what does it mean to be interested in reading in my fourth ...the questionnaire provided relevant...
TRANSCRIPT
Newell 1
What does it mean to be interested in
reading in my fourth grade classroom?
Ed Newell Fourth Grade
Ferguson Township Elementary State College Area School District
The Pennsylvania State University Professional Development School
2010
Newell 2
Table of Contents
Teaching Context ................................................................................... 3 Teaching Rationale ................................................................................. 4 Wonderings and Sub-wonderings ......................................................... 5 Data Collection ....................................................................................... 6 Claims and Evidence ............................................................................ 10 Reflections and Future Practices ........................................................ 14
Appendix:
Inquiry Brief ...................................................................................... 16
Annotative Bibliography .................................................................. 21
Class Survey ....................................................................................... 27 Survey Results ................................................................................................. 31 “Like about reading” and “Not like about reading” Wordle ..................... 36
Student Questionnaire ...................................................................... 37
Focus Group Interview Questions ................................................... 38 Focus Group Book Summaries ...................................................................... 38 Focus Group Data ........................................................................................... 41
Anecdotal Note Information: List of Books Selected ..................................................................................... 45 Book Choice Pie Chart ................................................................................... 46
Newell 3
Context
A senior at Penn State, I am an intern in a yearlong student teaching internship in
Penn State’s Professional Development School (PDS). The PDS has placed me in a self-
contained fourth grade classroom at Ferguson Township Elementary School in the State College
Area School District. Ferguson Township is a small, rural school with K-5 classrooms. The
school currently has about 313 students. The vast majority of the students are bused into school
daily with a few students who are within walking distance of the school.
My class of 23 students is made up of a wide variety of learners. To start, we have a
fairly even balance in gender totaling 13 females and 10 males. Twenty-one of the students are
identified as White or Caucasian while the two remaining students are identified as African
American and Asian respectively. While the majority of the classroom comes from middle to
high socioeconomic status homes, approximately five, all female, come from a low
socioeconomic status family.
Of the 23, eleven of those students (5 girls, 6 boys) are considered achieving at grade
level with approximately six students (3 girls, 3 boys) completing above grade level work and six
students (5 girls, 1 boy) completing below grade level work. The six below grade level students
all qualify for learning support while all six high achieving students receive some form of
enrichment classes whether in math or a small book club. One girl in our class is visually
impaired. She utilizes tools such as a CCTV, which magnifies, as well as a Braillenote, which
connects to a computer – similar to a keyboard, and a Braillewriter, a Braille typewriter. This
student also receives help from two Para-professionals – one aiding in daily routines while
another provides support in math.
Newell 4
When looking specifically at their reading achievement levels, the six lower achieving
students all receive learning support, leaving our classroom with two main learning groups: A
higher reading level group consisting of nine students, five girls and four boys, and a lower
group of eight students, five boys and three girls. In addition to our basic reading groups, we also
have 3 girls and 1 boy who attend a weekly book club with other fourth graders in the school.
The book club serves as an enrichment opportunity for a few readers to share in book discussions
with our school librarian. (See Appendix, Page 16)
Rationale
After being in the classroom for more than five months, I have started to become quite
tuned in to the classroom dynamics and the personalities of individual students. A few general
observations led me to make a primary assumption and hunch. My first observation was that
when given the opportunity of free time in class, very few boys, if any, would choose to pull out
a book and read. We have so many great readers in the class, yet none of the male readers seem
to view reading as a leisurely activity. I believe they understand the possible enjoyment that can
potentially occur, but don’t seek that enjoyment at a level that I think fourth graders should.
Their decision not to read could also be overshadowed by a large desire to draw, play with toys,
talk or engage in other activities that allow for off-task behavior.
The second observation was a specific incident that occurred in our classroom. A newly
created book club had started by our school librarian. My mentor and I had chose three girls and
one boy to be part of this group. Two weeks after the group had been created, the boy in our
class wanted to drop out. When asked why, he replied, “I just don’t really like it.” Another
overheard comment from the boy included, “I’m one of only two boys in the group” said to a
peer. During another conversation, a peer in the classroom questioned him saying, “Steve, you’re
Newell 5
in a book club” as if to imply the absurdness of one doing such thing (Name has been changed to
protect the identity of the boy). The response by Steve was a defensive one implying that he had
planned to quit. This led me to believe that some social situations may be affecting how many in
the class, particularly boys, view reading.
After an initial reading survey I administered to my class, I discovered an ample amount
of valuable information that has influenced the direction of my inquiry. Seventeen students, as
compared to five, said they liked reading either “quite a lot” or “very much.” However, as a
fourth grader, these students are able to perceive if that is the “politically correct” answer
according to my mentor and school librarian. Despite this, only five students answered, “Yes,
they talk about books with their friends” and only two students answered, “Yes, they recommend
books to friends.” As a teacher, I would like my students to have a greater desire to read when
given the option and discuss books with their classmates.
Wonderings and Sub-wonderings
Main Wondering
My inquiry question focuses on the reading interests of my fourth grade students. The
information I sought after included a variety of topics. I wanted to explore arrange of issues
including topical interest, book selection, academic reading level and the classroom social
hierarchy. Overall, my main wonderings is:
What does it mean to be interested in reading in my fourth grade classroom?
Sub-Wonderings
What book factors influenced children’s choices the most?
o Type of fiction, summary, character(s), plot, setting, recommendation, size, cover
Is there a difference in reading interest between my boys and girls?
Newell 6
Is my students’ reading interest reflected in their social relationships?
Does a student’s academic reading level play a role in his or her ability to choose a book
they will enjoy?
Data Collection and Analysis
Triangulating My Data
In order to sufficiently perform my inquiry, a need for a wide variety of data was
absolutely necessary. I initially looked at my topic of reading interest through a wide-angle lens
by surveying my entire class. Some other whole class data I gathered included academic reading
scores, and questionnaires that students were free to fill out. Other data collection methods such
as focus group interviews, individual interviews, and anecdotal notes narrowed my research to
find more specific data. In total, I used three main data techniques including student artifacts,
video and audio interviews, and anecdotal notes.
