Determining the Effectiveness of a Multisensory Approach To Teach the Alphabet and Phonemic ...

194 Pages·2010·0.88 MB·English

i

DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A MULTISENSORY APPROACH
TO TEACH THE ALPHABET AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS MASTERY
IN KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

A Dissertation

Submitted to the
Faculty of Argosy University Campus
College of Education

In Partial Fulfillment of
The Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

by

Charlene Alexandra Wrighton

October 2010
ii

DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A MULTISENSORY APPROACH
TO TEACH THE ALPHABET AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS MASTERY
IN KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

Copyright ©2010

Charlene Alexandra Wrighton

All rights reserved
iii

DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A MULTISENSORY APPROACH
TO TEACH THE ALPHABET AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS MASTERY
IN KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

A Dissertation

Submitted to the
Faculty of Argosy University Campus
in Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

by

Charlene Alexandra Wrighton

Argosy University

October 2010

Dissertation Committee Approval:

___________________________________ __________________________________
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scott Griffith Date

___________________________________
Committee Member: Dr. Aniello Malvetti

___________________________________ __________________________________
Committee Member: Dr. Barbara Cole Program Chair: Ardella Dailey
iv

DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A MULTISENSORY APPROACH
TO TEACH THE ALPHABET AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS MASTERY
IN KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

Abstract of Dissertation

Submitted to the
Faculty of Argosy University Campus
College of Education

in Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

by

Charlene Alexandra Wrighton

Argosy University

October 2010

_______________________________________________________
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Scott Griffith

_______________________________________________________
Committee Member: Dr. Aniello Malvetti

_______________________________________________________
Committee Member: Dr. Barbara Cole

Department: College of Education
v

Abstract
DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A MULTISENSORY APPROACH
TO TEACH THE ALPHABET AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS MASTERY
IN KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

Limited growth has been seen last 5 decades in the reading ability of the youth in
the United States, regardless of legislation, funding, federal mandates, and agencies
established to improve reading instruction. Over the last 3 decades research studies have
informed education what children need to learn to read, spell, and write. How to deliver
the instruction is still not resolved.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a multisensory
approach to teaching the alphabet and phonemic awareness to kindergarten children, in
comparison to a more abstract and traditional language arts methodology. The SRA/Open
Court Reading Series and the Zoo-Phonics Language Arts Program were the vehicles for
this study.
A quantitative, quasi-experimental research design was used in this study to
assess Kindergarten students in 1 school district, in 6 kindergarten classes within 3
schools, having the same economic and ethnic demographics to find the effect.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF TABLES …………………………,……..……………..……………… xii
TABLE OF FIGURES ………………………………………………..……………. xiii
TABLE OF APPENDICES ………………………..…………………..…………. xiv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………..………..………………………... xv
CHAPTER 1: THE RESEARCH PROBLEM ………………….………….…….. 1
Statement of the Problem………………………………………………….. 1
Background……………………………………………….……………… 3
The Purpose of the Study…………………………………….…………….. 9
Theoretical Foundations……………………………………………………. 9
Hypotheses…………………………………………………………………. 13
Research Questions………………………………………………………… 14
Definition of Terms………………………………………………………... 14
Limitations…………………………………………………………………. 15
Delimitations……………………………………………………………….. 16
Significance of Study……………………………………………………….. 16
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW….……………………………………….. 19
The Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………... 19
Overview…………………………………………………………………… 19
Section 1: Theoretical Foundations………………………………………… 19
Theoretical Background…………………………………………... 20
Three Foundational Theories………………………………...…… 22
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Section 2: Review of the Literature………………………………………… 25
The Achievement Gaps in Education……………………………... 25
Achievement Gaps Between Genders…………………………….. 26
A Note of Optimism………………………………………………. 28
The Reading Wars: The Background……………………………... 29
Federal Legislation Funds Programs Designed to Improve
Literacy…………………………………….…..………………… 32

Best Practices in Reading…………………………………………. 34
Obstacles to Reading and Strategies to Overcome Them……..…. 38
The Alphabet: Symbolic and Abstract……………………………. 38
Pictorial Mnemonics to Help Cement Sound to Symbol…..…….. 41
Movement and Learning………..………………………………... 41
Play, Memory, and Learning……………………………………… 44
The Structure and Function of the Brain………………………….. 45
Stages and Types of Memory…………………………………….. 48
Classroom Application……………………………………………. 50
Gender Issues……………………...……………………………… 53
Differentiated Instruction…………………………………………. 56
Science and Educational Practice…………………………………. 57
Reading Programs Used in the Study……………………………... 59
Similarities and differences of the two reading programs 59
The SRA / Open Court Reading Program……………….. 60
Alphabet and Phonemic Awareness Instruction…………..……... 61
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Zoo-Phonics Language Arts Program……………………………………… 65
History…………………………………………………………….. 65
The Essences of the Program……………………………………... 66
The Zoo-Phonics Kindergarten Program……………………….. 72
Summ ary…………………………………………………………………… 74
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY…....………………………….…………………. 76
Restatement of the Problem………………………………………………... 76
Research Method and Design……………………………………………… 76
The Selection of Subjects…………………………………………………... 77
The Teachers in the Study………………………………………… 79
Demographics of Schools in the Study…………………………… 80
The Reading Programs Used in the Study……………………… 81
Instrum entation…………………………………………………………….. 84
The Test Instrument………………………………………………. 84
District Cluster Test Aligns With State Content Standards…..….. 84
District Cluster Test Time Frames………………………………... 85
Reliability and Validity…………………………………………… 86
District Cluster Test Content……………………………………… 86
District Cluster Test Time Frames………………………………... 88
Data Collection Procedures………………………………………………… 88
Institutional Review Board…………………………………………………. 91
Data Analysis………………………………………………………………. 92
SPSS Tests………………………………..……………………… 92
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Research Questions……………………………………………….. 92
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS ……………..………………………………………….… 95
Introduction of Content…………………………………………………….. 95
Overview…………………………………………………………………… 95
Data Presentation…………………………………………………………… 96
Research Question 1………………………………………………. 96
Research Question 2………………………………………………. 106
Research Question 3………………………………………………. 109
Consonants………………………………………………………... 111
Vowels…………………………………………………………….. 111
Summary of Findings………………………………………………………. 113
Conclusions and Summary of Findings for Research Question 1… 113
Conclusions and Summary of Findings for Research Question 2… 115
Conclusions and Summary of Findings for Research Question 3... 117
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS….. 121
Overview…………………………………………………………………… 121
Hypotheses………………………………………………………... 121
The Research Questions…………………………………………... 122
Data Presentation…………………………………………………………… 122
District Cluster Tests 122
Interpretation of Data 123
Summary Conclusions for Research Question 1 123
Results 124
x

DCT 1 Uppercase Letter Recognition by Letter Name 124
Analysis 125
DCT 2 Lowercase Letter Recognition by Letter Name 126
Analysis 126
DCT 3 Blending Compound Words and Onset and Rimes 127
Analysis 128
DCT 4 Rhyming 129
Analysis 130
DCT 5 Blending Phonemes 130
Analysis 131
DCT 6 Segmenting Phonemes 131
Analysis 132
Summary of DCTs in Research Question 1 132
Overall Analysis 133
Hypothesis 134
Research Question 2 134
District Cluster Test 7 and Test Results 134
Summary for Research Question 2 135
Hypothesis 136
Research Question 3 136
Summary for Research Question 3 138
Analysis 138
Hypothesis 139