ERIC ED494233: Winona State University Anthology of K-12 Language Arts Action Research

2004·0.79 MB·English

by  ERIC

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

ANTHOLGOY OF K-12 LANGUAGE ARTS ACTION RESEARCH

Editors

Thomas F. Sherman
Ed. D., University of Colorado, 1980
M. Ed., Colorado State University, 1975
B.S. in Ed., State University of New York, College at Buffalo, 1970
A.A. Liberal Arts, Paul Smith’s College, 1967

Margaret Lundquist
M.S., Winona State University, 1997
B.A., Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, 1983
Table of Contents for Language Arts

Backus,
Lester..................................................................…………………...3
Will A Spiraling Spelling Curriculum Based On A Single 450
Word List Increase Student Retention And Transference Into
Daily Writing?

Fisher,
Jodi.....................................................................…………………...2
1
Will Implementing A Reading Fluency Program Based On
Current Research Increase My Students’ Fluency And Reading
Comprehension?

Heppding,
Colleen............................................................………………….42
Will Exposing English Language Learners To Children’s
Literature Increase Their Reading Levels?

Kyllo,
Amanda...................................................................………………...7
0
Does Accelerated Reader Have Positive And Motivational
Effects On Student Reading Levels And Student Attitude
Toward Reading?

Matuska,
Amy.................................................................…………………100
Does The Method Of Reading Help Improve Student
Comprehension?

May,
Brenda........................................................................………………
121
Will Using A Classroom Word Wall Help Students Successfully
Learn High Frequency Words?
Peck,
Laura..............................................................................……………
……..158
The Effects Of Repeated Guided Oral Reading On The
Reading Fluency Of First Grade Students.

Pischke,
Sheryl...................................................................……………….194
Does The Addition Of A Repeated Reading Component To An
Existing Reading Curriculum Improve Student Reading?

Rojas,
Beth........................................................................…………………
…….237
Does The Direct Vocabulary Instruction Of High Frequency
Words Increase A Student’s Fluency And Comprehension?

Winters,
Elizabeth..........................................................…………………271
Will The Implementation Of A Guided Reading Program
Improve Running Record Scores?
WILL A SPIRALING SPELLING CURRICULUM BASED ON A SINGLE 450 WORD
LIST INCREASE STUDENT RETENTION AND TRANSFERENCE INTO DAILY
WRITING?
by
LESTER BACKUS
B.A. Stephen F. Austin State University 1992

A capstone submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of Winona State University
in partial fulfillment for the degree of
Master of Science
Department of Education
December, 2004
This capstone entitled:
Will a spiraling spelling curriculum based on a single 450-word list increase student
retention and transference into daily writing?

Written by Lester Backus
Has been approved for the Winona State University Department of Education by

_________________________ _________________________
Jodi Fisher Susan Jystad
_________________________ _________________________
Amy Matuska Nicole Meyer
_________________________ _________________________
Annie Thompson Dr. Thomas Sherman
Faculty Advisor
_________________________ _________________________
Margaret Lundquist, M.S. Rachel Warner
Faculty Advisor Outside Resource Advisor

_________________________
Date
The final copy of the capstone has been examined by the signatories, and we find that
both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in
the above mentioned discipline.
Backus, Lester (B.A. Broadfield Social Studies, B.A. Education)
Will a spiraling spelling curriculum based on a single 450-word list increase student
retention and transference into daily writing?
Capstone directed by Dr. Thomas Sherman
Abstract
Teachers have long viewed spelling as a troublesome subject to teach. The
traditional method of teaching spelling is ineffective at its best, and detrimental at its
worst. Giving students a list on Monday, and a test on Friday simply does not work. It
fails to hold students accountable for the words past Friday. Inevitably, students will
forget the vast majority of their list by the following Monday so they can memorize the
next list just long enough to pass the next test. This is a waste of valuable teaching and
learning time.
This study focused on a spiraling curriculum for spelling at the fifth grade level.
Students were given a list at the beginning of the year consisting of 450 words, 150 of
these words were new to them. This program starts with kindergarten students.
Kindergarten students are given a list of 25 words. Each year, this list is added to, but
follows the students through school culminating in fifth grade with a list of 450 words.
These words come from various sources, but concentrated on essential words for writing
success, most commonly misspelled words, and phonemic patters. Each week, a random
list of 21 words is generated, making students accountable for all the words on their list.
During the first quarter of the school year, students were given a dictation piece
containing 73 words from their spelling list. The students’ papers were graded counting
only the words from their lists. During the fourth quarter of the school year, the same
dictation piece was given again. Again, only the words from the list were graded. Every
student tested showed improvement in retention. This retention was displayed in the
students’ daily writing.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION 1
Need for the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 1
Statement of the Hypothesis 2
Definition of Terms 3
Variables 3
Independent 3
Dependent 4
Control 4
Limitations of the Study 4
II. LITERATURE REVIEW 6
III. METHODS AND PROCEDURES 9
Overview 9
Research Design 9
Subjects 11
Instruments and Measuring Devices 11
Validity Measures 12
Reliability Measures 12
Procedures 12
Conclusion 13
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 14
V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION____________________________17

