A Week of Songs Reading Activity

1. �A Week of Songs�Reading Activity Susan Hildenbrand, B.A., M.S. FCEC 2007 Conference October 12, 2007

2. �I Hate to Read!� �I Love to Read!� While research shows that reading ability improves the more a person reads,the converse is also true, a person does not get better at reading if he or she does not practice reading. Research shows that one very common problem faced by many students in Exceptional Student Education is lack of success in reading. Since reading is intertwined with all other academic areas, reading difficulties negatively impact every aspect of the educational experience for these students. Motivating students to read is vital in getting them involved in the reading process, since the more one reads, the better he or she gets at reading. While research shows that reading ability improves the more a person reads,the converse is also true, a person does not get better at reading if he or she does not practice reading. Research shows that one very common problem faced by many students in Exceptional Student Education is lack of success in reading. Since reading is intertwined with all other academic areas, reading difficulties negatively impact every aspect of the educational experience for these students. Motivating students to read is vital in getting them involved in the reading process, since the more one reads, the better he or she gets at reading.

3. This presentation provides information on the creation and implementation of a �Week of Songs� . . . reading activities in which students actually want to participate and enjoy the process!

4. What Is Included? Research summary Conceptualization and development of activity Activity components Hands-on activities Results of project Dialogue and questions/answers

5. Research Summary Reading tied to reading attitude (Richardson, 2003; Smith, 1988) Reading attitude development Learning disability (Burden, & Burdett, 2005) Negative conditioning (Geisthardt & Munsch, 1996) Learned helplessness/external locus of control (Dnaldi, Schagen, Twist, & Morrison, 2005) Poor sense of self esteem/self efficacy (Burns, Roe, & Ross, 1999; Triplett, 2004) Why do some students enjoy reading while others do not? The answer may at least partly be tied to his or her attitude toward reading. By its very definition, a student�s reading attitude is directly related to his or her enjoyment of the reading process. The more favorable it is, the more that person will read; the less favorable it is, the less time that person will spend reading. How does a student�s attitude toward reading develop? What causes one person to have a favorable view of reading, while another has a negative opinion of reading? Students are often identified as having a specific learning disability because of one or more processing deficits in reading. However, this may not be the only reason for poor reading skills in students with learning disabilities. Another contributor to poor reading ability, as with most repetitive things in life, is negative conditioning (Geisthardt & Munsch, 1996). Students who are struggling readers and those who may receive special education services are influenced by a myriad of negative reading experiences. While some of these experiences are silent and not shared with others, attempts at oral reading are not. Negative comments are often made to the readers. The reading process becomes painful, and as humans often do, the reader attempts to avoid that painful process. Two phenomena often develop here; these are learned helplessness and an external locus of control, characteristics shared by many students with learning disabilities. These lead to a negative impact upon the reader�s sense of self-esteem. The poor sense of self-esteem may lead to a negative reading attitude. Transitively, because these children have developed a negative reading attitude, they may avoid reading. Consequently, since they read infrequently, they may not improve their reading skills. Why do some students enjoy reading while others do not? The answer may at least partly be tied to his or her attitude toward reading. By its very definition, a student�s reading attitude is directly related to his or her enjoyment of the reading process. The more favorable it is, the more that person will read; the less favorable it is, the less time that person will spend reading. How does a student�s attitude toward reading develop? What causes one person to have a favorable view of reading, while another has a negative opinion of reading? Students are often identified as having a specific learning disability because of one or more processing deficits in reading. However, this may not be the only reason for poor reading skills in students with learning disabilities. Another contributor to poor reading ability, as with most repetitive things in life, is negative conditioning (Geisthardt & Munsch, 1996). Students who are struggling readers and those who may receive special education services are influenced by a myriad of negative reading experiences. While some of these experiences are silent and not shared with others, attempts at oral reading are not. Negative comments are often made to the readers. The reading process becomes painful, and as humans often do, the reader attempts to avoid that painful process. Two phenomena often develop here; these are learned helplessness and an external locus of control, characteristics shared by many students with learning disabilities. These lead to a negative impact upon the reader�s sense of self-esteem. The poor sense of self-esteem may lead to a negative reading attitude. Transitively, because these children have developed a negative reading attitude, they may avoid reading. Consequently, since they read infrequently, they may not improve their reading skills.

