Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Roslyn Doctorow

Committee Member

Julie Alemany

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

fluency instruction, decodable texts, fluency rates, leveled readers, Title 1 Elementary School

Abstract

This study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design to examine how decodable tests affect second-graders at a Title 1 elementary school. It aimed to see how oral reading fluency (ORF) and accuracy were impacted by different texts. Many second-graders struggle with reading fluently, vital for comprehension. In 2023-2024, 61% of students promoted to second grade still read below level.

The study compared decodable texts with a hybrid approach (decodable and leveled readers). Eight classrooms were split into two groups for 8 weeks: one used only phonics-aligned texts from UFLI, the other alternated between decodable and leveled texts. ORF was measured weekly, with accuracy tested at Weeks 1, 4, and 8. A Mixed ANOVA was used to analyze the data.

Both groups showed significant growth. The Decodable-Only group gained slightly more WCPM (+37.36) than the Hybrid (+31.67), but not significantly. The Hybrid group improved more in accuracy (+11.40%). Results suggest both practices are effective, aligning with the Science of Reading and offering instructional flexibility.

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