Running Head: Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction

Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 1

Running head: Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction

The Use of Explicit Strategy Instruction to Improve Comprehension Skills in Second Graders

Julie Pierangeli

EDU 690- Action Research

University of New England

Statement of Academic Honesty: I have read and understand that plagiarism policy as outlined in the “Student Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct” document relating to the Honesty/Cheating Policy. By attaching this statement to the title page of my paper, I certify that the work submitted is my original work developed specifically for this course and to the MSED program. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I acknowledge the possible consequences of the act/s, which could include expulsion from the University of New England. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 2

Abstract

The effect of explicit strategy instruction on second graders’ reading comprehension skills was studied. The participants of the study included sixteen second grade students and their parents. These second grade students included three English Language Learners, three Special

Education students, five students who perform on grade level, and five students who perform above grade level. Interviews, surveys, questionnaires, and formal and informal assessments were utilized as the resources for this study. A detailed review was conducted to investigate theories and findings on reading comprehension and the effects of motivation and parent involvement in reading. The result of the research does support the findings that explicit strategy instruction will improve reading comprehension. It also supports earlier research that there is a correlation between motivation and parent involvement in reading. The more motivated students are and the more involved parents are does help increase reading comprehension skills. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 3

Table of Contents

Abstract 2

Table of Contents 3

Introduction 6

Rationale for the Study 6

Statement of the Problem 6

Primary Research Questions 7

Hypothesis 7

Review of Literature 8

Introduction 8

The Importance of Strategy Instruction 8

Think-Alouds 8

Questioning/Predicting 9

Visualization 9

Inferring 10

Text Structure/Retelling 10

Motivation to Read 11

Parental Involvement in Reading 13

Conclusion 14

Methodology 14

Research Design 14

Data Collection Plan 15

Sample Selection 15 Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 4

Instruments 15

Results 17

Data Presentation 17

Results of the DRA 17

Results of the Independent Reading Conference Record 18

Results of the Reading Strategies Checklist 20

Results of the Reading Attitude Profile 20

Results of the Reading Interview 21

Results of the Parent Questionnaire 22

Discussion of Findings/Data Analysis 23

Limitations of Study 24

Significance/Implications/Applications 25

Further Research 26

Action Plan 26

Conclusions 30

References 32

Appendices 34

Figure 1-1: Independent Reading Conference Record 34

Figure 1-2: Reading Strategies Checklist 35

Figure 1-3: Reading Attitude Profile 36

Figure 1-4: Reading Interview 37

Figure 1-5: Parent Questionnaire 39

Figure 1-6: DRA Comprehension Results 40 Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 5

Figure 1-7: DRA Results Bar Graph 41

Figure 1-8: Reading Strategies Checklist Results 42

Figure 1-9: Reading Strategies Bar Graph 43

Figure 1-10: Reading Attitude Profile Results 44

Figure 1-11: Reading Attitude Profile Chart 46

Figure 1-12: Reading Attitude Profile Pie Graphs 47

Figure 1-13: Data Collection Matrix 52 Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 6

The Use of Explicit Strategy Instruction to Improve Comprehension Skills in Second Graders

Introduction

Rationale for the Study

Students entering second grade often demonstrate strong decoding and fluency skills, but struggle with comprehension and reading for meaning. They tend to read a passage or story too quickly and do not monitor if the story made sense or not. Second graders also have difficulty applying the comprehension skills to their independent reading books and to non-fiction texts.

The objective of the action research is to determine whether explicit instruction in comprehension strategies will improve comprehension skills. It also is to determine whether student motivation and parental involvement influences reading comprehension. The results of the study should help the teacher better plan their instruction and provide their students with opportunities to practice and apply the skills they learn.

Statement of the Problem

Second grade students are formally assessed using the Developmental Reading

Assessment (DRA) and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). The

DRA gives an overall picture of how the student comprehends and uses fluency with the passages. The DIBELS assesses the rate of fluency in a one minute time period. Each year students are meeting the benchmarks for fluency determined by the DIBELS, but show deceased skills in the area of comprehension on the DRA. When asked to retell the events of the passage on the DRA, the students have difficulty sequencing the story and provide minimal details about the story elements and events that take place. The students also demonstrate difficulty with inferring and making mental images. This evidence clearly shows that students need to improve their comprehension skills. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 7

The critical factors that affect the study include the age and developmental level of the students. Those students that just turned seven over the summer may not be ready to apply high level skills such as inferring to their reading. Reading ability, prior knowledge, and experience in first grade can also affect the study. As there are three different teachers whose teaching styles differ significantly, students come to second grade having various learning experiences in first grade, specifically in the area of reading comprehension. Interest level and motivation also are key factors in reading. If a student does not enjoy reading, then their ability to understand and apply skills will be affected. Parents that are involved at home with their child’s reading can affect how much they read and their motivation. Peer and teacher influence also affect reading ability.

Primary Research Questions

1. Will explicit instruction with comprehension strategies improve comprehension?

2. Will second graders have the ability to apply the comprehension strategies they learn to

their independent and guided reading books?

3. Does interest level and motivation affect comprehension?

4. Are the students reading appropriate books at their level, which could affect

comprehension?

5. Does parent involvement in reading affect comprehension?

Hypothesis

Second grade students will demonstrate improvement in comprehension skills by engaging in interactive strategy instruction and will apply these skills to their independent and guided reading books. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 8

Review of the Literature

Introduction

Explicit instruction in comprehension strategies improves comprehension skills in second graders and with guided practice they will gain the ability to apply these skills. This statement will be supported by research about ways to improve reading comprehension through strategy instruction using think aloud, questioning/predicting, visualizing, inferring, and text structure/retelling. Other factors such as motivation to read and parental involvement also play a key role in allowing students to understand the text.

