The purpose of this study is to find out what effects Academic Intervention Services may have on elementary students’ attitudes towards reading. We hope to find out if AIS push-in and pull-out services have an impact on how elementary students view reading and if AIS programs are successful in not only providing academic support, but also providing motivation and increasing attitude. Depending on the results of the study, it may be necessary to implement a new model of intervention and remediation in order to encourage positive attitudes towards reading and life-long readers. In particular, we focused on these specific research questions:
1. What are the developmental trends in recreational and academic reading attitude across grades 1-3?
2. What relationship exists between recreational and academic reading attitude and reading ability?
3. What effects on reading attitude (both recreational and academic) can be attributed to Academic Intervention Services?
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to understand and explore the effects that Academic Intervention Services (AIS) have on elementary students’ attitudes toward reading. This study investigated the reading attitudes of children in grades one through three, from two elementary schools located in Western New York. Students completed the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) comprised of two subscales dedicated to reading attitude toward recreational and academic reading. Scores were analyzed on the basis of grade level and reading ability. Additionally, classroom and reading AIS teachers completed teacher questionnaires regarding their students’ attitudes toward reading. Recreational and academic reading attitudes, on average, increased throughout elementary years. The trend toward more negative reading attitudes was related to ability level and was steepest for students receiving AIS services. While teachers had an overall positive view of the AIS programs, the students who received these services had lower attitude scores than their peers.
Discussion
According to Lazarus and Callahan (2005), students’ attitude toward reading was expected to decline as students progressed through grade levels. In our study of School A, we found that our results conflicted somewhat with those of the national studies. School A showed an unusual pattern for both students receiving AIS instruction, and those who did not. Students with AIS instruction were expected to decline in reading attitudes as they grew older, but instead, at School A the students’ attitudes actually slightly increased. This could be contributed to the teachers at the school, or the AIS program and services provided to different grade levels. When looking at student attitudes for those students not under AIS instruction, the trend between grades one and two followed the pattern that Lazarus and Callahan had found. Student attitudes became more negative towards reading overall between grades one and two. Grade three defied the findings of Lazarus and Callahan (2005), and student attitude became much more positive in grade three. With these findings, one has to wonder if the pattern from School A is based on the type of program, student community, or what factors play into the differences between them and School B. We would also have to look at the training of the AIS providers in each building, as well as the outside influences such as tutoring or instruction and practice with reading at home. If we are going so far as to look at outside influences, we should also wonder if parents or siblings are avid readers at home, and what perceptions the guardians in each home give to their children toward learning and reading.
In contrast to what McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth (1995) found, the full scale reading attitudes of students from School B increased from first through third grade. The recreational attitude of these students increased across grade levels as well, while the academic reading attitude increased from first to second grade and decreased from second to third grade. While the whole class data differs from McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth’s (1995) finding, when we look more closely at the students who receive AIS and those who do not, the data aligns with the previous research. Students who have lower reading ability and receive AIS instruction had much lower attitude scores than their peers who did not participate in the AIS program. This is what we expected to find due to the fact that the students with lower reading ability would encounter more frustrating reading experiences during their schooling.
At both schools, students receiving AIS instruction had lower scores than their counterparts, with the exception of second grade in School A. Although the AIS students’ scores at School A did have a slight increase across grades one through three, their scores remained significantly lower than students who did not receive services. Both School A and School B follow the pattern that students receiving AIS instruction generally have a more negative view toward reading. As McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth (1995) found, reading ability strongly correlates with reading attitude. This is probably because the more frustrating experiences a child encounters with reading, the more their attitude toward reading declines. Students of average to high reading ability encounter minimal frustrating experiences their peers who receive AIS for reading tend to encounter many more frustrating experiences in reading.
It is interesting to note the differences we found in our study as compared to the national survey McKenna et al. (1995) conducted. While their results showed significant drops in reading attitude as students progressed from grades one through six (McKenna et al., 1995), our study found the opposite. Both schools in the study saw increases in their students’ reading attitudes from grades one through three. Of course, this study was conducted with a limited sample size, which may affect the findings, but it is encouraging nonetheless. The positive attitudes may correlate with the teachers’ views of the AIS programs in these two schools as well. The teachers had very positive feelings about the way their intervention services are implemented, only wishing they had more time to spend with the lower ability reading students. One must take into consideration the effect a teachers’ attitude can have on students.
Additionally, teacher questionnaires gave us a great insight into how the programs work within each building. Although the programs are similar, they are not completely identical, which could cause for differences in attitudes and results by students. While School A uses many TA’s along with the AIS instructors in order to provide services, School B relies on their Special Education instructors to aid AIS providers in performing the necessary duties. Teachers throughout both schools expressed the wish that more services were available for their lowest achieving students, but were aware that it was not a realistic possibility. It was also found between schools that students receiving services were less likely to show enthusiasm toward reading within the general classroom than their Non-AIS receiving peers which correlates with the student scores on the ERAS.
In contrast to what McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth (1995) found, the full scale reading attitudes of students from School B increased from first through third grade. The recreational attitude of these students increased across grade levels as well, while the academic reading attitude increased from first to second grade and decreased from second to third grade. While the whole class data differs from McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth’s (1995) finding, when we look more closely at the students who receive AIS and those who do not, the data aligns with the previous research. Students who have lower reading ability and receive AIS instruction had much lower attitude scores than their peers who did not participate in the AIS program. This is what we expected to find due to the fact that the students with lower reading ability would encounter more frustrating reading experiences during their schooling.
