Reading Improvement

Through Homework Help

Fatimah Washington
Ed 702.22
Spring 2010

Table of Contents

Statement of the Problem

Review of related literature
Statement of Hypothesis
Method
Research Design
Threats to Validity
Procedure
Results
Discussion
Implications

Statement of the Problem

Lack of both parental
involvement and resources
negatively affect the reading
scores of students with low
S.E.S.

Review of Related Literature

Pro

Con

Parent involvement can positively

affect academic achievement and help
to solve some behavioral problems.
(Domina,2005 & Patall et.al 2008 &
Senechal; Young 2008)

Parent educational level, social status

as well as the students environment
can affect students negatively. (Tam
2009 & Walberg, 1976& 1981 &
Eccleston et.al, 2010 & HorvatMcNamara et.al, 2003 & Myberg,
2008)

There is a push to build a bridge

between schools and parents.
(Reed,2009 &Bailey, 2006 & Watkins,
1997 & Cook, 2005 & Goddard et.al ,
2001)

Low Income working parents face

unique barriers that hinder parental
involvement.
(Heymann ;Earle 2000)

There are school base strategies that

are in place to help children to
succeed in homework. (Margolis, 2004
& Ryder, 2007 & Sen et. al. 2009 &
Whitfield, 2005)

Educators are failing in their efforts to

communicate with parents and assign
homework. (Margolis, 2004 & Skinner
2004 & Gill, 2003)

Tutoring centers such as Sylvan

learning center, Kumon and
Huntington learning centers are
available.

Outside tutoring can be costly.

Parents of low SES have limited
resources. (Horvat et.al, 2003)

Statement of Hypothesis
HR1: Implementing reading
instruction for 15 minutes five days a
week over a four week period will
improve the literacy scores of 5 at-risk
second grade students of school x.

Method

Participants
Ten second grade students and the parents from

school x were given surveys to determine attitudes

about reading and homework, reading habits,
parent involvement and demographic information.
Ten Students were given a pre-reading evaluation
to determine their independent reading level .
Five students received treatment. After four weeks
all ten students were tested for improvement.

Instruments
Child Survey, Parent Survey, Pre reading

evaluation and Post Reading Evaluation.

Research Design
Quasi-Experimental
Non-equivalent control group design
Symbolic Design
O X1 O
O X2 O

Internal And External

Threats
Internal Threats
Mortality Valid
Differential Selection of Subjects Valid
Selection-Maturation Interaction Valid
History Valid
External Threats
Multiple- X interference Valid
Experimenter Effects Valid
Other
Compensatory Rivalry
The Hawthorne Effect

Procedure

Child Survey
November 1-5,2010
Pre Test
November 8-12, 2010
Parent Survey November 15-19, 2010
Treatment
Nov. 8- Dec. 6, 2010
Post Test
December 6, 2010

Child Survey Results

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Yes
No
Sometimes

Parent Survey Results

Parents Educational Level
Parents Read to/with Child

6
8
5
7
4
6
3

Ques 2

5
Ques 6

2
1
0
0-2 days

3-5 days

6-7 days

Pre and Post Evaluation Results

Compared to the Standard
9

Test Results

8
7
6
5
Reading Levels
4

Standard
Pre Test
Post Test

3
2
1
0
1

Individual Students

10

Correlation
9
8
7
6
5
Parent Educational Level 4

Y-Values
Linear (Y-Values)

3
2
1
0

Post Reading Evaluation

Discussion
The reading levels of 5 struggling
readers improved by one reading level
as a result of the treatment.

Implications

Low SES struggling readers can

overcome academic obstacles with just
fifteen minutes of homework
instruction from the right individual.

Sources

Bailey, L. (October 2006). Interactive Homework: A Tool for Fostering ParentChild Interactions and Improving Learning Outcomes for At-Risk Young
Children. Early Childhood Education Journal. 105 1 155-167
Cook, M.(July 2005). A Place of Their Own: creating a classroom third space
to support a continuum of text construction between home and school.
Literacy. 39 85-90
Domina, T. (July 2005). Leveling the Home Advantage: Assessing the
effectiveness of Parental Involvement in Elelmentary School. Sociology of
Education. 78 233-249
Heymann, S. J.; Earle, A. (Winter 2008). Low Income Parents: How do Working
Conditions Affect Their Opportunity To Help School-Age Children At Risk.
American Educational Research Journal. 37 4 33-848
Horvat, E.; Weininger, E.B.; Lareau, A. (Summer 2003). From Social Ties To
Social Capital: Class differences in the Relations Between Schools and
Parent Networks. American Eucational Research Journal. 40 2 319-351
Margolis, H. (October 2004). Resolving Struggling Learners Homework
Difficulties: Working With Elementary School Learners and Parents.
Reading Psychology An International Quarterly . 25 4 225-260
Pahl, K. ; Kelly, S. (July 2005). Family Literacy As A Third Space Between
Home and School: Some Case Studies of Practice. Literacy. 91-97
Reed, W. A. (2009). The Bridge is Built: The Role of Local Teachers in an Urban
Elementary School. The School Community Journal 19 1 59-75

Ryder, J.; Tummer, W.; Greaney, K. (Explicit Instruction in Phonemic Awareness

and Phonemically Based Decoding Skills as an Intervention Strategy for
Struggling Readers in Whole Language Classrooms. Reading And Writing: An
Interdisciplinary Journal. 21 4 349-369

Sen., A.; Burns, S.; Miller, D. (September 2009). Teacher Strategies To Help
Fourth-Graders Having Difficulty in Reading: An International Perspective.
National Center For Education Statistics. 1-16
Senechal, M; Young L. (September 2008). The Effect of Family Literacy
Interventions On Children's Acquisition Of Reading From Kindergarten to
Grade 3: A Meta Analytic Review. 880-907
Tam, V. C.; Chan, Raymond. (2008) Parent Involvement In Primary Childrens
Home Work In Hong Kong. School Community Journal. 19 2 81-100
Watkins, T. (September-October 1997). Teacher Communication, Child
Achievement And Parent Traits in Parent Involvement Models. Journal of
Education Research 91 1 81-100
Whitfield, P.; (2005). No Child Left Behind : Leaving The Arts Behind In
Developing Young Childrens Literacy. 11 2 43-54

Contemporary Practices

Family literacy as a third space

between home and school (Pahl &
Kelly, 2005).
Interactive homework assignments
(Bailey, 2006)
Reading First: A component of the No
Child Left Behind Act (Whitfield, 2005)
School support strategies (Sen. et
al.,2009)
Explicit Phonemic Awareness and
Decoding Skills Instruction