Sunteți pe pagina 1din 30

Running head: EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 1

An Action Research Study on the Effects of The Phonics Dance Curriculum


on First-Grade Students Reading

by

Brittany Slater, B.A.



A Proposal Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Education




SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY


May 2014




EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER Page

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 3
Purpose of the Study... 4
Justification for the Study............................................................................. 4
Theoretical Framework.. 5
Research Question. 5
Definitions of Terms 5-7
Conclusion.. 7

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction.. 8
Phonics-based Reading Instruction 8-10
Whole-language Reading Instruction 11-12
Motivation to Read..... 12-13
Learning Styles... 13-15
Poetry and Chants.. 15-16
Songs and Musicality.. 16-17
Summary.. 17

CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
Introduction... 18
Research Question.... 18
Research Design. 18
Procedural Details.. 19
Setting. 19-20
Participants.. 20
Data Collection 21-22
Observations... 21
Reflections... 21
Interviews. 21-22
Diagnostic Reading Assessment... 22
Timeline of Data Collection.. 22
Trustworthiness 23-24
Limitations of Study 24
Data Analysis 24-25
Conclusion.... 25-26

REFERENCES.. 27
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 3

CHAPTER 1
To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.
- Victor Hugo (1862)
Introduction
One of the most satisfying moments as a teacher is witnessing your students applying
what you have taught them to increase their learning. It is the moment their eyes light up and
their confidence increases because something clicked and they finally have understanding. As a
first grade teacher, that most often occurs around the guided reading table. It is the place students
take all the tools they have been taught throughout the day to decode and comprehend new text.
One of the most valuable literacy tools I have taught my students is the phonics learned through
the chants of The Phonics Dance curriculum. I often witness my students recalling the chants
when they encounter difficult words. They know how to break up these words because of the
direct instruction of diagraphs and phonics patterns taught through the chants. They can easily
switch from a long or short vowel sound because they practice them daily during the alphabet
song.
I first encountered The Phonics Dance as a pre-service teacher. As I began teaching, I
incorporated the curriculum into my new schools reading program. First grade is a critical year
in developing students reading abilities. Not only does this curriculum reinforce their reading
skills, but the students enjoy singing it because the chants incorporate movement and silly
phrases. Auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners all actively participate, while the musicality,
picture cards and gestures aid in better retention.


EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 4

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how students reading is affected by learning The
Phonics Dance curriculum. The curriculum consists of an alphabet song that teaches the different
letters and their particular phonemes. It also includes a Hunks and Chunks chant that uses
repetition to teach vowel and consonant diagraphs, short vowel plus consonant patterns and other
phonics patterns. Both elements involve movement or gestures. They are practiced each day
during literacy instruction. While the alphabet song is quickly learned and repeated throughout
the year, diagraphs and patterns are added to the Hunks and Chunks chant throughout the school
year, normally at a rate of two a week. I have witnessed students recalling these phonics skills
when they encounter difficult word during guided or independent reading, but I am interested in
also researching how it affects their reading levels and reading interests.
Justification for the Study
While there has been much research conducted on explicit, systemic phonics instruction,
there is little formal research supporting the effectiveness of teaching phonics through song and
movement. Research often focuses on the different elements of phonics instruction as a whole. It
distinguishes song, word sorts, word manipulation and worksheets, but it often does not delve
deeply into just one of these activities. I have seen many struggling young readers benefit from
the musicality and kinesthetic instruction provided by The Phonics Dance. During guided
reading, my students often reference the songs to help decode difficult text. I am interested to see
how The Phonics Dance benefits young readers, especially how it affects their reading levels and
reading interest.


EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 5

Theoretical Framework
The Phonics Dance may increase students reading abilities due to its use of repetition,
musicality and kinesthetic learning. Not only does repetition aid in better retention, but it is a
developmental strategy often used by students to learn new content (Diamant-Cohen,
Prendergast, & Estrovitz, 2013). Kinesthetic learning is learning that is aided by the physicality
of the student. The student is not just sitting in a desk listening to a lecture, but moving around in
a way that advances the curriculum. Kinesthetic activities, along with musical aids, reinforce the
content in the minds of diverse learners (Humphries, Bidner, & Edwards, 2011). They also unite
the class in one activity and allow the students to release excessive energy or emotion
(Humphries, Bidner, & Edwards, 2011). The Phonics Dance provides a multisensory approach to
learning through kinesthetic, music and visual means. Research suggests that these three
approaches together maximize student learning (Goll, 2011).
Research Question
1. How does the Phonics Dance curriculum affect students reading in a first grade
classroom in rural Northeast Texas?
Definition of Terms
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) is a criterion-referenced test
administered one-on-one between a teacher and student. The teacher selects a book near the
students reading level they have not yet read. The student predicts the story, reads aloud the
story for the teacher and answers comprehension questions. The teacher takes notes on these
tasks and any observations they make on the students reading strategies. The teacher uses these
notes to complete a rubric that calculates the childs reading level. Multiple books on different
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 6

