The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of instructional strategies based on the preferred interests of adults who had been classified as functionally illiterate on the basis of scores lower than a grade level of 4.0 on the Standard Readinq Inventory, Form A.ProceduresThree criteria were considered in the selection of the experimental and comparison populations. The basic criterion considered was reading achievement as measured by the Standard Reading Inventory, Form A. Only students who scored lower than a grade level of 4.0 on this instrument were chosen as subjects.A second criterion considered was teacher assessment of a student's reading performance as below a grade level of 4.0. These assessment reports were considered during the selection of the two populations.A third criterion considered was the Vocabulary, Reading, and Spelling test scores on the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Level I, Form A. Those students achieving a grade score lower than 4.0 on this instrument were classified as functionally illiterate.The experimental population completing the study was composed of twenty (20) adults attending the Muncie Area Career Center in Muncie, Indiana. The comparison population completing the study was composed of twenty (20) adults attending the Soujourner Truth Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.Instructional sessions occurred over a fifteen-week period. All lessons were taught by the regular teacher. Each session extended over two hours, two evenings weekly. Each experimental lesson was divided into three instructional strategies: teaching, practice, and application. The teaching strategy introduced skills which the student needed to master for that specific lesson. The practice strategy utilized worksheets for reinforcement of skills in meaningful context. The application strategy consisted of each student initially reading an investigator-constructed story silently and then orally to his teacher or a paraprofessional. A supplementary step consisted of each student selecting out-of-class reading materials on his independent reading level. The instructional sessions for the comparison population were not divided into teaching, practice, or application strategies. The comparison group's instruction occurred in a large group arrangement that emphasized commercially prepared instructional workbooks and kits.Hypotheses1. There will be no significant difference between the vocabulary scores as measured by the Adult BasicLearning Examination, Level I, of the two groups.2. There will be no significant difference between the reading comprehension scores as measured by the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Level I, of the two groups.3. There will be no significant difference between the spelling scores as measured by the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Level I, of the two groups.4. There will be no significant difference between the vocabulary grade levels as measured by the Standard Reading Inventory of the two groups.5. There will be no significant difference between the oral reading grade levels as measured by the Standard Reading Inventory of the two groups.6. There will be no significant difference between the silent reading grade levels as measured by the Standard Readinq Inventory of the two groups.7. There will be no significant difference between the attendance record of the two groups.8. There will be no significant difference between the category ratings on the Student Evaluation Checklist of Instructional Materials of the two groups.FindingsAt the conclusion of the study, all of the students were retested on the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Level I, Form B, and the Standard Reading Inventory, Form B. The pre-test and post-test scores were compared. Analysis of covariance was used to test the data.A contrast was made between the performance of the experimental and comparison populations. The major findings of this study are:1. The experimental group scored significantly higher on the tests of the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Level I, than did the comparison group.2. There were no significant differences between the two groups on the vocabulary grade levels and oral reading grade levels of the Standard Reading Inventory.3. The experimental population scored significantly higher silent reading grade levels on the Standard Reading Inventory than did the comparison population.4. The experimental population attended class more than did the comparison population.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/176988 |
| Date | January 1974 |
| Creators | Hutchison, Laveria Frannett |
| Contributors | Williams, Joan L. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | xi, 150 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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