Survey
My initial inquiry question centered on the idea that there may be a gender gap in reading
attitude and interest in my fourth grade classroom. To begin my teacher inquiry, and identify a
clear definition of an interest deficiency in my classroom, my entire class participated in a
“Reading Interest Survey” (See Appendix, Page 27). The survey was of moderate length
seeking a range of information regarding my students’ attitudes toward and interest in reading.
The initial goals of this survey were to find out if there was a gender gap in reading attitude and
interest. I also wished to discover if there were any factors holding my students back from
reading more. In addition, I wanted to uncover some typical information about reading including
favorite type of book, time spent reading, and overall interest in reading.
Newell 7
From my survey, I was able to create a variety of histograms(See Appendix, Page 31)
providing some clear data that clarified or deepened a few of my wonderings. Through the bar
graphs, I was able to answer a few initial sub questions regarding the possible gender gap,
identify the reading interest and attitude level of my classroom, better understand how reading
overflows into the social relationships of the room, and individual thoughts regarding reading
ability.
Questionnaires
Part way into my inquiry, I needed data collection methods that would provide insight
and evidence into the reasons my students were choosing the books that they were. The
questionnaire was a strategy with more potential than actual results. The questionnaire (See
Appendix, Page 37) asked students to identify a recent book that they have read, explain why
they chose it, what they liked/disliked, and explain if this was the type of book they were usually
interested in.
To introduce the questionnaire, I did a brief mini lesson with my whole class by filling
out the questionnaire together on an overhead. We also brainstormed a list of reasons that
students might use to fill out the questions. During this discussion, I scribed student responses
and steered the discussion while remaining unbiased or opinionated during the brainstorming.
The problem I quickly found with the questionnaires was that not many were being filled out
independently. After the mini lesson, each student in the class did one individually. Following
that, students were responsible for retrieving a new copy from the front table, filling it out, and
placing it on my desk independently following the completion of a book. It appears as if students
didn’t want to add more work to themselves by completing my questionnaire and often chose not
Newell 8
to participate in filling them out. Occasionally, I would hand one out to each student asking him
or her to complete the questionnaire based on a recent book.
The questionnaire provided relevant information regarding the reasons my students were
choosing the books that they were. I was able to go through the questionnaires to find the most
common reasons given for why students chose that book.
Focus Group Interviews
The focus group interviews were designed to gather a target group of students to discover
more about book choice and interest. I decided to interview three sets of students, with each set
consisting of four students. I had one mixed set (2 boys, 2 girls), one boy set (4 boys), and one
girl set (4 girls). I video recorded the mixed and girl set, while also recording anecdotal notes
during all three group interviews.
For the interviews, I prepared a set of nine books. These books included: Beowulf, Tales
of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Encyclopedia Brown Tracks Them Down, Ramona Quimby Age 8,
Wayside School is Falling Down, Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade without a Clue, The Adventures of
Captain Underpants, Indian in the Cupboard, and James and the Giant Peach. During the
interview, I read a summary (See Appendix, Page 38) for each book before revealing the
identity of the book. The students were first asked if they would read the book based on what
they heard in the summary. After, I would reveal the book. The students would have a chance to
view the cover, size, text, and anything else now visible about the book. The students once again
had an opportunity to say whether or not they would read the book. The students were also asked
to identify why they would read it and if they felt that any particular book was a “gender only”
book. (See Appendix, Page 41)
Newell 9
The arrangement of the interview allowed me to organize the data in an interesting way. I
was able to see which students would read a book based on the summary and changed their mind
after seeing the book, or vice versa. I was also able to organize my data in a more gender
specified manor in order to see how the girls in the mixed matched up with the girls in the girl
group as well as the boys in the mixed versus the boys in the all boys group.
Individual Interviews
I scheduled several individual interviews near the end of my data collection period. I
conducted two interviews with adults; my mentor teacher and school librarian provided insight
into the social dynamic of the classroom, while also expressing experienced opinions on my
students, their reading attitude, and abilities to make good book decisions.
I also interviewed particular students in my class. A high number of students in my class
were reading the Harry Potter sequels. I decided to individually discuss the designated books
with particular students hoping to find out the reasoning behind their decision to read the book. It
appeared that the books were circulating through the class based on particular students who
might have read them first. My interviews helped me see that this was true for some, and not for
others.
Anecdotal notes
Every Friday, my students attend library as their daily special class. During the last ten
minutes of library, students have the opportunity to freely select and take out books from the
library. I saw this time as a chance to casually discuss with each student about the book that they
chose and why they chose it. My conversations were very quick and simple and allowed me to
reach a lot of students quickly.
Newell 10
This information helped to confirm one of my main sub wonderings: identifying what
book factors influence book choice the most. Using these notes, I was also able to record what
the most common factor was when making a book choice. One note to make here was that
sometimes, students gave more than one reason. So in my pie chart analysis (See Appendix,
Page 46), choosing one category did not mean their decision was mutually exclusive, rather, they
could have said two reasons that affected this choice.
Academic Scores
In the early stages of my data analysis, I started to find general patterns occurring in how
my students were selecting books. I decided to make note of the most recent academic reading
scores recorded by my mentor and I in order to sufficiently group some of the data I was
gathering by academic level. I did not distribute any test and record results directly for my
inquiry, but rather collected past reading test results in order to associate and compare with the
data that I had successfully gathered.
Claims and Evidence
Claim #1: My students reading interest levels are not reflected in their social relationships.
Evidence 1A: My first data collection method, my survey, gave me some interesting
insight into how much my students are discussing books. (See Appendix, Page 31) When
asked, “Do you talk about books,” five girls responded “yes” with the majority of the remaining
class choosing, “Not that often.” When asked if they actually recommend books to peers, two
said “yes”, nine said “sometimes”, with the remaining answering a negative response.
