...Running head: Standardized test, assessments, and portfolios for reading Standardized test, assessments, and portfolios for reading Students are constantly being “assessed” by their teachers. We examine their behavior patterns, learning styles, reading abilities, and even their happiness. The purpose of assessments is to educate the teacher on what our students know and how we can better serve them in learning the curriculum and more. State tests are administered yearly for students, and teachers give formative and summative assessments frequently in the classroom. There are benefits and downfalls to each type of assessment. Afflerbach (2005) discusses that the results from standardized reading assessments are “at best an approximation of the students’ actual achievement level” (p.158). Standardized test tell us if our student is above, at, or below proficient. They do not tell us what areas the student does well at or what skills they are lacking in. According to the work of Buly and Valencia (2002), “Students scoring below proficient on state assessments are usually placed in supplemental or remedial reading classes, which often focus on phonemic awareness and decoding skills at any grade level (Buly & Valencia, 2002). After being put in these “special help” reading classes, the student then goes back into content area classes (English, Math, Science) which all have difficult text where the student struggles with comprehension. The problem we are then...
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...HOW DOES A MUSIC PROGRAM AFFECT THE READING FLUENCY OF SECOND GRADE ESL STUDENTS? by Candace Rose Cooper A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in English as a Second Language Hamline University St. Paul, Minnesota April, 2011 Committee: Ann Mabbott-Primary Advisor Cynthia Lundgren-Secondary Advisor Kristin Weidlein-Peer Reader To my aunt, Mary Lou Merdan, Ph.D., who dedicated her career to reading literacy through the education of children and teachers. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction……………………………………………………………….1 Folk Songs………………………………………………………………………...1 Background of the Research………………………………………………………3 Benefits of Music Education……………………………………………………...4 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...5 Chapter Two: Literature Review…………………………………………………………7 Music, Motivation, Language, and Reading Fluency……………………………..7 Music and Language…………………………………………………………..…..8 Music and Motivation……………………………………………………………10 Oral Language……………………………………………………………………15 Reading Fluency…………………………………………………………………17 Strategies for Enhancing Reading Fluency………………………………………21 Fluency and ELLs…………………………………………………...…………...24 Fluency Assessment……………………………………………………………...25 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….29 Chapter Three: Methodology…………………………………………….……………...31 Participants and Research Design………………………………………………..31 Research Paradigm…………………………………………….………………....31 Setting………………………….………………………………………………...32 iii Participants………………………………………………………………………...
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...Reading, for me, has been both on the positive and negative side. I love reading itself, but that is only when I obtain the chance to decide what I read. Required reading assignments and standardized test readings could go away for all I care. To be honest, it would be much better if all statewide and school reading assignments gave the reader an opportunity to prepare for what he or she is about to take a test on, especially since that test is going to decide if he or she moves on. Although I have a love for reading at home, the ISTEP has ruined reading for me on a school level. Many experiences, whether satisfying or dreadful, have paved the road for me to become the reader that I am today. In the beginning, ISTEP was the greatest feared test for kids my age. The test caused me to reach my maximum stress level, so much pressure fell on me. Even though I was extremely smart, this test was still deeply feared. Out of all the portions on this test I worried about the random required reading was the worst. Also, the reading was followed by...
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...retained their skills learned in decoding and word-recognition. Those who received PA intervention were reading at or above the expected level for their age at the follow-up assessment. It is important to remember not every child who receives PA may improve reading...
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...established that reading should be fun and most students only read because their teachers make them. The reading attitude survey I conducted proved that. I chose my 9-year-old daughter Lynnleigh who is in the fourth grade to take the survey. I started the assignment by reading the article “Measuring Attitude Toward Reading: A New Tool for Teachers” and then I sat down with her and asked her to take the survey. She gladly accepted and began to read the questions and circle the pictures. The first circle was the semi-grumpy Garfield and the second and third circles were the very grumpy Garfield. I have to admit I was surprised by her answers because she is a very bright girl, as I watched her continue to circle the grumpy Garfield pictures I began to get concerned. Lynnleigh answered question numbers six, nine, and ten by circling the happy Garfield. On question numbers, two, three, five, and seven Lynnleigh circled the very grumpy Garfield pictures. These questions were all about how she feels about reading during non-school hours. This showed me that she does not like to read outside of school. Lynnleigh answered question number 15 in the survey "How do you feel about learning from a book?" and number 19...
