Running head: READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS 1

Reading Strategies for First Graders

Nuong Nguyen

California State University, Monterey Bay

Cohort MIST XII

IST 522 Instructional Design

Dr. Jeanne Farrington

Fall 2017
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................4

Analysis............................................................................................................................................5

Needs Assessment ........................................................................................................................5

Learner Analysis ..........................................................................................................................8

Context Analysis ........................................................................................................................10

Content Analysis ........................................................................................................................11

Design ............................................................................................................................................12

Literature Review .......................................................................................................................13

Learning Objectives ...................................................................................................................14

Test Instrument ...........................................................................................................................15

Media and Delivery System Decisions ......................................................................................16

Instructional Strategies and Activities........................................................................................17

Agenda ....................................................................................................................................18

Development and Implementation .................................................................................................20

List of Major Deliverables .........................................................................................................20

Development Plan ......................................................................................................................20

Implementation Plan ..................................................................................................................21

Evaluation ......................................................................................................................................22

Formative Evaluation .................................................................................................................22

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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

Summative Evaluation............................................................................................................22

References ......................................................................................................................................23

Appendices .....................................................................................................................................26

Appendix A ................................................................................................................................26

Appendix B ................................................................................................................................29

Appendix C ................................................................................................................................30

Appendix D ................................................................................................................................32
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

Reading Strategies for Struggling First Graders

This capstone project stems from a current need for explicit instruction of first graders on

reading strategies that will help them improve their reading fluency and decoding skills. First-

grade students at John E. Steinbeck School are not meeting the Common Core State Standards

(CCSS) for reading. In order to be successful readers in second grade, students should be able to

read short and long vowels, digraphs, words with inflectional endings, and two syllable words by

the end of the year (NGA Center & CCSSO, 2017). The target audience is the 80 first-grade students

at John E. Steinbeck School learning how to read. The stakeholders are John E. Steinbeck’s

students, parents, teachers, and the Alisal Union School District.

At the beginning of the year, first-grade students took the Developmental Reading

Assessment (DRA) that assessed their reading abilities. The majority of the students only knew

one or two reading strategies while decoding words and thus were struggling to progress to a

harder DRA Level. The goal for the eLearning module is to teach first graders reading strategies

to help them with word recognition. If students are able to read fluently, this will, in turn, help

them with their reading comprehension.

Ethical considerations are to give all first-grade students access to the learning module.

The e-module has to have accessibility features to accommodate all types of learners. Some

constraints might include students’ lacking of computer and fine motor skills.

Students will use a blended learning approach with self-paced eLearning modules, which

includes lessons, practice, and test options in combination with direct instruction from their

classroom teacher. The general timeline for development is seven months in order to build the
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

seven modules. Implementation will be at the beginning of the school year in September 2018.

The final evaluation will be in November 2018 when each module has been completed.

Analysis

Needs Assessment

More than one-third of first-grade students at John E. Steinbeck School are not reading at

grade level. According to the Common Core State Standards, students should be able to read

short and long vowels, digraphs, words with inflectional endings, and two-syllable words by the

end of the school year (2017). It is crucial the students receive the reading foundational skills in

first grade to help reduce the number of students that will later need reading interventions

programs.

The performance gap shows students who are struggling to read ranges from a DRA level

3 to 10; however, the goal is to read at a DRA level 18 by the end of first-grade. The majority of

the students only know one or two reading strategies when encountering a difficult word. As a

result, they cannot progress beyond reading short and long vowel words. It is worth fixing now

since the performance gap will only widen each year if students fall short of acquiring these

reading foundational skills.

The performance gap is caused by a lack of skills and knowledge. At the beginning of

the school year, students lack the skills to blend sounds into word correctly. The words become

more challenging as students are introduced to words with digraphs, blends, inflectional endings,

and two syllables. Students need multiple strategies when decoding words, since sounding out

each letter will not always produce the words. The eLearning module will provide the students

practice with decoding the words correctly. Other causes of students’ lack of reading skills and
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

knowledge may also be due to the lack of reading support and reinforcement at home. Some

parents speak a limited amount of English and are unable to help their child.

Several methods were used when conducting the needs assessment, including students’

test scores from the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), informal discussions, and a

staff survey to show students are reading below grade level and that there is a need for explicit

instruction on reading strategies.