The Importance of Strategy Instruction

Research shows that strategy instruction increases reading motivation. Block and

Pressley (2002), as cited in Dymock (2007), found that good comprehenders use a number of strategies, including activating prior knowledge, monitoring comprehension, generating questions, answering questions, drawing inferences, creating mental imagery, identifying the text structure the writer has used, and creating summaries. They also found that comprehension strategies should be explicitly taught and modeled. Students need practice with the strategies with guidance and a variety of texts in order to apply them. Pressley (2006), as cited in Dymock

(2007), found that the goal is to teach a small repertoire of strategies so children can use them to enhance comprehension.

Think-Alouds

Think alouds are an effective tool to show students how we think about our reading.

“Think-alouds make invisible mental processes visible to children” (Wilhelm, 2001, p. 26). It allows teachers to model their thinking by showing the students what they notice, see, feel, and ask while processing the story. Think alouds can be used to model comprehension strategies. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 9

This allows students to imitate and try the strategies in their own reading experiences. Being precise is important when sharing your thinking. “What you say and how you say it becomes what they say and how they say it” (Miller, 2002, p. 55).

Questioning/Predicting

Questioning the text is another important comprehension strategy that students need explicit instruction in. When good readers read, they have an inner conversation with the text and ask questions. By doing this it engages the reader and improves comprehension (Harvey,

2001). There are four steps that should be utilized to model the questioning strategy. The first is to choose the text for questioning. Picture books work well and nonfiction stories help generate questions and curiosity about the real world. Next, teachers should introduce the strategy by explaining that good readers ask questions. This helps them think about the words and ideas in the book. Then teachers can model thinking aloud and mark the text with sticky notes. Students write what they are wondering about and place it on the page as they read. Lastly, teachers need to allow for guided practice. Students should practice in their own independent reading books, notice questions they have, and mark them with sticky notes. Teachers should confer with the students and share their work.

Visualization

Sadoski, Paivio, and Paivio (2001), as cited in Guerrero (2003), found that students who create visual images before, during, and after reading enhance their comprehension. In a study conducted by Guerrero (2003), second grade students were asked to brainstorm what they believed was happening in a story by looking at one picture. Then the text was read that went along with the picture. Students found that the picture helped them with the reading. The students were then asked to close their eyes and create a mental picture in their mind while Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 10 listening to a portion of the story read to them. After, the students shared their mental pictures.

The students were then shown the picture that went with the story. As students read from their books independently, they were asked to make mental images in their minds. Graphic organizers were used to review the stories such as webbing to show connections and story maps to show different parts of the stories. The students were also asked comprehension questions. The results of this study showed after a four week period through running records and questioning that 10 students out of 15 improved their reading comprehension after using the visualization strategy.

Inferring

Inferring is a difficult skill that should be taught as early as second grade (Wilhelm,

2001). It is the process of going beyond the literal meaning of the text and arriving at conclusions. Other strategies help us make inferences such as asking questions, making predictions, and visualizing. Inferencing helps students to comprehend their texts. Using think alouds helps students to understand how to use this strategy. When students make inferences through the story element of characterization, they need to read the story, ask questions, answer the questions, provide evidence to support the answer, and share their reasoning process.

Making inferences is a high level skill that needs to be explicitly taught in order for students to comprehend the text.

Text Structure/Retelling

Retelling is another important comprehension strategy. It is post-reading recall where the reader remembers what they have read orally or written. The students’ ability to retell will determine how much scaffolding and guidance they will need. If a student has difficulty including details and sequence, then the teacher can provide prompts to guide them. In order for Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 11 students to retell a story, they need to understand narrative text. Narrative text structure gives students a better understanding of stories. Dymock and Nicholson (1999), as cited in Dymock

(2007), found that many students who have a good understanding of narrative text structure have fewer problems comprehending the text. The setting, theme, characters, plot, and resolution are all important aspects that need to be taught. Baumann and Bergeron (1993), as cited in Dymock

(2007), found that first grade students who were instructed in these text structures using story maps had better comprehension than students who were not. By instructing narrative text structure, students will have a better understanding of stories. With this understanding, they will be able to retell the story. A study conducted by Crowe (2005) compared the effectiveness of two different types of oral reading feedback strategies, which were decoding-based feedback and

CRS- a meaning based feedback approach. The results showed that CRS was more effective than the decoding based feedback to improve oral reading comprehension. The four students in the CRS group showed significant greater gains in reading comprehension than the traditional group. This group recalled more story details, with better recall over a longer period of time.

Motivation to Read

Student motivation and interest also play a key role in improving comprehension. There are a number of factors that contribute to reading motivation, which include self-concept, choice, time spent talking with books, and types of texts available. When students feel good about themselves they are more likely to be engaged in reading. Worthy and McKool (1996), as cited in Gambrell and Marinack (2009), found that allowing students to make choices about their reading material increases their engagement in reading. Conducting read alouds and discussions allows teachers to model comprehension strategies. This provides students with a deeper understanding of the text. This will also help them apply these skills when they read Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 12 independently. Providing a balanced book selection with informational titles and a variety of materials helps to improve engagement in reading. Thus, when students are motivated and engaged in reading, they will be more likely to better comprehend what they are reading. It is also important to provide a balanced reading program. This will help motivate students and increase comprehension skills. Students should be explicitly taught comprehension strategies and then given opportunities to practice the learned skills in authentic situations. A good reading program combines direct, focused instruction on selected aspects of the reading process with plenty of time for reading for pleasure and information.