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...or where the alphabet came from but reading this article made my mind drift off into wonderland and I was in awe, thinking “geez if it wasn’t for them then I wouldn’t be able to read today!” I thought the comparison to the phonetic and logographic language done by Tufts University was interesting, because the frontal lobe is very important to processing memory, it reminded me of text messaging and this emoji craze. We use pictures now instead of words to describe what’s going on in our day to day lives. They stated how logographic language activates or triggers a response in motoric memory skills, I see why the Chinese are so smart. I could not agree more with Theuth about writing when he said (“it will make the people of Egypt wiser and improve their memories” for it “provides a recipe for memory and wisdom”)pg54 In my opinion he was speaking the significance of writing into existence. For me writing is the only way that I can remember things. When it comes to homework and test assignments I find myself scoring higher because I took notes or rewrote words I didn’t know the meaning to. I also give the same advice to my daughter, who is in fourth grade, I make her rewrite her spelling words three times and it never fails she has never failed a spelling test. Speaking is innate but actually writing it or reading it is the ultimate test. Speaking starts with infants cooing, then babbling, then they begin to make out sounds. Writing and reading is something that has to be rehearsed...
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...that it would require you to engage in mind-numbing reading of chapter after chapter as is the case with many books on the subject. The information is written in a way to help you "see" and "practice" proven study techniques. This page is used in hundreds of schools and universities and is currently ranked by Google and Bing in the top ten for plain old "study skills" and "how to study effectively" and #1 by Google and Bing for "effective study skills" Want more? Available now is a new, inexpensive download or CD on how to improve not just your study skills, but your learning skills as well. It is STUDY SKILLS FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS 2.0, that includes in one program a greatly enhanced version of all the information below, and much, much more, including a new section on how to get better math grades and self-motivation. After all, isn't what works what really counts? Please click http://adprima.com/SSSS2/ssss2order.htm and see for yourself. There is little doubt that no two people study the same way, and it is a near certainty that what works for one person may not work for another. However, there are some general techniques that seem to produce good results. No one would argue that every subject that you have to take is going to be so interesting that studying it is not work but pleasure. We can only wish. Everyone is different, and for some students, studying and being motivated to learn comes naturally. If you are reading this page, it's likely that you are not one of them...
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...Introduction Within my second grade special education classroom, there are a wide variety of student needs and abilities present. Each student has unique learning styles, preferences, and interests. Although there are many differences among my students, I have also noticed some similarities. Throughout the past few weeks I have noticed that many of my students struggle with comprehension. All of my students have reading goals. Reading accurately and fluently is difficult for them. However, even when a story is read aloud, the majority of students are unable to retell the story or answer comprehension questions. To assist my students with reading comprehension, I have created a differentiated lesson to implement during small group instruction. Differentiate What, How, and Why For this...
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...University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate School Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 6-1-2010 Effects of reading comprehension and fluency abilities on the N400 event-related potential Annie Hirt Nelson University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Nelson, Annie Hirt, "Effects of reading comprehension and fluency abilities on the N400 event-related potential" (2010). Graduate School Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/1721 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate School Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact scholarcommons@usf.edu. Effects of Reading Comprehension and Fluency Abilities on the N400 Event-Related Potential by Annie Hirt Nelson A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Childhood Education and Literacy Studies College of Education University of South Florida Major Professor: Mary Lou Morton, Ph.D. Jacqueline Hinckley, Ph.D. Jim King, Ed.D. Richard Marshall, Ph.D. Date of Approval: July 1, 2010 Keywords: syntax, semantics, ERP, N400, sentence structure, children, indexical hypothesis Copyright © 2010, Annie Hirt Nelson ...
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...reading and studying focusing on print and online materials ISBN 1-256-09222-3 Keys to Effective Learning: Study Skills and Habits for Success, Sixth Edition, by Carol Carter, Joyce Bishop, and Sarah Lyman Kravits. Published by Allyn & Bacon. Copyright © 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. c h a p t e r 7 hanh never had trouble keeping up with her high school reading assignments, but after four weeks of college she is already snowed under. With midterms coming in two weeks, she stays awake at night thinking about how much she has to learn. It seems as if all the reading she has done this term—particularly what she has read on the computer—has gone in one side of her brain and out the other, so she feels she has to start at the beginning. She has the sense that the way she is reading may be a problem, but it worked for her in the past, so why change now? In this chapter . . . you explore answers to the following questions: HOW can SQ3R help you own what you read? p. 190 WHAT improves reading comprehension? p. 200 HOW do you customize a text with highlighting and notes? p. 205 HOW can you read online materials effectively? p. 208 ISBN 1-256-09222-3 © Shutterstock Keys to Effective Learning: Study Skills and Habits for Success, Sixth Edition, by Carol Carter, Joyce Bishop, and Sarah Lyman Kravits. Published by Allyn & Bacon. Copyright © 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. Habit for Success ask questions Questions are the backbone of learning. They help...