The Developmental Reading Assessment scores for all three first-grade classes were

accessed through the school’s Google Drive for the 2016-17 school year. The DRA assessed

students’ reading abilities in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading fluency, and

comprehension and determines the students’ reading level. I was also able to assess 21 students

on the DRA. The students had to read one or more selections aloud, retell what happened, and

answer comprehension questions afterward.

Through informal discussions with the second grade teachers in the teachers’ lounge, I

learned the same students who were struggling with reading in first grade are still struggling this

year in second grade. In second-grade the text is more complex and less instruction time is

devoted to learning how to read. Therefore, it is crucial that students receive the foundational

reading skills in first-grade in order improve their reading fluency and meet the DRA level

target.

In order to get a more thorough needs assessment, ten staff members were surveyed. A

paper survey was also created in Microsoft Word and handed out for teachers to fill out (see

Appendix A). The survey consisted of nine questions: Four questions about teaching

background and instruction, four questions using a rating scale on reading strategies and level of
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satisfaction, and one open-ended question on ways to improve students’ reading skills. The

participants’ occupations range from teaching kindergarten to 5th grade, a special day class, and a

reading intervention class. The participants’ level of experience with teaching varies from 4

years to 37 years (see Appendix A for survey results).

The needs assessment shows that the first graders are not reading at grade level. Students

should be reading at a level 18 on the Developmental Reading Assessment; however, 41% of the

first graders scored below grade leve1, and half of those students are only able to read words

with short and long vowels sounds fluently. In order to be successful students have to be able to

read short and long vowels, digraphs, words with inflectional endings, and two syllable words

(Common Core State Standards, 2017). From my observation of 21 students, about one-third

only knew one or two reading strategies while decoding words and were struggling to progress to

a harder DRA level.

Based on the survey, 60% of the teachers did not feel like their students were reading at

grade level. 40% were dissatisfied with their students’ reading ability, 30% were neither

satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 30% were satisfied. The results show that most of the teachers felt

students were not reading at grade level when they enter their class. Also, more teachers were

dissatisfied with their students’ reading ability.

When the teachers were asked how much time they spent on teaching phonics, the lower

grades (kindergarten-2nd) spent over an hour teaching phonics, whereas the upper grades (3rd-5th)

dedicated less time. When asked about how much time was spent teaching reading strategies in

a day, half of the teachers spent less than 35 minutes. However, 100% of the participants felt

there is a need to teach students reading strategies explicitly to help students improve their

decoding skills.
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

When the teachers were asked if they thought the students were capable of improving

their reading skills, there was a positive response. Four teachers mentioned instruction is needed

to help improve the students’ reading skills. Three teachers wrote the students need more

practice. Two teachers mentioned home support and proper foundation. One teacher mentioned

students need motivation.

From the DRA results and survey, students are struggling to read due to a lack of

knowledge and not all teachers are satisfied with the students’ reading level. The growing

number of students makes it harder for teachers to individualize instruction. The average class

size for first grade this year is 26 students per teacher with the upper grades having even more

students that can range up to 35 students. An eLearning module would be a better solution to

help students learn the different reading strategies at their own pace instead of a teacher

delivering the content to the whole class all at once. Furthermore, students can access the

learning module at the beginning of each semester to help them review the reading strategies and

commit it to their long-term memory.

The goal of this project is to teach students reading strategies to help them with word

recognition, word patterns, and to build automaticity while reading. The project will provide

practice of the multiple reading strategies through an e-learning module to help students

accurately decode words. Each module will present one strategy. The reading strategies will

include: looking at pictures, making each phoneme sound, stretching out the sound, changing the

vowel sound, breaking up the words into syllables or word families, rereading, and using context

clues to figure out the word.

Learner Analysis
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John E. Steinbeck is a Title 1 school with a high percentage of low-income students. The

majority of the students at John E. Steinbeck are Hispanic, and about 48% of the first graders are

English learners. However, according to the DRA scores, only 14% of the English learners are

struggling to read. The majority of the students can understand and speak English. In order to

meet the needs of all the students, the reading strategies will be paired with pictures, and there

will be lots of visuals in the eLearning module. In addition, the teachers can assist students by

translating less common English words into Spanish, if needed.

The target audience is first-grade students ranging from age six to eight. From the Basic

Phonics Skills Test (BPST), students show a range of reading skills from knowing some alphabet

sounds to being able to read words with shorts and long vowels. It is typical at this age to have

trouble recognizing the letters b, d, q, and p. From the DRA test, the majority of the students can

typically apply one to two reading strategies while reading. In addition, the Concepts of Print

Assessment results show some students having trouble with reading left to right and

understanding sounds make up words (see Appendix B for an example of Concepts of Print).