reading levels are often used to determine the students appropriate level. The assessment is in its
second addition and is known as the DRA 2.
Diagraphs
A diagraph is a single sound represented by two letters For example, ch, ph and kn.
Diphthongs
Diphthongs occur when two vowel sounds in the same syllable make a unique sound,
such as oy, au, and oi.
Guided Reading
Guided reading is small group reading instruction with the goal of differentiating as much
as possible for each group or student.
Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, distinguish and isolate individual sounds in
spoken words.
Reading interest
A student displays an interest in reading if they are motivated in their learning and value
reading instruction (Kirby, Ball, Geier, Parrila, & Wade-Woolley, 2011).
Reading levels
There are three types of reading levels: independent, instructional and frustration.
Independent leveled books are easy enough for a student to read and understand without any
assistance. Books are classified on a students frustration level if they are too difficult for
instruction to occur. An instructional reading level is the recommended level of difficulty of a
book for optimal instruction to take place (Halladay, 2012). Reading levels are individualized for
each student based on their reading skills in the hope that their levels will steadily increase. The
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 7

DRA 2 assessment provides scores that are a numerical instructional reading level. Levels 1 and
2 are the average instructional reading level of a Kindergarten student, while first grade normally
ranges from instructional levels 3 to 16.
The Phonics Dance
The Phonics Dance is a curriculum used to directly teach letter-sound knowledge through
chants, rhymes and movement. These elements are repeated daily in the classroom to assist in
comprehension and retention.
Conclusion
This study will provide data to the teacher researcher and other educators in how The
Phonics Dance potentially affects first-grade students reading. The information found in the
study will provide other researchers a foundation for which to extend the research further. This
study will show how The Phonics Dance affects students reading in regards to how it is
incorporated in my own classroom. The next chapter will summarize previous literature
regarding reading instruction and learning styles, while the third chapter contains details in how
the study will be conducted.








EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 8

CHAPTER 2
Review of Literature
Introduction
After reviewing the professional literature, I decided to divide the information in this
literature review to six sections. The first two sections compare phonics-based instruction to
whole language instruction. A significant explanation is given for explicit, systemic instruction
and the legislation that affects which reading curriculums are chosen for classrooms. The third
and fourth sections discuss two vital factors in which instructional strategies are used in the
classroom: student motivation and learning style. While there are numerous ways to classify
different learning styles, this literature review mainly focuses on the sensory styles of auditory,
kinesthetic and visual learners. The fifth and final sections of the review discuss how poetry,
chants and music are incorporated into classrooms to enhance reading instruction. These sections
are included to establish a background for the research question posed in Chapter 1 and future
research in phonics instruction.
Phonics-based Reading Instruction
No educator can dispute the importance of students mastering reading in the early
elementary year. It is one of the most important and difficult activities students will learn, and
their success relies entirely on the skills they obtain through instruction (Hurford et al., 2013).
These skills can be taught through numerous reading strategies. Even though we have great
amounts of research supporting what instruction strategies are most effective, many children still
struggle with learning to read.
One of the most popular methods of reading instruction is a phonics-based approach.
Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds (Mesmer & Griffith, 2005). This is
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 9

important in the English language because English has an alphabetic script, meaning it uses
letters to represent sounds in words. This differs from languages, such as Japanese or Mandarin,
which written components are based on symbols instead of letters (Mesmer & Griffith, 2005).
Students must have a strong foundational knowledge of the alphabetic principal, how letters
represent sounds, and phonemic awareness, recognizing phonemes or small units of sound, in
order to identify letter and sound patterns. Identifying these patters is the basis of reading any
alphabetic language, though the ultimate goal is the ability to read words by sight (Hurford et al.,
2013) (Mesmer & Griffith, 2005).
When choosing a reading program, schools are greatly influenced by federal policy and
law (Afflerbach, Cho, Kim, Crassas, & Doyle, 2013). No Child Left Behind was legislation
passed in 2002 to hold schools accountable for all students achieving high standards, regardless
of their race, background or socioeconomic status. Schools must show adequate yearly progress
is being made in all student subpopulations or they could lose federal funding (Hurford et al.,
2013). No Child Left Behind also requires schools to adopt reading programs based on scientific
research (Afflerbach et al., 2013). The freedom to the schools is in the legislations lack of
specifying which research the programs should be based, though it does require the phonics
component of the reading program to be explicit and systematic (Mesmer & Griffith, 2005).
While phonics programs may differ in their instructional strategies, the ultimate goal of
each is to teach the relationships between letters and sounds. They normally begin with
phonemic awareness and progress to phonological awareness, when the student practices
identifying sounds, syllables and rhymes. Letter-sound pairs are usually taught in a specific, pre-
determined order (M. Brooks & J. Brooks, 2005). Programs are explicit when students are
directly instructed on the sounds of individual letters. This contrasts with more implicit
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 10