What this data is telling me is that my classroom is not talking about books. This may be
an obvious statement with a group of ten year olds; however, reading is a passion that carries
with a person through their whole life. If my students enjoy reading as they claim (See
Newell 11
Appendix, Page 36) they might want to culminate that enjoyment in sharing it with someone
else. But this is not happening.
Evidence 1B: When examining how my students chose their books (See Appendix,
Page 46), recommended by peer actually came in as the third highest reason students chose a
book. However, at 14%, you can hardly say it has been an effective method for students to use
when choosing a book. In an interview with my school librarian, Susan Cook, she said, “You see
peer recommendations happening frequently in fifth grade, and almost never in third.” Fourth
grade is the middle grade where peer recommendations begin to increase, but from my data, it
has not appeared to be utilized.
Claim #2: With the exception of reading in a series or sequel, my students chose books by their
cover more than any other factor.
Evidence 2A: Through anecdotal notes and questionnaires, I was able to find ten main
ways that my students were choosing their books (See Appendix, Page 46). These included:
choosing from a series, based on the author, recommended by a peer, based on the genre,
subsequent to reading a few pages, unsure, based on the topic, based on the cover, upon reading
the back or inside flap, and recommended by a teacher. Choosing books from a series or sequel
set was a clear favorite with 33%. In our classroom, series and sequels such as Diary of a Wimpy
Kid, Harry Potter, Berenstein Bears, and Magic Tree House have been very popular. Second to
choosing books by a series was using the cover.
We all know the saying, “Don’t choose a book by its cover,” however my class is doing
this weekly. 25% of the responses that I received through my anecdotal notes or through the
questionnaires cited the cover as a main reason for a book selection. Students are judging books
Newell 12
based on what they see and deciding that this is the book for them or not. I wonder how many
books they are turning away because of this factor? What kind of limit are they placing on their
future reading selections? In order for students to move away from this as a main factor, other
positive factors need to grow in place of it.
Evidence 2B: When taking a closer look at the focus groups, I wanted to see the total
number of times a student changed their mind after being shown the book. Overall, I asked
eleven students about nine separate books. In total, there could have been 99 instances when a
student changed their mind based on the cover. I’m happy to say that it was not 99, however,
students did change their minds 33 times. That’s an average of 3 times, per student. These results
showed me that 33% of the time, given 100 books, a student is going to be influenced by the
book to the extent that it changes their opinion on whether to read it or not. This total of 1/3 was
very shocking to me after collecting my data.
Claim #3: Students with a lower academic reading ability are more influenced by the cover of a
book.
Evidence 3A: As I began my data collection, it became apparent that talking with my
students, and recording anecdotal notes, was the easiest way for me to find why a student chose a
particular book. As I mentioned in the previous section, my main time period to take anecdotal
notes was during library time. Through these casual conversations, it was evident that my
students with a lower academic level, as recognized by our reading scores and IEP
(Individualized Education Plan) status (See Appendix, Page 31), were using fewer strategies to
choose books.
Newell 13
Each time I had a conversation with one of the five students with an IEP including
reading, a consistent pattern of being part of a series, they didn’t know, and the cover were
shown as the main influencing factors. As you can see by the pie chart titled, “Why my students
chose their book?” on page 46 of the appendix, my class had a variety of different ways to
choose books. In my interview with Mrs. Cook, she outlined seven strategies that she teaches
kids to use to look for books. These strategies included choosing from a series, a sequel, by
author, topic, genre, or by peer or adult recommendation. These students consistently did not cite
these strategies, but rather every anecdotal note I have for these particular students included
cover as a factor in their decision.
Evidence 3B: My focus group interviews focused on eleven total students. One of the
eleven students is also one of my five students with a reading IEP. The organization of the
interviews allowed me to see who would be most influenced to change their mind based on the
information they receive just by viewing the title of the book. Student N provided the most
interesting evidence.
During the interviews, I focused my questioning around the nine particular books listed
above in the Data Collection section. Of the nine books, Student N changed his mind six times
out of nine books. The next highest total of the other ten students was four times. Of those six
times that he changed his mind, four of those times he moved from a “yes” to a “maybe” or a
“maybe” to a “no.”
I started wondering if given the choice between ten books, how many might Student N
immediately eliminate based on the cover? What also struck me was that Student N knew the
summaries for these books during the interview, but the cover overrode whatever consideration
Newell 14
he was giving the book. When choosing a book, if he is not using a strategy to read the back of
the book, he won’t know the summary and may be quicker to judge the cover more harshly.
Reflections and Future Practices
I’m convinced that teacher inquiry is a tool that every teacher does throughout his or her
career. Without knowing it, teachers are constantly performing inquiries. “Why isn’t my class
participating? I’ll try more ‘wait time’”. “How come the boys can’t get along on the playground?
Maybe I should organize some group games.” “How do I increase motivation in my writing
lessons? I should utilize student choice prompts.” Daily, teachers are wondering how to make the
classroom a better place for their students and attempting to achieve that better place. A well-
planned and thought-out teacher inquiry allows you to focus on that wondering, your
interventions, the data that follows, and strategically analyze it to find results. Sometimes, like
my inquiry above, an inquiry may not include a ‘before-during intervention-after’ model, but
rather purposefully inquire about the inner workings of my class in order to better understand
how to help and further them as individual students at later times.
My teacher inquiry allowed me to peer into how my students feel about reading. I was
able to investigate what factors make up their interest and how it affects their book choice and
how it overflows into our social relationships. Having uncovered the following data and analysis,
I’m able to discern possible strategies that could improve my class as a whole and as individual
students.
For this particular class, it is evident to me that as classroom teachers, we need to
encourage book-choosing strategies. Teachers can do this by discussing books that they are
reading while explaining the factors behind the decision. We can also review such strategies
prior to students before library. However, it’s important to encourage these strategies even in the
Newell 15
classroom. Having a thorough and well-developed classroom library will allow students to utilize
strategies in classroom choices.
