the influence of mentor reading buddies on oral reading fluency for esl and non esl students the...
TRANSCRIPT
THE INFLUENCE OF MENTOR READING THE INFLUENCE OF MENTOR READING
BUDDIES ON ORAL READING FLUENCY FOR BUDDIES ON ORAL READING FLUENCY FOR
ESL AND NON ESL STUDENTSESL AND NON ESL STUDENTS
Erin M. Gregory
School of Education and Allied Professions
University of Dayton
April 19, 2006
IntroductionIntroduction
12 of my 30 students are ESL (English as a Second Language) learners
There are eight different first languages spoken in my classroom including Spanish, Romanian, Creole, French, Swahili, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Arabic.
All of my students, regardless of their first language, seem to struggle with oral reading fluency.
Research QuestionResearch Question
Will mentor reading buddies improve oral reading fluency for ESL and non-ESL students?
But What is Reading Fluency?But What is Reading Fluency?
According to Timothy Rasinski (2004), “Reading fluency refers to the reader's ability to develop control over surface-level text processing so that he or she can focus on understanding the deeper levels of meaning embedded in the text” (p. 47).
What Other Research is What Other Research is SayingSaying
“Effective fluency instruction should serve as a modeling component – helping see (and hear) what fluent reading of a targeted text is like” (Rasinski, 2003, p. 4).
What Other Research is What Other Research is SayingSaying
Assigning an older student to act as a “buddy” to another student is a sure way to help second-language students become first-rate readers of English ” (Athaide-Shannon, 2005, p. 50).
My Participants and SettingMy Participants and Setting
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School
Cleveland, Ohio Urban Catholic School, Pre K-8th Grade Approximately 300 students Majority are White or Hispanic Of a lower socioeconomic status
My Participants and SettingMy Participants and SettingMy Classroom
30 Third Grade Students12 of the 30 are ESL students2 African Refugees who know little English
are new to the class
Data Collection and AnalysisData Collection and Analysis
My Buddy Reading Program
My 30 Third Grade Students were paired up one-on-one with the 29 Seventh Grade Students
They read for two 30-minute sessions a week Continued for exactly one month
Data Collection and AnalysisData Collection and Analysis
Pre and Post Tests from the Trophies SeriesFound student’s WCPM (word count per
minute)Calculated the mean WCPM for the whole
class and each group (ESL and non-ESL students)
FindingsFindings
ESL students increased their WCPM by approximately 14 words
Non-ESL students increased their WCPM by an impressive 26 words
60% of my third grade classroom scored in the 4th quartile, or somewhere between the 76th and 99th percentile at the completion
FindingsFindings
Average WCPM
0
2040
60
80
100120
140
160
Entire Class ESL Students Non-ESLStudents
WC
PM Pre-Test
Post-Test
QuartilesQuartilesInterpreting Quartiles
Quartile Percentile Level of Performance
1st 1st to 25th Students in this quartile are
significantly below average in
oral reading fluency.
2nd 26th to 50th Students in this quartile
range from moderately to
slightly below average.
3rd 51st to 75th Students in this quartile
may range from slightly to
moderately above average.
4th 76th to 99th Students in this quartile
are significantly above average
in oral reading fluency.
Reference: Hasbruck and Tindal (1992)
Pre-Test QuartilesPre-Test Quartiles
Pre-Test Whole Class Quartiles
17%
23%
23%
37% 1st Quartile
2nd Quartile
3rd Quartile
4th Quartile
Post-Test QuartilesPost-Test QuartilesPost Test Whole Class Quartiles
13%
0%
27%60%
1st Quartile
2nd Quartile
3rd Quartile
4th Quartile
ESL Student QuartilesESL Student QuartilesESL Students
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1st Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile 4th Quartile
Per
cen
tag
e
Pre-Test
Post-Test
Non-ESL Student QuartilesNon-ESL Student QuartilesNon-ESL Students
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1st Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile 4th Quartile
Per
cen
tag
e
Pre-Test
Post-Test
ConclusionsConclusions
WCPM created a new “buzz” or enthusiasm for reading in my classroom and the 7th grade classroom alike
Buddy Reading had a positive effect on oral fluency for both ESL and non-ESL students
Planned ActionPlanned Action
Continued Buddy Reading Program with the 7th grade for the remainder of the year
Encouraging the rest of the school to participate as well
More buddy reading time among my students
ReferencesReferencesAthaide-Shannon, T. (2005). Beginning reading, bilingually. Teaching
PreK-8, 36(2), 50-51.
Hasbruck, J.E., & Tindal, G. (1992). Curriculum-based oral reading fluency norms from students in grades 2 through 5. Teaching Exceptional Children, 24 (3), 41-44.
Rasinski, T. (2004). Creating fluent readers. Educational Leadership, 61(6), 46-51.
Rasinski, T. (2003, November/December). Fluency is fundamental. Instructor, 16-20.
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsThank you to the following people formaking this research project possible:
Mrs. Rivera and her 7th Grade ClassSr. Rosario Vega, Principal of OLMCThe parents of the 3rd and 7th grade studentsDr.Kinnucan-Welsch and Leah Strayer for
their continued support