The Impact of Book Choice on Reading Comprehension, Attitude, Fluency, and Home Reading for. Students with Learning Disabilities. Christina A.

Transcription

1 1 The Impact of Book Choice on Reading Comprehension, Attitude, Fluency, and Home Reading for Students with Learning Disabilities by Christina A. Martin A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree In Education Approved: 2 Semester Credits ~/~~ Renee Chandler The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout May, 2010

2 2 The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI Author: Martin, Christina A. Title: The Impact 0/ Book Choice on Reading Comprehension, Attitude, Fluency, and Home Reading/or Students with Learning Disabilities Graduate Degree! Major: MS Education Research Adviser: Renee Chandler MonthrYear: May, 2010 Number of Pages: 37 Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6 th edition Abstract Even after effective early reading instruction some students continue to struggle. Many students who continue to struggle with reading are eventually identified with a learning disability. As a special educator it is necessary to understand how to best teach students who struggle and be able to effectively motivate them to read. The purpose of this study was to research the benefits of offering choice of reading materials during reading instruction. More specifically, the goal of this research project was to indicate whether offering students with learning disabilities a choice of reading materials at their level would positively impact their reading fluency, reading comprehension, reading attitude, and the amount of home reading. The research was conducted at Mead Elementary Charter School in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin during the spring of 20 1 O. Data was collected within the researcher's special education classroom.

3 3 Results from this research project indicate that it is important for teachers to teach students how to choose a book at their reading level that interests them. Also, offering students with learning disabilities a choice in reading materials at their reading level can have a positive impact on their reading fluency, reading comprehension, reading attitude, and the amount of home reading.

4 4 The Graduate School University of Wisconsin Stout Menomonie, WI Acknowledgments First of all, I would like to thank my husband, Troy, for providing me with support and encouragement as I have gone through my master's program and as I completed my final research paper. I appreciate all of the help he provided for me while I was teaching, working on coursework, and completing everyday tasks. Also, I would like to thank my two children, Allison and Trevor, for being patient with me as I worked on my assignments. Second, I would like to thank my parents who taught me from little on the importance of working hard in order to reach my goals. Without their support and encouragement completing this goal would not have been possible. Third, I would like to thank the faculty at UW-Stout for all they have taught me during the past two years. I especially would like to thank Renee Chandler for agreeing to be my research advisor and appreciate all of the suggestions and guidance she has provided for me. Finally, I would like to thank all of my colleagues and friends at Mead Elementary Charter School for encouraging me to be the best teacher I can be.

5 5 Table of Contents... Page Abstract... 2 List of Tables... 7 Chapter I: Introduction... 8 Statement of the Problem... 9 Purpose of the Study Assumptions of the Study Definition of Terms Chapter II: Literature Review Chapter III: Methodology Subject Selection and Description Instrumentation Data Collection Procedures Data Analysis Limitations Chapter IV: Results Item Analysis Chapter V: Discussion Limitations Conclusions Recommendations References... 34

6 6 Appendix A: Data Collection Recording Sheet Appendix B: Data Organization Sheet

7 7 List of Tables Table 1: Reading Fluency Table 2: Reading Comprehension Table 3: Reading Attitude Table 4: Amount of Home Reading... 30

8 8 Chapter I: Introduction Students enter school at varying levels of literacy and background knowledge so teachers must be able to differentiate and accommodate all reading levels present within their classroom in an effective way. Some children come to school with an extensive amount of background knowledge and reading experiences whereas others enter school with little or no reading experiences. Students who have more reading experiences tend to have a more positive reading attitude and motivation to read than those who begin their reading experiences at school. Researchers agree and emphasize the importance of early intervention for those who struggle to read proficiently, because it is essential for all students to become skillful readers in order to successfully participate in all of the academic content areas. Moss (2005) states, "Once associated exclusively with middle and high school instruction, today, as never before, educators are directing their attention to the importance of encouraging content area literacy instruction at even the earliest levels" (46). Moss emphasizes the need for children, adolescents, and adults to be able to read to learn. She mentions ways to help students in elementary school, middle school, and high school become strategic readers and writers of informational texts and their need for guidance in this process. Over the past forty years reading instruction has been researched extensively through federal funding. According to Temple, Ogle, Crawford, and Freppon (2008), the National Reading Panel report of 2000 and the Reading First initiative established guidelines for an effective beginning reading program. They found that effective reading instruction follows a balanced literacy model and includes phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction especially for beginning readers.

