Abstract/Notes: This study focused on helping students with learning disabilities to improve their listening comprehension and acquire early reading skills of decoding, reading and understanding what a word and two- or -three-word phrases say. Since reading at the advanced stage involves comprehension of sentences and paragraphs, in this study, building the foundation of reading at the word level is the logical place to start. With that skill in place, combining words into a phrase and understanding what it means will be the next step. Meanwhile, helping the students understand what was read to them through questioning builds their listening comprehension skills, which will be a great help in reading comprehension once the students have advanced enough to read sentences and paragraphs. The target group used for this study included six 1st graders with learning disabilities, who had difficulties with reading and comprehending. These 1st graders with learning disabilities were not taught one-on-one due to large class size. They had no knowledge of phonics. They could not relate the sounds they heard to the letters of the alphabet. The curriculum-based assessment (CBA) model was the alternative assessment model that was used to assess the students. The 12-week intensive study focused on two variables: a dependent variable and an independent variable. The dependent variable was reading at the word and phrase level, and the independent variable was word sound, blending vowels, consonant blending, and consonant and vowel blending. The scientific methodology was the single subject model, a 1-minute assessment. Each student was assessed for 1 minute each day for 3 days. The results of the assessment were used to determine the baseline before the intervention implementation. This methodology is also known as "AB Design." AB refers to a two-phase design, the baseline phase and the intervention phase. The intervention phase was introduced after the baseline phase was established and recorded in data format. Intervention data were recorded as well. The data collected were graphed in two phases. The results showed that the students were able to learn how to read and acquire comprehension within the 12 weeks. The reading strategies that were used in this study were based on Montessori's methods, which is a methodology in learning how to decode words which leads to automatic reading. These strategies are being used in Montessori schools throughout Dade County public schools, but not particularly with special education students. The results of this study were positive.

Language: English

Published: Cincinnati, Ohio, 2003

Abstract/Notes: The intent of this research was to determine the effect of focusing on cultural lessons as a way to increase student engagement and reading scores. The research study took place in a Montessori charter school in an E1 class, focusing on ten specific students ages six through nine. The four sources of data collection used in this research included pre and post reading scores, student writing samples, an observational checklist and student conferencing. While students’ reading scores did not improve writing scores did. Data also showed an increase in interest in cultural subjects as well as an increased interest in attending formal lessons. Students were more engaged throughout the day but most asked that cultural lessons be taught at the end of the day in order for them to focus on their math and language works.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2013

Language: English

Archive: Seattle University, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, Special Collections

Abstract/Notes: This action research studied the impact of strategic methods employed to help increase in intrinsic motivation of children to read while increasing comprehension ability. The study occurred in a private Montessori elementary classroom (grades 1-4). Eight students were exposed to a variety of literature genres strategically introduced and displayed and had the ability to choose literature at their leisure, participated in a book club, and completed weekly comprehension examines. Sources of data include dialogue recorded through teacher journaling, comprehension exam data, tally sheet containing data regarding book selections and also student self-evaluations. Following the implementation of the motivational techniques, participants’ demonstrated a significant increase in motivation to read. In addition, the comprehension exam scores increased steadily throughout the course of the study. The motivational techniques have improved the participants’ overall intrinsic motivation to read; therefore I will continue to implement these techniques into my curriculum.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2015

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research was to identify ways of improving reading fluency for elementary children in grades first through sixth. Children scoring below the 40th percentile on reading standardized test scores, determined our testing population. Four data collections tools were used, including a child-centered survey, a reading fluency rubric, teacher observations, and fluency graphs. The Read Naturally Program was used as the reading fluency intervention. Students made fluency progress in both the upper and lower elementary levels. This research highlights the importance of reading fluency interventions. Further research might focus on self reflection for children using the iPad Read Naturally Program.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016

Abstract/Notes: Schema is a framework that helps us organize and interpret information. Developing schema is essential in the comprehension of text. Strong readers can make sense of what they read by seeing how it fits with what they already know. Teachers must help students make connections before, during, and after reading. Without schema students are unable to infer because making inferences involves creating meaning that is not explicitly stated by the author. Readers use clues in the text plus their personal insights and experiences to make meaning of the text (Roit, 2014). My school is a Title 1 school with a high level of poverty. Typically impoverished have limited background knowledge due to limited vocabulary and life experiences (Payne, 2015). Students must be taught to activate schema to help make meaning from text. Explicitly teaching students both the term schema to facilitate metacognition and helping them focus on specific stimulus will help students in poverty to be ready to proceed to the elaboration stage, also known as inferencing (Payne, 2015). There has been limited research on schema in isolation to reading comprehension. Although a lack of background knowledge affects reading success, many teachers have little support or understanding of lessons that focus on building schema. Teacher instruction does little to help students learn how or when to use the skills, nor was it ever established that this specific set of skills enabled comprehension (Appel, 2009). By exploring lessons in isolation to the schema framework teachers will be able to help students with a limited vocabulary interpret a text in a more meaningful way.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research study was to increase preliteracy skills, confidence, and interest in reading in a Montessori early childhood environment through a reading workshop model. Given the pressure on teachers to create stronger readers at younger ages, this work discusses developmentally appropriate language tasks for children ages three- to six-years-old using the Montessori method and emergent literacy theory frameworks. Research suggests children who exhibit confidence and interest in reading develop strong preliteracy skills. These factors predict capable and active readers. For six weeks, a Montessori early childhood classroom of 14 students and three adult guides participated in daily 30-minute reading workshops. These workshops included a short explicit language lesson lasting under 10 minutes, followed by an extended free reading time. The development of preliteracy skills, student confidence in skills, and interest in reading were tracked through formative assessments, observation, student-teacher conferencing, and student self-assessments. After the intervention, an increase in preliteracy skills, interest, and confidence were noted. The students requested to continue reading workshops due to high interest. Further work is needed to analyze the development of reading skills through the reading workshop intervention.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research was to decide if conducting guided reading instruction three times a week in a primary Montessori classroom would make an impact on reading levels among kindergarten students. The research took place over six weeks in a public Montessori school. The school is a Title One school located in a rural area of South Carolina. The population who participated in the study were 26 kindergarten students aged five to six from three different classrooms. Our intervention included using a variety of reading strategies such as pointing to each word, using picture clues, sounding out words, and recognizing sight words. Each session lasted around 45 minutes to an hour. Some positive effects of our study were an increase in reading confidence, usage of reading strategies, and overall reading achievement. To expand on our research, we would experiment with implementing this practice at another time during the school day and use additional guided reading techniques.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2022

Language: English

Language: English