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Holt Junior High School Literacy Inquiry Project

This project aims to survey the student population at Holt Junior High School to gather data on their reading habits, preferences, and activities related to reading. The results will inform literacy instruction and support strategies for the school.

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Holt Junior High School Literacy Inquiry Project

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  1. Literacy Inquiry Project Shari Wolke

  2. Context • I am interning at Holt Junior High School, home of the Rams. • I am split between two mentor teachers, Wendy Holmes (7th grade) and Kristyn Stierley (8th grade).

  3. Student Population • I decided to survey not only my focus class, but also the hour preceding (that Kristyn teaches) and the hour that follows (that I also teach), because I will very soon be taking over all three of the hours that I am in Kristyn’s class. • The “official” demographics of Holt Junior High School, according to usaschoolinfo.com, are 69.9% White, 11% Black, 10.8% Hispanic, 1.9% Asian, 0.5% Indian and 5.9% “two or more ethnicities.” However, my students reported slightly different numbers, the most striking of which was the number of multiracial students reported.

  4. Student Population, continued • Out of the 78 students who reported a race (2 students chose to not report), • 69.23% (54 students) claimed to be White • 15.34% (12) claimed to be multiracial/mixed race • 8.97% (7) claimed to be Latino/a • 5.13% (4 students) claimed to be Black • 1.28% (1) claimed to be Asian

  5. The Survey • I administered a survey that I made clear to the students would not be graded, was totally anonymous and would be helping me in my MSU classes. • Importantly, I have to give credit to the website http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FZSD6H8 for inspiring or directly supplying many of these questions. • The first two survey questions asked students about their grade level and had them self-identify their race. The remainder of the survey questions begin on the next slide.

  6. The Survey • 3. How much do you enjoy reading? • Not at all • A bit • A lot • Very very much • 4. On average, how many books do you read per month? • 0 • 1-2 • 3-4 • 5-6 • 6 or more • 5. What mode do you most often use to read (choose one)? • Paperback or hardcover book with pages • Ipad, kindle or other e-reader • I usually read web pages on the internet • I usually read magazines or newspapers.

  7. The Survey • 6. I read because (choose as many as you like): • It will help me as a job • It teaches me how other people live and feel • It helps me understand more of the world • It is fun • It helps me find out what I want/need to know • It is a break from reality • I have to • It helps me learn more about myself. • 7. What activities would you like to do to help yourself and others read more? (check all that apply): • Reading groups with friends • Writing book reviews • Reading for prizes or competition • Talking about my favorite reads • Helping choose books for the library • Helping younger students with their reading • Reading with adults • 8. Besides homework, what other activities do you do in your free time (check all that apply)? • Play videogames on the computer • Play videogames on a console • Text my friends • Spend time on facebook • Tweet (use twitter) • Play sports on a team • Play sports (not on a team) • Watch TV • Watch movies • Other (please specify): _____________

  8. 9. I would be more likely to read more if (choose as many as you like): • I had more time • I enjoy it more • I knew what to read • Libraries were closer • Books were cheaper • Someone read aloud to me • It was about the things I’m interested in • Books had more pictures • Stories were shorter • My friends read more • 10. My favorite genre of fiction is: • Adventure • Crime Detective • Comedy • Historical Fiction • Horror/ Ghost • Poetry • Romance/ Relationships • Science Fiction • War/ Spy Related • 11. I use these internet-based sites: • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Tumblr • Instagram • Youtube • Other (please specify):_______

  9. 12. Can you understand the following: “How r u? R u going 2 the prty 2nite? C u l8tr!” If so, write the Standard English version below: • 13. Do you have a computer in your home? If so, how many? • No, we do not have a computer. • Yes, we have one computer without internet access • Yes, we have one computer with internet access • Yes, we have more than one computer in our house, with at least one computer having interne access.