Another way to share and encourage more book-choosing strategies would be classroom
“book talks.” These book talks would encourage students to present a recent book they have read
to the class and share what they liked about the book. They could rate it, and also encourage
students to read it as well. Using ideas like book talks could increase the amount of peer
recommendations that are occurring in my class. Also, if established early, book talks could
create an atmosphere of book discussions and sharing among students. Although this classroom
activity was not applied in my inquiry, it definitely appears to be a possible intervention that
could increase my students reading attitudes and interest.
The other future practice I plan to implement will be daily silent reading. During this
time, everyone, including the teacher, will have time to silently read a book of their choice.
Encouraging this daily reading time will allow students more time to move through their books
and allow them time to relax and enjoy a good book, without the pressure of an assignment
attached with it. Similar to book talks, a casual period to announce what you’re reading and what
they like about the book will follow the silent reading.
In the future, I hope to provide the well-developed classroom library, incorporate book-
talks into the weekly schedule, while also allowing time for daily silent reading.
Newell 16
Appendix
Inquiry Brief
Context:
A senior at Penn State, I am an intern in a year long student teaching internship in Penn State’s Professional Development School (PDS). The PDS has placed me in a self‐contained fourth grade classroom at Ferguson Township Elementary School in the State College Area School District. Ferguson Township is a small, country school with K‐5 classrooms. The school currently has about 260 students. The vast majority of the students are bused into school daily with a few students who are within walking distance of the school.
My class of 23 students is made up of a wide variety of learners. To start, we have a fairly even balance in gender totaling 13 females and 10 males. 21 of the students are identified as White or Caucasian while the two remaining students are identified as African American and Asian respectively. While the majority of the classroom comes from middle to high socioeconomic status homes, approximately five, all female, come from a low socioeconomic status family.
Of the 23, eleven of those students (5 girls, 6 boys) would be considered at grade level with approximately six students (3 girls, 3 boys) completing above grade level work and six students (5 girls, 1 boy) completing below grade level work. The six below grade level students all qualify for learning support while all six high achieving students receive some form a enrichment classes whether in math or a small book club. We have one girl who in our class who is visually impaired with limited eyesight out of her peripheral vision. She utilizes tools such as a CCTV, magnifying what she directs an attached camera at, as well as a Braillenote, which connects to a computer like a keyboard, and a Braillewriter, a typewriter of Braille. She also has an individual Para‐professional who is with her daily, and an additional math Para‐professional. When looking specifically at their reading achievement levels, the six lower achieving students all receive learning support, leaving our classroom with two main learning groups: A higher reading level group consisting of nine students, five girls and 4 boys, and a lower group of eight students, five boys and three girls. In addition to our basic reading groups, we also have 3 girls and 1 boy who attend a weekly book club with other fourth graders in the school. Rationale
After being in the classroom for more five months, I have started to become really tuned into the classroom dynamics and the personalities of individual students. A few general observations led me to make a primary assumption and hunch. My first observation was that when given the opportunity of free time in class, very few boys, if any, would choose to pull out a book and read. We have so many great readers in the class, yet none of male readers seem to view reading as a leisurely activity to take enjoyment from. I
Newell 17
believe they understand the possible enjoyment that can potentially occur, but don’t seek that enjoyment at a level that I think fourth graders should. Their decision to not read could also be overshadowed by a large desire to draw or perform other activities that allow for easier misconduct in behavior.
The second observation was a specific incident that occurred in our room. A newly created book club had started, ran by our school librarian. My mentor and I had chosen three girls and one boy to be part of this group. Two weeks after the group had been created, the boy in our class wanted to drop out. When asked why, he replied, “I just don’t really like it.” Another overheard comment from the boy included, “I’m one of only two boys in the group” said to a peer. During another conversation, a peer in the classroom questioned him saying, “Steve, you’re in a book club” as if to imply the absurdness of one doing such thing (Name has been changed to protect the identity of the boy). The response by Steve was a defensive one implying that he had planned to quite. This led me to believe that some social situations may be affecting how many in the class, particularly boys, view reading. After an initial reading survey I performed with my class, I discovered a lot of valuable information that has influenced the direction of my inquiry. Seventeen students, as compared to five, said they liked reading either “quite a lot” or “very much.” Despite this, only five students said that yes, they talk about books with their friends and only two students said yes, they recommend books to friends. In a perfect world, I would like my students to have a greater desire to read when given the option and discuss books with their classmates Wonderings Main Wondering: How can I improve interest in reading in my fourth grade classroom? Sub Wonderings:
• What factors influenced children’s choices the most? o Social, type of fiction, summary, characters, plot, setting, recommendation,
size of book, cover • What does it mean to be interested in reading? • What are some things that get them excited to read more? • Is there a difference in reading interest between boys and girls? • What issues are currently prohibiting students in my class from reading for
pleasure? • Is the decision to shy away from in‐class reading related to the social dynamic of the
classroom? • Do students have certain views about the art of reading as it pertains to certain
genders? • Do students perceive certain books as a “boy book” or a “girl book?” • What kind of activities can be implemented to increase reading enjoyment and
interest among my learners in my classroom? (My inquiry doesn’t really focus on this. May take this out. My thought process here was leaning toward incorporating independent quiet reading time to our room. But that could be a whole other
Newell 18
inquiry! How does independent reading time affect reading interest in my fourth grade classroom? So I probably won’t go this direction. Besides, my research says that is a bigger task than expected due to many students slacking during this time due to no teacher monitoring). However! In order to promote reading in the classroom and conversation among peers, I wonder what would the effects of a short ten minute‐ once a week opportunity for students to share books that they have read and would like to recommend to peers would have on reading interest?