programs, where children acquire knowledge of letter-sound relationships through heavy
exposure to words in reading and writing (Lapp & Flood, 1997).
In recent years, the terms explicit and systematic have been in reference to the National
Reading Panels report on reading instruction (NICHD, 2000). This report declared explicit,
systematic phonics was significantly more effective than non-phonics programs. Some of the
instructional programs considered explicit and systematic include synthetic phonics, embedded
phonics, analytic phonics and teaching phonics through spelling (Mesmer & Griffith, 2005). The
National Reading Panels report found these programs do not differ significantly in regards to
effectiveness, though. As long as schools are using an explicit, systematic phonics program, they
are free to choose the type of program (Wyse & Goswami, 2008).
This freedom has led to some confusion and debate, though. In their 2005 study, Mesmer
and Griffith observed that the terms explicit and systematic were often misused and their
meanings had become unclear among educators. Explicit and systematic are not synonymous.
Explicit is how direct the teacher is in delivering the instruction. Systematic instruction must
contain a broad scope of phonics skills in sequence (Mesmer & Griffith, 2005). Mesmer and
Griffith (2005) believe the National Reading Panel report defines explicit and systematic in
broader terms than how they are traditionally accepted by educators. They surveyed 382
kindergarten through first grade classroom teachers to learn how these terms were applied to
classroom instruction. Overall, explicit and systematic instruction involved teacher-student
interactions and high levels of student engagement, including involvement and accountability on
the individual level. The curriculum most likely to be deemed explicit and systematic by the
educators included direct instruction of phonics elements in progressive steps with abundant
opportunities for the student to practice using phonics to read words (Mesmer & Griffith, 2005).
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 11

Whole-language Reading Instruction
While phonics-based programs have been advocated for in recent years, there are still
educators and researchers who support a more balanced, whole-language approach to reading
instruction. Reedy (2012), a past President of the United Kingdom Literacy Association,
remarked that while phonics is an important component of teaching reading, phonics instruction
alone does not lend itself to fluency, comprehension or motivation to read. He called for a more
balanced or whole-language approach that stresses high exposure to words and complex
language structure through reading and writing. By interacting with text in various ways
(reading, discussions, dramas, illustrations and writing), students can acquire knowledge of
phonemic awareness, vocabulary and grammar without direct instruction. Reedy (2012) argued
explicit instruction is often teacher-led while the students listen passively. Whole-language
instruction is more student-centered, where the students learn by talking and doing. In addition to
phonics, this style of instruction puts the focus back on comprehension, student motivation and
class engagement (M. Brooks & J. Brooks, 2005).
Neither whole language nor phonics instruction programs alone are guaranteed to
improve the reading skills of all students (M. Brooks & J. Brooks, 2005). Fritzer and Herbst
(1999) assert that choosing just one method will fail to meet the needs of diverse learners in
todays classroom. Rather, a middle ground is needed. Modern, balanced reading programs often
involve a literature-based curriculum which includes explicit instruction in phonological
awareness, phonics and comprehension (Hurford et al., 2013). Explicit instruction of phonemic
awareness and decoding skills has shown to improve reading rates (Foorman & Torgesen, 2001).
Unfortunately, phonological processing and alphabetic awareness are often not directly taught to
teacher candidates. Hence, teachers rely solely on reading curriculums to know how and when to
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 12

instruct students in phonics, causing young students to receive inconsistent and possibly
inadequate reading instruction (Hurford et al., 2013). This may explain why Slavin et al. (2009)
noted the most successful primary reading programs included professional development for
instructors.
Motivation to Read
While research shows proficient readers use prior knowledge, phonics and textual context
to identify words, successful readers must also be metacognitive, intrinsically motivated and
have high self-efficacy towards their reading abilities (Lapp & Flood, 1997) (Afflerbach et al.,
2013). Intrinsic motivation is engaging in an activity solely for the reward of engaging in it.
Intrinsically motivated readers engage in different types of text, enjoy discussing what they are
reading and value the ability to choose their own texts. Reading is perceived as a beneficial
challenge by students who are intrinsically motivated. Others may view it as a pointless hurdle
(Marinak, Malloy, & Gambrell, 2010).
Turner and Paris (1995) studied motivation in primary classrooms and concluded the
daily tasks in the classroom affected motivation more than the chosen reading program. Students
were more motivated when they had control over the process and final product of an assignment
or activity. For example, students were provided choices for their reading and writing and
allowed to alter tasks to fit their interests. They were also more motivated when allowed to
collaborate with peers (Turner & Paris, 1995).
In 2007, Nolen found primary students are intrinsically motivated to read and write until
they master basic literacy skills. Then, they need social-based literacy activities and the freedom
to pick their own reading materials in order to maintain motivation.
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 13

