2. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how teachers educate
students and determine effectiveness of reading comprehension,
fluency and phonemic awareness, and Common Core Standards
alignment.
“Comprehension instruction remains a critical curriculum component, as the Standards
are interwoven in lessons
across the curriculum” (McLaughlin & Overturf, (2012, p. 9).
AREA OF FOCUS
3. Students today struggle with literacy awareness, grapheme and
phoneme matching, and sound isolation ability. Teachers have
difficulty with students “Sound isolation ability requires the
student to identify which phoneme was located at a specific point
within a word” (MacCoubrey, et. al., 2004, p. 5).
EXPLANATION OF PROBLEM
4. Eight students varying in literacy levels
Three each of, at, and below grade levels
Two females, one male african american above
grade level
Two males, white and high socioeconomic status,
one male, white and low socioeconomic status
VARIABLES
5. How can teachers utilize resources to ensure
that students achieve grade level success?
How can teachers bring successful literacy
development to students below grade level?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
6. This study is within my locus of control as the group of children I studied
required intermediate attention. My locus of control would require one on one attention
in intermittent intervals throughout the day.
Mills, 2014 states that the “locus of control is whether a particular individual child or group of children in a
classroom demand a majority of the teacher’s time and effort” (Mills, 2014, p. 245).
“Early comprehension skills should be the best independent predictor of reading
comprehension in first grade, over and above code skills” (Bianco, et. al., 2012, p. 6).
LOCUS OF CONTROL
7. “Peer mediated activities pairing students; stronger with weaker students” (Dion, et.al.,
p.2) (2010)
“Early comprehension skills should be the best independent predictor of reading
comprehension in first grade, over and above code skills” (Bianco, et. al., 2012, p. 6).
Phonemic awareness is developed utilizing blending consonant sounds, digraph
recognition, and decoding skills.
Phonics board games actively introduce coding skills, letter sounds, and flashcards can
be taken home for parents to use at home as well.
Utilizing technology tools, web resources and apps to introduce reading programs
literacy development can improve reading comprehension.
Ask who, what, where, when and why questions to determine reading comprehension.
INTERVENTION/INNOVATION
8. The group of my study consists of students who each play a role in the study,
as each student differs in educational ability, literacy awareness, and phonemic ability.
Two students offer roles of students at grade level ability and can offer help with other
students below level.
The two students below level ability have a role of necessitating assistance from
the teacher to increase their reading ability. Two other students each at and above grade
level provide different roles, the student above grade level can help the student below
grade level and provide assistance.
GROUP MEMBERSHIP
9. The negotiations in this study entail
permission from parents, administrators, and
colleagues who are involved in surveys. The
permission granted access to all parties for this
study.
NEGOTIATIONS
10. Ethical obstacles consist of protecting anonymity of each
student’s age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender and
educational ability.
“It is a statement of basic ethical principles and guidelines that
should assist in resolving the ethical problems that surround the
conduct of research with human subjects” (Belmont Report,
1979).
ETHICS
11. The timeline for this study entails surveys and interviews obtained prior to first
nine weeks report and then following intervention strategies and innovation
techniques, another student score assessment in the middle of the year and at the
end of the year.
The next collection of parent surveys and interviews would take place at the end
of the school year and following intervention strategies.
TIMELINE
12. STATEMENT OF RESOURCES
List of needed resources:
Parent surveys, questionnaires, and spreadsheet notes
Spreadsheet planning intervention strategies
Intervention resources such as phonics board games,
flashcards, and digraph blending sound cards
Completed survey assessments, student’s scores and
questionnaires coded, sorted and categorized
13. DATA COLLECTION
Research Questions Data Collection
Tool
Why this tool? Justify the use
How can teachers utilize
resources to help 8
students achieve grade
level success within
Common Core
Standards?
Surveys:Parent/
Student
Quantitative
method
I chose surveys because the use of
these can expressly define the
successes of CCS standards.
Resource material can improve
literacy development and build
comprehension.
How can teachers bring
successful literacy
development to students
functioning below
standards?
Interviews
Qualitative
method
I chose answer questions because
teachers can explain what methods
work to bring literacy
development up to CCS level.
14. Abbott, L., Dornbush, A., Giddings, A., & Thomas, J. (2012, May 1). Implementing Guided Reading Strategies with Kindergarten and
First Grade Students. Online Submission,
Bianco, M., Pellenq, C., Lambert, E., Bressoux, P., Lima, L., & Doyen, A. (2012). Impact of early code-skill and oral-
comprehension training on reading achievement in first grade. Journal Of Research In Reading, 35(4), 427-455.