Data Collection I plan to use four main data collection techniques. These techniques will be:
• Surveys o Reading interest surveys will allow me to confirm my assumptions and help
me focus my inquiry. I will survey my students at the beginning of the inquiry, and possibly also at the end. I’m also considering the benefits of using a parent survey to check the amount of time students claim they are reading outside of the class.
• Student Interviews o Group Interview‐ To find out more information about book choice and
interest, I will conduct small group interviews. The groups will be categorized by gender and will be asked questions directly pertaining to books that I choose. I will show the group a book, let them look at it, and read a summary to them. After, I will ask the groups questions such as: Would you read this book? Why? Why is it appealing it you? Is this a boy book or a girl book? Both?
o Individual interview‐ I would like to potentially also conduct short individual interviews to help learn about the social dynamic of the classroom and how these pressures may affect student decisions to read. Questions in these interviews may include: How often do you free read in class? Why? Do you recommend books to friends? Why or why not?
• Observation/Field Notes o When offered free time choices, I will note which students choose to read and
which students choose to do another activity, noting what that activity may be.
o I will also observe the nature of the students in my class as we begin a new book in our reading unit. Are they enjoying the book, the activities, and the discussions? Do they dislike any of the involved work?
o Other observations will include how the students treat their peers who may be reading and listen for any conversation surrounding reading or books.
• Artifacts o I plan to prepare a small reading questionnaire that I will ask students to
complete upon finishing a book that they have chosen either in library or for personal interest. After reading the book, the students will answer a few questions such as: Why did they choose the book? What did they like about it? Why? What did they not like about it? Why?
Newell 19
Projected Timeline Week 1: February 8‐12
• Analyze Survey Results • Pinpoint Main Wondering • Continue professional research • Begin Field Observations
Week 2: February 15‐19
• Continue Field Observations • Complete Inquiry brief and
annotative bibliography • Begin compiling interview questions • Begin selecting books for group
interviews • Create post‐reading questionnaire
Week 3: February 22‐26
• Continue field observation • Finalize questions and conduct
student interviews • Discuss questionnaire and show
students where they will be located for them to fill out
Week 4: March 1‐ 4 (4 day week)
• Continue field observations • Continue student interviews • Continue student questionnaires • Begin to analyze current data
Spring Break Week
• Analyze Data • Students will continue
questionnaires • Continue interviews
Week 5: March 15‐19
• Continue field observations • Continue student questionnaires • Continue interviews if needed • Analyze Data
Week 6: March 22‐ 26
• Continue field observations • Continue student questionnaires • Analyze Data
Week 7: March 29‐ 31 (3 day week)
• Continue field observations • Continue student questionnaires • Analyze Data • Begin Inquiry Paper
Week 8: April 5‐ 9
• Continue field observations • Finish Questionnaires • Analyze data • Continue Inquiry paper
Week 9: April 12‐ 16
• Turn in rough draft
Newell 20
• Revise Draft Week 10: April 19‐ 23
• Revise draft • Prepare for conference
Week 11: April 26‐30
• Revise draft‐ Due April 2 • Revise abstract • Continue Preparation for conference
Week 12: May 3 to 7
• Finalize preparation for conference • Revise Abstract
Week 13: May 10‐14
• Final Paper to webmaster April 16
Newell 21
Annotative Bibliography
Askov, E. N., Badiali, B. J., Dupuis, M. M., & Lee, J. W. (1989). Assessing Student Attitudes
and Interests. Teaching Reading and Writing in the Content Areas (Scott, Foresman
Series in Education) (pp. 197-213). Reading: Scott Foresman & Co.
This chapter focuses primarily on students’ attitudes towards reading. It begins by
presenting school achievement and reading mastery as two basic variables that
attribute to reading attitude while also discussing other variables that commonly affect
attitude. After, the authors move on to discuss student interests, though closely related
with attitude, and how they are also different. The authors cite particular genres that
peak interests of different age level and discusses a few other variables about interests.
The remaining part of the chapter provides quality information about how to assess
attitude and interest. This source provides quality information for each part of my
inquiry specifically background knowledge and data collection.
Barrett, K., & Kreiser, D. (2002, May). Improving Student Attitude and Achievement in Reading
through Daily Reading Practice and Teacher Intervention Strategies. Retrieved from
Eric database.
This article made a lot of claims that closely matched up and related with observations
and hunches that I have made in my inquiry thus far. One claim being that “reading is
often at the bottom of the list of activities they (students) choose to do in their spare
time.” This is identical to how I feel with some students in my class, particularly the
boys. Despite students claiming that very much enjoy reading, I’m hoping to move
Newell 22
reading up their list of leisure activities. The article also highlights variables that will
most help reading motivation within students focusing on choice and reading level.
This research will play a great role in how I perform some of my data collection in my
inquiry.
Connell, D., & Gunzelmann, B. (n.d.). The New Gender Gap. Teaching Resources, Children’s
Book Recommendations, and Student Activities | Scholastic.com. Retrieved February 6,
2010, from http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/Instructor/Mar04_gendergap.htm
Although this site particularly was focused on academics, there was some value for
me using this article. My inquiry is not at all academically related, but after so much
research, I can’t help but see the overlap the lies between academic achievement and
literacy interest. Connell and Gunzelmann talked about a number of ways to help
students succeed in the classroom for literacy instruction, and instruction in general,
however I think the suggestions that they offer could also easily apply to raising
literacy interest. Overall, I can say that SCASD, particularly Ferguson and our
classroom do a few of these suggestions, but we could do additional support
techniques as well as maintain a high level of the techniques we already employ.
When looking at various interventions, this site will be a useful start.
Kamil, M., Barr, R., Mosenthal, P., & Pearson, P. D. (1984). Handbook of Reading Research.
New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Chapter 14, Social and Motivational Influences on Reading, truly provides a magnitude
of information that is going to grow my own background knowledge about this topic.
The entire chapter discusses a multitude of variables that will influence and motivate
Newell 23
students’ abilities to read. It ranges from home to school variables, and social dynamics
to reading material in general. Motivation to read, and motivation to share and discuss,
is going to be near the heart of my inquiry and I want to ensure that I’m fully aware and
secure in my knowledge of what past research says about the subject.