9 9 Even after effective reading instruction and early reading intervention as previously described some students continue to struggle to learn to read and continue to struggle with reading for the remainder of their school careers. They are often identified with a learning disability in the area of reading. Readers struggle for various reasons which may include short attention spans, inability to monitor comprehension, lack of reading fluency, difficulties with language aspects of reading, and difficulties applying reading strategies independently. Due to their struggles with reading, they develop a poor reading attitude and lack motivation to read outside of school. Because it is important for readers to read more, it is crucial for them to become motivated to read. Schatmeyer (2007) emphasizes, "The key is linking reading material to the things that interest the students..." (p. 10). He also notes that boys who struggle tend to find nonfiction appealing if it is matched to their interests. In her book, Overcoming Dyslexia, Shaywitz (2003) emphasizes the need to increase motivation for students with reading disabilities and finds "motivation is increased by a child's having a sense of control, such as choice about assignments -which book he will read or what topic he will report on" (p.284). However, there is little research that has examined how choice in reading affects reading comprehension, reading fluency, reading attitude, and the amount of home reading for students with learning disabilities. Statement of the Problem In an ideal classroom all students would read skillfully and be motivated to read independently whenever possible. Unfortunately, students identified with a reading disability continue to struggle due to their lack of motivation to read independently at school or at home. For many struggling readers reading class is the only opportunity they have to further their

10 10 reading skills, because they choose not to read outside of school. Students with learning disabilities struggle throughout their school day far more than students at an average or above average reading level due to their lower level reading skills. Without effective reading intervention that focuses specifically on teaching students strategies to choose appropriate books to read independently, struggling readers will continue to struggle throughout their school career. However, there is little research that has examined how choice in reading affects struggling readers or students with reading disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the specific needs of students with learning disabilities and how choice affects their reading comprehension, fluency, attitude, and amount of home reading. Purpose of the Study The intent of this study was to evaluate the benefits of offering choice in the books students read by comparing the results of teacher assigned books to books students with learning disabilities choose to read at their level. The research specifically investigated the areas of reading comprehension, reading fluency, reading attitude, and the amount of home reading. Students were taught how to make appropriate book selections for themselves. More specifically, the study addressed the following questions: 1. Are second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities more likely to read more fluently when given a choice of books at their reading level? 2. Does choice in reading materials for second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities impact their comprehension? 3. Do students with learning disabilities have a better attitude towards the book they are reading when given the opportunity to choose a book at their reading level?

11 11 4. Does the amount of home reading increase for second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities when they choose a book to read versus a book assigned by the teacher? Assumptions of the Study It is assumed that each of the students who take part in this study have difficulty choosing an appropriate book for independent reading. It is also assumed that the students identified with a reading disability in this study have difficulty in one or more of the areas this study focused on. It is also assumed that the students will return the parental consent forms to the researcher so that each of the student's data can be included in this study. Definition of Terms Picture walk: when students look through a book before reading it in order to look through the pictures to activate prior knowledge and become comfortable with the book. This can be led by a teacher or done independently. Reading attitude is how the student feels about what they read, and the desire a student has for reading a book at a later time. Students will be asked questions to include whether they enjoyed reading the book, how well they understood what they read, how they would rate the characters, how they would feel if they got the book as a gift, and how they feel about rereading the book to determine their reading attitude. Reading comprehension is the understanding a student gains from reading a book which will be measured by the teacher asking questions to include the book's setting, characters, story events in order, the problem, and how it was solved.

