Date of Award
2001
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Lucille Beisner
Committee Member
Charles L. Faires
Keywords
accelerated reading, at-risk students, early intervention, first grade, flexible grouping, literacy, primary education, progress monitoring, reading achievement, reading instruction, reading intervention, reading teachers, research-based instruction, small-group instruction, student assessment, suburban school districts, Texas Education Agency, word study, writing instruction
Abstract
In response to the Texas Education Agency's expectation that all children enrolled in 1st grade during the 2000- 2001 school year will read on grade level by the end of 3rd grade, this practicum addressed an early reading intervention program for at-risk 1st-grade readers in a suburban school district with a student population of 7,200. Planned solution strategies to help these students read on grade level at the conclusion of this 18-week accelerated reading program included (a) using a research-based identification process for flexible grouping and monitoring of students' progress; (b) using trained reading teachers; (c) providing students with an additional 2 hours of reading and writing weekly; (d) providing students with small-group instruction; (e) providing students with opportunities to work with letters, words, and other word work; and (f) providing students with opportunities to read and write extensively.
This practicum helped ensure that 1st-grade students who were at risk for reading difficulties read on grade level. The median reading level gain for the 46 program participants increased from 1.4 at the beginning of this program to 10.2 at the conclusion. This program has been expanded to include 2nd-grade students for the 2001-2002 school year.