視英語為第一外語的學習，一直是學生生活中一個重要的課題。英語的使用變的更為普遍，以位於東亞國家的台灣來說，就已經開始重視英語的教學。然而，大部分的家長仍不滿意孩子們的英語能力，因此，而產生了所謂的補習班。為了增進學生的閱讀能力與態度，任何一種有效的教學策略都是值得探討的。本研究的主要目的之一，便是了解平衡閱讀教學的出現，如何增進國小學生英語學習的效能。而實施行動研究的目的，主要是為了確認平衡閱讀教學的效果。在為期五個月的前導研究完成後，其研究成果便成為正式研究的基礎架構。本研究之對象為15位台北市國小一年級參加補習班的學童。研究結果顯示，平衡閱讀教學對於增進學生字彙的認知能力、語音覺識與技巧有所幫助，同時，也能大幅增進學生學習英語的自信心。除此之外，平時就有參加補習班的學童進步的程度也明顯大於未參加的學童。然而，為了增進教學的效能，系統化的發音教學範例在幫助教師制定更為合適的教學計畫與學習內容上，是極為必要的。 關鍵字:平衡閱讀教學、字母知識、語音覺識,閱讀態度,英語初學者。 / English language learning as the first and foreign language has always been an important factor in a child’s life as a student. As the usage of the English language becomes ever more apparent, East Asian nation like Taiwan has started to place much focus on its teaching. However, many parents in Taiwan are still unsatisfied with their children’s English abilities where they gained from formal school, hence the so-called cram school. In order to improve student reading ability and attitude, any effective teaching strategies are worth exploring. The main objective of this study is to determine how balanced reading instruction will enhance English learning effectiveness among EFL beginners. An action study was done in order to identify teaching effects of a balanced reading instruction. A pilot study was first accomplished, which later served as the backbone of the formal study. Participants were fifteen first graders at an English cram school in Taipei. Data collections were gained from abecedarian reading assessment, reading attitude questionnaires, observations, interviews and recordings methods. Results showed that balanced reading instruction is helpful in enhancing students’ letter knowledge, phonological awareness and increasing the students’ reading attitude. In addition, students who attended class in the cram school regularly improved better than those who did not. However, in order to improve teaching efficiency, more systematic phonics teaching are needed in order to help teachers make appropriate teaching plans for the EFL beginners. Keywords: balanced reading instruction, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, reading attitude, EFL beginners

本研究旨在探討英文童謠教學對台灣國小英語學習低成就學童對英語的音素覺識、認字、拼字能力、以及英語學習態度的影響。實驗分兩階段進行。第一階段進行小規模的前測作為正式研究的準備，先行測試選用的英語童謠是否適切、教學活動是否可行，以及低成就學童在音素覺識與學習態度是否因此改善等等，並根據初探結果規劃正式實驗。第二階段的正式實驗，除音素覺識與學習態度外，更進一步探討英文童謠教學對認字及拼字能力的影響。 在正式實驗中，實驗對象為桃園市某國小36名四年級的學習低成就學童(學業表現為後百分之十)。研究者將此36名學童隨機平均分配為兩組；實驗組及對照組兩組，各18名學生。對實驗組施以平衡閱讀「由整體到細部」(whole-to-parts)架構設計的英文童謠教學，將音素覺識及字母拼讀法(phonics)等技巧訓練自然地融入有趣的英文童謠情境中；而對照組則單獨採用字母拼讀教學，循序教授字母與音的對應關係。實驗組及對照組每週均有兩節英語補救教學，每節課40分鐘，持續十二週。兩組學生在教學前後各施以前測及後測，內容包括音素覺識測驗、認字測驗、拼字測驗，以及英語學習態度問卷調查，以評量受試者在早期讀寫技巧上的發展，及學習態度上的改變情形。 同組組內前後測比較結果顯示，在十二週實驗教學後，實驗組及對照組二組學生在音素覺識、認字及拼字能力三方面，均有顯著的進步。然而，只有實驗組學生對英語學習的態度有顯著的正向改變，對照組學生則無。此外，兩組組間比較結果發現，雖然在實驗前，兩組學生英語拼讀能力相當，對英語的看法也類似，但經實驗教學後，兩組的後測成績有非常明顯的差異，實驗組學生在音素覺識、認字、拼字能力的進步幅度，以及學習態度各方面，均顯著優於對照組。 以上研究結果顯示，運用英文童謠進行補救教學確實極為有效，不但能增進台灣英語低成就學童的早期讀寫技巧，且能改善其學習英語的態度。本研究之結果及教學建議，可供未來國小補救教學相關研究之參考。 / The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of nursery rhyme instruction on Taiwanese elementary school EFL underachievers with regard to their development on phonemic awareness, word recognition and spelling abilities, and their attitudinal changes toward learning English. The present study was conducted in two stages. A small-scale pilot study was first carried out as a preparation for the formal study. The feasibility of nursery rhyme instruction and the effects of this instruction on phonemic awareness and learning attitudes were tested on seven EFL underachievers preliminary to the formal study. In the second stage, a formal study which followed closely the design of the pilot study, further explored the effects of nursery rhyme instruction on word recognition and spelling abilities. In the formal study, thirty-six fourth grade underachievers (whose academic performances were at the bottom 10 percent) with deficient phonemic awareness were screened for this study. The experimental group and the control group were evenly matched with eighteen students each. The experimental group received nursery rhyme instruction using the “whole-to-parts” framework of balanced reading within which training in skills including phonemic awareness and phonics is embedded into the context of children’s literature. The eighteen subjects in the matched control group received explicit phonics instruction wherein the isolated sound-letter correspondences were sequenced and taught explicitly and systematically. To assess their development in early literacy skills, all subjects took the pretests and posttests of phonemic awareness, word recognition and spelling. Moreover, to measure their attitudinal changes toward learning English, they were administered the attitude questionnaires before and after the remedial instruction. Data was collected from early-September until early-December, 2006, covering twenty four 40-minute class periods for each group. Comparison of within-group performance indicated that both the experimental group and the control group made significant post- over pretest improvements in phonemic awareness, word recognition and spelling abilities. However, only the experimental group had a significant positive change on their attitudes toward English. In addition, at the onset of the study, both groups started with equivalent early literacy skills, and held similar attitudes toward English learning. However, posttest scores revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in phonemic awareness skills, word recognition and spelling abilities. Significant differences can also be found in their attitudes towards learning English. The findings from this study indicate that a remedial instruction utilizing nursery rhymes can effectively help Taiwanese EFL underachievers improve their early literacy skills, and more significantly, their learning attitudes towards English. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications and suggestions for further studies are provided.