Logan, S., & Johnston, R. (2009). Gender differences in reading ability and attitudes: examining
where these differences lie. Journal of Research in Reading, 32(2), 199-214. Retrieved
February 5, 2010, from the ERIC database.
This journal article gave me a lot of valuable information. It cited findings that girls do
typically have a more positive attitude toward reading, the attitude gap widens with
age, that girls read more than boys, and they have a better reading ability. The article
also cited that, “in addition to educational and cognitive factors, there have been found
to be numerous social, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence a child’s
level of reading activity, and achievement, and their overall enjoyment and success in
school.” This article highlights and touches upon such a wide variety of possible
reasons for the gap and cites so many various references that may also eventually help
my research and inquiry project as a whole. I hope to look more in-depth to some of
the suggested references to have a deeper understanding of some of the particular
variables they suggest attribute to the gap.
McKenna, M., & Kear, D. (1990). Measuring Attitude Toward Reading: A New Tool for
Teachers. The Reading Teacher, 43(8), 626-639. Retrieved February 5, 2010, from the
ERIC database.
This journal article provided a lot of insight while creating my classroom reading
Newell 24
survey. It gives details about what the strengths and limitations of the survey while also
providing an implementation plan. The article also provided quality information for me
when deciding what types of questions to ask. The ERAS survey focused to make
possible initial conjectures about the attitudes of specific students, provide a convenient
group profile of the class, and serve as means of monitoring the attitudinal impact of
instructional programs. I modeled my survey to focus more on the there first two
objectives, deciding not to go in direction of instructional programs. After having done
the survey, looking back, I question whether I should have included those sorts of
questions. Another potential source of data collection may be to have my students
complete the ERAS survey as well.
Meece, J., Glienke, B. B., & Burg, S. (2006). Gender and Motivation. Journal of School
Psychology, 44, 351-373. Retrieved February 6, 2010, from the ERIC database.
Meece, Glienke, and Burg use this article to describe the possible theoretical
possibilities of motivating students. They wrote about how much motivation comes
from their home lives, the school itself, and sociocultural influences. Like other sources
I have read, it is common to discover sociocultural stereotypes that boys are good at
math and girls are good at writing. Children begin forming these gender role
conceptions at young ages, even before school. By fourth grade, it is very likely that
students will have misconceptions that reading and writing are more for girls and that
math and science are more for boys. This sociocultural possibility does not seem to be
an expressed factor in my observations but very well may be an internal source of
conflict for students in my class.
Newell 25
Merisuo-Storm, T. (2006). Girls and Boys Like to Read and Write Different Texts. Scandinavian
Journal of Education Research, 50(2), 111-125. Retrieved February 6, 2010, from the
ERIC database.
This journal article also furthered my wondering that the girls in my class were going to
have significantly higher interest in reading than my boys. The article went on to
discuss how different texts and books are a main contributing factor to developing
interest in reading and writing. Looking from another social angle, Merisuo builds upon
the angle that boys and girls, at early ages, are influence by their peers in a sense that
one book is a “girl book” and another a “boy book.” I found this part of the article
fascinating and I plan to address this issue when I use interviews as a source of data
collection. I would like to focus some of questions towards particular books and find
out students opinions of them. The article went onto propose that there are seven main
areas that attribute to the pupil’s reading and writing attitudes: the pupil, peers, reading
material, teacher, availability of materials, purpose of reading, and home. Looking at all
of these factors, my inquiry will include a sub-wondering of which of these areas may
most be affecting the students of my class.
Sainsbury, M. (n.d.). Children’s attitudes to reading. National Literacy Trust front page.
Retrieved February 6, 2010, from http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/Pubs/sainsbury.html
This website focused on children as a whole in that attitudes towards reading across
the board have fell from 1999 to 2003. This research helps my wondering in that
overall interest in reading seems to be declining. I’m unaware of the cause of this, but
I don’t know how important that is to my inquiry. I wonder what I am able to do to
Newell 26
raise the positive attitudes. The article also articulated that the girls’ responses in the
survey were significantly more positive than those of boys. The article also claimed
that enjoyment of reading has also significantly declined, particular among older boys.
The short article ended with advocating for teachers to make time for children to
explore possibilities and develop their own tastes for reading. It also urged for space
for children to respond emotionally as well as cognitively to the involvement in
imaginary worlds that literature could offer. If my wondering moves in the direction of
a significant lack of enjoyment in reading, I will begin to include sub wonderings of
how can I address the advice offered by this website.
Survey findings – young people and reading. (n.d.). National Literacy Trust . Retrieved February
10, 2010, from http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/research/readsurvey.html#Connects
This website is one of my top sources I have been able to find. The site gives a quick
account of an enormous reading survey that they conducted and provide the results
broken down into a multitude of variables including age, gender, and SES. The site
also links to two full reports containing their information and also links to the survey
that they used. This survey was one of the most influential surveys for me when
creating my own survey. I also used a few of their exact questions and answers
choices. This website and reports will once again help me find quality research and
background knowledge pertaining to variables such as gender that I can look back at
over the course of my inquiry.
