THE BENEFITS OF SMALL GROUP READING INSTRUCTION ON ELL STUDENTS

1. THE BENEFITS OF SMALL GROUP READING INSTRUCTION ON ELL STUDENTS Ruth Carrion ED 702.22 Final Presentation Spring 2010

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction • Statement of the Problem • Review of Related Literature • Statement Hypothesis Methods • Participants • Instruments

3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM • Existing research has proven there to be a connection between small group reading instruction and the progress in students’ instructional reading levels. • Although research on small group instruction and its benefits on English language learners are limited when ELL students are given the opportunity to work in small reading groups they make significant improvement in their reading and language abilities.

4. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE • Amendum, Creamer, Fitzgerald, Hall, Head-Reeves, Hollingsworth, & Li (2009); Foorman, Breier, & Fletcher (2003) The single best weapon against reading failure is the quality of reading instruction given in the primary grades. The most effective intervention is provided earlier in education. • Kuhn, (2004), (2005); Abbott, Greenwood, & Kamps (2008) Researchers agree that there is a direct connection between fluency and reading comprehension. Through small groups teachers can build fluency, language skill, and reading comprehension.

5. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE • Abrami, Lou, & Chambers, (2000); Kendall, (2006); Huebner, (2009); Wasik, (2008); McIntyre, Kyle & Moore, (2006). Through small group instruction students with similar needs can interact through partnerships and work together to support each other’s learning. • Cirino, Linan-Thompson, Prater, & Vaughn (2006); Kendall (2006); Wasik (2008); Cooke, Helf, & Flowers,(2009) Small group reading allows students to feel more at ease and gives them more opportunities to speak. Teachers can give students direct feedback and time for meaningful dialogue.

6. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE • Cooke, Helf, & Flowers, (2009) The most effective grouping condition for struggling readers and the condition found to have greater reading gains for struggling students was determined as one teacher to three students. • Abbott, Greenwood, & Kamps (2007), (2008); Menzies, Mahdavi, & Lewis (2008) Implementing progress monitoring, instructing students in small groups of 3-6 students, and an explicit instructional approach in small group instruction helps prevent reading failure. As a result of the intervention students met and exceeded grade level reading expectations by the end of the year.

7. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE • Kuhn, (2005) When given the opportunity to simply read, struggling readers receive greater doses of word work and different strategies to help them become better readers. • Kendall, (2006) Small group intervention is beneficial to English Language Learners. It supports students’ oral language development and it sets the classroom environment to be relaxed and comfortable for students to speak the language, listen, learn to read, and write without thinking about the everyday pressures.

8. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE- CON • Cooper, MacGregor, Smith, Robinson (2000) • Small group work with older students in high school can be challenging when students resist to working in small groups. • Students are performing well without small group instruction. There is no need for it when students are moving along.

9. STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS • By integrating 18 twenty minute sessions of small group instruction to 10 first grade ELL students over a period of six weeks at P.S X in Queens, N. Y., students will exceed grade level reading standards as well as make significant improvement in language skills as measured by the literacy assessment Reading 3D.

10. METHOD Participants • 10 first grade English language learners from a Dual Language classroom in an early childhood school located in Queens, N.Y.

11. METHOD Instruments • Reading 3D Assessment • A pretest and posttest will be administered. • Progress Monitoring • Student progress will be measured through running records on the Reading 3D.