Baker and Wigfield (1999) had previously studied reading motivation for fifth and sixth
grade students. They concluded that while children are motivated to read for different reasons,
self-efficacy and challenge most strongly correlated between choice of reading activity and
motivation. Teachers can develop a motivation to read in their students by making available
content that matches the students background and interests, modeling a high level of enthusiasm
for literacy and allowing students to discuss their opinions and ideas of literacy choices with
their peers (Marinak, Malloy, & Gambrell, 2010).
In her 2012 article, Toppel gave several real-world examples for connecting students
interests and backgrounds to reading in a primary classroom. Many of these activities, such as
personal alphabets and family word associations, allow the students families to become more
involved in their education. Toppel (2012) writes, Even small changes that elicit student voice
and opportunities for students to incorporate their own experiences and what makes them unique
can be impactful (p. 102).
Learning Styles
Besides considering students skills and interests, schools successful in teaching reading
must also consider a students learning style (Reedy, 2012). Howard Gardner introduced eight
types of intelligence in a 1993 article: logical-mathematical, linguistic, musical, spatial, bodily
kinesthetic, interpersonal, naturalistic and intrapersonal. Teachers should incorporate as many of
these modes as possible in their instruction to increase effectiveness (Morgan, 2010).
Unfortunately, research has shown teachers naturally tend to teach the way they learn themselves
(Bennett, 2007). This generalization of instruction favors those students with the same learning
style as the teacher, while other students may become anxious in the classroom and negatively
respond to the instruction (Morgan, 2010) (Oxford & Lavine, 1992).
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 14

A students learning style can often be explained by their cultural norms and values
(Morgan, 2010). Minority students may encounter difficulties in school if a teacher mismatches
or lacks knowledge of their learning style. A mismatch in learning style has been connected to
students negative attitudes toward instruction and poor performance (Morgan, 2010).
How can this mismatch of learning styles be resolved? Oxford and Lavine (1992) offered
four possibilities for teachers. The first is to completely differentiate for all learners, which
would require more time than many teachers can afford. Secondly, schools can group teachers
with students who share their learning style, though this would hinder students developing
addition study techniques to copy with the disparity. Third, teachers can assess students learning
styles and alter their own behavior. Lastly, teachers could instruct students using a broad range
of learning strategies and styles (Oxford & Lavine, 1992). Using multiple learning strategies and
styles even benefits classes with little cultural diversity, since members of any cultural groups
vary greatly in their individual learning needs (Morgan, 2010). Observations and consultations
with parents can assist a teacher in determining a students learning style, or students can
complete a learning-style preference survey (Morgan, 2010) (Leopold, 2012).
Learning styles can also be categorized by a students sensory preferences. These are the
perceptual learning channels students are most comfortable learning through (Oxford & Lavine,
1992). They are categorizes as visual learning, auditory learning and kinesthetic learning. Visual
learners enjoy reading and learn best from visual aids, such as graphic organizers, drawings or
charts. These students may be confused by verbal instruction without visuals. Auditory learners
learn through oral and aural modes such as discussions, read alouds and chants. They can
sometimes struggle with writing. Kinesthetic learners learn through activities that require
physical movement. They learn using objects and will not enjoy sitting in one place for a long
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 15

period of time (Leopold, 2012) (Oxford & Lavine, 1992). Teachers who incorporate all three
learning styles into instruction offer instruction that is more inclusive and engaging for the entire
class. This ensures one student is not advantaged over another just due to their learning style
(Leopold, 2012).
Leopold (2012) shared an interesting way to modify a prewriting lesson to meet the needs
of the three learning styles. For auditory learners, traditional brainstorming and discussions are
adequate for prewriting, while visual learners can use a graphic organizer and kinesthetic
learners may play a game in which each student represents a piece of information and they
organize themselves.
Poetry and Chants
One tool shown to promote students reading skills is poetry (Rasinski, Rupley, &
Nichols, 2008) (Rasinksi & Hoffman, 2003). Poetry gives students a chance to encounter
phonograms (word families or rimes) in entertaining and memorable texts. Rhymes in poetry not
only allow students to master phonograms, but repeated readings promote fluency and better
word recognition. It also allows the student to better comprehend spelling patters (Rasinski,
Rupley, & Nichols, 2008).
Rasinski and Hoffman (2003) observed repeated poetry readings allow students to read
with more automaticity and expression, more accurately recognize words and develop as more
confident readers. This was especially the case when the teacher modeled fluent reading and read
orally along with the students. When introducing poetry, teachers should first share a specific
word family with the students. The teacher can then introduce the poem, identify words in the
poem that belong to the word family and reread the poem in several ways (partner read, choral
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 16