  10. Survey Results • When asked, “How much do you enjoy reading?” the graphic representation looked like:

  11. Survey Results • The number of books that students read per month:

  12. Survey Results • The mode that students most often use to read:

  13. Survey Results • Students read because: • It is fun- 39 • It is a break from reality- 38 • They have to- 33 • It helps them understand more of the world- 24 • It helps them find out what they want/need to know • It helps them understand how other people live and feel- 18 • It will help them get a job- 17 • It helps them learn more about themselves- 8

  14. Survey Results • Students would like to do the following activities to help themselves and others read more: • Reading groups with friends- 42 • Reading for prizes and competition- 40 • Helping younger students with their reading- 36 • Talking about my favorite reads- 22 • Helping choose books for the library- 20 • Reading with adults- 11 • Writing book reviews- 6

  15. Survey Results • Students stated that other activities they did in their free time were: • Watch TV- 59 students • Text their friends- 55 students • Watch movies- 45 students • Play sports (on a team)- 39 students • Spend time on facebook- 36 students • Play videogames on a console (Xbox, etc.)- 27 students • Play sports (not on a team)- 25 students • Tweet (use twitter)- 15 students • Play videogames on a computer- 14 students • Hang out with friends (write in)- 7 students • Use instagram (write in)- 5 students • Eat (write in)- 3 students

  16. Survey Results • Students stated that they would be more likely to read if: • They enjoyed it more- 44 students • They had more time- 42 students • Books were about the things they were interested in- 42 • They knew what to read- 25 • Their friends read more- 13 • Stories were shorter- 10 • Books were cheaper- 10 • Books had more pictures- 5 • Libraries were closer- 5 • Someone read aloud to me- 4 • We were not forced to read- 1

  17. Survey Results Students’ favorite genres:

  18. Most popular internet- based sites: • Youtube- 87.3% of students • Facebook- 70.9% of students • Instagram- 67.5% of students • Twitter- 30.4% of students • Pinterest- 17.7% of students • Vine- 11.4% of students (write in) • Kik- 5.1% of students (write in) • Google- 3.8% of students (write in) • Snap chat- 3.8% of students (write in) • Ifunny- 1.3% of students (write in) • Twich- 1.3% of students (write in)

  19. Survey Results • 92.4% of students could translate the text message, meaning that my students are very literate in texting. • 40.0% of the students in my classes had one computer with internet access, and 53.2% of students had more than one computer in their home with internet access. This means that a total of 93.2% of the students in my classes have a computer with internet access available. • Four students (5.06%) stated that they have a computer in their home without internet access, and only one student (1.3%) stated that they do not have a computer in their home.

  20. Next Steps with the Data/ Curriculum • Computers in the home and computer literacy- the first required paper was initially given the option to be typed or handwritten. It is, according to this survey, safe to require them to type it. • Use students literacy with text messaging as a tool for literary analysis (compose text messages between characters, etc.). • Get students reading more- nearly 75% of the students stated that they read between 0-2 books per month. • Students were able to indicate in the survey results what next steps would help them. So, we will start reading groups with their friends, create reading for prizes/competition and we are beginning to think about how we might allow them to help younger students with their reading/ if this is feasible.

  21. Next Steps with the Data/ Curriculum • Finally, as students indicated such a strong interest in reading for prizes or competition, I am going to print out and explain what MENSA for kids is, and encourage them to participate. The 7th-8th grade list is located here: • MENSA for kids (http://mensaforkids.com/school_template.cfm?showPage=school_readeraward.cfm) • We will also develop a “prize jar” system where, if students complete their reading responses, we will enter their name in the jar. Then, once a week we will draw students’ names from the jar and allow them to select prizes (I purchased cheap prizes for this). This will be done during students’ Book Club time, beginning in late October after the MEAP. Students will be able to utilize the time the spend reading these books to earn prizes. • Finally, I am going to try to incorporate students’ out of school literacies in the classroom, emphasizing in particular television, texting, popular movies, sports and facebook. I will also use these as texts, that is, I will utilize students’ literacies as both hooks into the Common Core standards goals as well as texts in and of themselves.

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