This study aims to investigate the relationship between kindergarten students' classroom behavior and their reading performance. It reviews previous research that found problematic behavior and academic failure are associated, and poor readers are more off-task and at risk of attention issues. The researcher will observe kindergarten classrooms to record behavior interventions and collect DIBELS reading scores to analyze the correlation between reading performance and behavior. However, the small sample size from one urban area limits generalizing the results.

1. Morgan J. Newson
EDUC 379
Dr. Jones

3.  The relationship between
behavior and reading
performance has been
demonstrated in a number of
studies.
 The balance of evidence from
long-standing research
suggests that problematic
behavior and academic
failure are clearly associated.
 From this evidence, it might
be predicted that high
reading scores would be
clearly associated with lack
of problematic behavior.

4.  The purpose of this study is to investigate the
relationship between the classroom behavior of
kindergarten students and their reading
performance.
 This study will concentrate on early childhood
students because this is the developmental
stage during which problematic behavior
begins.

6.  The general image of McIntosh’s results is one in
which children enter kindergarten with varying
reading skills.
 If they do not respond to literacy instruction
during kindergarten, and fall behind, a negative
spiral of achievement and behavior becomes more
likely.
 As the student’s literacy skills do not keep pace
with those of peers, academic tasks become more
aversive, and problem behaviors aimed towards
escaping from these tasks become more likely

7.  Researchers have found that poor readers are off task significantly more
and are at a greater risk than good readers for developing attention and
behavioral problems (Wasson, Beare, & Wasson, 1990).
 Recent work with the Classroom Performance Profile suggested that
teacher ratings of classroom performance were positively related to
academic achievement and that these ratings were negatively related to
Behavior problems in the classroom across the primary grades (Crosby &
French, 2002).
 Teacher-reported children’s work-related behaviors in kindergarten were
found to be correlated with reading achievement in kindergarten and first
grade (Griffin, 1997).
 Disruptive behavior in the elementary grades is also negatively correlated
with academic performance (Finn & Pannozzo, 2004)

8.  Children’s classroom behavior in the early school
setting is closely related to their adjustment to
school and is an important factor of academic
progress (McIntosh, Horner, Chard, Dickey, &
Braun, 2008).
 School-related problem behaviors, such as
inattentiveness or oppositional behavior, affect
school readiness and academic performance
(Camp & Zimet, 1975).
 Students who had higher fall reading scores were
rated as having more positive approaches to
learning and fewer externalizing problem
behaviors than their peers with lower fall reading
scores.

9. There is a significant negative correlation between reading
performance in kindergarten students and the amount of
required behavior intervention received in class.

11.  The researcher will use a self-created Behavior
Management Chart to document the number of
times teacher intervention is required to
modify specified behavior in the classroom.
 Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy
Skills (DIBELS) scores will be obtained.
 The DIBELS measures are designed to assess
the five major skill areas in early reading.

13.  The researcher will collect data by observing
each classroom for three hours a day over a
period of two days in January.
 The observed behaviors will be analyzed and
in February, the researchers will return to
obtain the results of the DIBELS assessment.
 The results of the assessment will categorize
the child into one of the categories, Low Risk,
Some Risk, and At Risk.

15.  The sample size is small and the
students came from a lower to
middle-class socioeconomic
background in an urban area.
Therefore, these results cannot
be generalized to a larger
population.
 The students were only
observed on two days during
the school year which may
effect the ability to accurately
measure individual students
classroom behavior.
 A replication of the findings
with a larger, more diverse
sample and more time spent
observing in the field is
desirable.