Fourth graders' expository text comprehension: Indicators from NAEP on the role of income, out-of-school reading experiences, and in-school reading experiences

Researchers have long supported the notion that students' out-of-school and in-school experiences with reading may be related to their overall academic success (Snow, Barnes, Chandler, Goodman, & Hemphill, 1991), and some have argued that these experiences may be particularly important for children from low-income backgrounds (Darling-Hammond, 1995). Others have claimed that fourth grade may be a pivotal year for students from low-income families because this is when the demands of reading and comprehending exposition often become apparent (Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990). Given these perspectives, the purpose of my study was to explore the contributions of fourth graders' out-of-school and in-school reading experiences to their expository text comprehension. In addition, I investigated the associations between students' family income and their abilities to comprehend exposition. This study was a secondary analysis of data collected as part of the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), I modeled the associations between fourth graders' expository text comprehension and their out-of-school reading experiences, in-school reading experiences, and their family income using background information from the NAEP student questionnaires and achievement data. At the student level, I found that fourth graders' reported out-of-school reading engagement, and the in-school factors of discussions and cross-curricular reading were all positively associated with their expository text comprehension. However, students' reported frequency of in-school reading-related activities (e.g., writing book reports, making presentations, doing projects) was negatively associated with achievement. Low-income students' out-of-school reading engagement was associated with additional boosts in expository text achievement. Discussions and cross-curricular reading were not associated with low-income students' achievement any differently than it was for fourth graders overall. For low-income students, reading-related activities were associated with even lower expository text achievement than for fourth graders overall. At the school level, being in schools where students reported frequently out-of-school reading engagement and whole-class and small group discussions was associated with higher expository text achievement, while being in schools where students reported frequently engaging in reading-related activities was negatively associated with expository text achievement. School-wide reported frequency of cross-curricular reading was not significantly associated with students' expository text achievement

Helping Teachers Develop Positive Dispositions about Technology-based Learning: What a Brief Global Learning Project Revealed

Research indicates that teachers’ dispositions significantly influence their integration of computer technology into classroom instruction. This article reports findings from a mixed-methods study that examined shifts in teachers’ dispositions about learning that occurs through information and communication technologies (ICT’s). Graduate students and remote professionals engaged in a one-semester learning project that included synchronous and asynchronous com­puter-mediated discussions of course content. The study sought to determine whether or not this exposure to ICT-based learning might be accompanied by a positive or negative affective shift, and to identify the salient features of such a shift. Quantitative analysis of responses on question­naires administered early and late in the semester revealed a statistically significant positive shift in participants’ beliefs and dispositions regarding ICT-based learning. Qualitative analysis of the questionnaire responses and participants’ digital discussions identified two salient features of that positive shift in that participants recognized the potential of ICT-based learning to 1) motivate and engage learners, and 2) facilitate the construction and sharing of new knowledge and understand­ing. This paper describes the study and considers the implications for teacher preparation and professional development

Children’s comprehension of informational text: Reading, engaging, and learning

The Reading, Engaging, and Learning project (REAL) investigated whether a classroom intervention that enhanced young children's experience with informational books would increase reading achievement and engagement. Participants attended schools serving low income neighborhoods with 86% African American enrollment. The longitudinal study spanned second through fourth grades. Treatment conditions were: (1) Text Infusion/Reading for Learning Instruction -- students were given greater access to informational books in their classroom libraries and in reading instruction; (2) Text Infusion Alone -- the same books were provided but teachers were not asked to alter their instruction; (3) Traditional Instruction -- students experienced business as usual in the classroom. Children were assessed each year on measures of reading and reading engagement, and classroom instructional practices were observed. On most measures, the informational text infusion intervention did not yield differential growth over time. However, the results inform efforts to increase children’s facility with informational text in the early years in order to improve reading comprehension

U. S. Fourth Graders’ Informational Text Comprehension: Indicators from NAEP

This study is a secondary analysis of reading data collected from over 165,000 fourth graders as part of the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress. Using hierarchical linear modelling, the authors investigated factors associated with students’ informational text comprehension, including out-of-school reading engagement, and in-school measures of cross-curricular reading, discussion about reading, and reading-related activities (e.g., book reports, projects). In addition, this study examined the interactions between these factors, informational text comprehension, and students’ eligibility for Free and Reduced Priced Meals (FARMS). There were positive associations between students’ informational text comprehension and their reading engagement, cross-curricular reading, and discussion about reading. However, reading-related experiences were associated with lower than expected scores. In addition, out-of-school reading engagement and in-school reading experiences may not be associated with informational reading comprehension to the same degree for the most at-risk U.S. students, as most results differed in strength of association for FARMS-eligible students