A study was conducted to learn the influence of stimulating tasks on reading motivation and comprehension. Guthrie and Wigfield (2006) proposed that engagement in reading involves interactions with the text that are motivating and strategic. “When students are engaged in reading, they comprehend better and have stronger reading outcomes than when they are not engaged.” (Guthrie and Wigfield, 2006, p. 232). They also proposed that reading motivation predicts children’s amount of reading, which predicts reading comprehension. This shows how important reading motivation is for reading comprehension. There are several ways that teachers can increase students’ motivation to read including providing goals for reading, supporting student independence, providing interesting texts, encouraging social interactions during reading, and using hands-on activities. The study focused on hands-on activities/stimulating tasks such as science observations and experiments to increase reading comprehension. The results showed that students with a high number of stimulating tasks increased their reading comprehension more than students who had few stimulating tasks. Thus, stimulating tasks in reading increased situational interest, which increased longer term intrinsic motivation and reading comprehension

(Guthrie, Wigfield, Humenick, Perencevich, Taboada, Barbosa, 2006). Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 13

Parental Involvement in Reading

It is very important for parents to be involved in their child’s education especially reading. Research shows that parental involvement increases comprehension. In a study conducted by Adunyarittigun (1997), as cited in Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, and Holbein

(2005), examined the effects of a parent volunteer program on students’ self perceptions as readers and their motivation to read was investigated. Ten students achieving below grade level and low motivated participated in the study. The volunteer parents assisted the students with reading, word identification, comprehension, and reading projects. They also listened to students read, gave assistance when needed, and provided encouragement. The results of the study showed that students gained greater confidence as readers, their motivation to read increased, and they became more involved in literacy activities. The parents were viewed as role models and provided them with self-confidence. In another study conducted by Koskinen (2000), as cited in Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, and Holbein (2005), the role of parent involvement in the home environment was examined. First grade students were placed in four different environments, which included book-rich classroom, book-rich classroom and daily rereading of books at home, book-rich classroom and daily rereading of books with audiotapes at home, and regular reading instruction at school. The results showed that reading comprehension was improved in the book-rich classrooms and rereading books at home increased students’ reading motivation and encouraged parental involvement. Parents reported that their child’s interest, enjoyment, and motivation to read had increased. This study shows the importance of parent involvement and the relationship with reading and motivation.

In a final study conducted by Aikens and Barbarin (2008), examined the extent to which family, school, and neighborhood affect early reading. The results showed that the relation Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 14 between SES and initial reading competence is related to home literacy environment, number of books available at home, parental involvement in the school, and parental strain and warmth.

School and neighborhood contributed more than family characteristics in learning rates in reading. Thus, there are several factors that make up children’s reading achievement especially

Conclusion

According to research explicit instruction with comprehension strategies will help students improve their comprehension skills. Specific strategies such as think alouds, questioning, inferring, and retelling will give students a better understanding of the text they are reading. Through guided practice, students will be able to apply these skills independently in their self selected and guided reading books. Motivation to read and parental involvement also contribute to better reading comprehension according to research.

Methodology

Purpose/Research Design

The purpose of the data collection was to analyze whether explicit instruction in comprehension strategies would improve comprehension. When the students enter second grade, their comprehension skills are lower than their decoding and fluency skills. Students are reading the words on the page, but not understanding what they are reading. When they are asked to explain the story in their own words, they have difficulty and only provide minimal details.

Evidence of this weakness in second graders is found from the results of the DRA’s in first grade. A combination of both qualitative and quantitative data was collected from a variety of sources to examine whether explicit instruction will improve comprehension skills. These sources include the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), Independent Reading Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 15

Conference Record, Observations, Reading Strategies Checklist, Reading Attitude Profile,

Reading Interview, and Parent Questionnaire.

Data Collection Plan

Data will be collected over a four week period. Students will first be assessed in their reading comprehension using the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). The students will be taught one reading comprehension strategy each week, which includes questioning/predicting, visualizing, text structure/retelling, and inferring. Throughout the four weeks, the students will also be observed and have reading conferences. The students will also be given a reading strategy checklist to complete along with a reading attitude profile. The students will be interviewed to learn their interests in reading. The parents will be given a questionnaire.

Sample Selection

The respondent group is a self-contained classroom of 16 second grade students. Three students are English Language Learners. Three students receive Special Education Services for reading and mathematics. Five students perform on grade level and five students perform above grade level. The other respondent group is the parents of the second grade students who will be completing the Parent Questionnaire.

Instruments

Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)

The Developmental Reading Assessment is a useful reading tool where students read a passage silently and orally and are asked to retell the story in their own words. Students are assessed on their accuracy rate, comprehension level, and phrasing and fluency. For this research project, comprehension level is closely examined. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 16

Independent Reading Conference Record / Observations

The Independent Reading Conference Record was given each time the students were given a conference during their independent reading time. This was to check whether the students were choosing just right books at their independent level and if they were utilizing the strategies before, during, and after they were reading. (Figure 1-1)

Reading Strategies Checklist

This data source provided information about background knowledge the students have for specific strategies, which include making a mental picture, predicting, asking questions, rereading, commenting on the story, personalizing the story, and making inferences. The students used this checklist during the four week study to remind themselves to utilize the strategies while they were independently reading. The students were asked to complete this after the four weeks to show which strategies they were now consistently using. (Figure 1-2)

Reading Attitude Profile & Reading Interview

The Reading Attitude Profile showed how the students feel about reading at school, at home, during the summer, instead of playing, reading out loud, and reading with friends. With these data, appropriate books were matched to the students. The Reading Interview was given to provide information about how students choose books to read, what they do when they do not know a word, and learn their interests. (Figure 1-3 & Figure 1-4)

Parent Questionnaire

This final data source provided insight into how much the parents are involved with their child’s reading at home and whether they read aloud to them on a regular basis. It also helped to see their child’s attitude toward reading at home. (Figure 1-5) Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 17

Results

Data Presentation

Results of the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)

The initial DRA results were useful in obtaining a baseline reading level of each student.

It also showed the comprehension level and their areas of weakness, which included predicting, retelling, and inferring. With this information specific comprehension strategies were taught over a four week period including predicting/questioning, visualizing, text structure/retelling, and inferring. Students were also matched with appropriate books for independent reading time.

For instance two students read DRA level 20, which is a guided reading level K. Thus, the students were given the opportunity to choose books in the classroom library in the level J book baskets since this is their independent reading level. After completing the four weeks of data collection, students were given a post DRA to show the progress they had made with their comprehension.

The final results of the Developmental Reading Assessment show that after a four week period fourteen students’ comprehension level increased, one student’s comprehension level remained the same, and one student’s comprehension level decreased. This student read one level higher than their initial assessment. Fifteen students remained at the same DRA level.

