ERIC Number: ED561688
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 133
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3034-3457-0
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Effects of Specifically Designed Literacy Stations on the Reading Fluency of Students
English, Christine E.
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Walden University
Reading fluency is critical in all aspects of school curriculum. Struggling readers fall further behind each year due to the increasing demands of the curriculum. To address this problem, the current study implemented literacy stations for struggling readers in a school in rural Washington State. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) whether participation in poetry cafe and reader's theater improved students' oral reading fluency (ORF), (b) whether behavioral engagement is a predictor of ORF, and (c) how poetry cafe and reader's theater impact reading fluency. Piaget's theory of constructivism formed the theoretical framework for this concurrent, mixed-methods case study. For 8 weeks, data were collected from 46 Grade 4 students from 3 classes in an elementary school in rural Washington State using the Multi-Level Academic Skills Inventory-Revised ORF measure and observations. Quantitative data were analyzed using "t" tests to determine differences in student ORF scores, and linear regression was used to determine if behavioral engagement predicted ORF. Qualitative anecdotal notes were used to gather data on students' behavioral engagement in literacy stations and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Both sets of scores as well as anecdotal notes were triangulated to determine if the literacy stations were effective. Results indicated that students' ORF scores improved after participating in poetry cafe and reader's theater but that behavioral engagement did not significantly predict ORF. These findings suggest that poetry cafe and reader's theater can be considered effective for improving ORF, and it is recommended that teachers consider implementing repeated reading literacy stations more frequently in their classrooms. Administrators from the local site can use these findings to plan and further implement specific literacy stations and improve the reading fluency of students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Reading Fluency, Reading Instruction, Reading Difficulties, Poetry, Learning Activities, Oral Reading, Student Participation, Predictor Variables, Constructivism (Learning), Grade 4, Elementary School Students, Mixed Methods Research, Case Studies, Scores, Student Behavior, Rural Schools, Regression (Statistics), Teaching Methods, Learning Centers (Classroom)
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Washington
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A