6. Research Summary Relationships between self-esteem, reading attitude, and reading ability (Applegate & Applegate, 2004; Gambrell, 2001; Ivey & Broaddus, 2001; Intrator, 2004; Jenson, 2005; Juliana & Andrews, 2005) Why do some students enjoy reading while others do not? The answer may at least partly be tied to his or her attitude toward reading. By its very definition, a student�s reading attitude is directly related to his or her enjoyment of the reading process. The more favorable it is, the more that person will read; the less favorable it is, the less time that person will spend reading. How does a student�s attitude toward reading develop? What causes one person to have a favorable view of reading, while another has a negative opinion of reading? Students are often identified as having a specific learning disability because of one or more processing deficits in reading. However, this may not be the only reason for poor reading skills in students with learning disabilities. Another contributor to poor reading ability, as with most repetitive things in life, is negative conditioning (Geisthardt & Munsch, 1996). Students who are struggling readers and those who may receive special education services are influenced by a myriad of negative reading experiences. While some of these experiences are silent and not shared with others, attempts at oral reading are not. Negative comments are often made to the readers. The reading process becomes painful, and as humans often do, the reader attempts to avoid that painful process. Two phenomena often develop here; these are learned helplessness and an external locus of control, characteristics shared by many students with learning disabilities. These lead to a negative impact upon the reader�s sense of self-esteem. The poor sense of self-esteem may lead to a negative reading attitude. Transitively, because these children have developed a negative reading attitude, they may avoid reading. Consequently, since they read infrequently, they may not improve their reading skills. Tthis study was designed to explore these areas. Literature Review Attribution theory provides one of the bases of this study because of the aspects of locus of control and learned helplessness (Bar-Tal & Darom, 1979; Burden & Burdette, 2005; Joiner & Wagner, 1995). An additional theory on which this study is based is the motivational process theory (Williams, Burden, & Lanvers, 2002), which provides a multifaceted approach to motivation, including three elements in a person�s learning motivation: (1) attitudes towards learning as well as the learning tasks that they face; (2) feelings and thoughts about themselves as learners; and (3) their sense of knowing (or not knowing) how to overcome the problems they face in the learning process. Need for Reading Improvement Literature is ripe with information regarding the state of student reading ability in today�s world (Beers, 2003; Elbaum & Vaughn, 1999; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Swanson, 1999; Vaughn, Levy, Coleman, & Bos, 2002). Reading has been identified as a major concern for students with learning disabilities. It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of students identified as having specific learning disabilities have problems in reading (Bender, 2001; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Heward, 2003; Kavale & Forness, 2000; Swanson, 1999). Simply stated, there is a great need for improvements in student reading on national, state, and local levels. For instance, the percentage of both fourth and eighth grade students at or above the �proficient� level, which indicates solid academic achievement, was 31 percent in 2004 (Livingston, 2006), which leaves 69 percent of fourth and eighth graders below this level of proficiency. Nearly 40 percent of fourth grade students who attend school in inner cities across the United States are not able to read at even a basic level, as measured by national tests of reading ability (U.S. Department of Education, 2003). As it is nationally, the problem of struggling readers is prevalent within the State of Florida. In Florida, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) measures the reading abilities of Florida�s students. A score of three, four, or five on this test indicates whether the student is on grade level, proficient, or advanced respectively. However, only 46 percent of Florida�s eighth grade students, 40 percent of the ninth grade students, and 32 percent of the tenth grade students achieved at least a level three score. In other words, 54 percent of Florida�s eighth graders, 60 percent of its ninth graders, and 68 percent of its tenth graders scored as either a one or two on the FCAT, indicating they are reading under grade level (Florida Department of Education, 2006). Within Miami-Dade County, results are even worse. For instance, 40 percent of the eighth grade students, 32 percent of the ninth graders, and 27 percent of the ten grade students scored at least at a level three on the 2006 FCAT exam (Florida Department of Education, 2006), indicating that 60 percent of the eighth graders, 68 percent of the ninth graders, and 73 percent of the tenth grade students scored at a level 1 or 2, indicating they are reading under grade level. In addition to several processing deficits that impact student reading, particularly skills decoding and phonological awareness (Torgesen & Wagner, 1998), some psychological aspects may have an impact on reading ability. The following four sections of this paper will look at these issues (locus of control, learned helplessness, reading attitude, and self-esteem). Locus of Control Locus of control is a person�s perception of control over his or her environment (Bender, 2001; Chubb & Fertman, 1997). It may be either external, where one believes the environment or external factors control his/her fate, or it may be internal, where one believes that what he or she does has a major impact on his or her environment. Research indicates that academic