These fifteen students were asked to reread the same passage as the initial DRA given. The students were asked to make a prediction about the story by looking at the illustrations and then after reading aloud they were asked to retell the story in their own words. The students were assessed on how well they told the events in sequence, included important details, referred to characters or topics by specific name, responded with literal or higher level thinking, provided responses to teacher questions and prompts, and whether they required prompting during the Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 18 retelling. The rubric was on a 1-4 scale for a total of 24 points. The average comprehension level for the 16 students before the study was conducted was 78% and the average comprehension level after the four week period was 88%. The class increased their comprehension level by 10% during the four week period. The results also show that the students still have difficulty with inferring and higher level thinking skills. (Figure 1-6 & Figure

Results of the Independent Reading Conference Record/ Observations

During the four week period, a specific comprehension strategy was explicitly instructed.

Week 1 focused on predicting/questioning before and during reading. Week 2 focused on

Visualizing during reading. Week 3 focused on narrative text structure and retelling for after reading. The last week focused on inferring. The reading workshop was broken up into a 90 minute block. On Monday, the specific strategy was instructed during a whole class lesson lasting 30 minutes. For the next 60 minutes students worked in guided reading groups to practice the strategy and to independently read using the strategy. Each day the rest of the week, the workshop began with a whole class review of the strategy with a read aloud and shared reading and application of the strategy. The Independent Reading Conference Record provided information about whether the students were able to practice and apply the comprehension strategy to their independent reading books. During week one, the results showed that 12/16 students were practicing and applying the strategy predicting/questioning before and during reading. The students were writing in their reading response journals what they thought would happen in the story and they were using sticky notes to help them ask questions as they read and predict future events in the story. The four students that were not making predictions were pulled into a guided reading group to further discuss and practice this strategy. All four of these Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 19 students had chosen books that were too difficult for them thus making it very hard for them to make predictions and ask themselves questions as they read. During week two, after conferencing with students and using the Independent Conference Record all 16/16 students were visualizing during reading. The students were asked to make responses in their reading response journals using prompts such as “visualize the scene”, “the scene that I see most is…”,

“the main character looks like…”, the setting looks like…,” Also the four students who had difficulty choosing a just right book were now reading books appropriate to their level. During week three the students focused on narrative text structure and retelling. The students used story maps to help them identify the characters, setting, problem, and solution. For retelling, the students were given an instructional chart which states, “ To retell part of the story, try… putting the story into your own words, saying the ideas in the order they happened in the story, including all the most important events and ideas, using the book to help you remember events or ideas.”

During the conferences, all 16/16 students were able to identify the story elements in their independent reading books using the story maps, but when it came time to retell the story in their own words, 10/16 students had difficulty and left out key details and sequenced the story out of order. These six students were grouped together in a guided reading group to continue to practice this strategy. All the students were paired to read together from their independent books and practice retelling to their partner. The students also did “book talks” to retell the story to the class. During week 4, the students were instructed in inferring. After conferencing with the students, the results showed that 10/16 students were able to make inferences in their independent reading books. In their reading response journals, the students were asked to respond to the prompts “How do you think the main character felt when…?, Why did the character do that?, If you were in that situation, what would you do? Why do you think the Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 20 author wrote this book? The six lower readers who had difficulty with inferring were placed in a guided reading group to review and practice this important skill.

Results of the Reading Strategies Checklist

The results of the reading strategy checklist show that the students were utilizing the strategies more after the study was conducted. For the strategy, “Make a picture in your mind”

31% of the students used the strategy before the study and then after four weeks 100% of the students were utilizing this strategy. For the strategy, “Predict from the pictures and titles” 50% were using this strategy before and then 100% utilized this strategy after. For the strategy “Ask questions as you read” only 31% used this before and then 87% used this strategy after. For the strategy, “Go back and reread when it doesn’t make sense” 43% used this strategy before and then 62% used it after. For the strategy, “Comment on the ideas in the story” only 31% used this strategy before and then 62% after. For the strategy “Personalize the story for yourself” 81% used this strategy before and then 100% utilized it after. For the strategy, “Make inferences

(predictions) as you read” only 25% used this strategy before 62% did after. (Figure 1-8 &

Figure 1-9)

Results of the Reading Attitude Profile

The Reading Attitude Profile provided information regarding the students’ attitude toward reading. Students were given 10 questions and had to rate their feelings using the words excited, good, O.K., and Bad. The results showed that for question 1, “How do you feel when you read a book in school?” 37% feel excited, 31% feel good, 25% feel O.K. and 6% feel bad.

For question 2, “How do you feel about reading at home?” 62% feel excited, 18% feel good,

18% feel O.K., and 0 feel bad. For question 3, “How do you feel about reading during the summer?” 18% feel excited, 62% feel good, 12% feel O.K., and 6% feel bad. For question 4, Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 21

“How do you feel about reading instead of playing?” 18% feel excited, 37% feel good, 37% feel

O.K., and 6% feel bad. For question 5, “How do you feel about spending free time reading?”

18% feel excited, 37% feel good, 37% feel O.K., and 6% feel bad. For question 6, “How do you feel about starting a new book?” 43% feel excited, 31% feel good, 18% feel O.K., and 6% feel bad. For question 7, “How do you feel about reading different types of books?” 25% feel excited, 50% feel good, 18% feel O.K., and 6% feel bad. For question 8, “How do you feel when you explain what a story is about?” 18% feel excited, 56% feel good, 12% feel O.K. and

12% feel bad. For question 9, “How do you feel when you read out loud in class?” 12% feel excited, 50% feel good, 18% feel O.K., and 18% feel bad. For question 10, “How do you feel when you read with a friend?” 62% feel excited, 37% feel good, 0 feel O.K., and 0 feel bad.