At both schools, students receiving AIS instruction had lower scores than their counterparts, with the exception of second grade in School A. Although the AIS students’ scores at School A did have a slight increase across grades one through three, their scores remained significantly lower than students who did not receive services. Both School A and School B follow the pattern that students receiving AIS instruction generally have a more negative view toward reading. As McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth (1995) found, reading ability strongly correlates with reading attitude. This is probably because the more frustrating experiences a child encounters with reading, the more their attitude toward reading declines. Students of average to high reading ability encounter minimal frustrating experiences their peers who receive AIS for reading tend to encounter many more frustrating experiences in reading.
It is interesting to note the differences we found in our study as compared to the national survey McKenna et al. (1995) conducted. While their results showed significant drops in reading attitude as students progressed from grades one through six (McKenna et al., 1995), our study found the opposite. Both schools in the study saw increases in their students’ reading attitudes from grades one through three. Of course, this study was conducted with a limited sample size, which may affect the findings, but it is encouraging nonetheless. The positive attitudes may correlate with the teachers’ views of the AIS programs in these two schools as well. The teachers had very positive feelings about the way their intervention services are implemented, only wishing they had more time to spend with the lower ability reading students. One must take into consideration the effect a teachers’ attitude can have on students.
Additionally, teacher questionnaires gave us a great insight into how the programs work within each building. Although the programs are similar, they are not completely identical, which could cause for differences in attitudes and results by students. While School A uses many TA’s along with the AIS instructors in order to provide services, School B relies on their Special Education instructors to aid AIS providers in performing the necessary duties. Teachers throughout both schools expressed the wish that more services were available for their lowest achieving students, but were aware that it was not a realistic possibility. It was also found between schools that students receiving services were less likely to show enthusiasm toward reading within the general classroom than their Non-AIS receiving peers which correlates with the student scores on the ERAS.
Action Plan
Based on the themes that have become apparent in our research study, we believe that it is necessary to complete a larger-scale study. Results would vary by school district (as seen in our study) and socioeconomic status, so it would be most effective if this study were replicated throughout entire elementary schools. Study replications would include all grades and classes from grades one through six, and the teachers and administration would use the results to revise the current AIS program being used within their district. This study could only span grades one through six because the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey is set at a norm for these specific grade levels. It would also make our conclusions stronger if we made sure that the AIS programs within each school being surveyed were identical, in order to factor for the variable that the type of services being provided could also influence student responses. A future study would have more controlled factors as well as become broader, so that we could further generalize our results to the literacy community.
The findings of our study lead us to suggest that in school A, the teachers and administrators continue their AIS program as it is currently implemented. Student reading attitude increased as students progressed from grades one through three with a drop at grade two. The overall increase in AIS student reading attitude leads us to believe that the current AIS program is effective in fostering positive attitudes towards reading in these students with lower reading abilities perhaps because School A uses a more balanced approach, sharing time between pull-out and push-in instruction.
While the attitudes of students in School B who do not receive AIS instruction increased from first through third grade, the attitudes of students who do take part in the AIS program dropped significantly. Perhaps using a more balanced model in terms of push-in and pull-out AIS instruction would be more effective in this school. This would allow these particular students to work in small groups with the reading specialist but also provide time where the reading specialist is able to work in the classroom with all students. This would allow for less singling out of students because the AIS provider would be able to work with any students who struggle with a specific strategy or concept rather than focusing solely on the students who qualify for intervention services. A more balanced approach would also help students to view the AIS providers as “regular” classroom teachers, so it would not be as bothersome when the students leave the classroom to work with these teachers. As teachers, we plan to use our findings to help encourage students who have poor attitudes toward reading; providing text that is at the individual students’ reading level will ensure that students encounter less frequent frustrating reading situations.
The findings of our study lead us to suggest that in school A, the teachers and administrators continue their AIS program as it is currently implemented. Student reading attitude increased as students progressed from grades one through three with a drop at grade two. The overall increase in AIS student reading attitude leads us to believe that the current AIS program is effective in fostering positive attitudes towards reading in these students with lower reading abilities perhaps because School A uses a more balanced approach, sharing time between pull-out and push-in instruction.
While the attitudes of students in School B who do not receive AIS instruction increased from first through third grade, the attitudes of students who do take part in the AIS program dropped significantly. Perhaps using a more balanced model in terms of push-in and pull-out AIS instruction would be more effective in this school. This would allow these particular students to work in small groups with the reading specialist but also provide time where the reading specialist is able to work in the classroom with all students. This would allow for less singling out of students because the AIS provider would be able to work with any students who struggle with a specific strategy or concept rather than focusing solely on the students who qualify for intervention services. A more balanced approach would also help students to view the AIS providers as “regular” classroom teachers, so it would not be as bothersome when the students leave the classroom to work with these teachers. As teachers, we plan to use our findings to help encourage students who have poor attitudes toward reading; providing text that is at the individual students’ reading level will ensure that students encounter less frequent frustrating reading situations.
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