The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine specific prekindergarten- through 8th-grade reading programs, instructional best practices, academic interventions, and educational activities that are perceived as successful practices in four high achieving schools within the parameters of Northeast Tennessee. This study was accomplished through a protocol of open-ended interviews with 15 participants comprised of 4 school principals, 4 primary reading teachers, 4 intermediate reading teachers, 2 Title I reading specialists, and 1 district language arts coordinator. Additionally, school-specific documentation and basal reading programs were reviewed to triangulate the findings of this investigation.
The findings from this study suggested that the educational perceptions among Title I and nonTitle I participants as well as the perceptions among school principals, reading teachers, and reading specialists were parallel. In general the participants' perceptions held in common were associated with frequent opportunities for classroom reading practice; the incorporation of self-selected literature; the appropriation of differentiated instruction; a blending of reading, writing, and grammar; strategic progress monitoring through formative assessment checkpoints; and the implications of summative assessment data.
Major recommendations from this study included the consideration of providing students with frequent and consistent classroom reading time; opportunities for frequent nonfiction reading assignments; the provision of self-selected literature; the appropriation of a blended approach to reading, writing, and grammar; and the implementation of differentiated instruction within the prekindergarten- through 8th-grade reading classroom.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-2568 |
| Date | 17 December 2011 |
| Creators | Reach, Karen Pierson |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright by the authors. |
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