12. REFERENCES • Abbott, M., Greenwood, C., Kamps, D. K. (2007). Use of evidence-based, small group reading instruction for English Language Learners in elementary grades: Secondary-Tier intervention. Learning Disability Quarterly, 30, 153-168. • Abbott, M., Greenwood, C., Kamps, D. K., Kaufman, J., Veerkamp, M., Wills, A. (2008). Effects of small group reading instruction and curriculum differences for students most at risk in kindergarten: Two-year results for secondary- and tertiary- level intervention. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(2), 101-114.   • Abrami, P. C., Chambers, B., Lou, Y., Poulsen, C., & Spence, J. C. (2000). Why should we group students within-class for learning? Educational Research and Evaluation, 6(2), 158-179. • Abrami, P. C., Lou, Y., & Spence, J. C. (2000). Effects of within-class grouping on student achievement: An exploratory model. The Journal of Educational Research, 94(2), 101-112. • Amendum, S. J., Creamer, K. H., Fitzgerald, J., Hall, L. A., Head-Reeves, D. M., Hollingsworth, H. L., & Li, Y. (2009). Which reading lesson instruction characteristics matter for early reading achievement? Reading Psychology, 30, 119-147. doi: 10.1080/02702710802275173 • Andersen, M., Bonfiglio, C. M., Daly III, E. J., & Persampieri, M. (2006). An experimental analysis of the effects of reading interventions in a small group reading instruction context. Journal of Behavioral Education, 15(2), 93-109. • Bauer, E. B., Manyak, P. C., Cook, C. (2010). Supporting content learning for English learners. Reading Teacher, 63(5), 430-432. • Breier, J. I., Fletcher, J. M., & Foorman, B. R. (2003). Interventions aimed at improving reading success: An evidence-based approach. Developmental Neuropsychology, 24(2&3), 613-639. • Chapman, J. W., Iversen, S., Tunmer, W. E. (2005). The effects of varying group size on the reading recovery approach to preventive early intervention. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(5), 456-472. • Cirino, P. T., Linan-Thompson, S., Prater, K., & Vaughn, S. (2006). The response to intervention of English language learners at risk for reading problems. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(5), 390-398. • Collins, B. C., Fickle, K. M., Schuster, J. W. (1998). Teaching different tasks using different stimuli in a heterogeneous small group. Journal of Behavioral Education, 8(2), 219-244. • Cooke, N. L, Helf, S., Flowers, C. P., (2009). Effects of two grouping conditions on students who are at risk for reading failure. Preventing school failure, 53(2), 113-126.

13. REFERENCES CONTINUED • Cooke, N. L., Kretlow, A. G., Helf, S. (2010). Supplemental reading help for kindergarten students: How early should you start? Preventing School Failure, 54(3), 137-144. • Cooper, J. L., MacGregor, J., Robinson, P., & Smith, K. A. (2000). Implementing small-group instruction: Insights from successful practitioners. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 81, 63-76. • English, J., Gerber, M., Jimenez, T., Leafstedt, J., Richards, C., & Villaruz, J. (2004). English reading effects of small-group intervention in Spanish for K-1 English learners. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 19(4), 239-251. • Foorman, B. R., Torgesen, J. (2001). Critical elements of classroom and small-group instruction promote reading success in all children. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 16(4), 203-212. • Guastello, E. F., Lenz, C. (2005). Student accountability: guided reading kidstations. International Reading Association, 59(2), 144-156. • Huebner, T. (2009). Small- group intervention for ELLs. Educational Leadership, 66(7), 90-91. • Kendall, J. (2006). Small group instruction for English language learners. Principal Leadership 6(6), 28-31. • Kuhn, M. (2004). Helping students become accurate, expressive readers: Fluency instruction for small groups. The Reading Teacher, 58(4), 338-344. • Kuhn, M. R. (2005). A comparative study of small group fluency instruction. Reading Psychology, 26, 127-146. doi: 10.1080/02702710590930492 • Kyle, D. W., McIntyre, E., & Moore, G. H. (2006). A primary-grade teacher’s guidance toward small-group dialogue. Reading Research Quarterly, 41(1), 36-66 • Lewis, J. L., Mahdavi, J. N., & Menzies, H. M. (2008). Early intervention in reading: From research to practice. Remedial and Special Education, 29(2), 67-77. • MacPhee, K., Rashotte, C. A., & Torgesen, J. K. (2001). The effectiveness of a group reading instruction program with poor readers in multiple grades. Learning Disability Quarterly, 24(2), 119-134. • Menzies, H. M., Mahdavi, J. N., & Lewis, J. L. (2008). Early intervention in reading: From research to practice. Remedial and Special Education, 29 (2), 67-77. • Wasik, B. (2008). When fewer is more: Small group in early childhood classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35, 515-521. doi 10.1007/s10643-008-0245-4. 

14. APPENDIX A: CONSENT FORM Dear Parents, My name is Ruth Carrion, I am the first grade Dual Language teacher at P.S. X. I am currently completing my master’s degree in education at Brooklyn College and am conducting a study on the benefits of small group reading instruction for our English language learners. I am requesting your permission to use your child’s data for my research study. I will be using gathered data from their reading assessments. There will be a pre and post-test administered as well as running records to measure students’ reading levels. All results for this study will be reported as a group study therefore, participants names and information will be anonymous. Thank you for your support! Sincerely, Ruth Carrion

15. APPENDIX B: READING 3D ASSESSMENT

16. APPENDIX C: READING LEVELS