This is the reason why teachers review concepts of print and the alphabet names and sounds at

the start of the year. Also, incoming first graders are expected to read at a level 4 on the DRA,

which includes short vowels, common high-frequency words, and some long vowels; however,

over one-third of the students are reading at level 1 which includes words like “no” and “yes.”

The methods used to complete the learner analysis was through the school’s database,

school assessments, observation in the classroom, and informal conversations with the students’

parents and teachers. At the beginning of the year, the assistant principal sends out a report with

a list of all the English learners and their California English Language Development Test’s

scores. This helps the teacher differentiate their instruction according to the students’ level. The
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Concept of Prints, BPST, and DRA tests helps evaluate the students understanding of reading

and determines their reading level. Through observation in the classroom and conversations with

parents and teachers, the teacher can understand the students’ abilities and typical behavior

patterns.

Learners’ attitudes towards reading vary from enjoyment to dreading the task. Most

students enjoy being read to. In my experience as a teacher of 7 years, students whose parents

read to them at home tend to enjoy reading and have a better understanding of concepts of print.

Most students enjoy being on the computer. Students have some experience with learning on the

computer through websites like Starfall, Lexia Core5, and Symphony Math.

Students at this age have short attention spans; therefore it is important to use

instructional time wisely. Teachers should activate students’ prior knowledge and help them

make connections. Since students like animals, each learning strategy in the e-learning module

will be paired with an animal to help students remember and connect the information. For

example, “Chunky Monkey” will help students to remember to look for a chunk or word family

like –at or –it to help them decode the words (Tejeda, 2016). The animal is not only a good

memory aid, but will also make learning fun and grab the students’ attention.

Some prerequisites skills the students need in order to complete the e-learning modules

are the students have to be able to use the keypad to scroll and click buttons. The students also

have to understand the layout of the learning module and the order of the tasks. In order to help

students with these computer skills, the students will be in small groups where the teacher can

help guide them through the process.

Context Analysis
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The context analysis shows that the best learning environment for the students is in the

classroom. Students have access to seven laptops with headphones. While we do have a

computer lab, it is also connected to the library and can be distracting as other classes occupy the

room at the same time. Therefore, it is best to have students complete the eLearning module

inside the classroom where it is quiet, and students can focus better. The disadvantage is if the

internet is not working, then students cannot access the module.

One advantage of a blended delivery system is the teacher can review the strategies

beforehand, and then students can practice what they learned on the asynchronous e-learning

modules in small groups of six to seven. This allows the teacher to assist the students with

questions and allows the students to learn at their own pace. According to Piskurich (2015),

blended learning “plays to the strengths of both formats and creates an effective and efficient

training process” (p. 97).

Content Analysis

The goal of John E. Steinbeck School is to ensure students meet the Common Core State

Standards for reading at each grade level. If students are reading at grade level and building their

foundational reading skills now, this will help reduce the number of students that will later need

reading interventions programs, like Read 180 and System 44. Also, if students are able to read

fluently, this will, in turn, help them with their reading comprehension. According to the

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test results, 47% of third graders are not

meeting the standards for language arts and literacy. This shows that it is crucial students

develop literacy skills at an early age.

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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

The main goals for the first graders are to build fluency and automaticity while reading.

Students should:

 meet the first-grade Common Core State Standards for reading (see Appendix C),

 be able to read short and long vowels, digraphs, words with inflectional endings, and

two-syllable words,

 pass the DRA test at level 18,

 and utilize multiple strategies to help them improve their decoding skills and fluency.

The topics that will be covered in the modules include the seven reading strategies. Students

will do the following when encountering an unknown word:

 learn to look at pictures,

 make each phoneme sound,

 stretch out the sound,

 change the vowel sound,

 reread,

 breaking up the words into word families (Tejeda, 2016) or syllables,

 and use context clues to figure out the unknown words.

The process for analyzing the content for the module is based on the DRA scores. Also,

the reading strategies with unique animal names are from Brenda Tejeda’s guided reading

packet. I modified some of the strategies to include using context clues and breaking apart the

words into syllables to meet the needs of my first graders.

Design
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Literature Review

The studies focus on various types of reading instruction such as phonics, whole

language, authentic literature, peer mediation, and station teaching, which will help the students’

reading achievement.

