Alt Title

Effects of utilizing graphic organizers with traditional basal reading instruction on sixth-grade reading comprehension achievement scores

Publication Date

2004

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Marcano, Rosita Lopez

Degree Name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

LCSH

Reading comprehension--Illinois--Chicago; Middle school students--Books and reading--Illinois--Chicago

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there would be any significant difference in comprehension test scores when students were instructed with and without graphic organizers with traditional basal reading instruction. The target population consisted of students from two elementary schools located in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. Subjects, 85 sixth-grade students, were involved in a three-year longitudinal study. Poor reading comprehension and vocabulary skills contribute to lower achievement. Evidence for the existence of this problem included report card grades, Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and teacher observations. Analysis of probable cause indicated factors contributing to reading scores include high mobility rate, low intellectual ability, inability to link new material with prior knowledge, and poor reading skills. A review of current literature and analysis of the identified problem in the targeted school led to the use of graphic organizers to improve comprehension. Graphic organizers are visual depictions that resemble networks and allow students to add or modify their background knowledge by seeing the connections and contradictions between existing knowledge and new information. It is designed to activate a reader's background knowledge and prepare students to understand, assimilate, and evaluate the information read, leading to sustained comprehension of the text. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills was the instrument used to measure the dependent variable (reading comprehension). The comprehension section of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills was used as the pretest and posttest. The Levene test for equal variance revealed significant differences in the reading ITBS scores of students who utilized graphic organizers with traditional basal reading instruction. There were no significance differences found in the reading ITBS scores for gender for treatment and control groups.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [91]-104).

Extent

xi, 148 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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