12 12 Reading fluency is typically defined as the ability to read text correctly and quickly when reading a book. For this study reading fluency will be calculated in number of words read correct per minute. Reading motivation: the desire students have to read at school or at home as measured by the amount they choose to read on their own. Running record: a student reading one-on-one with the teacher while the teacher records deviations from the passage the student reads. The teacher uses a running record to analyze the student's mistakes while reading in order to determine their instructional needs. Self-corrections: when students make an error while reading and fix it after they realize that the word was read incorrectly. Students with learning disabilities: students who have qualified for special education in the area of reading for basic reading skills, reading fluency, or reading comprehension. Limitations One limitation for this study is that an intact group of second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities was researched. The nine students who were invited to participate in the research study consisted of seven boys and two girls due to the makeup of the class. The students also have participated in reading instruction in the researcher's classroom throughout the entire school year. Another limitation could be that the researcher is the teacher. Students may be inclined to answer the reading attitude questions for each book the way they feel the teacher would want them to answer.

13 13 Chapter II: Literature Review Students have varying levels of motivation to read. It is essential for students to be immersed in literacy-rich classrooms where teachers are encouraging students to read whenever possible, because in order to successfully participate in all academic content areas in school students must be able to read skillfully. Furthermore, it is vital for students to be competent readers after graduation if they choose to pursue post-secondary education or in virtually any job. There are several aspects of becoming a competent reader. They include the ability to decode words effectively, read fluently, and comprehend what is read. Reading instruction has been researched extensively within the past forty years through federal funding. According to Temple, Ogle, Crawford, and Freppon (2008), the National Reading Panel report of 2000 established the importance for a balanced literacy program. This simply emphasizes the importance of including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction within all literacy programs. This report was issued to report scientific information on reading instruction to minimize and prevent reading disabilities for students and ultimately optimize their instruction. Even after this report was issued there continues to be much opposition in research which Reutzel and Smith (2004) refer to as Reading Wars. Furthermore, there is little research available which involves reading instruction and strategies which foster motivation within students who struggle. More specifically, there are few studies that link offering choice of books to students who struggle to increase reading fluency, reading comprehension, reading attitude, and the amount of home reading.

14 14 Reading fluency According to O'Connor, White, and Swanson (2007), the reading panel admitted that we know the least about teaching reading fluency. Their research involves the theory that improving the reading rate at which one reads allows students to devote more effort to understanding what they read. Reading fluency not only includes the rate of reading but also includes the rhythm or phrasing of reading, and pacing in order to regulate comprehension. According to Dorn and Soffos (2005), "Fluency is directly linked to memory capacity, specifically the reader's ability to hold meaningful chunks of information in memory" (p. 39). They also include Marie Clay's work that has established the connection between reading fluency and reading comprehension. The ultimate goal for a strategic reader is to gain information and understand what they read. Reading comprehension Lipson (2007) asserts "Although educators often disagree about many other aspects of literacy, there appears to be universal agreement that the primary goal and purpose of reading is to comprehend text -to understand what we read" (p.128). Berninger, Abbott, Vermeulen, and Fulton (2006) conducted a study to investigate reading comprehension for at-risk second grade readers. Their study results indicate that "although phonological decoding is necessary for learning to read real words, other variables may contribute to the reading comprehension of atrisk second-grade readers" (p.343). They discussed the importance of accuracy, reading fluency focused on rate of oral reading, language development, and working memory. They also emphasized the relationship between reading fluency and reading comprehension. Dreher (2003) recognizes the importance of teacher read alouds. She found that teacher read alouds benefit all students, but especially struggling readers. Struggling readers are given the opportunity to hear a story above their reading level, but at their comprehension level. Often

15 15 students with learning disabilities have a much higher ability to comprehend higher level books than their reading level. Teacher read alouds give them the opportunity to increase their thinking capacity. Dorn and Soffos (2005) state that "Reading aloud introduces children to the special language of books. When children hear literacy language, they deposit these structures in their minds, where they remain and are recalled as needed, to support reading, writing, and speaking" (p.28). It is necessary for educators to be conscious of the amount of meaningful reading time they allow children to have throughout the school day, as well as facilitate an interest and motivation within them to read. Reutzel and Cooter (1991) recognize the importance of a classroom routine which encourages reading within all subjects. This can be accomplished by creating an inviting literacy environment. Gambrell (2007) believes it is necessary to include silent reading throughout the school day. She recognizes the importance of teachers conferencing with students about what they are reading and states the need for further research to provide evidence to support effective reading practice. Book choice Readers struggle for various reasons which may include short attention spans, inability to monitor one's own comprehension, and difficulty applying reading strategies independently. Research conducted in the area of reading was more consistent on the instruction that would make learning to read more difficult for struggling readers than on how to teach reading effectively. Reutzel and Smith (2004) reviewed and compared several studies done by experts to fmd commonalities among researchers. Some of their instructional recommendations about how to teach reading effectively include teacher read alouds, teacher modeling of explicit strategies, allowing adequate independent reading time daily, engaging and motivating students to read, and