(Figure 1-10, Figure 1-11, Figure 1-12)

Results of the Reading Interview

The results of the Reading Interview were very useful in understanding how students respond to reading and what interests them. Knowing the students’ interests helps to match them with just right books. The students were asked ten questions and the teacher recorded their responses. For the first question “How do you choose something to read?” each student gave a variety of answers, which included looking at the pictures, looking at the words on the page, reading the title of the book, a book with a familiar author, if a friend was reading it, and an interesting topic. The second question “How do you get ready to read?” 13/16 students stated just opening up the book and reading while 3/16 students responded with making a prediction prior to reading. Question 3, “Do you look at the pictures before you read?” 16/16 students responded yes. For question 4, “Where do you read at home?” each student gave a variety of answers, which included in their bedroom, in the kitchen, in the living room, in their computer Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 22 room/office. For question 5, “Do you read with a family member?” 14/16 students responded yes. For question 6, “When you come to a word you don’t know, what do you do?” 7/16 students responded by saying they go back and reread, 10/16 students skip the word, 2/16 students stated they did not know what to do. For question 7 “What do you do to help you remember what you have read?” and question 8 “How do you check for reading?” the students did not know how to answer these questions. For question 9, “My favorite books are:” many responses included Nate the Great series, Magic Tree House series, Arthur series, Junie B. Jones series, Amelia Bedelia series, and nonfiction books such as dinosaurs and animals. For question

10, “My favorite authors are:” answers included Marc Brown, Tomie dePaola, Kevin Henkes,

Jan Brett, Dr. Seuss. For question 11, “I find reading easy/hard because…” 5/16 students found it easy because they are able to read the words and understand the meaning of the story. 6/16 students felt reading was medium hard because sometimes they choose books that are too hard for them. 5/16 students feel reading is hard because they do not understand what the story is about, can not figure out the words, and do not like reading. For the last question “I think we should learn to read because…” a variety of answers were given including to make them smarter, to help them when they grow up, to give them a good job, to help my younger sister, to make my parents and teachers proud of me.

Results of the Parent Questionnaire

The results of the Parent Questionnaire demonstrate all but two parents being actively involved in their child’s reading at home. For the first question, “My child’s feelings about reading are:” 13/16 parents reported that their child has positive feelings about reading and enjoy reading at both school and home. The other three parents reported their child does not like reading at home and would rather play or watch television. For the second question “My child’s Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 23 reading habits at home are:” a variety of answers included reading in front of the television, reading at their computer, reading in their bed, reading before dinner, reading before bedtime, spending free time reading, listening to books on tape, reading with their sibling. For the third question, “My child is interested in these types of books…” parents reported their child enjoys books about trucks, dinosaurs, animals, cartoon characters, Arthur series, Junie B. Jones, Amelia

Bedelia, Nate the Great, Cam Jansen. For the fourth question, “My child’s strengths in reading are:” parents reported sounding out the words, reading out loud, listening to stories, recalling important facts, adding expression in their voice, illustrating pictures about the book, reading to a younger sibling. For the fifth question, “Things I wish my child could improve on in reading are:” parents reported going back and rereading when they did not understand, choosing more challenging books, asking questions, slowing down when they read out loud, spending more time reading rather than playing or watching T.V. For the sixth question, “Does your child enjoy being read to at home?” 16/16 parents reported their child likes being read to at home. For the last question, “Would you be willing to participate in a home reading program?” 14/16 parents reported yes and 2/16 parents reported maybe.

Discussion of Findings/Data Analysis

After analyzing the data, the second grade students were able to increase their comprehension skills over a four week period through explicit instruction in the comprehension strategies questioning/predicting, visualizing, text structure/retelling, and inferring. The data shows a 10% increase in their comprehension skills. Although 15/16 students did not increase their DRA reading level, the students were asked to reread the same passage. This is an important comprehension strategy that they need to learn and practice. By rereading, the students gained ownership of the passage and had better understanding of the text structure and Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 24 added more details. One week was spent on each strategy to teach, model, and practice.

Through conferencing during reading workshop, the results also show that the students were able to apply questioning/predicting, visualizing, and text structure to their independent reading books. The six lower readers had difficulty with retelling and inferring independently and will need continued teacher guidance and practice. After having the students fill out the Reading

Strategy Checklist the results also indicate that 100% of the students use “make a picture in your mind”, “predict from the pictures and titles”, and “personalize the story for yourself” after this study was completed. It is important that the students are further instructed with the strategies rereading and commenting on the ideas in the story since only 62% of the students were able to utilize this strategy at the end of the study. The results also show a strong correlation between reading attitude, interest, and parent involvement in improving reading comprehension. The students that demonstrated a positive attitude toward reading tended to have higher comprehension levels and improvement. Also, those students who had limited involvement at home also demonstrated lower comprehension levels. It is important that the students are given opportunities to continue to practice these skills in order to become independent with them.

Limitations of Study

During this action research project, time was a major limitation of the study. Students were explicitly taught one comprehension strategy each week for a total of four weeks. The results of the research show that the students required increased time to practice retelling and inferring since only 62% of the students were able to independently apply these strategies to their independent reading books. One week was not enough to learn, practice, and apply the skill.

Thus, for future lessons in comprehension strategies, the students will be given two or more weeks to learn and practice a strategy before moving on to the next one. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 25

Significance/Implications/Applications

The significance of the study shows that students really need to understand what they are reading because it affects other content areas such as mathematics, science, and social studies. If they are reading a nonfiction text, but have difficulty with specific vocabulary such as metamorphosis, hibernate, or camouflage, they will struggle with the unit on frogs. Also, problem solving is extremely important in math and if students are unable to take meaning out of a word problem, then they will be unable to solve it. These comprehension strategies need to be taught at an early age in order for students to build upon their skills and continue to grow and learn in the upcoming grades. This is building background knowledge for their future. It is essential that key concepts are pre-taught to students to help them better understand. This study has shown how important it is to teach throughout the reading process (before, during, and after), not just after reading. Students need skills prior to reading such as predicting, making connections, questioning. During reading students should continue to make predictions, ask questions, make connections, and visualize as they read. After reading, students need to be able to retell what they have just read and identify the text structure. They need to dig deeper and think beyond the superficial layer and infer what is happening in the story. Also, creating summaries shows their higher level thinking skills.

