A Case Study of the Effects of the Reading Mastery Program on Advancing Student Reading Achievement

1. A Case Study of the Effects of the Reading Mastery Program on Advancing Student Reading Achievement Presented by: Shannon M. Obrycki

2. Introduction • This is my second year teaching second grade at Holy Angels Catholic School and I have been teaching a scripted reading program called Reading Mastery. • Reading Mastery focuses on teaching beginning readers how to read and comprehend. • Developers of the program say that students learn basic reasoning skills, such as making inferences and drawing conclusions, and apply these skills as they answer interpretive comprehension questions related to the stories (Marchand-Martella, Martella, Schieffer, & Simonsen, 2002). • Assessment is continuous throughout the program. The students are assessed on fluency and accuracy every five lessons and comprehension skills every lesson.

3. Introduction I have always wondered why the Reading Mastery program is so successful for our students and how it affects their comprehension skills, reading fluency, and attitude toward reading. I began to ask myself these questions: • How does the Reading Mastery scripted reading program advance reading achievement on students in the Second grade in the second semester of the current school year? • Which aspect(s) from the Reading Mastery program are key to advancing achievement? • How are the reading comprehension skills improving? • Are the students showing more fluency while they read? • How are the student’s attitudes towards reading improving? This research is designed to answer those questions.

4. Introduction The Importance of Assessing Comprehension Skills, Fluency, and Attitudes: • Direct experiences are probably the single best way of developing the meaning vocabulary and conceptual knowledge of young children. (Miller, 2000) • “Research has consistently found that good readers are much better at monitoring their comprehension than poor readers. (Miller, 2000, p.188) • Students’ attitudes and motivation affect their success in learning to read and write. Students who view themselves as successful readers and writers are more likely to be successful. (Jacobs & Tunnel, 2000)

5. Methodology • Participants and Setting • Second Grade students from Holy Angels Catholic School • The school has 139 students grade Pre-k through 6. • Students come from middle to lower class families, socio-economically speaking, with about 80% of the students on a free or reduced lunch program. • The student population in the school is about 95% African-American and in my classroom alone it is 100% African-American.

6. Methodology • Data Collection • Over the course of the second semester I planned on collecting data through the following: • A Teacher Journal • Reading Mastery Workbooks • Literacy Analysis: Retelling Assessments • Reading Mastery “Check Out” Tests • Running Records • Attitude/Interest Toward Reading Surveys

7. Methodology • Data Analysis • Teacher Journal - I reviewed my teaching journal each week, noting any significant learning events especially in regards to reading. • Literacy Analysis: Retelling Assessment and Reading Mastery workbooks – I noted all improvements or declines and charted these results to see increases or declines. • Reading Mastery “Check Out” tests - I charted and noted all improvements or declines from one test to the other. • Running Record Assessments - I noted the improvements or declines in the accuracy rates. • Attitude/Interest Toward Reading surveys - I charting their growth or decline in the student’s attitudes about reading.

8. Findings • Teacher Journal • I noted students developing language structures, comprehension, and a sense of story structure. • They were able to demonstrate the comprehension skills gained by giving details to stories in the assessments I had given. • As the study went on I heard more positive remarks like, “This book about the Underground Railroad was cool” (March 8, 2006). • Many asked if they could go to the principal and other teachers to show them how well they read.

9. Findings # of Students Who Earned 6, 9, or 12 Pts. On Reading Mastery Workbooks Lesson 6pts 9pts 12pts #1 8 8 2 #2 8 7 3 #3 5 9 4 #4 5 8 5 #5 3 8 7 #6 3 9 6 #7 3 8 7 #8 2 7 9 #9 0 7 11 #10 0 5 13 #11 0 6 12 #12 0 7 11 #13 0 5 13 #14 0 3 15 #15 0 3 15 #16 0 3 15 #17 0 5 13 #18 0 2 16 #19 0 1 17 #20 0 0 18 • Reading Mastery Workbooks • The table shows that over the course of the study there was an increase in the number of students who received the total of twelve possible points. • Receiving more of the possible points shows that the students comprehended what they were reading more accurately. • They were able to get more questions marked correct. • The students were using more comprehension skills while reading that they had gained over time.

10. Literacy Analysis: Retelling Assessment I completed Retelling Assessments with each student twice, once at the beginning of the research study and once upon completion. I chose a book on grade-level that the students had not seen before and answer questions about the story and retell or recall events, characters, setting and plot. For the Pre-Retelling, on average, my eighteen students answered five questions correctly out of a possible ten. The Post-Retelling Assessment, on average, my eighteen students answered nine questions correctly out of a possible ten. The following is the Retelling Assessment given to each child: Child’s Name: Grade: Age: SETTING: 1. Begins the story with an introduction Yes No 2. Names a main character Yes No 3. Named other characters Yes No 4. Includes statement about time and place Yes No THEME: 5. Refers to a main character’s primary goal or problem to be solved Yes No PLOT EPISODES: 6. Recall of some episodes Yes No 7. Recall of all episodes Yes No RESOLUTION: 8. Includes the solution to the problem or goal attainment Yes No 9. Puts an ending to the story Yes No SEQUENCE: 10. Story is told in sequential order Yes No Findings

11. Findings The following is a table showing the results of the Reading Mastery “Check Out” Tests Number of Students Who Made 2, 1, or 0 Errors on “Check Out” Tests Check Out 2errors 1error 0errors #1 9 4 5 #2 2 10 6 #3 0 8 10 #4 0 3 15 • Reading Mastery “Check Out” Tests • Students were to read a portion of the text within two minutes and make no more than two errors • The table shows that each time the students took a check out test that there were less and less students making errors. • At first, students were making many two and one errors. By test four there were three students who made one error and fifteen who made zero errors. • The students were able to decrease the number of errors made during the check out tests throughout the course of the study.

