Using Action Research to Solve School Problems II

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Using Action Research to Solve School Problems
- II

• National Professional Development Conference
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Friday, March 30th, 2007
• Marty Metius
• Merry Oaks International Academy of Learning
• Jeff Ford
• Johnson C. Smith University

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Classroom Research Projects

• The Encouraging Classroom
• Parent Communication Project

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Results

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Results (contd)

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First Try

• Original plan
• Roadblocks
• Dr. Virginia Lee
• Workshop/
• Consultation
• Follow-up meeting

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Second Try

• Tim Rasinskis research on re-reading

Words per minute
Readings
Repeated readings works best and is most
authentic when readers are given an opportunity
to perform the texts they practice. (Rasinski,
2006)
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Classroom Research Projects

• Effects of Listening to Self-recorded Readings
  on the Reading Fluency of First Graders
• Research Question
• Will students repeated listening to their own
  taped readings of selected grade-level reading
  materials improve the motivation to read and the
  reading fluency of first graders?

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Classroom Research Projects

• Review of the Literature
• Tape-assisted readings aid fluency
• Repeated readings also improve reading of new
  material
• Fluency is the result of automatic decoding
• Fluency assists comprehension
• Partner reading motivates students

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Classroom Research Projects

• Methodology
• The researchers will conduct regularly scheduled
  instruction and assessment in which students
• are pre-tested to get a measurement of reading
  fluency (Oral Reading Fluency DIBLES)
• tape record a reading of an Accelerated Reader
  passage

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Classroom Research Projects

• discuss reading fluency and their reading fluency
  of the passage
• re-read the Accelerated Reader passages several
  times
• re-record a reading of the Accelerated Reader
  passage

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Classroom Research Projects

• post-test their reading fluency
• discuss their attitude toward repeated readings

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Classroom Research Projects

• Discussion of Ongoing Project
• Relationship between Merry Oaks and JCSU faculty
• Logistics
• What we learned
• Future Plans

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References

• Armbruster, A., Lehr, F., Osborn, J. (2004).
  Put teachers first The research building blocks
  for teaching children to read. Retrieved March 1,
  2006 from http//www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreadin
  g/publications/reading_first1.html.
• Buchanan, S. (2006). Effects of fluency
  instruction on literacy skills in the first grade
  
• classroom. Retrieved March 1, 2006 from ERIC
  database (ERIC No. ED494425).

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References (contd)

• Dowhower, S.L. (Autumn, 1987). Effects of
  Repeated Reading on Second-Grade Transitional
  Readers' Fluency and Comprehension. Reading
  Research Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 4 pp. 389-406
• Rasinski. T. (2006). Creating fluent readers
  From phonics to fluency Strategies for Achieving
  reading proficiency! Petersburg, NH Staff
  Development for Educators.

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References (contd)

• Texas Education Agency. (2002). Fluency
  Instructional guidelines and student activities.
  Retrieved February 27, 2007 from
  http//www.readingrockets.org/article/3416.