Key questions have also arisen during this study that needs further investigation. Why are the higher level students better able to grasp the higher level thinking skills such as inferring?

Is it because they have prior knowledge and experience with these skills or they are more developmentally ready to utilize and apply these skills. Also, English Language Learners seem to struggle the most with comprehension and reading at a literal level. Is this due to their culture and lack of background knowledge? What they learn at home is entirely different from what Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 26 they are learning in school. Their lack of experiences with key concepts really affects their ability to comprehend. For some of these students they may not have ever seen a frog before so these students require increased pre-teaching, modeling, practice, and hands-on visual activities in order for them to grasp this concept. This study has focused on a whole class of 16 students and it will be important to look at each of these students and analyze their backgrounds, experiences, prior knowledge, abilities, interests and culture to really get a clearer picture of what comprehension strategy works well and which strategy they still struggle with.

Further Research

Since students enter second grade with diverse reading abilities, prior knowledge, experiences, and interests, it will be important to determine which strategies may benefit certain populations of students. English Language Learners are a growing group of students in many districts throughout the country. By conducting further research, it would be helpful to see if these students respond to one strategy over another. Because they are acquiring the language, it is not only important that they can decode words, but also understand what they are reading.

Also, it would be interesting to research whether high level students grasp concepts such as inferring more easily than struggling students.

Action Plan

Rationale for Proposing Action

When students enter second grade, many of them have strong decoding and fluency skills, but lack reading comprehension skills. These students are correctly decoding the words on the page, but are not reading for meaning or monitoring for mistakes. It is vital that students learn these strategies to help them understand what they are reading not only in fiction books, but in the other content areas such as science and social studies. Often times when students struggle Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 27 with reading they have a negative outlook and are not motivated to practice this important skill.

The action plan will help the students increase their comprehension skills with evidence provided by the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) and it will also help them improve their attitude and motivation toward reading.

Description of Action Plan

Remainder of the 2009-2010 school year:

1.) Meet with the other second grade teachers to share the action research project and

analyze the results of the comprehension strategies on the students’ comprehension levels.

2.) Each teacher will share strategies and activities used already in their classrooms and

identify key strategies that should be taught to second graders throughout the year.

3.) Continue to teach comprehension strategies that students had difficulty with during

the project including retelling and inferring.

4.) Continue to increase student motivation in reading.

5.) Continue to involve parents with the home reading program to maintain a strong

home/school connection in reading.

Continued Strategy Instruction

Since 6/16 students had difficulty with retelling, this important strategy will continue to be instructed. Teacher modeling through read aloud during the whole class, guided and independent reading. Students will work with partners to practice retelling to their buddies.

Second grade students will be paired with fifth graders to provide role models in reading and have opportunities to practice. Students will continue with book talks in front of the class. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 28

The results showed the other important strategy the students had difficulty with was inferring. Since the students were given only one week to learn and practice this skill, it demonstrates the importance of allowing increased time and practice to master such a high level skill for second graders. Inferring will be further broken down and taught over a five week period. The first week lesson will focus on teaching the students inferring at the word level.

“Readers determine meanings of unknown words by using their schema, paying attention to textual and picture clues, rereading, and engaging in conversations with others” (Miller, 2002).

The book Where Are You Going, Manyoni? By Catherine Stock will be used to introduce this lesson. For the second week, the lesson will focus on helping students draw conclusions and form interpretations of text. “Readers use their prior knowledge and textual clues to draw conclusions and form unique interpretations of text” (Miller, 2002). The poetry book titled,

Creatures of the Earth, Sea, and Sky by Georgia Heard will be utilized. For the following week, the book How Many Days to America? by Eve Bunting will be taught. “Readers know to infer when the answers to their questions are not explicitly stated in the text” (Miller, 2002). For the fifth week, the story Miss Maggie by Cynthia Rylant will be read to help the “readers create interpretations to enrich and deepen their experience in a text.” Each week, the students will be practicing these skills in their independent reading books. After focusing on inferring, the comprehension strategies summarizing, synthesizing information, and determining the importance of nonfiction will be taught for the remainder of the school year.

Student Motivation and Interest

The next plan that will be taken is increasing student motivation during reading since the results show that positive attitudes yield higher comprehension skills. According to the Student

Attitude Profile, 62% felt excited and 38% felt good about reading with a friend. Since this is a Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 29 strong motivator for students, buddy reading will be part of the daily reading workshop.

Students will be paired with a student to practice the comprehension strategies in their independent reading books. Students will also have opportunities for choice center time where they can choose to listen to books on tape, practice skills on the computer, practice word study skills. Choice is a strong motivator. It will also be important to keep allowing students to choose books at their reading level. They will continue to be motivated if they are allowed to read books that interest them. From the Reading Interview many of their favorite titles are in the classroom library so these will be provided.

Parental Involvement

For parent involvement, they will be asked to continue with the home reading program and reinforce the comprehension strategies before, during, and after their child reads. Another way to involve the parents is to have them volunteer in the classroom during reading workshop.

Parents will be asked to read with students and they will be practicing retelling their independent books to them. They also will be playing inferring games to practice this important strategy. To keep the students motivated and interested, each Friday there will be a mystery reader who will come in and read to the class.

Plan for 2010-2011 school year:

1.) Begin DRA assessments on each student to get a baseline comprehension level.