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...Extensive Reading: Why? and How? Timothy Bell timothy [at] hsc.kuniv.edu.kw Kuwait University ------------------------------------------------- Abstract An extensive reading program was established for elementary level language learners at the British Council Language Center in Sanaa, Yemen. Research evidence for the use of such programs in EFL/ESL contexts is presented, emphasizing the benefits of this type of input for students' English language learning and skills development. Practical advice is then offered to teachers worldwide on ways to encourage learners to engage in a focused and motivating reading program with the potential to lead students along a path to independence and resourcefulness in their reading and language learning. ------------------------------------------------- Introduction: The Reading Program An extensive reading program was established at the British Council Language Center in Sanaa, Yemen. An elementary level class of government employees (age range 17-42) was exposed to a regime of graded readers, which was integrated into normal classroom teaching. Students followed a class reader, had access to a class library of graded readers, and had classes in the British Council library, which gave them access to a collection of 2000 titles. Questionnaires were used to examine students' reading interests, habits and attitudes, both prior to, and following the program. The class library contained 141 titles in the published readers of some major publishers...
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...the name of Rudolf Flesh did a comprehensive and in debt study on this issue. Mr. Flesh realized that the United States had a very high illiteracy rate and major reading problem and how television had a major effect on an individual’s reading ability. He surmised that, television instilled learning of memorization by word association. Remember Sesame Street. His answer the issue was phonic or phonetics, with the understanding that comprehension would come later. Remember Hooked on Phonics. In America today, most children are beginning or trying to talk around the age of two years. This is a time when language skills are just starting to develop. Even though it usually too early of an age to expect a child to read, there is no reason why the parent cannot start the reading process by reading aloud to them. Instilling reading into a child’s life can prove to be one of the most valuable skills that they will ever learn. (http://www.mannmuseum.com n.d) William and Johnson conducted an experiment to test a hypothesis or theory as to whether perceptual skills training will enhance reading performance of adolescence in school age children. As a basis for their study these adolescence where placed into three experimental groups of different categories. They are as follows: 1st. Remedial reading instructions, 2nd Reading instructions with spatial skills training and 3rd untreated control group. The study infers that, although there is a potential suggested association between basic...
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...ARTICLES Motivating and engaging students in reading Jenna Cambria John T. Guthrie LJjdvcrsLiv û", J ou can certainly ignore motivation if you choose. But if you do, you maybe neglecting the most important part of reading. There are two sides to reading. On one side are the skills which include phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, vocabulary, and simple comprehension. On the other side is the will to read. A good reader has both skill and will. In the "will" part, we are talking about motivation to read. This describes children's enjoyments, their wants, and their behaviors surrounding reading. A student with skill may be capable, but without will, she cannot become a reader. It is her will power that determines whether she reads widely and frequently and grows into a student who enjoys and benefits from literacy. So we think you should care about motivation because it is the other half of reading. Sadly, it is the neglected half. Y What is motivation? Many teachers think of a motivated reader as a student who is having fun while reading. This may be true, but there are many forms of motivation that might not be related to fun and excitement. What we mean by motivation are the values, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding reading for an individual. Some productive values and beliefs may lead to excitement, yet other values may lead to determined hard work. We talk about three powerful motivations that drive students' reading. They operate in school and out of school, and...
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...doing what they are supposed to do on the page laid out for me to read. I hated reading. My father would make numerous attempts at reading the words to me instead, only to be greeted with a shush and a shake of the head of a five year old girl. I did not desire to be read to, I did not want to read for myself, and I definitely did not want anything to do with the useless alphabet that always appeared to hold exceptions. Sadly, the world would not let me have my way, thus I was forced to use other means to avoid the unbearable...
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...Intellectual Disability KAR 91-40-1 (oo) "Intellectual Disability" means significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, which adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Exclusionary Criteria: A child must NOT be determined to be a child with an exceptionality if the determinant factor is: Exclusionary Factor How to Evaluate Evidence shows that the student’s previous reading instruction Lack of appropriate instruction in reading, and curriculum addressed phonemic awareness, phonics, including the essential components of reading vocabulary development, reading fluency (including oral reading instruction (defined in section 1208(3) of the skills), and reading comprehension strategies. This evidence may ESEA(NCLB); come from; (a) an evaluation of the school’s basal curriculum and supplemental materials, and (b) that the student actually received instruction provided by highly qualified teachers using appropriate basal curriculum and supplemental materials. For a child three to five years old, who is not yet enrolled in kindergarten, teams should consider “appropriate instruction” as the child’s participation in appropriate activities. This evidence may come from interviews with family and other caregivers and through observation in the child’s natural environment that indicates whether or not the child has been exposed to activities appropriate for...
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