INTRODUCTION
Longfellow Elementary School has long struggled with making spelling a more
meaningful, practical activity. When some of the staff went to see Lee Jenkins give his
“Data Not Guesswork” seminar, they reported back on what he said. Using his model,
the classroom teachers decided to create a new spelling curriculum for the school. Lee
Jenkins said that our current practice of teaching spelling was giving students
“permission to forget” the words. It was decided that students should be held
accountable for all of their spelling words.
Need for the Study
When student daily writing was examined, it was found that many students were
misspelling words that had very recently been on a spelling test. This helped to show that
the current spelling curriculum was not effective. Students were not transferring what
was being taught in spelling into their daily writing. Longfellow took one staff
representative from each grade level to participate in developing a new spelling
curriculum. After having the program in place for a couple of years it seemed time to
study the data and see if it was indeed an effective way of teaching spelling. It was an
opportunity to determine if something in the program should be altered, or if it was fine
as it was implemented.
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Statement of the Problem
Students in our school were not showing retention of their
spelling words, or transference into their daily writing. The
staff decided to correct this problem. The traditional method of
teaching spelling had proved itself ineffective. Time
constraints and a large curriculum that must be taught makes it
difficult to teach spelling during writing time. The Rochester
School District had recently implemented a new writing
curriculum that demanded at least three sessions a week of 45
minutes to an hour a session. It was necessary to develop a
spelling curriculum that would address this problem. It was
believed that the repetition one gets from a spiraling curriculum
will benefit students. It was believed that it would increase
retention, and help their spelling in daily writing.
Statement of the Hypothesis
Will a spiraling spelling curriculum based on a single 450-word list increase
student retention and transference into daily writing?
Purpose of the Study
Using the Continuous Improvement model that the
Rochester School District had implemented, and the Lee Jenkins
“Data Not Guesswork” seminar, it was discovered that the
traditional spelling curriculum had no aim. The district had
stressed how important it was to have all goals aligned.
Without aligned goals, the district cannot be an effective
educational institution.
Definition of Terms
The Spiral Method: This is a method of teaching in which the students are not expected
to gain mastery the first time a new concept is covered. The concept is taught briefly,
and then it keeps coming back throughout the curriculum. Over time the students will
gain mastery.
10
Student Run Chart: Data plotted on a graph over time used to
show patterns in the data. The individual student maintains
this particular graph.
Scatter Diagram: A graph that plots two variables and is used to study the relationship
between the two variables.
Continuous Improvement: A system of improvement based on
setting goals and priorities. These goals are tracked using
visually accessible graphs and charts for the students to see.
Variables
Independent variables.
This test was conducted using fifth grade students. These students came from
very diverse backgrounds including ethnic, and socio-economic. Out of the 19 students
participating in this study, five had been diagnosed with various learning disabilities
including: ADHD, EBD, LD, and anxiety disorder. This class included six ESOL
students. This school had a free and reduced rate of approximately 75%. There were
also a large number of migrant families. Many of these students did not attend school at
all while they were away from Minnesota. If they did, they certainly did not have the
same spelling program, let alone the same words. Student absences also play a role in the
success of any curriculum. There were a few students who participated in this study with
attendance difficulties. One student had missed 17 days in the first half of the year. This
severely limited the time spent on spelling. Due to the nature of the spiraling curriculum,
the words chosen for testing every week were chosen randomly. The instructor did not
choose them.

Dependent variables.
The students’ retention of spelling words, and their transference into daily writing
were the results being measured in this study.
Control variables.
This study was conducted in the same classroom, with all students being tested in
the same manner. All the students were together for the dictation piece. If any students
were absent during a dictation day, it was postponed until all were present. The
classroom teacher was the only person administering the dictation piece. The classroom
teacher also controlled how spelling was taught throughout the week.
Limitations of the Study
One of the major limitations to this study was the fact that this curriculum was
based on the students becoming familiar with the words in their lower grades, and
retaining them throughout their upper grades. The group being studied had only had this
program for two years. Ideally the group being studied would have had the curriculum
since kindergarten. However, since this class had the program in Fourth Grade, they
were at least familiar with the program.