Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1968. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Includes tables. Sponsor: Frances P. Connor. Dissertation Committee: Leonard S. Blackman. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the achievement levels and expressed attitudes and feelings, five years later in 1972, of a group of students who learned to read in grade one in 1966-1967, using i.t.a. in comparison to a group who learned to read using T.O.Four areas of achievement, namely Reading Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Spelling, and Mathematics were tested by use of selected sub-sections of the California Achievement Test. A questionnaire was developed to determine the attitudes and feelings of students toward first grade reading experiences and their present attitudes and feelings toward reading in 1972.A Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test administered during the first grade was used as the entry level for the analysis of co-variance. Analysis of variance and covariance were the statistical techniques used to determine the differences between the groups that might be attributed to sex, method, or sex by method interaction.The student sample for the study consisted of 143 pupils from the Marion Community Schools, located in Marion, Indiana. The method of instruction of 67 of the pupils hadbeen i.t.a. in first grade while 76 pupils in the same schools had instruction with T.U. materials. The students have been exposed to various materials in the five years since their initial learning experiences, with random grouping of those who were initially presented i.t.a. or T.O.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses:There are no differences in levels of achievement of pupils who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. on either of the four dependent measures attributable to the following,1. sex2. method3. sex by method. interactionThe computed F ratios were not significant between sexes, methods, or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics, therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected, for these areas of achievement.There are no differences in levels of achievement of pupils who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. on either of the four dependent measures with the entry level as a co-variant attributable to the following,1. sex2. method3. sex by method interactionThe computed F ratios were not significant between methods or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The computed F ratios were not significant between sexes for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The computed F ratio was significant between sex for spelling when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The co-variant, entry level, was significant. The null hypotheses could not be rejected for differences between methods or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The null hypotheses could not be rejected for differences between sexes for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics with the entry level as a co-variant. The null hypotheses for differences between sexes must be rejected for spelling with the entry level as a co-variant because significant differences were found.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses:There is no difference in attitude toward beginning reading learning as revealed by a questionnaire between pupils in the group who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. for,1. the total group2. the boys3. the girlsOnly slight differences were found in the responses to the part of the questionnaire concerning reading attitudes and feelings about learning to read. Therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses: There is no difference in attitude toward reading as revealed by a questionnaire between pupils in the group who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. for, 1. the total group2. the boys3. the girlsNo consistent differences in attitudes and feelings were revealed in answers to the part of the questionnaire concerning attitudes and feelings about reading at the present time (1972). Therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected.For the pupils in this study it seems tenable to conclude that little difference exists in the achievement levels of reading, spelling, and mathematics between the group of students who learned to read using i.t.a. and the group who learned to read using T.O. after five years of study beyond the initial reading learning experiences.Likewise, little difference exists in the expressed attitudes and feelings of these groups.Spelling achievement levels were significantly different between sexes with the entry level as a co-variant. Girls then scored higher than boys regardless of the method.The entry level, a first grade intelligence test score, was significant for each area of achievement. Therefore it seems tenable to conclude that intelligence, as measured by this instrument, played an important part in the achievement of both groups. Students scoring higher on the intellectual measure also scored higher on achievement tests regardless of the method and students scoring poorer on the intellectual measure also scored poorer on the achievement test regardless of the method.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two methods of teaching reading in second grade upon children who had learned to read in first grade through the Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.) medium. The two methods employed were: basal reading and individualized reading procedures. In addition, an interest inventory was administered to assess attitude and interest of the 1972-73 second grade pupils toward reading. The vital role reading plays in enabling students to reach their maximum potential gave this problem significance.