16 16 providing students with a variety of reading materials. Studies reviewed by Reutzel and Smith disagree on the use of direct or isolated instruction versus integrated reading instruction. Roller (2002) and Schatmeyer (2007) agree it is necessary to motivate students to read independently by allowing students choice within their reading. However, researchers agree the best way to become a better reader is to read more. Reading attitude Recent research asserts that reading attitude is seen as part ofthe broader topic: motivation to read. Not only is it important for readers to read more, but to accelerate reading in struggling readers it is necessary for them to read interesting texts of their choice. When engaged in reading texts of their choice students develop a sense of enjoyment of reading and their reading level and fluency are consequently improved. Researchers do not agree whether the reading should be silent or read aloud. Motivation to read is key to increase reading skills for struggling readers. Lazarus and Callahan (2000) assert "Reading attitude fulfills a pivotal role in the development and of lifelong reading skills" (p.27!). They conducted a study to investigate the attitudes elementary students with learning disabilities have towards reading. They found that students with learning disabilities do not necessarily have a more negative attitude toward reading as compared to their peers without disabilities. They reported that recreational reading attitude seems to decrease for students with learning disabilities from primary into intermediate grades, but academic reading attitudes tend to remain stable. With that, it is vital for teachers to nurture the motivation in struggling readers in every way possible. Home involvement Parents are important components when working to accelerate struggling readers. Home and school collaboration is necessary in facilitating motivation and better attitudes toward

17 17 reading. Taylor and Pearson's (2004) study investigated schools and classrooms that "have beaten the odds against achievement predicted by student demographic characteristics and high poverty, low-achieving schools that are working to improve student performance by reformjng their reading program and teachers' classroom practices" (p.l71). An examination of the reading practice and improvement of eight schools took place. Withln the study they analyzed the most effective schools and most accomplished teachers by observing their practices. Their analysis uncovered some important factors that contributed to the effectiveness of the schools. One of those important factors was the frequency of home and school commumcation. The most accomplished teachers sent home a variety of reading materials with their students to read at home with their parents. They made frequent attempts to communicate with parents and made attempts to create commuruty connections within their classrooms. Similarly, Baker's (2003) article emphasizes the importance of parent involvement in a struggling reader's literacy development. Within Baker's article it is recognized that motivation is an essential key to reading success. Baker suggests that collaborations between parents and teachers should include advice to teachers on how to motivate their child to read at school and advice to parents on how to help their child with reading at home. It was also noted students who struggle academically do not recogillze a connection between what is learned at school to their lives outside of school. Therefore, with parental support it could be concluded they may see a connection and become more motivated to read. In summary, students with learmng disabilities need to become effective at decoding words and develop their reading fluency in order to enhance their reading comprehension. It is important for teachers to read aloud to model reading fluently. Furthermore, teachers need to spend time teaching students how to choose an appropriate book at their reading level.

18 18 Discussions need to OCClli' about different genres of literature and how to choose a good fit book that interests them. By giving students a choice of books to read it will increase their motivation to read more at school and at home. Collaboration with parents is necessary in order to increase a struggling reader's motivation to read. Teachers need to send books home with students to read at home and need to communicate with parents on a regular basis. When parents are involved students are more likely to see a connection between what is learned at school with real life.

