Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

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

Advisor

Carole Trueman

Committee Member

Donna Smith

Committee Member

Ronald P. Kern

Keywords

Visual Perception, Reading Difficulties, Reading Improvement, Elementary School Students

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study was the failure of 30% of students in Grades 2–5 on an elementary campus in a large school district in the southern United States to meet the reading-proficiency standard on a state assessment 2006–2011. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the use of colored overlays on the reading fluency and reading comprehension of students identified with Irlen syndrome, which is characterized by visual stress and perceptual distortions that may be alleviated with individually prescribed colored overlays.

The design of this study was quantitative, experimental research utilizing a within subjects (repeated-measures) approach with 2 designs: (a) pre- and posttest and (b) crossover design. The Irlen Reading Perceptual Scale was used to screen students. The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment of oral reading fluency (ORF) and retell fluency was used to repeatedly measure reading performance with and without the use of colored overlays of 26 students identified with Irlen syndrome. A 2-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance, a general linear model, was utilized. Also, the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) was used to collect data regarding students’ attitudes toward recreational reading, academic reading, and overall reading.

An analysis of reading fluency mean scores indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in mean reading fluency scores (i.e., gain) between measures without colored overlays and measures with colored overlays. A statistically significant difference in mean reading comprehension scores was also evident. Student responses on the ERAS revealed a statistically significant difference between pre- and posttest responses for 80% of the questions.

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