This thesis has three main purposes: 1. to determine the progress made in achievement by each individual in the departmentalized and non-departmentalized groups; 2. to contrast the progress made in achievement by the groups under discussion; 3. to ascertain, by comparison of the two groups, whether any relative gain in achievement is made as a result of children working in the two different school organizations.

The purpose of this study is to understand how students in year 4, 5 and 6 describe their learning of new words. This study uses a qualitative method based on interviews with students, who have linguistic vulnerabilities, describing their thoughts about learning new words. The results have been analyzed from the students’ perspective and through four themes. The themes are students’ learning of new words, words depth and breadth, the teaching of new words and reading and reading comprehension. The study shows that from the students’ perspective, teachers have an important part in their vocabulary development. Based on the students’ descriptions, teachers mainly describe new words orally. Furthermore, the results show that the students had problems with words that are characteristic of the written language and important for reading comprehension, also known as level 2 words. There were only few words that the students had a deeper understanding and could give a correct definition of. The results implies that teaches need to adapt and develop their vocabulary teaching to give students a greater vocabulary depth and breadth.

The problem of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of teaching Spanish by non-specialist teachers in grade four. This study was planned to investigate the effectiveness of two programs designed to teach Spanish to non-Spanish-speaking fourth grade students.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of music and sound effects to recorded stories increased the comprehension and retention of information for fourth grade students. The data were analyzed by a two-factor analysis of variance, with repeated measures for both comprehension and retention tests, for the total population. Each reading level group was analyzed separately by an analysis of variance. Of eight hypotheses tested, six showed a significant difference. The conclusions drawn from this study indicated that the addition of music and sound effects 1) Increases the listening comprehension and retention of fourth grade students; 2) Is more effective for retention for students with a high reading level; and 3) Is more effective for initial listening comprehension for students with low reading level but the effect is not significant for retention.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant difference in achievement scores exists among students based on whether or not they attended preschool as measured by standardized achievement reading-language arts and math scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Achievement Program assessment for fourth grade students in a single East Tennessee school district. The variables of grade level and preschool attendance were considered. The population consisted of fourth grade students during the 2014-2015 school year. Data were gathered from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program achievement test scores obtained from the 2014-2015 school year and from the school district’s preschool attendance records. Independent t-tests were used to evaluate differences in the variables. Findings in this study did not show any significant difference in achievement tests scores of students who attended preschool and those who did not. Scale scores were tested in this model for fourth grade achievement scores. These scores consisted of Reading-Language Arts and Math. Areas tested were found to have no significant differences for fourth grade when compared by preschool attendance, gender, or ethnicity.

This case study sought to examine constructs of two fourth-grade elementary writing programs in Volusia County, Florida. With only the Sunshine State Standards as a guide, each district, school, or teacher must design a writing curriculum that addresses those standards, develops writers, and provides accountability. Fourth-grade classrooms were selected because students at that grade level are required to participate in the FCAT Writing +, a two-day state assessemnt that requires students to compose an essay on a designated topic within a 45-minute period. A second part of the assessment consists of multiple-choice items covering editing and revising, graphic organizers, and letter writing. Both sections of this assessment measure student progress relative to the Sunshine State Standards' benchmarks for writing. Data was collected through multiple sources. An observation instrument, based in part on Karen Bromley's Key Components of Sound Writing Instruction, was constructed. Survey, focus group, and interview questions were derived in part from a survey Dr. Roger Brindley and Dr. Jenifer Jasinski Schneider created to study fourth-grade teachers' perspectives on teaching writing. Writing artifacts were also collected. Karen Bromley suggested five elements to address both process and product that are necessary for a balanced approach to writing. They are; Standards and Assessment, Large Blocks of Time, Direct Instruction, Choice and Authenticity, and Writing Across the Curriculum. Findings revealed that although both schools subscribed to different methods and materials for writing instruction, similarities were revealed with consideration to these components. Current test scores validated these practices. Implications for further study and investigation based on these findings ensures the advancement of the body of knowledge about writing instruction.

This study investigated the perceptions that fourth grade African American students have of their school experience and explored whether there was a connection between their perceptions of school and academic performance, as measured by the California Standards Test. The students in the study either scored at the proficient or advanced level on the test or scored below proficient. Students who were in Special Education or who had disciplinary problems were excluded from the study. Students were interviewed at their school and asked questions related to school climate, perception of teachers, perception of administrators, and grade to grade perceptions. Results of the study indicated that the students perceived their school as a positive place where they felt valued and respected and came to learn. They perceived the adults as caring and felt positive about their teacher and administrators. In addition, there was no negative shift in grade to grade perception except for second grade. This was true whether students performed at the proficient or non proficient level. It was also true without regards to gender. In spite of the positive perceptions these students have of their school, their academic performance did not improve. Students articulated that they wanted more of a personal connection with their teachers and wanted to see more of their administrators. Based on the findings of the study, suggestions to address issues students expressed in their interviews include building personal relationships between students and teachers, increasing the visibility of administrators on campus, utilizing a variety of instructional strategies to engage students and to connect lessons to real life situations, implementing learning programs beyond the school day, and organizing a mentoring program.

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The problem of this study is to make investigation of the reading materials, both basal and supplementary provided for fourth grade pupils in the public schools of Texas for the last twenty years.