19 19 Chapter III: Methodology Introduction In order to be successful in school, it is important that students become proficient readers. At school, it is necessary for students to have many opportunities to read at their reading level. As noted in the review ofliterature, many students with learning disabilities have a poor attitude toward reading. Therefore, they lack motivation to read during independent work time or at home. Even when books are sent home to read they are often returned untouched. The purpose of this study was to determine effective ways to increase motivation and reading attitude for students with learning disabilities. The focus was on the effect that choice of books bas on reading fluency, reading comprehension, reading attitude, and home reading. The research design for this study was Quasi-Experimental or more specifically a single-subject design in order to investigate the effects of choice on a student's reading attitude, comprehension, reading fluency, and home reading. Subject Selection and Description Data for this research study was collected within the researcher's learning disabilities classroom at Mead Elementary Charter School in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Rapids is located in the central part of the state of Wisconsin. Nine students with learning disabilities between second and fourth grade were invited to participate in the research during the second semester of the school year. The students each participate in a small reading group with the learning disabilities teacher for a minimum of one hour daily. Seven of the students invited to participate in the research study are male and two are female.

20 20 Instrumentation During the four week data collection period the researcher assigned a book for each student to read at their reading level half of the time. The other half of the time students were offered a choice of books to read at their reading level. For each book the researcher recorded the data collected for the running record completed which included time, number of errors and self-corrections, and the number of words correct read per minute, reading comprehension results, reading attitude questions, and whether or not they read their book at home on the Data Record Sheet the researcher created. After ten books were completed, the researcher created a Data Organization Sheet for each student and examined the results for each student. When the results were compiled the researcher examined them more closely by creating a table for each of the research questions. Data Collection For each book the students read they were asked to make predictions before reading. The researcher marked an x next to yes or no to document whether the student made an appropriate two sentence prediction. Then, students read the book they chose or were assigned once before data was collected. After reading the selection once, students read a 100 word passage from the book out loud for the researcher. The researcher then recorded the time, number of errors and self-corrections, and words read correct per minute on the recording sheet after completing the running record. Following the running record the teacher asked the students some reading comprehension questions which included the setting of the story, characters, story events in sequence, and the problem within the story and whether or not it was solved. The teacher then recorded each response and a plus or minus on the data recording sheet. Next, the researcher read the five reading attitude questions aloud. The student then marked how they liked what

21 21 they read, how they thought they understood what they read, how they would rate the characters, how they felt about rereading the book, and how they would feel if they got the book as a gift by circling the smiley face, the straight face, or the frown face on the data recording sheet. Finally, students were asked to read the book at home by bringing it home in their home reading envelope. After reading the book students were instructed to have a parent or another adult sign their envelope to verify they read the book at home. When students returned to school the following day the researcher recorded whether or not they read the book at home or not by marking an X next to yes or no on the data recording sheet. Data Analysis The data was analyzed by looking for correlations and relationships. Specifically, the data collected from the baseline condition was compared with the experimental treatment condition. The results were presented in a table format for each of the research questions. For instance, the results for reading fluency were presented by reporting the average amount of words read correct per minute in a table for both treatments. Also, a table was used to present the average number of correct responses for reading comprehension questions both for teacher assigned books as well as for those the students chose. Information collected to determine reading attitude was also presented in a table format to show the average amount of positive responses for each book. An additional table was created to report the percentage of times students returned their reading envelope signed to indicate that they read the book at home. This allowed the results for the baseline condition and the experimental treatment condition to be easily compared.

22 22 Limitations This study used an intact group of students already participating in a reading class with the researcher. Therefore, the number of males and females participating were not equal. There were six males and two females who brought back their parent consent form signed in order for them to participate in the study. Also, the study required students to be honest when they answered the reading attitude questions. Finally, the books the teacher assigned and approved for student choice fell within a range. Therefore, not all books the students read were at the exact same level.