In Foorman, Liberman, Francis, and Novy’s (1991) research, the results showed that

classrooms with more letter-sound instruction helped students improved their reading and

spelling. This shows that it is important for teachers to dedicate time to teaching phonics in the

classroom. In another study, Beverly, Giles, and Bucks (2009) supports the position for teaching

phonics with the addition of decodable texts for struggling readers and authentic text for average

readers. Decodable text allows students to sound out each letter as well as have repetition of

common sight words, like “see” and “have.” In first grade, students are started to learn how to

read and need to make the connection between sounds (phonemes) and letters.

In contrast, Reutzel and Cooter (1990) points out teaching students the whole language

approach yields greater results in reading, vocabulary, and comprehension. The whole language

approach focuses on context and meaning. Students read the word in authentic literature and not

in isolation as a way to learn how to read. The students are only looking at the first and last letter

of the word along with the context to help decode the word. For my capstone project, the

students will use strategies from both approaches where they can sound out the word and look at

context clues and meaning.

In another study, Fuchs et al. (2001) showed students build fluency through peer

scaffolding and repeated reading. The “peer-assisted learning strategies” or PALS with the

fluency component had statistically significant results on the reading fluency and comprehension
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assessment. This shows that it is beneficial for peers to work together and that reading the text

multiple times can not only help build fluency but also help with reading comprehension. One of

the reading strategies for my capstone project is to have the students reread the section. Also,

students are encouraged to work with their partners.

In Suprabha and Subramonian (2014) article, station or rotation teaching in small groups

can benefit the students immensely. In rotation teaching, students rotate in small groups to

different learning areas. The benefit is that it targets student needs, and teachers can differentiate

instruction in reading or any other subjects. Therefore, for my capstone project, students are

working in multiple grouping structures: whole group, small group, and partner pairing.

When teaching students how to read, the teacher has to consider the type of instruction as

well as effective grouping arrangements. Struggling readers would benefit from decodable texts

and phonics instructions whereas average readers would benefit more from whole language

instruction with authentic literature. Furthermore, students would benefit from peer scaffolding

with repeating reading, as well as small flexible group that target learning. In order to meet the

literacy needs of the students, the teacher has to be flexible and differentiate instruction.

Learning Objectives

All the objectives for the e-learning module are categorized under the cognitive domain.

 Terminal Objective: Given an example or reading selection from the Developmental

Reading Assessment, first-grade students will be able to apply one to two reading

strategies while reading with 100% accuracy. This applies to all of the learning modules.

(Applying)
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o Enabling Objective: Given a list of strategies and animals, first-grade students

will be able to match the animals associated with the reading strategies with 80%

accuracy. (Remembering)

o Enabling Objective: From memory, first-grade students will say or list the five

reading strategies with 80% accuracy. (Remembering)

o Enabling Objective: Given an example or reading selection, first-grade students

will be able to identify which strategy is being used with 80% accuracy.

(Remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing)

Test Instrument

Each eLearning module will have interactive videos, a practice portion, and a quiz at the

end of the module. The quiz will assess the students’ knowledge on the particular strategy and if

they met the enabling objective. The quiz will include matching, multiple choice questions, and

fill-in-the-blank. After the quiz, the teacher will review the answers and provide explanation or

practice if needed. The class will have a discussion of the different strategies in the learning

module. Based on the quiz, classroom discussion, and informal observation after the quiz, the

teacher will know if the students need extra support and if they have mastered the objective. The

method is appropriate for first-grade since they are used to matching, multiple choice questions,

and fill-in-the-blank from learning on the computer through websites like Starfall, Lexia Core5,

and Symphony Math.

The summative assessment will be the application of the reading strategies on the

Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). Students will read various books and apply the

strategies they learned when encountering unknown words. The students met the terminal

objective if the students used the strategy and were able to decode the word accurately. The
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

teacher will document the strategy the student used and give the students oral feedback after the

test. The pretest will be the same. The teacher will know if the student has mastered this

objective if the student moves up a reading level on the DRA from the pre-assessment.

Media and Delivery System Decisions

The instruction will be delivered in the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS).

Each eLearning module will contain narration, videos, graphics, and animation—created using

Adobe Captivate—to show examples of reading strategies. This delivery system was chosen

since it is user-friendly, easy-to-use, and able to store all the necessary components of the

module. Also, since most of the students cannot read, the narration will guide the students

through the module.

