“Success for Students with Diverse Reading Abilities through the Use of Supplemental Reading Curriculum”

by Kevin Zugel

A CRITICAL REVIEW:

1. The author: Kevin Zugel

An elementary ESL teacher with 6 years of experience

Hold a master’s degree in education

A literacy doctoral student at the university of Nevada, Reno, USA

2. HypothesisValencia et al (2010) argues that

supplemental reading curriculum gives students the opportunity to practice and improve reading fluency.

Rasinski & Hoffman (2003) and Rupley & Nichols (2008) point out that students can improve fluency through repeated reading method.

Hypothesis

• The author’s hypothesis:

Using supplemental reading materials will improve fluency components of reading rate and accuracy through reread strategies.

Hypothesis5 research questions:

1. What is the effect of the curriculum on reading rate for specific stories?

2. What is the effect of the curriculum on reading accuracy for specific stories?

3. What is the effect of the curriculum on overall reading rate?

4. What is the effect of the curriculum on overall reading accuracy?

5. Does the pacing of the curriculum give students below grade level the opportunity to catch up to grade – level proficiency in reading rate and accuracy?

3. Purpose of the research

To analyze the effect of the supplemental reading curriculum as a component of the complete reading program in improving reading fluency – reading rate and accuracy.

4. ProcedureParticipants

12 students of the 5th and 6th grade at an

elementary school in the western United States during 2008-2009 school year.

=> Two ESL intervention groups (6 students for each).

ProcedureMaterial: Words Their Way: Word

Sorts for Within Word Pattern Spellers and stories

Teaching method30 minutes a day and 4 days a

week1 story was delivered through a 4-

day lesson planStudents are to complete 24 story

lessons.

Procedure

10 – 15 mins: instruction using the Words Their Way

5 mins: reading practice using stories

10 mins: additional language instruction

ProcedurePre- and post-reading times and

number of errors were noted down at the top page

The number of practice reads for each story was recorded by filling in a box at the page bottom.

A

5. Result

Word per minute (wpm): analyze reading rate

Holm-Bonferroni correction method: adjust the p-values

=> There were significant increases in reading speed and accuracy for each story for both groups

=> Answer all 5 questions

6. EvaluationSTRENGTHS:Logically justified with sound and

research-based arguments. Well-organized teaching methodSatisfying resultThe ‘reread teaching strategies’

smart choicesShort stories appropriate for

young learners

EvaluationWEAKNESSES:

• 12 practice reads / story a highly subjective point of view, not convincing

• Small-sized sample of only 12 participants

QUESTIONS &

ANSWERS