23 23 Chapter IV: Results The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare struggling readers' reading comprehension, fluency, and reading attitude during small group reading instruction at the elementary level when the teacher assigned a book versus when the student chose the book to read. All books read were within a range of the students' CUlTent reading level. The research design for this study was Quasi-Experimental or more specifically a single-subject design in order to investigate the effects of choice on a student's reading attitude, comprehension, and amount read during a small reading group. Students were asked to make verbal predictions, timed while reading to determine words read COlTect per minute, asked verbal comprehension questions, asked five survey questions to identify their reading attitude for each book they read, and whether they read the book at home. Item Analysis The first research question this study focused on was related to the number of words students with learning disabilities read coltectly per minute. The intent of this study was to compare the results for the amount of words read coltectly per minute when the teacher chose the book to read with the results for the amount of words read coltectly per minute when the student chose the book to read. To answer this question the researcher timed each student as they read a 100 word passage from each book at their reading level both while reading books assigned by the teacher and when offered a choice of which book to read. After each student read the book the teacher divided the total number of words read correctly in the passage by the number of minutes it took to complete the book to identify the number of words read coltectly per minute. Each student read a total of ten books except for student number eight who was

24 24 absent for several class periods during data collection. He completed eight books during this time period. Table 1 Reading Fluency Are second throughfourth grade students with learning disabilities more likely to read more fluently when given a choice of books at their reading level as reported in words correct per minute (wcpm)? Students Teacher Assigned Student Choice Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student The results show that six out of the nine students with learning disabilities or 67 percent that participated in this study increased the amount of words read correct per minute when they were given the opportunity to choose the book to read at their reading level. 33 percent of the students or three out of nine of the students that participated in this study showed a decrease in their reading fluency when comparing the books they chose versus those assigned by a teacher.

25 25 This could be due to their inclination to chose books at the higher end of their reading level range. The second research question focused on whether or not reading comprehension was impacted when students with learning disabilities were offered a choice of books to read. After completing the running record for each book, students were asked five comprehension questions to determine their understanding. The questions for fiction selections included what was the setting for the book, who were the characters, what happened in the story in sequence, what was the problem, and how was the problem solved? The questions for nonfiction selections included what was the setting for the book, what facts were given in sequence, and what were two things you learned from reading this book. After completing ten books the researcher averaged the number of questions answered correctly for both books assigned by the teacher and those chosen by the student. Results are presented in Table 2 below.

26 26 Table 2 Reading Comprehension Does choice in reading materials for second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities increase their comprehension? Students Teacher Assigned Student Choice Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Results indicated that four out of nine students or 44 percent increased their ability to understand text when given the opportunity to choose the book. Four out of the nine students or 44 percent of the students' reading comprehension stayed the same. One out of the eight students showed a decrease in reading comprehension when given the opportunity to choose the book. The third research question related to the attitude students had toward the book they read. After completing a running record and discussing each book with the researcher, students were asked five questions to determine their reading attitude. The questions included how did you like what you just read, did you understand what you read, how would you rate the characters in the

27 27 book, how do you feel about rereading the book, and how would you feel if you got this book as a gift? Students responded by circling a smiley face, a straight face, or a frown face. The researcher assigned a number for each face to determine the student's overall reading attitude. A smiley face was given the number two and considered a positive attitude toward the book, a straight face was assigned the number one and students were considered to have a neutral attitude, and a frown face was given the value zero with a negative attitude for the question answered about the book. To determine the overall reading attitude for each book the numbers were averaged. To determine the overall reading attitude for books assigned by the teacher and books chosen by the student a percentage was given for positive answers, neutral answers, and negative answers to compare the two. Table three below shows the percentage of positive answers given for each student for both treatments.

28 28 Table 3 Reading Attitude Do students with learning disabilities have a more positive attitude towards the book they are reading when given the opportunity to choose a book at their reading level? Students Teacher Assigned Student Choice Student 1 28% 52% Student 2 60% 84% Student 3 76% 96% Student 4 48% 64% Student 5 36% 40% Student 6 40% 56% Student 7 48% 76% Student 8 65% 4% Student 9 84% 92% Results for this study indicate that eight out of nine or 89 percent of the students answered the questions more positively when answering reading attitude questions about books they chose. This result indicates that their reading attitude towards the books they read was more positive when they were given the opportunity to choose materials to read. For those students who showed an increase in reading attitude, the average difference between positive percentage scores between books the students chose to those books assigned by the teacher was 19 percent. Furthermore, 56 percent of the students' negative answers decreased when given the choice of reading material versus those assigned by the teacher. 22 percent of the students showed an