The blended delivery approach will use asynchronous eLearning and synchronous in-

class instruction. The synchronous in-class instruction allows the teacher to introduce the

reading strategy to the whole class with visual aids. Then the students will be given some

example to practice with their partners. Afterwards, the students will go into different stations.

Six to seven students will be working on the eLearning module while the rest of the class will be

at different stations working on other aspects of the language arts curriculum, such as phonics

and writing. According to Suprabha and Subramonian’s article “How Does Station Teaching

Effect Language learning?,” having stations help target students’ needs as well as provide

support (2014).

In the computer station, the students will work on the asynchronous eLearning module,

which allows the students to learn at their own pace. The small group allows the teacher to

provide support. According to Piskurich (2015), the most successful training processes combine
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

delivery systems (p.97). The combined method will allow the teacher to activate the students’

prior knowledge beforehand, call to what is important, and allow peer support through the

discussions of the different strategies. When students are engaged in the learning process, this

improves outcomes (Freeman et al., 2014).

Instructional Strategies and Activities

The agenda will include the instructional strategies for synchronous in-class instruction

and asynchronous eLearning. The major activities for the module will be completing the

activities to demonstrate the strategy by dragging and dropping words and pictures and

answering multiple choice questions. The visual aids posters will be modified from Brenda

Tejeda’s “Reading Strategies Posters and Guided Reading Cards. The videos for each module

will be taken from various Youtube videos. Based on the cognitive information processing

learning theory, the teacher will activate students’ prior knowledge, present one concept at a

time, and help the students make connections (Gredler, 2009).

The instructional design will be based on Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction. For the

synchronous in-class instruction, the teacher will gain the students’ attention by displaying

different leveled books. The class will then choral read the objectives. The teacher will activate

prior knowledge by showing some common strategies some students are already using. Then the

teacher will present the reading strategies posters and provide examples of how to use the

strategy from the different fiction and non-fiction books. The students will be given an example

and the teacher will guide the student through the process of decoding the word.

For the “elicit performance” portion of Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction, the students

will practice the strategy from the asynchronous eLearning module. The module will have built-
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

in feedback as the students complete the activity. Afterwards, the students will be given a book

and have to apply what they learned.

Agenda

(Blended Learning- synchronous in-class instruction and asynchronous eLearning)

I. Introduction

A. Gain the students’ attention by displaying different leveled books

B. State the objectives (what students will be learning, why students need to learn it, and

how will the students know they have mastered the objective)

C. Activate prior knowledge with common reading strategies

II. In-Class Learning Activities

A. Present one reading strategy and provide examples

B. Class discussion of the reading strategy

C. Guided practice with several examples

D. Students will practice the reading strategy with their partners

III. eLearning Module

A. The learning module will restate the objective

B. Students will practice one of seven reading strategies

C. Students will be able to accomplish two enabling objectives (match the animals with

the reading strategies, and identify which strategy is being used)

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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

D. The last module the students will accomplish three enabling objectives (say or list five

of the reading strategies)

E. Students will match and answer multiple choice questions (built-in feedback)

IV. Informal Assessment

A. Students will utilize the strategy during reading time.

IV. Media

A. narration, videos, graphics, and animation in each module (the videos are from

Youtube)

V. Visual Aid

A. Posters displayed around the room (from Brenda Tejeda’s guided reading packet)

B. Bookmarkers with the reading strategies and animal

VI. Closure

A. Restate the objective

B. Class discussion of what the students learned

C. Teacher provides feedback from observation of the students taking the eLearning

module

D. Review the previous strategies

VII. Formative assessment

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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

A. Students will read a leveled book from the Developmental Reading Assessment

(DRA) and apply one to two reading strategies with 100% accuracy in week 8 (Terminal

Objective)

Development and Implementation

List of Major Deliverables

 Presentation of strategies with examples

 1 poster of reading strategies (from Brenda Tejeda’s guided reading packet)

 1 bookmark of reading strategies

 A Captivate course

 Narration for each module

 1 video per module (taken from Youtube)

 1 matching activity per module

 multiple choice questions for each module

 DRA reading test

 Different leveled books

Development Plan

The students will focus on one reading strategy each week through the eLearning module

and direct instruction. There will be seven modules for each of the learning strategies. The e-

learning module will take approximately 8 hours to complete over 8 weeks. There will be an

hour to take the pre- and post-test. The students will spend 30 minutes on each lesson on the

computer in the classroom. The students will repeat the lessons twice to help them commit it to

their long-term memory. The teacher can extend the time if needed. The students will
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

demonstrate mastery when they pass the test in the module and utilize one to two reading

strategies with 100% accuracy.