2.) Teach one strategy each month to allow ample time for the students to practice and

master each skill.

a.) September- Connections (text-to-self), (text-to-text), (text-to-world)

b.) October- Predictions

c.) November- Questioning Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 30

d.) December- Visualizing

e.) January- Text Structure

f.) February- Retelling

g.) March- Inferring

h.) April- Summarizing

i.) May- Connecting content areas/nonfiction

j.) June- Review and practice all strategies

3.) Also examine which strategies work best with certain student populations

(English Language Learners, Special Education Students)

Collect and analyze data

4.) Maintain strong home/school connections in reading

a.) home reading program

b.) parent volunteers

c.) parent workshops

5.) Maintain motivation and interest in students

a.) buddy reading

b.) peer reading with 5th graders

Conclusions

The use of explicit strategy instruction does indeed improve reading comprehension in second graders. By focusing on one strategy at a time, teachers can introduce, model, and demonstrate how a strategy can be applied to their students’ own reading experiences. This research process has shown that students require multiple opportunities to practice these strategies in order to master the skill. Conducting this action research benefited both the students Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 31 and teachers. Students are able to participate and reflect on their interests, strengths, and weaknesses as readers. They are able to utilize the skills the teacher provides them and demonstrate their knowledge. Teachers gain an extreme amount of insight into their students by learning about their learning styles, interests, and abilities. They take this knowledge and put it into action by creating lessons and activities that each student can experience and succeed with.

By sharing the results of the research, teachers can learn from one another and provide more ideas and strategies that work. The ultimate goal of this action research has been to make changes and improve an area where students are having difficulty, which is reading comprehension. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 32

References

Aikens, N. L., & Barbarin, O. (2008). Socioeconomic Differences in Reading Trajectories:

The Contribution of Family, Neighborhood, and School Contexts. Journal of

Educational Psychology, 100(2), 235-251.

Carrier, K.A. (2006). Improving Comprehension and Assessment of English Language

Learners Using MMIO. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues

and Ideas, 79, 131-136.

Colorado, C. (2007). Reading Comprehension Strategies for English Language Learners.

Retrieved September 13, 2009, www.readingrockets.org/article/14342.

Crowe, L. (2005). Comparison of Two Oral Reading Feedback Strategies in Improving

Reading Comprehension of School-Age Children with Low Reading Ability.

Remedial and Special Education, 26(1), 32-42.

Dymock, S. (2007, October). Comprehension Strategy Instruction: Teaching Narrative Text

Structure Awareness. The Reading Teacher. pp. 161-167.

Gambrell, L., & Marinak, B. (2009). Reading Motivation: What the Research Says. Retrieved

September 13, 2009, www.readingrockets.org/article/29624.

Gonzalez-DeHass, A., Willems, P., & Doan Holbein, M. F. (2005). Examining the

Relationship Between Parental Involvement and Student Motivation. Educational

Psychology Review, 17(2), 99-123.

Guerero, A. M. (2003). Visualization and Reading Comprehension. Office of Educational

Research and Improvement. pp. 1-15. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 33

Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., Humenick, N. M., Perencevich, K.C., Taboada, A., Barbosa, P.

(2006). Influences of Stimulating Tasks on Reading Motivation and Comprehension.

The Journal of Educational Research, 99(4), 232-244.

Harvey, S. (2001, May-June). Questioning the Text. Instructor. pp. 16-18.

Miller, D. (2002). Reading With Meaning. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers.

Wilhelm, J.D. (2001, November-December). Think-Alouds: Boost Reading Comprehension.

Instructor. pp. 26-28. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 34

Appendices

Figure 1-1: Independent Reading Conference Record

Independent Reading Conference Record

Student’s Name ______Date ______

Book Selection for Reading Assessment

Book Title ______

Child Selected ______Teacher Selected ______

Wide Reading *May I see your reading log list? (comment of books read)

Book List: Limited _____ Adequate ______Extensive ______Comments: How do you choose a book to read? What is one of your favorite books? Why? What are you reading now? What do you think you will choose to read next? Why? Constructing Meaning/Retelling *Tell me about the book you have selected for this conference. Student discusses: Story idea _____ major events ______characters _____ ending ___ Prompting may be used to elicit additional information. Prompted with additional questions ______No additional Prompting ______Inference: Good ______Fair ______Needs Work ______*Why do you think the author wrote this book? *Would you recommend this book? Why or why not? Silent/Oral Reading/Use of Strategies *Find a passage in your book to read aloud. Read it to yourself first. Estimated accuracy 95-100% ______90-95% ______less than 90% ______Do miscues interfere with meaning? Yes______No ______Rate: Slow ______Adequate ______Fluency: (Intonation, phrasing, repetitions) fluent ______some fluency ______not fluent ______Observation of student strategies: (questions, predictions, visualizing) Comments:______*Tell me in your own words about what you have just read. Comment on reading and retelling ______Appropriateness of Selection: Appropriate ______Too Easy ______Too Hard ______Planned Interventions: Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 35

Figure 1-2: Reading Strategies Checklist

When reading do you…

Make a picture in your mind.

Predict from the pictures and title.

Ask questions as you read.

Go back and reread when it doesn’t make sense.

Comment on the ideas in the story.

Personalize the story for yourself.

Make inferences (predictions) as you read. Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 36

Figure 1-3: Reading Attitude Profile

Reading Attitude Profile

Name: ______

How do you feel…

1. when you read a book in school?

Excited Good O.K. Bad

2. about reading at home?

3. about reading during the summer?

4. about reading instead of playing?

5. about spending free time reading?

6. about starting a new book?

7. about reading different types of books?

8. when you explain what a story is about? Excited Good O.K. Bad

9. when you read out loud in class? Excited Good O.K. Bad

10. when you read with a friend?

Excited Good O.K. Bad Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 37

Figure 1-4: Reading Interview Reading Interview

Name: ______Date: ______

1. How do you choose something to read?

2. How do you get ready to read?

3. Do you look at the pictures before you read?

4. Where do you read at home?

5. Do you read with a family member?

6. When you come to a word you don’t know, what do you do?

7. What do you do to help you remember what you have read?

8. How do you check for reading? Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 38

9. My favorite books are:

10. My favorite authors are:

11. I find reading easy/hard because…

12. I think we should learn to read because… Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 39

Figure 1-5: Parent Questionnaire

PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE Please fill out this form and send it to school with your child on the first day. This information will be helpful to me in order to better understand your child’s learning style and general background.