read, etc.) The teacher can then provide follow up activities, such as word sorts, to reinforce the
phonogram (Rasinski, Rupley, & Nichols, 2008).
Even with the research promoting the efficiency of poetry in promoting reading skills, it
still has its critics. Fritzer and Herbst (1999) warn that phonics through poetry and chants is at
the lowest end of Blooms Taxonomy because essentially students are learning by rote. While
this may benefit auditory learners, and research has shown it can benefit lower level learners and
students who speak other languages, it should not be the only method used to instruct all learners
(Fritzer & Herbst, 1999).
Songs and Musicality
Similarly to poetry and chants, songs help students remember content due to their
rhythm, repetition and novelty (Woolfolk, 1995). Historically, songs have been used as a means
of storytelling due to the way the musicality lends itself to better retention. Not only does music
synchronize both hemispheres of the brain, but it promotes optimal learning by promoting
interest in the student. Music also alters brain waves, making the brain more receptive to learning
(Davies, 2000).
Music can also help to meet the needs of diverse learners. Hanson, Silver & Strong
(1991) recognized four types of learners: sensing thinking, sensing feeling, intuitive thinking and
intuitive feeling. Traditional schooling benefits sensing and intuitive thinking students. Sensing
feeling student are sociable and value relationships. Intuitive feeling students like completing
assignments in new and creative ways. Music allows for all of these needs to potentially be met
(Hanson, Silver & Strong, 1991).
Gromko (2005) conducted a study to investigate how traditional music instruction
affected kindergarten students reading skills. She compared four kindergarten classes that
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 17

received a 30-minute music class once a week to classes that did not participate in music class.
The students learned folk songs and incorporated kinesthetic movements to reinforce rhymes.
After four months, the classes which received the music instruction had significant gains in their
phonemic awareness, especially in regards to their fluency and ability to segment phonemes,
even though the traditional music class did not explicitly teach reading strategies (Gromko,
2005). Though poetry, chants and songs promote fluency, word recognition and phonemic
awareness, teachers must remember they do not ensure the students comprehension (Davies,
2000).
Summary
Overall, the literature reviewed strongly supports balanced literacy instruction that
incorporates explicit, systemic phonics instruction with authentic literature readings and
opportunities for students to incorporate activities which match their learning style. While The
Phonics Dance is explicit, systemic instruction, it is meant to be incorporated in Guided Reading
and poetry read-alouds. The chants and musicality of The Phonics Dance should promote student
motivation and involvement, while the added gestures ensure the curriculum meets the needs of
visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.







EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 18

CHAPTER 3
Methodology
Introduction
The purpose of this study is to determine how The Phonics Dance curriculum affects
students reading in a first grade classroom in rural Northeast Texas. Additionally, this study will
investigate how the curriculum affects the students motivations to read and general reading
interests. First grade is a key year in the development of a childs reading ability and interest, but
many students become frustrated trying to decode larger, more difficult words. While focus
should be spent on learning sight words, the curriculum of The Phonics Dance provides a way
for students to learn specific phonemes, diagraphs and other phonics patterns in a fun, engaging
manner.
Research Question
How does The Phonics Dance curriculum affect students reading in a first grade
classroom in rural Northeast Texas?
Research Design
This study will be action research because I will be conducting the study in my own
classroom as a participant. As a teacher researcher, I will decide which phonics skills to
introduce or reinforce to my students each week, depending on their reading needs. I will keep a
journal throughout the semester to document my observations and interactions with students and
their parents. Though bias will be a limitation in my action research, I will be as subjective as
possible in my reflections and use multiple means of data to support my findings.


EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 19

Procedural Details
As the teacher researcher, I will make observations, reflect on them subjectively and
interview parents and students throughout the 18 weeks of a fall semester. Diagnostic Reading
Assessments will be conducted at the beginning of the year to establish a baseline for each
students reading level and comprehension. The Phonics Dance curriculum will be taught
beginning in the first week of school. It will take approximately two weeks to introduce the
alphabet song to the students. The Hunks and Chunks cards will be taught throughout the fall
semester, approximately two each week. Both chants will be practiced each morning during the
morning meeting. The students will participate in twenty minutes of guided reading each day
where I will reinforce The Phonics Dance curriculum to the students. I will make observations on
the students reading interest, motivation and ability during this guided reading time. At the end
of each six weeks, I will conference with parents or guardians to discuss the students reading
habits at home. At the end of the 18-week fall semester, the Diagnostic Reading Assessment will
be conducted again.
Setting
The setting is a self-contained, first grade classroom in rural Northeast Texas. The class
will have one teacher and approximately 20 students. The class is part of a school of
approximately 336 Pre-Kindergarten to fourth grade students. The school population is 16.4%
African American, 27.7% Hispanic, 49.7% White and 6.3% two or more races. 64.9% of the
schools students are economically disadvantaged, while 19% of students are English language
learners. 34.2% of the students are deemed to be At-Risk.
Upon entering the door, the front of the classroom is to the left. This is where the smart
board and class meeting area are located. The Hunks and Chunks cards from The Phonics Dance
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 20

curriculum will be displayed here. Cards will be added as they are taught to the class,
approximately two a week. The alphabet cards will also be displayed in the front of the room,
along the top of the whiteboard. Students will be able to reference these cards during their
reading centers.
Students have individual desks but they are grouped into pods of four or five desks each.
There is a horseshoe-shaped table on the left side of the room for guided reading groups. The
five reading centers are spaced throughout the room. The computer center is on the right side of
the room. The listening center is in the front of the room, next to the meeting area. The library is
on the left side of the room next to the guided reading table. The writing center is in the back of
the room. The final center, word work, is completed at the students desks. These five centers
(listening, computer, library, writing and word work) are completed each day by every student.
Throughout center time, students are also pulled to the guided reading table to work with the
teacher.
Participants
The participants in this study will be approximately 20 first grade students, their parents
or guardians and myself. The students will range in age from six to seven years old. The class
will be about half male and half female students. The ethnic makeup of the class will reflect the
school data mentioned previously. The exact demographics will be available after the 2014-2015
school year begins. The students parents and guardians will also be participants, as they will be
surveyed to find if and how the students reading skills and interests are changing at home.
The teacher will also be a participant in the study as the teacher researcher. It will be my
first year of employment as a certified teacher, though I will have one complete year of
experience in teaching The Phonics Dance curriculum to first grade students.
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 21

Data Collection
Observations
As the teacher researcher, I will begin making observations the first week of school. I
will observe the students reading habits during their reading centers and independent reading
time. I will also observe how the students respond as I introduce The Phonics Dance curriculum
the first week of school. Because the first two weeks of school are spent conducting Diagnostic
Reading Assessments, I will not start guided reading until the third week of school. Starting the
third week, most of my observations will occur during guided reading time. I will record how the
students utilize The Phonics Dance curriculum to decode difficult words. I will also record my
observations on their self-efficacy and motivation.
Reflections
I will write subjective reflections on each student every three weeks. While observations
will be written daily, I will reflect on the data every three weeks to better observe any progress or
pattern in the students reading.
Interviews
Informal questioning of the students will take place throughout the semester. Most
questioning will occur during guided reading time and center on the students attitudes toward
reading. Due to the nature of lower elementary classes, though, questioning will take place
informally and will likely take place as appropriate throughout the school day.
At the end of each six weeks, I will ask the students parents or guardian about the
students reading behaviors at home. These questions will include if the student is using The
Phonics Dance curriculum to decode words at home and how well the students is motivated to
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 22

read at home. All of the results from my informal questioning will be documented along will my
observations in order to allow for further reflection.
Diagnostic Reading Assessment
The Diagnostic Reading Assessment, currently in its second edition as the DRA2,
assesses a students reading level, reading comprehension and reading interest along with
specific reading skills such as predicting and summarizing. I will conduct beginning of the year
DRAs to establish a baseline of data for my students. They will be repeated at the end of the
semester to assess any changes to the students reading. This data will be used in conjunction
with the other data to conclude how The Phonics Dance curriculum affected my students
reading abilities.
Timeline of Data Collection
The data will be collected within one fall semester, approximately 18 weeks of study. At
the beginning of the semester, a DRA will be given to each student to establish baseline reading
habits. Daily instruction will take place through a 20 minute guided reading session and daily
recitations of The Phonics Dance chants. The teacher researcher will make observations during
guided reading and reading center time. At the end of each six weeks, the teacher researcher will
discuss the students reading habits with their parents or guardians and write subjective
reflections on the students reading habits. At the end of the 18-week semester, DRAs will be
conducted again to measure the students reading abilities and habits. After research is
completed, the teacher researcher will examine all data to determine how The Phonics Dance
curriculum impacted the students reading.


EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 23

Trustworthiness
The trustworthiness of the study considers four criteria that validate the naturalists
inquiry: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).
Lincoln and Guba match these terms to the positivist paradigm of intern validity, external
validity, reliability and objectivity.
The credibility of the study seeks to establish that the inquiry was conducted in such a
manner so that the participants are accurately identified and described. This allows the inquiry to
be credible to the realities of the participants. Methods used in this study to increase the
credibility of the study will be prolonged engagement by the teacher researcher over the course
of 18 weeks, triangulation of data, peer debriefing and member checking (Marshall & Rossman,
1989).
Transferability of the findings of this study will be provided through the rich descriptions
of my reflections and participants. The purpose of the study will be to understand how The
Phonics Dance curriculum affects the reading abilities of the students in my own classroom, not
to make assumptions that these findings are accurate predictions of what may occur in other
classrooms. Others may read the data and make generalizations of how the findings may fit into
their own area of interest. The generalization of these findings to other settings will be enhanced
by triangulation of data (Marshall & Rossman, 1989).
The dependability of this study refers to the positivist idea of reliability. One of the
assumptions inherent in qualitative studies is that the social world is always changing. Therefore,
any attempt to replicate a qualitative study is problematic (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).
The confirmability of a qualitative study is aligned with the positivist aspect of
objectivity. As the teacher researcher, this study should respond to my natural subjectivity
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 24

(Marshall & Rossman, 1989). Attempting to stifle this subjectivity would take away from the
qualities of teacher researcher. The teacher researchers insights increase the possibility that the
world will be accurately portrayed by the interpretations that are reached. The teacher researcher
will provide controls for bias in this interpretation.
Limitations of Study
There are three main limitations to this study. The first is that is study will be conducted
in just one classroom, my own. The effectiveness of The Phonics Dance curriculum on the
students in my class might differ from other classes. Their past reading habits, motivation and
self-efficacy may also contribute to the degree of reading improvement observed. Results may
also be affected by how the curriculum is presented.
The second limitation is time. The study will be conducted over one fall semester of 18
weeks. Bias is the final limitation. As an educator who was introduced to The Phonics Dance
curriculum during my student teaching and purposefully brought it to my own classroom, I
believe it is an effective program in strengthening my students reading abilities. Also, as a
teacher, I want to observe growth in my students reading abilities.
To overcome these limitations, I will use multiple means of data. Student observations,
my subjective reflections, informal parent and student interviews and Diagnostic Reading
Assessment results will all contribute to my findings. I will remain open to findings that support
or oppose the effectiveness of The Phonics Dance curriculum. I believe this study will still
provide valuable data that may lead to further research of The Phonics Dance.
Data Analysis
Four different sources of data will be uses for this study. The first will be my own
observations. I will observe my students during their guided reading, independent reading and
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 25

reading center times. Secondly, data will be obtained through interviewing of my students and
their parents or guardians. Informal questioning of the students will occur throughout the day but
especially during guided reading times. These questions will focus on their attitudes towards
reading. I will also inquire with the parents or guardians about the students reading habits at
home. These questions will occur at the end of each six week period. The third source of data
will be the DRA results. The baseline DRA will be compared to the end-of-semester assessment
to support any changes to the students reading. My own subjective reflections on my
observations will be the final source of data. I will reflect on my observations of each student at
least once every three weeks to better note any progress or pattern to the students reading. These
multiple sources of data will be used to triangulate my findings and get a more accurate depiction
on how The Phonics Dance curriculum affects my students reading.
I will use the causal comparative method to analyze my data. I will analyze my data as it
is obtained instead of waiting until research is finalized. By encoding my data, I will be looking
for patterns and from these patterns, I will develop themes. As issues and themes arise, my study
may change direction if needed.
Conclusion
This chapter described the design of this proposed research study. The research question
was stated along with a description of the research procedures. The setting and participants were
described so the reader can determine any transferability from this study to their own area of
education. The plan for data collection was outlined along with a discussion of this studys
trustworthiness and limitations. The chapter ended with information on how the data will be
analyzed. This proposed study will hopefully be carried out during the fall semester of the 2014-
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 26

2015 school year and display findings that will lead to further research of The Phonics Dance
curriculum.





















EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 27

References
Afflerbach, P., Cho, B.Y., Kim, J.Y., Crassas, M.E., & Doyle, B. (2013). Reading: What else
matters besides strategies and skills? The Reading Teacher, 66(6), 440-448.
Baker, L., & Wigfield, A. (1999). Dimensions of childrens motivation for reading and their
relation to reading activity and reading achievement. Reading Research Quarterly, 34(4),
152-177.
Bennett, C.I. 2007. Comprehensive Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice. New York:
Pearson Education.
Brooks, M.C., & Brooks, J.S. (2005). Whole language or phonics: Improving language
instruction through general semantics. Education and Treatment of Children, 271-280.
Davies, M.A. (2000). Learning the beat goes on. Childhood Education, 76(3), 148-153.
Diamant-Cohen, B., Prendergast, T., & Estrovitz, C. (2013). Repeat after me! Repetition and
early literacy development. Children and Libraries, 11(2), 20-24.
Foorman, B. & Torgesen, J. (2001). Critical elements of classroom and small-group instruction
promote reading success in children. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 16, 203-
212.
Fritzer, P. & Herbst, P. (1999). A cautionary tale: Directed instruction reading. Contemporary
Education, 70(2), 45-47.
Goll, P.S. (2011). Literacy strategies: Variations on a theme. Education, 132(2), 429-434
Gromko, J.E. (2005). The effect of music instruction on phonemic awareness in beginning
readers. Journal of Research in Music Education, 53(3), 199-209.
Halladay, J.L. (2012). Revisiting key assumptions of the reading level framework. The Reading
Teacher, 66, 53-62.
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 28

Hanson, J.R., Silver, H.F., & Strong, R.W. (1991). Learning styles of at-risk students. Music
Educators Journal, 78(3), 30-35.
Humphries, C., Bidner, S., & Edwards, C. (2011). Integrated learning with music and physical
education. The Clearing House, 84, 174-179.
Hurford, D.P., Lasater, K.A., McMahon, A.B., Kiesling, N.E., Carter, M.L., Hurford, T.E., &
Neidhardt, K. (2013). The results of a scripted linguistic phonics reading curriculum
implemented by kindergarten teachers. Journal of Educational Research & Policy
Studies, 13(3), 33-50.
Kirby, J.R., Ball, A., Geier, B.K., Parrila, R., & Wade-Woolley, L. (2011). The development of
reading interest and its relation to reading ability. Journal of Research in Reading, 34(3),
263-280.
Lapp, D., & Flood, J. (1997). Wheres the phonics? Making the case (again) for integrated code
instruction. The Reading Teacher, 50(8), 696-700.
Leopold, L. (2012). Prewriting tasks for auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. TESL Canada
Journal, 29(2), 96-102.
Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Marinak, B.A., Malloy, J.A., & Gambrell, L.B. (2010). Engaging readers: Research-based
practices that nurture the motivation to read. The International Journal of Learning,
17(5), 503-511.
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G.B. (1989). Designing qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA:
Sage.
Mesmer, H.E., & Griffith, P.L. (2005). Everybodys selling itbut just what is explicit,
systematic phonics instruction? The Reading Teacher, 59(4), 366-376.
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 29

Morgan, H. (2010). Improving schooling for cultural minorities: The right teaching styles can
make a big difference. Educational Horizons, 114-120.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National
Reading Panel: Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the
scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction:
Reports of the subgroups (NIH Publication No. 00-4754). Washington, DC: U.S.
Government Printing Office.
Nolen, S. (2007). Young childrens motivation to read and write: Development in social
contexts. Cognition & Instruction, 25(2&3), 219-270.
Oxford, R.L., & Lavine, R.Z. (1991). Teacher-student style wars in the language classroom:
Research insights and suggestions. ADFL Bulletin, 23(2), 38-45.
Rasinski, T., Rupley, W.H., & Nichols, W.E. (2008). Two essential ingredients: Phonics and
fluency getting to know each other. The Reading Teacher, 62(3), 257-260.
Rasinski, T.V., & Hoffman, J.V. (2003). Theory and research into practice: Oral reading in the
school literacy curriculum. Reading Research Quarterly, 38(4), 510-522.
Reedy, D. (2012). Misconceptions about teaching reading: Is it only about phonics? Education
Review, 24(2), 50-58.
Slavin, R.E., Lake, C., Chamber, B., Cheung, A., & Davis, S. (2009). Effective reading programs
for the elementary grades: A best-evidence synthesis. Review of Educational Research,
79(4), 1391-1466.
Toppel, K. (2012). Phonics instruction with a culturally responsive twist: Three approaches to
transforming curriculum. Multicultural Perspectives, 14(2), 99-102.
EFFECTS OF THE PHONICS DANCE CURRICULUM 30

Turner, J., & Paris, S. (1995). How literacy tasks influence childrens motivation for literacy.
The Reading Teacher, 48(8), 662-673.
Wyse, D., & Goswami, U. (2008). Synthetic phonics and the teaching of reading. British
Educational Research Journal, 34(6), 691-710.

S-ar putea să vă placă și