Newell 27
Class Survey
1. Are you a: (Please check one) ________ Boy ________ Girl 2. How much time do you spend reading daily? (Please circle one) 0‐15 Minutes 15‐30 Minutes 30‐45 Minutes 45 Minutes or more 3. What are the titles of books that you have read lately? (On your own, not for school) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What are some of your favorite books? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. How much do you enjoy reading? (Please check one) ________ Not at all ________ A little bit ________ Quite a lot ________ Very much 6. What do you like about reading? 7. What do you not like about reading? 8. On a scale of 1‐10 (1‐low, 10‐high), how good a reader do you think you are? (Please circle) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 9. Do you think you read enough? (Please check one box only) _______ Yes _______ No, but I would like to read more _______ No, and I don’t want to read more 10. Do you and your friends talk about books? (Please circle one)
Newell 28
Yes, all the time Sometimes Not that often Never 11. Do you recommend books to friends? (Please circle one) Yes, always No, but friends recommend to me We do not discuss books
I sometimes recommend I am not sure
12. What do you think about reading? (Please check one box for each statement) Neither Strongly agree nor Strongly Agree Agree disagree Disagree Disagree Reading is more for girls than boys _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Reading is more for boys than girls _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Reading is hard for me _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Reading is important _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ I can’t find books that interest me _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ I read outside of school _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ I like going to the library _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ I would be happy if someone gave _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ me a book as a present I do not read as well as other _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ students in my class 13. I would be more likely to read if: (Please check as many that apply) 14. What types of books do you like to read? (Please circle as many that apply)
Newell 29
Nonfiction:
Biographies
Science
History
Poetry
Supernatural
How to books
Folktales and Myths
Fiction:
Mystery
Adventure
Fantasy
Realistic Fiction
Historical Fiction
Science Fiction
Humor
Fiction:
Animal Stories
Graphic Novels
If you have a type not listed, please list below: _____________________________
15. Do you enjoy having someone read aloud to you? (Please circle one)
Yes No
16. Which of the following do you read outside of class? (Please circle as many as you like)
Websites
Magazines
Newspapers
Jokes
Graphic Novels
Poetry
Encyclopedias
Books & Magazines in a language other than English
Comics
17. The best book I ever read was...
18. Name the best reader you know:
19. Please write anything else that you would like to say about yourself and reading:
Newell 30
Newell 31
Survey Results
Newell 32
Newell 33
Newell 34
“What do you like about reading?” Responses • It relaxes you and gives you ideas • You can relax • I love it! You can see a world you’ve never seen before • Anything can happen in a book. If there aren’t any pictures, you can imagine cool things • It feels like there is a TV in your head • It’s like TV in your head • You can learn something you don’t know • You learn • It helps you get smarter and it’s fun • You can find things out
Newell 35
• You can hear about different things and it gives you new ideas • That books give information and some are funny • There are fun made-up characters. You can pretend you are the main character • You can pretend you are the character • I really like books because they sometimes get very exciting • It is interesting and fun • I just enjoy imagining and just reading the book • It’s fun and I read fast • I enjoy reading because it’s fun to get the joy out of a book • I like it because it takes my mind off things and the stories are very good • There are great books and surprises in the end and they could be happy, funny, sad, or
scary • News, adventure, nonfiction, funny, animals
“What do you not like about reading?” Results • Words you do not know • Some books are hard and I can’t pronounce some of the words • Nothing • Nothing • Nothing • Nothing • Sometimes it’s sad • Sad things; nothing else • I don’t like when most books end • That you have to put it back • It takes days to read it • Sometimes it takes forever • Some books take a lot of time to read so you don’t have time to do anything else • Nothing although it takes a long time • I sometimes read too fast and I miss words • I don’t like the activities • I just like reading a lot so I like everything about reading • If you are forced to read a book you don’t like, it might make you not like books • I get bored • When someone spoils a surprise in a book • The pictures
Newell 36
“What Do You Like About Reading” Results Wordle
“What Do You Not Like About Reading” Results Wordle
Newell 37
Student Questionnaire
1. What book did you choose? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ 2. What made you choose this particular book? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ 3. Is this book the type you are usually interested in? Why?
Newell 38
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ 4. What did you like about the book? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ 5. What did you dislike about the book? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
Focus Group Interview Questions
1. (After reading the summary or blurb) Ask each student if this book sounds like a book they would like to read?
2. Reveal the book to them, showing them the cover, size, and a few pages. Ask the students if they would read this book based on what they see, knowing the summary.
3. Do you consider this to be a “boy book” or “girl book?”
Focus Group Interview Book Summaries
Beowulf- The epic tale of the great warrior Beowulf has thrilled readers through the ages —
and now it is reinvented for a new generation with Gareth Hinds’s darkly beautiful illustrations.
Grendel’s black blood runs thick as Beowulf defeats the monster and his hideous mother, while
somber hues overcast the hero’s final, fatal battle against a raging dragon. Speeches filled with
Newell 39
courage and sadness, lightning-paced contests of muscle and will, and funeral boats burning on
the fjords are all rendered in glorious and gruesome detail. Told for more than a thousand years,
Beowulf’s heroic saga finds a true home in this graphic-novel edition.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing- Two is a crowd when Peter and his little brother, Fudge,
are in the same room. Grown-ups think Fudge is absolutely adorable, but Peter and his pet turtle,
Dribble, know the truth. From throwing temper tantrums to smearing mashed potatoes on the
wall, Fudge causes mischief wherever he goes. What will the tiny terror do next?
Encyclopedia Brown Tracks Them Down- Leroy Brown, better know to all as
Encyclopedia, is the ten-year-old son of the police chief of Idaville. Whenever Mr.
Brown has a particularly difficult case, he brings it home for his son to deal with.
A missing ambassador to Latin America, the case of Smelly Nellie and the
ambergris, a client who wants to pay with an 1861 Confederate silver half-dollar
(worth about $5000).
Ramona Quimby, Age 8- Ramona likes being big enough to be counted on, but must
everything depend on her? If Mrs. Kemp didn’t look after Ramona, her mother couldn’t work
full time. If Ramona’s mother didn’t work, her father couldn’t return to college. Ramona does
get to ride the school bus by herself this year. And despite teasing from Danny the Yard Ape,
she’s determined to enjoy the third grade; her new teacher, Mrs. Whaley; and learning to read
and write. If only mother would not remind Ramona each morning to be nice to Willa Jean
Kemp. If only her parents wouldn’t quarrel at home. If only Ramona didn’t get sick one horrible
day and throw up – at school. But being a patient has its advantages. Even book reports and rainy
Sundays have a bright side. In Ramona’s world, being eight isn’t easy, but it’s never dull!