Child’s name ______

Parent’s name ______

Parent’s email address ______

My child’s feelings about reading are:

My child’s reading habits at home are:

My child is interested in these types of books…

My child’s strengths in reading are:

Things I wish my child could improve on in reading are:

Does your child enjoy being read to at home?

Would you be willing to participate in a home reading program? Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 40

Figure 1-6: DRA Comprehension Results

DRA Comprehension Results

Students Initial DRA Comprehension Post DRA Level Comprehension Level Level Level

1 Level 14 15/24 = 62% Level 14 18/24 = 75%

2 Level 16 19/24 = 79% Level 16 21/24 = 87%

3 Level 18 18/24 = 75% Level 18 20/24 = 83%

4 Level 18 14/24 = 58% Level 18 18/24 = 75%

5 Level 18 16/24 = 66% Level 18 18/24 = 75%

6 Level 18 16/24 = 66% Level 18 19/24 = 79%

7 Level 20 20/24 = 83% Level 20 23/24 = 95%

8 Level 20 21/24 = 87% Level 20 24/24 = 100%

9 Level 24 17/24 = 70% Level 24 20/24 = 83%

10 Level 24 21/24 = 87% Level 24 24/24 = 100%

11 Level 24 22/24 = 91% Level 24 24/24 = 100%

12 Level 28 19/24 = 79% Level 28 22/24 = 91%

13 Level 28 22/24 = 91% Level 28 24/24 = 100%

14 Level 30 17/27 = 70% Level 30 21/24 = 87%

15 Level 30 21/24 = 87% Level 30 21/24 = 87%

16 Level 30 24/24 =100% Level 32 22/24 = 91% Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 41

Figure 1-7: DRA Results Bar Graph

DRA Results Bar Graph

Comprehension Level

e 60% g a t n 50% Before e c r After e 40% P

0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Students Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 42

Figure 1-8: Reading Strategies Checklist Results

Reading Strategies Checklist Results

Strategies Before After

Make a picture in your mind 5/16 = 31% 16/16 =100%

Predict from the pictures and 8/16 = 50% 16/16 = 100% titles

Ask questions as you read 5/16 = 31% 14/16 = 87%

Go back and reread when it 7/16 = 43% 10/16 = 62% doesn’t make sense

Comment on the ideas in the 5/16 = 31% 10/16 = 62% story

Personalize the story for 13/16 = 81% 16/16 = 100% yourself

Make inferences (predictions) 4/16 = 25% 10/16 = 62% as you read Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 43

Figure 1-9: Reading Strategies Bar Graph

Reading Strategies Bar Graph

inferences personalize s

e comment i

g after e

t reread

a before r t questions S predict visualize

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Percentage Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 44

Figure 1-10: Reading Attitude Profile Results

Reading Attitude Profile Results

How do you feel…

1. when you read a book in school?

Excited Good O.K. Bad 6/16=37% 5/16=31% 4/16=25% 1/16=6%

2. about reading at home?

Excited Good O.K. Bad 10/16=62% 3/16=18% 3/16=18% 0

3. about reading during the summer?

4. about reading instead of playing?

5. about spending free time reading?

6. about starting a new book?

Excited Good O.K. Bad 7/16=43% 5/16=31% 3/16=18% 1/16=6% Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 45

7. about reading different types of books?

8. when you explain what a story is about?

9. when you read out loud in class?

10. when you read with a friend?

Excited Good O.K. Bad 10/16=62% 6/16=37% 0 0 Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 46

Figure 1-11: Reading Attitude Profile Chart

Reading Attitude Profile Chart

Question Excited Good O.K. Bad 1. How do you feel when you 37% 31% 25% 6% read a book in school? 2. How do you feel about 62% 18% 18% 0 reading at home? 3. How do you feel about 18% 62% 12% 6% reading during the summer? 4. How do you feel about 18% 37% 37% 6% reading instead of playing? 5. How do you feel about 18% 37% 37% 6% spending free time reading? 6. How do you feel about 43% 31% 18% 6% starting a new book? 7. How do you feel about 25% 50% 18% 6% reading different types of books 8. How do you feel about when 18% 56% 12% 12% you explain what a story is about? 9. How do you feel about when 12% 50% 18% 18% you read aloud in class? 10. How do you feel about when 62% 37% 0 0 you read with a friend? Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 47

Figure 1-12: Reading Attitude Profile Pie Graphs

Reading Attitude Profile Pie Graphs

1. How do you feel when you read a book in school?

25% 37% Excited Good O.K. Bad

2. How do you feel about reading at home?

0% 18%

Excited Good 18% O.K. Bad 62% Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 48

3. How do you feel about reading during the summer?

6% 18% 12%

4. How do you feel about reading instead of playing?

6% 18%

Excited Good O.K. 37% Bad

37% Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 49

5. How do you feel about spending free time reading?

6% 18%

Excited Good 37% O.K. Bad

6. How do you feel about starting a new book?

18% Excited 43% Good O.K. Bad

7. How do you feel about reading different types of books?

6% 25% 18% Excited Good O.K. Bad

8. How do you feel when you explain what a story is about?

12% 18%

12% Excited Good O.K. Bad

9. How do you feel when you read out loud in class?

12% 18%

Excited Good 18% O.K. Bad

10. How do you feel when you read with a friend?

37% Excited Good O.K. 62% Bad Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction 52

Figure 1-13: Data Collection Matrix

Data Collection Matrix

Questions Data Source 1 Data Source 2 Data Source 3

Instructional DRA Independent Strategies Reading Improve Conference Comprehension? Record

Apply Independent Reading Observations/ Strategies? Reading Strategy Anecdotal Notes Conference Checklist Record

Specific Independent Reading Observations Strategies Reading Strategy Anecdotal Notes for ELL? Conference Checklist Record

Interest Reading Reading Level Interview Attitude Affect Profile Comprehension?

Reading Independent Reading Reading Appropriate Reading Interview Attitude Books? Conference Profile Record

Reading Parent Involvement Questionnaire at Home?______