achievement is related to locus of control (Gordon, 1976; Nowicki & Strickland, 1973). It has also been shown that repeated academic failures in spite of actual attempts to learn lead to an external locus of control (Bender, 2001; Schunk, 1985; Tollefson, Tracy, Johnson, & Chapman, 1986). Research has further shown that if a student has a high degree of external locus of control, this eventually leads to a lack of motivation for further study and for academic work in general. This phenomenon is known as learned helplessness (Bender, 2001). Learned Helplessness Learned helplessness may be defined as the maladaptive attributions in which individuals demonstrate low self-esteem, impoverished performance, lowered expectations and motivation, lack of engagement, weak persistence, and a sense of passivity (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993). When students are unable to read successfully, their academic achievement suffers. Kavales and Forness (1996) found that a mere perception of low academic achievement could bring about reduced social acceptance, less peer interaction within a classroom, a greater sense of rejection by non-disabled peers, and a lower social status. Such feelings, in turn, can lead to a need for more guidance and structure from teachers. Feelings of overdependency may then develop, leading to learned helplessness (Smith, Polloway, Patton, & Dowdy, 2001). When a student suffers from learned helplessness, he or she lacks confidence in the reading process because of countless instances of non-success over their years of schooling; this in turn leads to a poor reading attitude (Beers, 2003). In contrast, other studies reported that students were not found to suffer from extreme senses of learned helplessness (Burden & Burdett, 2005). Reading Attitude As early as the 1700s, the French philosopher Rousseau explained that any strategy for reading instruction would be acceptable as long as there is sufficient motivation on the part of the student (McKenna & Kear, 1990). In over 300 years, this may be still true. Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, and Wilkinson (1985) agreed, stating that skilled readers must understand that reading can be interesting, and Smith (1988) discussed the emotional response of reading as being the primary reason that readers take part in the reading process as well as the primary reason that nonreaders do not read. Wixon and Lipson (1990) stated that the attitude of a student towards reading is central in his or her reading performance. In other words, a number of authors point to the key relationship between attitude and achievement in the reading process (Beers, 2003; Galbraith & Alexander, 2005; Purves & Beach, 1972; Walberg & Tsai, 1985).Why do some students enjoy reading while others do not? The answer may at least partly be tied to his or her attitude toward reading. By its very definition, a student�s reading attitude is directly related to his or her enjoyment of the reading process. The more favorable it is, the more that person will read; the less favorable it is, the less time that person will spend reading. How does a student�s attitude toward reading develop? What causes one person to have a favorable view of reading, while another has a negative opinion of reading? Students are often identified as having a specific learning disability because of one or more processing deficits in reading. However, this may not be the only reason for poor reading skills in students with learning disabilities. Another contributor to poor reading ability, as with most repetitive things in life, is negative conditioning (Geisthardt & Munsch, 1996). Students who are struggling readers and those who may receive special education services are influenced by a myriad of negative reading experiences. While some of these experiences are silent and not shared with others, attempts at oral reading are not. Negative comments are often made to the readers. The reading process becomes painful, and as humans often do, the reader attempts to avoid that painful process. Two phenomena often develop here; these are learned helplessness and an external locus of control, characteristics shared by many students with learning disabilities. These lead to a negative impact upon the reader�s sense of self-esteem. The poor sense of self-esteem may lead to a negative reading attitude. Transitively, because these children have developed a negative reading attitude, they may avoid reading. Consequently, since they read infrequently, they may not improve their reading skills. Tthis study was designed to explore these areas. Literature Review Attribution theory provides one of the bases of this study because of the aspects of locus of control and learned helplessness (Bar-Tal & Darom, 1979; Burden & Burdette, 2005; Joiner & Wagner, 1995). An additional theory on which this study is based is the motivational process theory (Williams, Burden, & Lanvers, 2002), which provides a multifaceted approach to motivation, including three elements in a person�s learning motivation: (1) attitudes towards learning as well as the learning tasks that they face; (2) feelings and thoughts about themselves as learners; and (3) their sense of knowing (or not knowing) how to overcome the problems they face in the learning process. Need for Reading Improvement Literature is ripe with information regarding the state of student reading ability in today�s world (Beers, 2003; Elbaum & Vaughn, 1999; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Swanson, 1999; Vaughn, Levy, Coleman, & Bos, 2002). Reading has been identified as a major concern for students with learning disabilities. It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of students identified as having specific learning disabilities have problems in reading (Bender, 2001; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Heward, 2003; Kavale & Forness, 2000; Swanson, 1999). Simply stated, there is a great need for improvements in student reading on