Grant Closed

Embedding Knowledge-Focused Reading Comprehension Strategies in Cumulative Content-Area Instruction in Grades 3-4-5: An Assessment of Immediate, Transfer, and Long-Term Impact on Reading Achievement

NCER
Program: Education Research Grants
Program topic(s): Literacy
Award amount: $749,973
Principal investigator: Nancy Romance
Awardee:
Florida Atlantic University
Year: 2004
Project type:
Efficacy
Award number: R305G040089

Purpose

In this project, researchers planned to study the impact of embedding a knowledge-focused, three-part reading comprehension strategy complemented by oral activities on student ontological knowledge. At the time of the study, research suggested that student comprehension of subject-matter texts in grades 4 through 12 was a significant educational problem. In this study, the researchers aimed to evaluate approaches to help students in grades 3 to 5. They proposed to evaluate classrooms that used either a content-oriented environment that utilized science IDEAS (Romance & Vitale, 2001), in which 2-hour daily science instruction provided an integrated context for reading comprehension, or a non-content-oriented environment, in which 2-hour daily basal reading/language instruction (Scott-Foresman, 2002) emphasized narrative text.

Structured Abstract

Setting

The study will be conducted in regular school settings to ensure the ecological validity necessary for the findings to be relevant to educational practice.

Sample

The study interventions will be implemented schoolwide in grades 3, 4, and 5 in 12 demographically comparable elementary schools in a large (175,000 students), ethnically diverse (53 percent minority, 40 percent free-lunch) school system in southeastern Florida. It will involve 5,400 students and 180 teachers for each of 3 project phases. In addition, 1,800 and 3,600 elementary students will be tracked into grades 6 and 7 in phases 2 and 3.
Intervention
The main intervention is Science IDEAS (Romance & Vitale, 2001), a 2-hour daily science instructional block that incorporates reading comprehension instruction.

Research design and methods

Using a multivariate repeated measures two by two factorial design framework (factor 1: content-oriented vs. non-content-oriented environments and factor 2: reading comprehension strategy use vs. no use), the project will assess the effects on (a) short-term (end-of-year grade 3, 4, and 5) reading comprehension as measured by nationally and state-normed tests and by project-developed subject-matter-oriented reading comprehension transfer tests in U.S. history and (b) long-term (end-of-year in grade 6 and 7) reading comprehension using the same battery of nationally and state-normed tests. The project also will obtain end-of-year data across grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 on (a) student-reported use of reading comprehension strategies, (b) student attitude/self-confidence in reading, and (c) judgments of elementary and content-area middle grade teachers regarding the reading comprehension proficiency of participating students.

Data analytic strategy

Hierarchical linear models (HLM) analysis will be used to assess the immediate, transfer, and long-term effects on different facets of reading comprehension performance and associated teacher judgments of student proficiency and to model student longitudinal achievement trajectories.

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Elizabeth Albro

Elizabeth Albro

Commissioner of Education Research
NCER

Products and publications

ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.

Project Website: http://www.scienceideas.org

Select Publications:

Book chapters

Romance, N.R., and Vitale, M.R. (2006). Making the Case for Elementary Science as a Key Element in School Reform: Implications for Changing Curricular Policy. In R. Douglas, M. Klentschy, M., and K. Worth (Eds.), Linking Science and Literacy in the K-8 Classroom (pp. 391-405). Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Vitale, M.R., and Romance, N.R. (2006). Research in Science Education: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. In J. Rhoton, and P. Shane (Eds.), Teaching Science in the 21st Century (pp. 329-351). Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Vitale, M.R., and Romance, N.R. (2007). A Knowledge-Based Framework for Unifying Content-Area Reading Comprehension and Reading Comprehension Strategies. In D. McNamara (Ed.), Reading Comprehension Strategies: Theory, Interventions, and Technologies (pp. 73-104). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Vitale, M.R., Romance, N.R., and Dolan, M.F. (2006). A Knowledge-Based Framework for the Classroom Assessment of Student Science Understanding. In M. McMahon, P. Simmons, R. Sommers, D. DeBaets, and F. Crawly (Eds.), Assessment in Science: Practical Experiences and Education Research (pp. 1-14). Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Journal article

Vitale, M.R., and Romance, N.R. (2008). Broadening Perspectives About Vocabulary Instruction: Implications for Classroom Practice. New England Reading Association Journal, 44(1): 15-22.

Proceeding

Vitale, M.R., and Romance, N.R. (2006). Concept Mapping as a Means for Binding Knowledge to Effective Content-Area Instruction: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Concept Mapping (pp. 112-119). San Jose, Costa Rica: University of Costa Rica.

Project website:

https://www.scienceideas.org/

Supplemental information

Co-Principal Investigator(s): Vitale, Michael

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

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