12. Findings • Running Record Assessment • I conducted two Running Records with each student, once at the beginning of the study (Pre) and once at the end of the study (Post). • The students were given a book that was at their instructional reading level according to the Accelerated Reader program. • The average percent of accuracy for the Pre-Running Record was 74% out of a possible 100%. • The students received an average of 94% accuracy out of a possible 100% for the Post-Running Record. • The increase of 20 percentage points shows that over the course of the study the students learned to make fewer errors and read more fluidly and accurately.

13. Findings • Attitude/Interest Toward Reading Survey • A Pre- and Post- survey was given to gauge the students’ feelings toward reading. • They then had to select how it made them feel; angry, sad, ok, or happy, by circling the corresponding face. • The majority of my students already enjoyed reading at the beginning of the study. But I believe that over the course of the study the attitudes of some students changed about reading from a negative feeling to a positive feeling. • In the Pre survey, there was an average of 15.2 students who answered “Happy” across all items. In the Post survey, there was an average of 17.2 students who answered “Happy” across all items, which shows an increase of two students. • The following two slides shows the results of the Attitude surveys.

14. Findings

15. Findings

16. Interpretation of Findings • The goal of my research was to determine: how the Reading Mastery scripted reading program advances reading achievement with my students in the Second grade. In particular, which aspect(s) from the Reading Mastery program are key to advancing achievement? I also wanted to discover if the student’s reading comprehension skills improve, if the students show more fluency while they read, and if the student’s attitudes towards reading improve.

17. Interpretation of Findings • The workbooks helped the students: • learn basic reasoning and comprehension skills, such as making inferences and drawing conclusions, apply these skills as they answered comprehension questions related to the stories. • workbooks are practice for what is being taught in class. Students are given instant feedback because after workbooks are completed • In the “Check Out” Tests, students were able to decrease there errors and read at a faster pace because they had become used to being timed. • I started to call the “Check Out” tests “high five reading” because every time they came to read, I’d give them a high five for reading so well. • Based on the results of my study and improvements of my students, I would say that both the Reading Mastery workbooks and “Check Out” tests are key to advancing achievement in reading.

18. Interpretation of Findings Students were able to improve on retelling/comprehending stories because: • Reinforcement of comprehension skills given daily through the workbooks and reviewing in class. • We started book reviews in class. I first modeled then, everyday, two students were able to retell a story by giving a book review • It provided a commercial for the book • Practicing retelling with the book reviews, students were able to comprehend stories and they were able to more accurately recall the setting, events, plots, themes, problems, and the sequential order.

19. Interpretation of Findings • The Running Record assessment proved to be a success because: • students were used to having any errors made being recorded just like the “Check Out” tests are set up. • students were successful because they really enjoyed the one-on-one meeting time with me and show off their abilities. • Improvement in fluency and accuracy within the Running Record and “Check Out” tests is related to the improvement in comprehension skills. • The more the students understood what they were reading, it was easier to read and they read at a faster pace. • These assessments helped me as the teacher because: • I was able to target where the students were having difficulty and where they were succeeding. • The “Check Out” tests and Running Records both confirmed that my students were able to improve on their reading fluency.

20. Interpretation of Findings • Students became more successful readers and writers by having positive attitudes toward reading • Enhanced their self-esteem in reading and increased their motivation to read. • I helped my students select more interesting books to read since I knew more about them and their interests • Reading meetings, the book reviews, high five readings, and starting a writing wall, contributed to positive attitudes my students have towards reading. • They are able to look at reading as something that is fun and entertaining instead of something that must be done to get a grade. • I found it helpful to get the parents more involved in reading activities at home

21. Conclusion • Reading Mastery Workbooks and “check out” tests are key to the program. They are a way of assessing the students’ abilities, strengths, and weaknesses and offer clues as to where students have mastered different aspects of reading comprehension, fluency, and accuracy. • I performed different assessments to determine if my students showed progression and improvement in regards to reading comprehension, fluency, accuracy, and attitudes toward reading. • I now plan to continue with the assessments that provide even more feedback and information for me such as: • where my students are in terms of grade level and instructional level • where their strengths and weaknesses are in reading • if they are making progress • allow me to locate areas of reading instruction that I need to focus on more with my students. • Added things like the book reviews and the writing wall helped to make my room a class full of students who not only love to read but they read well.

22. Anticipated Action • The grant supporting the Reading Mastery Program will be ending after this year, so I will definitely share my results of progress with my staff. I want them to realize how effective this program has been on my students so we can hopefully make it a priority to keep the program in our school. • I am very impressed with the performance of my students. They worked hard and showed improvement all around in reading comprehension, fluency, accuracy, and their attitudes toward reading. Reading Mastery seems to be the right fit for my students as they continue their education in reading.

23. References Farstrup, A.E., & Samuels, S.J. (2002). What research has to say about reading. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Jacobs, J.S., & Tunnell, M.O. (2000). Children’s literature briefly. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice-Hall. Miller, W. (2000). Strategies for developing emergent literacy. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. Marchand-Martella, N., Martella, R., Schieffer, C., & Simonsen, F. (2002). The research base for reading mastery: Direct reading instruction. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.