Date Approved

6-21-1995

Embargo Period

9-8-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. in Teaching

Department

Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education

College

College of Education

Advisor

Robinson, Randall

Subject(s)

Fifth grade (Education); Reading (Elementary)

Disciplines

Elementary Education and Teaching

Abstract

In an attempt to verify the feasibility of using a "group-assisted listening-while-reading approach" or a "repeated reading approach" in a suburban New Jersey intermediate grade setting, the researcher set out to test both strategies in a fifth grade classroom. Using a pretest-posttest control group design and t tests for independent and non independent samples, the researcher found that a group-assisted listening-while-reading approach had a significant impact on increasing the reading fluency in one class (n=20). Students in this group demonstrated greater improvement in reading rate (p<.10) and miscue analysis (p<.01) than counterparts receiving a repeated reading treatment. Both groups also saw significant improvement between the pretest and posttest results with one exception. There was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest of the control group regarding miscue rate improvement. While research on fluency improvement focuses mainly on primary students, similarities in older poor readers necessitated further study. As they lack the necessary fluency development they do not read as often as other students. Yet, the only way to increase fluency is by reading. Researchers have recognized that there must be alternatives to develop fluency in the classroom.

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