Besides the cost of the Captivate software, there is no other cost. The school already has

laptops for the students. The major challenge is learning the new Captivate software and making

the learning module interactive. My Plan B is to make the design simple if I use up the time

allotted.

The general timeline for development is seven months in order to build the seven

modules. Implementation will be at the beginning of the school year in September 2018. The

final evaluation will be in November 2018 when each module has been completed. One

challenge that might occur is the district is always changing the reading assessment test. If the

Developmental Reading Assessment changes then the terminal objective will have to change to

the new test. However, this is not a major challenge since the goal is for the students to learn

how to read regardless of which test is being utilized.

Implementation Plan

Since this a blended delivery system, the instructor has to be knowledgeable about each

strategy when introducing it. The instructor has to have the posters and examples ready at the

start of the week. In addition, the instructor has to have basic knowledge of a computer and how

to access the eLearning module from the internet. The first grade team, which consists of three

first-grade teachers, meets every Wednesday for collaboration. This is a great opportunity for

the two other teachers to be trained on how to deliver the strategies by me. The training will

begin at the start of the school year. Each class has approximately 25-30 students. However,

only 6-7 students will be taking the eLearning module at one time.
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Evaluation

Formative Evaluation

There are numerous ways the teacher will assess the students. Each module has matching

and multiple choice questions. Depending on the results, the teacher will know if the students

understand the topic and mastered the objectives. Students are further evaluated through class

discussion at the end of each module. In addition, the teachers will evaluate the students’ use of

the strategies during reading time. The teachers will also observe students while they complete

the learning module. If students are struggling with any part of the design, then modification can

be made for the next module. The teachers will meet on Wednesday to discuss the results of the

eLearning module and any changes that needs to be made.

Summative Evaluation

The summative evaluation will be the Developmental Reading Assessment. The teacher

will observe if students apply the strategies while reading and move up one reading level. Also,

through class discussion, the teacher will know how the students reacted to the module. I am not

planning to conduct transfer, payoff, or ROI evaluations for this project.

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References

Beverly, B.L., Giles, R.M., & Buck, K.L. (2009). First grade reading gains following

enrichment: Phonics plus decodable texts compared to authentic literature read aloud.

Reading Improvement, 46(4), 191-205. Retrieved from

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.library2.csumb.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&s

id=039835ea-e62d-4a8d-ae15-fb04a7e8b4c5%40sessionmgr4007

California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. (2017). Test results for English

language arts/literacy and mathematics. Retrieved from

http://caaspp.cde.ca.gov/sb2017/ViewReport?ps=true&lstTestYear=2017&lstTestType=

B&lstGroup=1&lstCounty=27&lstDistrict=65961-000&lstSchool=6109466

Foorman, B. R., Novy, D. M., Francis, D. J., & Liberman, D. (1991). How letter-sound

instruction mediates progress in first-grade reading and spelling. Journal of Educational

Psychology, 83(4), 456. Retrieved from

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.library2.csumb.edu:2048/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=5ab8

66f5-8ad9-4460-bd2a-daa7e1f3147a%40pdc-v-

sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=10420293&db=aph

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., &

Wenderoth, M. P. (2013). Active learning increases student performance in science,

engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the

United States of America, 111 (23), pp. 8410-15 . Retrieved from

http://www.pnas.org/content/111/23/8410.full.pdf
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Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L., Yen, L., McMaster, K., Svenson, E., Yang, N., &…King, S. (2001).

Developing first-grade reading fluency through peer mediation. Teaching Exceptional

Children, 34(2), 90. Retrieved from

https://search.proquest.com/openview/fc6ef5c23feea55b5f4a9e1406c7ac15/1?pq-

origsite=gscholar&cbl=7737

Great Schools. (2017). John e. steinbeck elementary school. Retrieved from

https://www.greatschools.org/california/salinas/3235-John-E.-Steinbeck-Elementary-

School/

National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). State education reforms. Retrieved from

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/tab5_3.asp

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School

Officers. (2017). Common core state standards for English language arts reading:

Foundational skills, first grade. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-

Literacy/RF/1/

Nguyen, N. (2017). Literature Review. Paper from IST 511. CSUMB, Monterey Bay.

