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Revisiting the case for narrow reading with English language learners. Annual Conference of the Literacy Research Association - Dallas, Texas December 4, 2013 Laurie E. Hansen California State University Fullerton & University of California Irvine. background.
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Revisiting the case for narrow reading with English language learners Annual Conference of the Literacy Research Association - Dallas, Texas December 4, 2013 Laurie E. Hansen California State University Fullerton & University of California Irvine
background • 4.7 million ELL in K-12 U.S. public schools (Aud, et al., 2012) • Long Term English Learners (LTEL) (Olsen, 2010) • Reading comprehension trajectories (Chall & Jacobs, 2003; Hemphill & Vanneman, 2011; Kieffer, 2008)
What is narrow reading? • Reading books written by the same author, on the same topic, or from the same genre (Hadaway & Young, 2010; Krashen, 1981)
narrow reading(krashen, 1981) • Vocabulary • Background knowledge • Authors’ writing styles • Story structures
Relevant Literature • Independent reading volume & reading achievement (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988; Heyns, 1978; National Center for Education Statistics, 2011; National Reading Panel, 2000) • Access to books (Constantino, 2005; Duke, 2000; Neuman& Celano, 2001) • Summer reading interventions (Allingtonet al., 2010; Kim, 2006; 2007; Kim & White, 2008)
Research on narrow reading • Analyses of text collections (Gardner, 2004; Kyongho & Nation,1989; Schmitt & Carter, 2000) • Narrow reading interventions (Cho & Krashen, 1994; Cho, Ahn, & Krashen, 2005; Min, 2008)
Participants & setting • Five elementary schools (three Title I) • 14 classrooms • 220 fourth grade children • ELLgroup (n = 113) included current and former ELLs • non-ELL (n= 107)
Research questions • Did the ELL children have adequate access to books at home and in their classroom and school libraries? • Did ELL and non-ELL children engage in similar independent reading volume? • Did narrow reading volume relate to growth in vocabulary knowledge and comprehension for ELL and non-ELL children?
procedures • Fall vocabulary & literacy measures • Children from six classrooms – encouraged to read narrowly • Children from eight classrooms – encouraged to read a lot • Reading volume tracked Oct-March • Spring vocabulary & literacy measures
Reading management program data • Number of quizzes taken • Percentage correct on quizzes • Book difficulty level • Number of points earned
Narrow reading volume • List of quizzes taken = book list • Children’s book lists coded by author and topic • Narrow book = more than one nonfiction book on the same topic; more than one fiction book by the same author • Proportion narrow = #narrow books/total books
Vocabulary & literacy measures • Receptive vocabulary (PPVT-4) • Expressive vocabulary (EVT-2) • Word reading (WRAT-3) • Decoding (W-J Word Attack) • Comprehension (W-J Passage Comprehension)
Access to books • Self-report books at home • Classroom libraries • School libraries
results • ELL children’s access to books • ELL and non-ELL children’s independent reading volume • Relationship between narrow reading & vocabulary and literacy
Access books at home • Native English-speaking = 91.7** • Current ELLs = 39.8** • Former ELLs = 54.5 • **p < .01
Growth in vocabulary & literacy • Proportion of narrow reading was related to growth in receptive vocabulary, all language groups • Children showed growth on all measures • No other effects significant
Discussion: access to books • School libraries • 3 schools below 20 books/child • Classroom libraries • 1 classroom below 7 books/child • Books at home • current ELLs (40), former ELLs (55), non-ELLs (92)
Discussion: reading volume • Number of books read vs. words or pages read • Current ELLs exposed to fewer words than non-ELLs • Current ELLS had weaker book comprehension than former- and non-ELLs
limitations • Correlational study • Estimated book reading variables • ELL book access in one community
Implications for teaching • All children need access to books • Teachers can support ELL children in choosing books • Teachers can support ELL children in doing more independent reading • Teachers can encourage ELL children to read narrowly
Implications for research • Narrow reading invention using experimental design • Analyze children’s books repeated vocabulary, story structures • Longitudinal study to see if narrow reading impacts comprehension
conclusion • Tentative evidence in support of narrow reading for acquisition of receptive vocabulary knowledge
Thank you! • University of California Irvine • hansenl@uci.edu • California State University Fullerton • lahansen@fullerton.edu