29 29 increase in negative answers when given the choice of reading materials versus those assigned by the teacher and 22 percent remained the same, giving no negative answers for either treatment. The fourth and final research question dealt with the amount of home reading completed by students with learning disabilities. More specifically, one of the purposes for this study was to investigate whether or not the amount of home reading increased when students were given the opportunity to choose the book to read versus assigned by the teacher. A "yes" or "no" was marked for home reading during the next class period. A parent or an adult signature was required on the reading envelope in order for a "yes" to be marked on the recording sheet. The percentage oftime that home reading OCCUlTed is presented in Table 4 below for both books chosen by the student and books assigned by the teacher.

30 30 Table 4 Amount of Home Reading Does the amount of home reading increase for second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities when they choose a book to read versus a book assigned by the teacher? Students Teacher Assigned Student Choice Student 1 20% 80% Student 2 40% 40% Student 3 0% 0% Student 4 0% 20% Student 5 20% 60% Student 6 40% 40% Student 7 20% 20% Student 8 100% 100% Student 9 0% 0% Results from this study indicate that three out of nine students or 33 percent showed an increase in home reading when given the opportunity to choose a book to read at their reading level. Four out of the nine or 44 percent of the students had the same amount of home reading for both books assigned by the teacher and those chosen by the student. One student participated in home reading for all books and two students did not pruticipate in home reading at all during data collection.

31 31 Chapter V: Discussion The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare data collected during reading instruction for students with learning disabilities in second through fourth grade when assigned books to read by the teacher versus books chosen by the student. Each of the books read by the students was at their current reading level. In order to evaluate the benefits of offering students a choice in books, reading fluency, reading comprehension, reading attitude, and amount of home reading were compared with the books assigned by the teacher. The intent of the study was to address the following four research questions: (1) Are second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities more likely to read more fluently when given a choice of books at their reading level; (2) Does choice in reading materials for second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities impact their comprehension; (3) Do students with learning disabilities have a better attitude towards books they are reading when given the opportunity to choose a book at their reading level; and (4) Does the amount of home reading increase for second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities when they choose a book to read versus a book assigned by the teacher? Limitations This study included eight students with learning disabilities already participating in a reading class with the researcher. Therefore, the number of males and females participating were not equal. There were six males and two females who brought back their parent consent form signed in order for them to be included in this study. Also, the study required students to be honest when they answered the reading attitude questions read aloud by the teacher. Finally, the books the teacher assigned or approved for student choice fell within a range. Therefore, not all books the students read were at the exact same level.

32 32 Conclusions Several conclusions can be made from this research regarding reading fluency, reading comprehension, students' overall reading attitude, and the amount of home reading. The first research question was: Are second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities more likely to read more fluently when given a choice of books at their reading level as repolted in words correct per minute? Data from this study clearly indicates that the majority of students read more words correctly per minute while reading a book of their choice as compared to reading a book assigned by the teacher. This could be due to an increase of motivation to read about a topic of their choice rather than reading about a topic chosen by the teacher. The second research question was: Does choice in reading materials for second through fourth grade students with learning disabilities impact their comprehension? Again, this study clearly shows that the majority of students either showed an increase in reading comprehension or it remained the same when the two treatments were compared. The third research question was: Do students with learning disabilities have a better attitude towards the book they are reading when given the opportunity to choose a book at their reading level? The results from this study indicate that the vast majority of students answered questions regarding reading attitude more positively for books they chose to read versus the books the teacher assigned them to read. Furthermore, the number of negative answers also decreased when comparing books students chose as compared to those assigned by the teacher. The final research question was: Does the amount of home reading increase for second through foulth grade students with learning disabilities when they chose a book to read versus a book assigned by the teacher? The data from this research project shows that seven out Qfnine of

33 33 the students' amount of home reading remained the same or increased for books they chose versus those the teacher assigned. The two students not accounted for did not have any home reading during data collection period. Recommendations Based on the findings of this study, the researcher recommends that teachers spend time teaching students with learning disabilities how to find books they are interested in at their reading level. Furthermore, students should be offered the opportunity to choose books to read at their level during reading instruction. When students are allowed to read about topics they are interested in they are more motivated to read and show an increase in reading fluency, reading comprehension, reading attitude, and the amount of home reading. When this is not possible due to group size it is necessary for the teacher to consider the interests of the students when choosing books for the group to read. Future research should investigate the impact of choice for all ages of students with learning disabilities on reading fluency, reading comprehension, reading attitude, and the amount of home reading. Furthermore, more research is needed on effective ways to improve home reading for students with learning disabilities.