Newell 40
Wayside School is Falling Down- Miss Zarves teaches on the nineteenth floor. There is no
nineteenth floor. There is no Miss Zarves, and you will meet her in this book. Mrs. Gorf, the
second meanest teacher in history, is long gone, but no one is glad to see her when she does – or
doesn’t – reappear. Mrs. Jewis teaches on the thirtieth floor. There are three Erics in her class.
Eric Fry is fat, but not short. Eric Bacon is short, but not fat. Eric Ovens is short and fat. There
are 26 other kids in Mrs. Jewis’s class. This book is about them all. There’s even a new kid!
Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade without a Clue- As the Henry family sets sail for a new life on
Cape Hatteras, fourth-grader Jack is struggling to chart a course between his parents’
contradictory advice on making friends and influencing people. Just tell people what they want
to hear, Dad advises. Just tell the truth, Mom cautions. Jack finds there are no easy answers as he
drifts through his crazy school year, falling desperately in love with his young teacher, getting
suckered into becoming a bad-behavior spy for the principal, and being forced to make a
presentable pet out of a duck with backward feet. Indeed, with an airheaded, air-guitar-playing
neighbor the closest thing to a friend, and a judgmental older sister his relentless enemy, it’s all
he can do to stay afloat.
The Adventures of Captain Underpants- Meet George and Harold, a couple of wise guys.
The only thing they enjoy more than playing practical jokes is creating their own comic books.
And together they have created the greatest comic-book superhero in the history of the
elementary school -- CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS! But George and Harold's principal, mean old
Mr. Krupp, doesn't like their pranks or their comic books. And he's cooked up a plan to catch
George and Harold and stop their shenanigans -- once and for all! Here's the story of what
happened when the plan back-fired, and Captain Underpants leaped off the page to save the day!
Newell 41
Indian in the Cupboard- Omri’s birthday present from his best friend, Patrick, wasn’t really
what he wanted. There were others that were much more exciting – the skateboard he’d been
wanting forever, a mysterious cupboard from his brother, and, from his mother, a very old key
that, remarkably, fit the cupboard’s lock. In fact, by the end of the day, he had almost forgotten
the three-inch high Indian Patrick had given him. But just before going to bed he was looking for
something to put into his new cupboard and decided the Indian would do. He shut the door,
locked it tight and fell asleep. During the night, he though he heard a noise coming from inside.
In the morning he was sure. Slowly he turned the key and there, crouched before him was sight
he could hardly believe – his Indian came to life!
James and the Giant Peach- James Henry Trotter had a happy life until he was about four-
years-old. That was when his parents were eaten up by an enormous rhinoceros in broad
daylight! His house by the sea had to be sold and James had to go and live with his horribly
hideous aunts with the strange names of Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. They lived in a
ramshackle house on a hill surrounded by a desolate garden with the exception of a clump of old
laurel bushes. James would often gaze wistfully toward the sea. Then a strange thing happened.
James found a giant peach that grew and grew until it was the size of a small house. He found a
secret path into the heart of the peach where he met a shorthorned grasshopper, a spider, a
ladybug, an earthworm, a centipede, a glowworm and a silkworm. Together they leave the
hillside and begin a great adventure which ends 1,250 feet up in the air on the top of the Empire
State Building in New York City.
Newell 42
Focus Group Interview Data
Newell 43
Newell 44
Newell 45
Newell 46
Anecdotal Note Sample Book ChoicesA-Z Mystery
A-Z White Wolf
Alien and Possum
Amigo League
Among the Hidden
Anastasia, The Last Grand Duchess
Andrew Lost in the whale
Andrew Lost in time
Andrew Lost Under Water
Animorph
Anna’s Prince
Archie Comic books
Arms and Armor
Berenstein Bears- Slumber Party
Berenstein Bears- Too much Birthday Party
Boxcar Children
Boxcar Children
Boxcar Children- Mystery of Purple
Center court Sting
Combat Helicopters
Commander Toad in Space
Cricket of Times Square
D.W. Go to your room!
Dale Earnhardt
Dangerous Games
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 1,2,3
Dragon Rider
Eddie’s Blue Winged Dragon
Emily the Emerald Fairy
Funny Boy versus the bubble brained barbers from the big bang
Goosebumps
Grunts US Infantry in Vietnam
Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter 7
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
Haunted Hayride
How to steal a dog
Hugglys Pizza
I was a third grade science project
I wish I had Duck Feet!
Ice Fire
Ice Warrior
Ink heart
Ink spell
Iron Thunder
Jason and the aliens down the street
Jeff Gordon
Johnny Tremain
Junie B Jones- First Grader
Kaya’s Return
Kristy Great idea
Kylie the Carnival Fairy
Last Holiday Concert
Let’s Jump in!
Magic Half
Magic Tree House- Good Morning Gorillas
Magic Tree House- Legend of Sea Serpent
Magic Tree House- Season of Sandstone
Magic Tree house- Volcano
Nancy Drew
Nate the Great
Pearl Harbor
Percy Jackson and the lightning Thief
Pictorial Life Story of Misty
Pirates
Poppy
Poppy’s Return
Quicksand Pony
Shannon the Ocean Fairy
Shivers in the Fridge
Special Boat Units
Star of Wonder
Tanks
The Berenstein bear scouts and
Newell 47
the coughing catfish
The Berenstein bears and the big date
The Berenstein Bears and the drug free zone
The Berenstein bears and the female full back
The big book of Girl Stuff
The Fire Within
The hobbit
The Jacket
The Lightning thief
The Ruby Key
The school story
The secret of the Indian
The secrets of droon
The Ultimate Dog Lovers
The underneath
The year of the dog
The year of the rat
Travels of Thelonious
Treasure Island
War horse
Warriors Fire Star’s Quest
Zap I’m a mind reader
Anecdotal Notes Book Choice Pie Chart