaking words apart activity) Fluency/Comprehension ( read alouds, reading continuous levels of text on their instructional level)

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Implementation in the Classroom Keeping running records (s,m, and v) Volume of reading daily Best Practices Nonsense words Fluency drills Question stem Authentic reading

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Implementation in the Classroom Practice Reading Prompts Various books and generic questions stems Readworks passages ( runners) Progress monitoring

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected Data was collected through the Reading TRC assessment and Reading Recovery. Writing samples from BOY and Moy were analyzed. Proficient Writing

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected Results: LetterBOY MOY P/B Student ACGP Student BCGP Student CRBEB Student DRBCB Student EDGP Student FRBEB Student GRB B Student HEGP Student IBGB Student JCGP Student KEGP Student LEGP Student MRBEB Student NDGP

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Collect Data Findings In the BOY only 5 students were at grade level and 9 students were below grade level. During the MOY 9 students are at grade level and 5 are below grade level.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Collect Data Findings Students C,D,F, and M are at level G at this point of the year. Student G is still at RB at this point of the year.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Collect Data Recommendations After, analyzing, observing, and being an active participant in this study, I would recommend to every K-5 teacher to use this approach to teaching literacy in their classroom.

References William H. Rupley, Timothy R. Blair & William D. Nicholas (2009) Effective Reading Instruction for Struggling Readers: The Role of Direct/Explicit Teaching, Reading &Writing Quaterely: Overcoming Learning Difficulties,25:2-3, Shelia W. Valencia and Marsha Riddle Buly (2010) Behind Test Scores: What Struggling Readers Really Need, Preparing Reading Professionals,

References Linnea C Ehri, Lois G. Dreyer, Bert Flugman and Alan Gross Reading Rescue: An Effective Tutoring Intervention Model for Language – Minority Students Who Are Struggling Readers in First Grade, Ameican Research Journal, Lynne Vernon- Feagans, Kathleen Gallagher, Marnie C. Ginsberg, Steve Amendum, Kirsten Kainz, Jason Rose, and Margaret Burchinal (2010) A Diagnostic Teaching Intervention for Classroom Teachers: Helping Struggling Readers in Early Elementary School, Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 2594),

Conclusion of Presentation Thank you for your participation. Contact Information: Name: Bernadine Wood School/District:Sheep Harney Creative Arts School/Pasquotank Phone:

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