Parallel Read-Alouds

209 Pages·2016·3.31 MB·English

by  Darci Melchor

University of Connecticut
OpenCommons@UConn
Doctoral Dissertations University of Connecticut Graduate School
9-9-2015
Parallel Read-Alouds: A Bilingual Repeated Read-
Aloud and Retelling Intervention for Kindergarten
ELLs
Darci Melchor
University of Connecticut - Storrs, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at:https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations
Recommended Citation
Melchor, Darci, "Parallel Read-Alouds: A Bilingual Repeated Read-Aloud and Retelling Intervention for Kindergarten ELLs" (2015).
Doctoral Dissertations. 916.
https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/916
Parallel Read-Alouds: A Bilingual Repeated Read-Aloud and Retelling Intervention for
Kindergarten ELLs
Darci Melchor, PhD
University of Connecticut, 2015

Abstract

Teachers working with young ELLs at risk for literacy underachievement lack
research-based practices to maximize the use of picture book read-alouds to accelerate
language comprehension outcomes. This study investigated the effects of 8-22 weeks of
small group, bilingual repeated read-aloud and retelling intervention, the parallel read-
aloud intervention, on Vietnamese ELL kindergarteners’ retelling skills, focusing on the
use of story grammar elements and language complexity and productivity. The study was
conducted using a multiple-baseline single subject design with 5 subjects. Students’
growth in the overall quality of narrative retelling was assessed weekly using the Test of
Narrative Retell (TNR) and their growth in language complexity was simultaneously
assessed by transcribing the weekly retell samples to calculate scores for number of
diverse words (NDW) and mean length of utterance (MLU) using the Systematic
Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software. The results supported a moderate
intervention effect for overall retelling scores on the TNR and for NDW, which were
maintained across most subjects after four weeks without intervention. The major
implications of this study relate to differentiating instruction for young ELLs with low
English oral proficiency by offering bilingual, repeated read-aloud interventions and
Darci Melchor – University of Connecticut, 2015

using progress monitoring assessments to accelerate their growth with language
comprehension in English.
Parallel Read-alouds: A Bilingual Repeated Read-Aloud and Retelling Intervention for
Kindergarten ELLs

Darci Melchor

B.A., Spanish, Wheaton College, 1998

M.A., Teaching English as a Foreign Language, University of Reading, 2005

A Dissertation

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

at the

University of Connecticut

2015

i
Copyright by

Darci Melchor

2015

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APPROVAL PAGE

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Parallel Read-Alouds: A Bilingual Repeated Read-Aloud and Retelling Intervention for
Kindergarten ELLs

Presented by
Darci Melchor, B.A., M.A.

Major Advisor: __________________________________________________________
Dr. Elizabeth Howard

Associate Advisor: __________________________________________________________
Dr. Mary Anne Doyle

Associate Advisor: __________________________________________________________
Dr. Melissa Bray

Associate Advisor: __________________________________________________________
Dr. Michael Coyne

Associate Advisor: __________________________________________________________
Dr. Sabina Rak Neugebauer

