Academic Intervention

1. Academic Intervention Nina L. Tiberi

2. Overview • Literature Review • Background Information • Intervention Plan

3. Review of the Literature • Gambrell & Bales (1986) • Sample of 4th and 5th graders classified as poor readers • Experimental condition- receiving imagery instructions • Control condition- receiving general instructions • Read 2 passages and asked comprehension questions • Students receiving imagery instructions performed significantly better on the comprehension measure when compared with the control • Relates to present intervention? • Student is in 4th grade and has struggled with reading comprehension • Intervention used implements mental imagery techniques

4. Review of Literature • Gambrell & Jawitz (1993) • Evaluated the effects of including instructions that emphasize the use of mental imagery and attention to illustrations on text recall and reading comprehension • Images and illustrations improved reading performanceStudy selection- 4th grade sample, intervention utilized mental imagery techniques • Study selection- 4th grade sample, intervention utilized mental imagery techniques

5. Review of Literature • Pressley (1976) • Subjects practiced implementing mental imagery techniques • Examples of “good” images provided • Control subjects did not have exposure to the mental imagery training • Those completing the mental imagery training completed significantly more short answer questions than the control group • This study was selected because it is one of the landmark studies contributing the the literature pool for reading comprehension and mental imagery strategies • Relates to current student given her reading comprehension difficulties and age range

6. Behavioral Definition • Background Information • Jane • 9 years old • 4th grader • Previously referred to address reading concerns • Did not qualify for special education services • Difficulties with reading comprehension (later measured through the use of Daze passages) • Goal is to increase Jane’s reading comprehension

7. Pre-intervention

8. Baseline Data

9. Problem Validation • Prior to the intervention, Jane had been receiving reading grades in the “C to D” range • First quarter report card: Reading = D+ • STAR Reading 3.2 grade level • Unable to pass English and Language Arts portions of ISTEP+ last year • WIAT-III Reading = Average range! • Capable of age appropriate reading performance 

10. Problem Analysis • Review- Previous report cards and academic files were examined • Interview- Positive comments about Jane’s effort and work ethic but does not make it know when she is struggling. • Observe- Jane’s prosody was at times choppy • Test- Although, Jane struggled on some reading comprehension questions, her performance on the WIAT-III revealed age appropriate performance. • Examined relevant and alterable factors from the curriculum instruction env and student domains using a variety of procedures

11. Problem Analysis • After collecting data from a variety of relevant sources and settings, the information obtained was used to develop a specific intervention tailored to Jane’s needs • Jane’s teacher mentioned that reading comprehension was at the utmost concern despite the discrepancies between classroom performance and performance on the WIAT-III, which may be due to: • Environmental differences (classroom vs. testing environment) • Working with individualized attention • Minimal distractions • Frequent break options • Motivational tools

12. Goal Setting • Have Jane read at a 5th grade level by the end of the spring • BOY- 15 • MOY- 17 • EOY- 25

13. Goal Setting

14. Goal Setting Time frame = 16 weeks Beginning goal (Week 1): 17 correct Ending goal (Week 16): 24 correct

15. Intervention Plan • Mental Imagery: Improving Text Recall • Materials: • Reading passages • Paper • Pencil • Markers • Stickers • DIBELS Next Dazes (progress monitoring) • Self-monitoring graph • When: • Twice each week, 30 minute sessions • Where: • Library at Sutton Elementary School • People responsible: • Nina Tiberi • Pre-practicum Student

16. Intervention Plan • Procedures and Strategies • Instruct to make mental pictures illustrating the content of the passage • Drawing • Study any illustrations • Passage is read aloud • Encouraged to share the mental pictures created • Have a discussion explaining how her thoughts connect with key elements of the passage and provide clues about the content • Introduce the next passage and prompt to use the same imagery techniques when reading the text • Asked to share the images she mentally constructed and relate the thoughts back to the text

17. Measurement Strategy • How- Number of correct responses recorded • What- DIBELS Next Daze assessments • Where- Sutton library • Who- Nina Tiberi and Pre-practicum student • When- Once a week following intervention

18. Decision-making Plan • Data collected at the end of each week • Weekly analysis of data • Summarization strategies • Progress monitoring graph • Self-monitoring graph • Comparison with baseline performance, at-risk performance, and benchmark performance • After 3 weeks, we would determine if alterations needed to be made • Increase intervention frequency? • Increase intervention duration? • Use of additional motivational techniques? • Change of environment? • Pre-practicum student granted flexibility to make changes upon consultation • Based on intervention data, created additional means of demonstrating reading comprehension (ie: acting out actions in passage in addition to discussing mental images created)

19. Progress Monitoring

20. Summarization Strategy – Self-monitoring graph

21. Formative Evaluation • Decision Making Point Week 3 • The intervention appears to be working, but close monitoring will continue • Changes– Alternative methods of displaying reading comprehension • Dramatization strategy- tackled difficulty comprehending essential story components that involved a lot of action

22. Treatment Integrity • To ensure the intervention has been implemented as designed: • Two-hour training session with pre-practicum student • Frequent communication • Minimum of weekly email updates between myself and pre-practicum student • DAZE back up passages • Missed progress monitoring day due to time constraints • Set up plan to collect data the following day and ensure adequate time for intervention and data collection

23. Summative Evaluation • With repetition, student has already surpassed the benchmark • Outlier datapoint • Not including the outlier, student appears to be making adequate progress • Intervention is still in progress • At week 6, we will revisit the data to see if additional changes need to be made; however, at this time, the intervention seems to be working

24. References • Gambrell, L. B. & Bales, R. B. (1986). Mental imagery and the comprehension-monitoring performance of fourth- and fifth-grade poor readers. Reading Research Quarterly, 21, 454-464. • Gambrell, L. B. & Jawitz, P. B. (1993). Mental imagery, text illustrations, and children’s story comprehension and recall. Reading Research Quarterly, 23, 265-273 • Pressley, G. M. (1976). Mental imagery helps eight-year-olds remember what they read. Journal of Educational Psychology, 68, 3, 355-359.