February 6, 2017

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am a graduate student in the Department of Early and Middle Grades Education at West
Chester University of Pennsylvania, working toward my M.Ed. in Applied Studies in Teaching
and Learning. As part of my Masters degree program, I will be conducting a classroom action
research project to understand the benefits of using read alouds to teach social and emotional
skills. I would like to include your child in my research project.

During a period of 6-8 weeks, I will be using two focus read alouds and follow up activities to
teach students about social and emotional skills and also to get their thoughts and opinions on
appropriate social and emotional skills. I will be collecting data through observations of students
during small group sessions, interviewing students, student writing samples, and student
responses during read alouds. All data that I collect (observations, interviews, and writing) will
be kept confidential and no reference to your child s name will be used in my work at any time.

The results of this action research project will be used for an online website that only students in
my graduate class and professor will be able to view. As stated above, your childs name will not
be used in my research or on my website at any time.

Please sign below to indicate your consent for your child to participate in my action research
project and return this form by February 10, 2017.

Thank you for your consideration,

Ellie Holcombe

____________________________________________________________________________

I agree to for my child to participate in this research and I understand that observations,
interviews and writing samples from my child will be included, anonymously. I understand there
is no risk to my child, and that I may withdraw my consent at any time.

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