University of Connecticut

2015

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Acknowledgements

The experience of doing a Ph.D. program has afforded me more knowledge about the
field, knowledge about working in academia, knowledge about working with others and
knowledge about myself. I could not have finished the program without the support of numerous
people.
First and foremost, I thank God for giving me vision, strength and the support of others.
He has answered my prayer from Psalm 90, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
Establish the work of our hands – yes, establish the work of our hands.”
I thank my wonderful husband, Daniel Melchor, for believing in me and patiently helping
to rearrange our schedule for me to get coursework and writing done. I am grateful for our boys
Benjamin and Samuel, who helped me road-test picture books and helped me not take life too
seriously.
Thanks to my mother, Ann Flynn, for helping manage things at home and caring for my
children with great care and love. Thanks for the wise words and encouragement.
Very special thanks are due to Dr. Elizabeth Howard, my major advisor for over 8 years.
You inspired me with your work and helped me stay at UCONN through ups and downs. Thank
you for believing in my work and making it stronger. Thanks to my associate advisors, Dr.
Melissa Bray, Dr. Mary Anne Doyle, Dr. Michael Coyne and Dr. Sabina Rak Neugebauer, for
pressing me with feedback, inspiring me with new theories and studies, coaching me through
data collection/analysis, and giving me professional advice for the future.
I am also grateful for experts who responded to my call for help at different times in the
process. Dr. Trina Spencer and Dr. Doug Petersen offered regular advice on the Test of Narrative
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Retell and the INC rubric. Dr. Erin Dunn and Dr. Austin Johnson generously lent me their
support with single-subject design and statistics. Dr. Giang Pham gave me insight regarding the
existing research based on Vietnamese students and helped me refine my data analysis.
Big thanks are due to Paul Vicinus, Jeff Wallowitz, and Christin Labriola with West
Hartford Public Schools. Paul helped me secure district-level approval to do the project and
offered me whole-hearted support. As principal of the research site, Jeff Wallowitz graciously
allowed me to conduct the study over the course of many months with kindergarten families.
Christin Labriola was very flexible in sharing her Vietnamese students’ time with me for many
months.
Special thanks go to my research assistants who were faithful in giving Vietnamese
lessons, scoring retells and watching lesson videotapes over the course of many months: Dawn
Hambrecht, Kate Huynh and Melissa Pook.
I am especially thankful for the 5 Vietnamese families that allowed me to work with their
wonderful children. It was truly a blessing.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Approval Page …………………………………………..…………………………. iii
Acknowledgements …………………………………..….………………………… iv
Table of Contents ………………………………..………………………………… vi
List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………… x
List of Figures ……………………………………………..……………………… x
List of Appendices ……………………………………………...…………………. x

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Problem Statement ……………………………………………………………..… 1
Theoretical Framework .………………………………………………………….. 8
Learning Contexts for Bilingual/Bicultural Learners…………………….. 9
The Future ELL Reader ..………………………………………………... 15
Choosing Texts for ELLs ………………………………………………… 16
Balancing Direct and Interactive Instructional Activity ………………..... 18
Purpose of the Study ……………………………………………………………... 20
Overview …………………………………………………………………………. 20

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Interactive, Repeated Read-alouds and the Language Comprehension of ELLs... 22
Repeated exposure to text …………………………………………..…… 22
Rich, extended word instruction ………………………………………… 23
Retelling practice and comprehension questions ……………………….. 24
The STELLA Strand of the ELLA Project……………….……… 25
Enhanced Proactive Reading Project …………………….……… 25
The Importance of Narrative Retelling Skills for Young Children ………..……. 27
Narrative Retelling Development in Different Populations ………………..…… 28
Narrative Retelling Development of European American Children ……. 29
Narrative Development in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children 31
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Narrative Development in ELLs ………………………………………… 33
Retelling Intervention …………………………………………………………… 37
Adult prompting ………………………………………………………… 37
Repeated retelling using a story grammar framework …………………… 38
Gradual release of responsibility model and visual scaffolding………….. 39
Criterion-referenced retelling assessment and feedback ………………… 41
Parallel Bilingual Scaffolding …………………………………………………… 43
Research Questions………………………………………………………………. 48

CHAPTER 3: METHODS
Setting ……………………………………………………………………………. 50
Participants……………………………………………………………………….. 50
Intervention ……………………………………………………………………… 54
Interventionists ………………………………………………………….. 54
Intervention materials …………………………………………………… 54
Intervention Steps ……………………………………………………….. 56
Measures ………………………………………………………………………… 58
Dependent variables …………………………………………………….. 58
Test of Narrative Retell: Kindergarten (TNR:K) ……………………….. 60
The Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts Software
Language Complexity Measures ……………………………….. 62
Frog Where Are You? (FWAY) Retells ……………………………….. 62
Index of Narrative Complexity ………………………………… 63
FWAY SALT Database Comparisons …………………………. 64
Design …………………………………………………………………………... 65
Baseline phase ………………………………………………………….. 66
Intervention phase ………………………………………………………. 66
Maintenance phase ……………………………...………………………. 67
Agreement and Fidelity …………………………………………………………. 67
Inter-rater agreement ……………………………………………………. 67
Testing fidelity ………………………………………………………….. 68
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