34 34 References Baker, L. (2003). The role of parents in motivating struggling readers. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 19(1), Breninger, V.W., Abbott, R.D., Vermeulen, K., Fulton, & C.M. (2006). Paths to reading comprehension in at-risk second-grade readers. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39 (4), Dreher, M. J. (2003). Motivating struggling readers by tapping the potential of information books. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 19(1), Dom, LJ. & Soffos, C. (2005). Teachingfor deep comprehension: A reading workshop approach. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers. Gambrell, L. (2007). Reading: Does practice make perfect? Reading Today, 24(6), 16. Lazarus, B.D. & Callahan, T. (2000). Attitudes toward reading expressed by elementary school students diagnosed with learning disabilities. Reading Psychology, 21, Lipson, M.Y. (2007). Teaching reading beyond the primary grades: A blueprint for helping intermediate students develop the skills they need to comprehend the texts they read New York: Scholastic, Inc. Moss, B. (2005). Making a case and a place for effective content area literacy instruction in the elementary grades. The Reading Teacher 59(1), O'Connor, R.E., White, A., Swanson, H.L. (2007). Repeated reading versus continuous reading: Influences on reading fluency and comprehension. Council for Exceptional Children, 74( 1), Reutzel, D. R. & Cooter R.B. (1991). Organizing for effective instruction: The reading workshop. The Reading Teacher, 44(8),

35 35 Reutzel, D. R & Smith la. (2004). Accelerating struggling readers' progress: A comparative analysis of expert opinion and current research recommendations. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 20(1), Schatmeyer, K. (2007). Hooking struggling readers: Using books they can and want to read. lllinois Reading Council Journal, 35(1), Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming dyslexia: A new and complete science-based program/or reading problems at any level. New York: Vintage Books. Taylor, B.M., Pearson, P.D. (2004). Research on learning to read - at school, at home, and in the community. The Elementary School Journal, 105(2), Temple, c., Ogle, D., Crawford, A. & Freppon, P. (2008). All children read: Teaching/or literacy in today's diverse classrooms. (2 nd ed., text rev.) Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

36 36 Appendix A Data Collection Recording Sheet Student Name: Date: Book Title: Appropriate Prediction (1 think the story will be about... & 1 already know): _Yes _No Reading Comprehension (discussion with teacher): _Setting _Characters _Story events in sequence 'problem/solution Running Record (100 word passage after reading once): Time: words correct per minute(wcpm): errors: self-corrections: Reading Attitude: 1. How did you like what you just read? 2. Did you feel you understood what you read? 3. How would you rate the characters in the book? 4. How do you feel about rereading the book? 5. How would you feel if you got this book as a gift? Home Reading: Yes No Appendix B

37 37 Data Organization Sheet Teacher assigned Student # ---- Book titles: #1,#2,#3,#4 # Running Record Results 100 words # Errors # self- wcpm corrections Comprehension Questions /5 Compo Quest. i Quest. 2-pos /5 I-neutral O-neg Reading Attitude Quest. 1-5 Quest. 2 Quest. 3 Quest. 4 Quest. 2-pos 2-pos 2-pos 5 i-neutral i-neutral i-neutral 2-pos O-neg O-neg O-neg i- neutral O-neg Student Choice Book titles: #1,#2,#3,#4 # Running Record Results 100 words # Errors # self- wcpm corrections Comprehension Questions /5 Compo Quest. i Quest. 2-pos /5 i-neutral O-neg Reading Attitude Quest. 1-5 Quest. 2 Quest. 3 Quest. 4 Quest. 2-pos 2-pos 2-pos 5 i-neutral i-neutral i-neutral O-neg O-neg O-neg