doi:10.1111/j.1467-9817.2010.01479.x Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f36cb9de-1ab9-4add-b784-
aac9d02ea01e%40sessionmgr4002&vid=3&hid=4213
Dion, E., Brodeur, M., Gosselin, C., Campeau, M., & Fuchs, D. (2010). Implementing Research-Based Instruction to
Prevent Reading Problems Among Low-Income Students: Is Earlier Better?. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice (Wiley-
Blackwell), 25(2), 87-96. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5826.2010.00306.x. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0ce394d8-c45f-40bd-bfec-5c9c2913fa46%40sessionmgr115&vid=3&hid=102
MacCoubrey, S. J., Wade-Woolley, L., Klinger, D., & Kirby, J. R. (2004). Early Identification of At-Risk L2 Readers. Canadian
Modern Language Review, 61(1), 11-28. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=3d351b11-a57e-4291-a13e-ee1ab5ea079b%40sessionmgr110&hid=116
McLaughlin, M., & Overturf, B. J. (2012). The Common Core: Insights Into the K-5 Standards. Reading Teacher, 66(2), 153-164.
doi:10.1002/TRTR.01115. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=358e1d34-7bda-
4990-ba6a-cb88b68f08fc%40sessionmgr4005&vid=6&hid=4213
Mills, G.E. (2014). Action Research; A guide for the Teacher Researcher. 5th ed. Pearson Education. PP 245,
REFERENCES
15. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (1979). Ethical principles and guidelines for
the protection of human subjects of research. The Belmont Report. Retrieved from
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.html
REFERENCES
Editor's Notes
Our teachers are required to build strong reading skills in primary grades to establish a good foundation for comprehension. There are many resources and strategies that teachers can utilize to ensure students are meeting these standards through the school year. If students focus on the basic phonemic awareness they can establish a foundation that will develop their comprehension for years to come. Early reading skills establish a foundation for effective literacy awareness and reading ability. Determining how effectively a teacher intervenes and assists troubled students with reading effectuate a purpose filled classroom. “Comprehension instruction remains a critical curriculum component, as the Standards are interwoven in lessons across the curriculum” (McLaughlin & Overturf, (2012, p. 9).
The students in today’s classroom have difficulties in some areas of reading. Some students lack phonemic awareness, digraph understanding and reading comprehension ability. There are problems with decoding skills which lead to problematic reading skills if not corrected. Students and teachers have to work together to survey and determine the problems within each student’s reading ability and the interventions to utilize to effectively improve their comprehension knowledge. “Sound isolation ability requires the student to identify which phoneme was located at a specific point within a word” (MacCoubrey, et. al., 2004, p. 5).
The eight students in this study were sampled, surveyed and assessed based on literacy levels; three at and below grade levels
Two females, one male African American; two males white and high socioeconomic status; one male white and low socioeconomic status
“How can teachers utilize resources to help students achieve grade level success?” “How can teachers bring successful literacy development to students below grade level?” Determining the answers to these questions will reveal the researcher’s effectiveness within the realm of their teaching ability. The answers to this study will effectively determine the researcher’s ability to discover each student’s readiness for literacy and phonemic ability. Teachers can be instrumental in the changes they can effectuate if they perform action research and improve literary awareness and comprehension in their classroom.
The locus of control in this study is within reason as my study group of literacy awareness students requires one on one attention in some areas. The below grade level students are the main focus in this study to bring their literacy awareness and phonemic ability up to grade level to match other students. The majority of my time would be spent with these students.
The intervention strategies that can be utilized in the classroom include peer activities pairing students in guided reading groups, phonics board games, flash cards and comprehension questions can be asked of each student to see if they remember what they’ve learned. Teachers can also use “sound isolation” (MacCoubrey, et. al., 2004, p. 5). to discover which blending sounds students are having difficulty mastering.
The group membership of this study consists of two students at grade level ability who can help those below level ability, two students below level ability who require help with literacy awareness and sound isolation. Two other students at and above grade level who are functioning well in the classroom.
The parties involved in this study parents, administrators and colleagues are all required to grant access to students and provide necessary information about intervention strategies. Gaining access to students and receiving permission for all surveys is an important part of action research.
I have taken consideration the ethical standards of this study by protecting the anonymity of all students regarding age, race, gender and ethnicity. I have also protected the educational ability of each student to guarantee the safety and ethical protection of these students.
The timeline for this study involves surveys and intervention strategies that would bring results in this study, producing effective results and bringing literacy awareness to each student involved. The surveys collected from parents in the beginning of the year would allow teachers to focus the intervention and target weak areas. Student scores could be measured midway through the year and again at the end of the year.
The resources needed for this study consist of surveys, questionnaires, and notes. Spreadsheets can be utilized to categorize the surveys and plan the intervention strategies. Intervention sources such as phonics board games, flashcards, and digraph blending cards can be utilized. Student scores, questionnaires and surveys should be coded, sorted, and categorized according to students reading level ability.
The data collection techniques used in this study help outline intervention methods and resource strategies. The surveys for parents and students quantitative in nature, provided excellent resources for each student and their literary awareness. Interviews were chosen to utilize qualitative methods of data collection because teachers and parents can provide answers as to positive methods for each child and for past children in classrooms that have worked for parents and teachers alike. This mixed-methods approach allowed me to triangulate data and determine where my intervention strategies need to focus. “The data collected will drive the intervention strategies that the teacher researchers will use during the research project. Problem areas will continue to be identified and interventions will be adjusted accordingly to meet the students‘ needs” (Abbott, et. al., 2012,