Reutzel, D. R., & Cooter, R. B. (1990). Whole language: Comparative effects on first-grade

reading achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 83(5). Retrieved from

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.library2.csumb.edu:2048/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=eb929

f9a-e414-4e76-930a-

a6e27aa5a915%40sessionmgr4006&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN

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Suprabha, K., & Subramonian, G. (2014). How does station teaching effect language learning?

Journal on English Language Teaching, 4(3), 21-25. Retrieved from

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1068439

Tejeda, B (2016). Reading strategies posters and guided reading cards. Retrieved from

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/READING-STRATEGIES-Posters-and-

Guided-Reading-Cards-2501689
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

Appendix A: Survey Questions Results

1. What is your job title? (10 teachers)

(8 multiple subject teachers, 1 special day class teacher, 1 reading specialist)

2. How many years have you been teaching?

0-9 years (4) 10-19 (2) 20-29 (1) 30-39 (3)

3. Do you feel like your students are reading at grade level?

Strongly disagree (2) disagree (4) neither agree agree (2) strongly agree

nor disagree (2)

4. How satisfied are you with your students’ reading ability?

Very dissatisfied (1) dissatisfied (3) neither satisfied satisfied (3) very satisfied

nor dissatisfied

(3)

5. How much time do you spend a teaching phonics in a day?

0-35 mins (4) 36-71 mins (4) 71-106 mins (2)

6. How much time do you spend teaching reading strategies explicitly in a day?
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

0-35 mins (5) 36-71 mins (3) 71-106 mins (2)

7. Do you feel there is a need to teach students reading strategies explicitly?

strongly disagree disagree neither agree agree (1) strongly agree

nor disagree (9)

8. Do you think teaching students reading strategies explicitly will improve their decoding

skills?

strongly disagree disagree neither agree agree (4) strongly agree

nor disagree (6)

9. Do you feel like students are capable of improving their reading skills? If yes, how?

-Yes, with instruction and practice with comprehensible input.

-With more motivation, parent support and with me teaching reading strategies more

explicitly.

-Yes, through explicit direct instruction.

-Yes explicit direct instructions, small group instructions, guided reading groups, intervention.

-Yes however slower than the typical child without disabilities.

-Yes, with the proper foundation they will flourish.

-Home support.

-Practice, presentation
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

-Yes, need more practice in small groups.

-Yes! Repeat, practice, practice, practice

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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

Appendix B: Concepts of Print

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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

Appendix C: Common Core State Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.A

Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.B

Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.C

Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.D

Use knowledge that every syllable must have a vowel sound to determine the number of

syllables in a printed word.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.E

Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.F

Read words with inflectional endings.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.G

Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

Fluency:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4.A

Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4.B

Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive

readings.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4.C

Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as

necessary.
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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

Appendix D: Test Items

Questions 1 and 2 are testing the students’ knowledge of the different reading strategies.

Questions 3 through 4 are checking students’ comprehension as they specify which strategies are

being used. In question 5 the students are applying what they learned while reading a selection

from the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA).

1) Match the animal name with the reading strategy.

1. Chunky Monkey a. look at the pictures

2. Flippy Dolphin b. make the initial sound

3. Eagle Eye c. blend each sound

4. Lips the Fish d. change the vowel sounds

5. Trying Lion e. break up the words into familiar sounds or syllables

6. Stretchy Snake f. reread the sentence

7. Skippy Frog g. use context clues to figure out the words

Answers: 1e, 2d, 3a, 4b, 5f, 6c, 7g

2) List five reading strategies.

(Answers: Look at the pictures, make each phoneme sound, stretch out the sound, change the

vowel sounds, break up the words into chunks, reread the sentence, use context clues.)

3) While struggling to read, the student does this /cccc/---/aaaaa/----/tttt/. Which reading

strategy is the student using?

a. looking at the picture

b. breaking the words into chunks

c. using context clues

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READING STRATEGIES FOR STRUGGLING FIRST GRADERS

d. stretching out the sound (correct answer)

4) While struggling to read, the students does this /c/ /at/. Which reading strategy is the

student using?

a. looking at the picture

b. breaking the words into chunks (correct answer)

c. using context clues

d. stretching out the sound

5) While reading the selection, which strategy did you use to decode a difficult word?

(Answer: list at least 1 or 2 reading strategies)