national, state, and local levels. For instance, the percentage of both fourth and eighth grade students at or above the �proficient� level, which indicates solid academic achievement, was 31 percent in 2004 (Livingston, 2006), which leaves 69 percent of fourth and eighth graders below this level of proficiency. Nearly 40 percent of fourth grade students who attend school in inner cities across the United States are not able to read at even a basic level, as measured by national tests of reading ability (U.S. Department of Education, 2003). As it is nationally, the problem of struggling readers is prevalent within the State of Florida. In Florida, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) measures the reading abilities of Florida�s students. A score of three, four, or five on this test indicates whether the student is on grade level, proficient, or advanced respectively. However, only 46 percent of Florida�s eighth grade students, 40 percent of the ninth grade students, and 32 percent of the tenth grade students achieved at least a level three score. In other words, 54 percent of Florida�s eighth graders, 60 percent of its ninth graders, and 68 percent of its tenth graders scored as either a one or two on the FCAT, indicating they are reading under grade level (Florida Department of Education, 2006). Within Miami-Dade County, results are even worse. For instance, 40 percent of the eighth grade students, 32 percent of the ninth graders, and 27 percent of the ten grade students scored at least at a level three on the 2006 FCAT exam (Florida Department of Education, 2006), indicating that 60 percent of the eighth graders, 68 percent of the ninth graders, and 73 percent of the tenth grade students scored at a level 1 or 2, indicating they are reading under grade level. In addition to several processing deficits that impact student reading, particularly skills decoding and phonological awareness (Torgesen & Wagner, 1998), some psychological aspects may have an impact on reading ability. The following four sections of this paper will look at these issues (locus of control, learned helplessness, reading attitude, and self-esteem). Locus of Control Locus of control is a person�s perception of control over his or her environment (Bender, 2001; Chubb & Fertman, 1997). It may be either external, where one believes the environment or external factors control his/her fate, or it may be internal, where one believes that what he or she does has a major impact on his or her environment. Research indicates that academic achievement is related to locus of control (Gordon, 1976; Nowicki & Strickland, 1973). It has also been shown that repeated academic failures in spite of actual attempts to learn lead to an external locus of control (Bender, 2001; Schunk, 1985; Tollefson, Tracy, Johnson, & Chapman, 1986). Research has further shown that if a student has a high degree of external locus of control, this eventually leads to a lack of motivation for further study and for academic work in general. This phenomenon is known as learned helplessness (Bender, 2001). Learned Helplessness Learned helplessness may be defined as the maladaptive attributions in which individuals demonstrate low self-esteem, impoverished performance, lowered expectations and motivation, lack of engagement, weak persistence, and a sense of passivity (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993). When students are unable to read successfully, their academic achievement suffers. Kavales and Forness (1996) found that a mere perception of low academic achievement could bring about reduced social acceptance, less peer interaction within a classroom, a greater sense of rejection by non-disabled peers, and a lower social status. Such feelings, in turn, can lead to a need for more guidance and structure from teachers. Feelings of overdependency may then develop, leading to learned helplessness (Smith, Polloway, Patton, & Dowdy, 2001). When a student suffers from learned helplessness, he or she lacks confidence in the reading process because of countless instances of non-success over their years of schooling; this in turn leads to a poor reading attitude (Beers, 2003). In contrast, other studies reported that students were not found to suffer from extreme senses of learned helplessness (Burden & Burdett, 2005). Reading Attitude As early as the 1700s, the French philosopher Rousseau explained that any strategy for reading instruction would be acceptable as long as there is sufficient motivation on the part of the student (McKenna & Kear, 1990). In over 300 years, this may be still true. Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, and Wilkinson (1985) agreed, stating that skilled readers must understand that reading can be interesting, and Smith (1988) discussed the emotional response of reading as being the primary reason that readers take part in the reading process as well as the primary reason that nonreaders do not read. Wixon and Lipson (1990) stated that the attitude of a student towards reading is central in his or her reading performance. In other words, a number of authors point to the key relationship between attitude and achievement in the reading process (Beers, 2003; Galbraith & Alexander, 2005; Purves & Beach, 1972; Walberg & Tsai, 1985).

7. Research Summary (cont.) Theoretical framework Attribution theory (Bar-Tal & Darom, 1979; Burden & Burdette, 2005; Joiner & Wagner, 1995) Motivation process theory (Williams, Burden, & Lanvers, 2002) Attribution theory provides one of the bases of this study because of the aspects of locus of control and learned helplessness (Bar-Tal & Darom, 1979; Burden & Burdette, 2005; Joiner & Wagner, 1995). An additional theory on which this study is based is the motivational process theory (Williams, Burden, & Lanvers, 2002), which provides a multifaceted approach to motivation, including three elements in a person�s learning motivation: (1) attitudes towards learning as well as the learning tasks that they face; (2) feelings and thoughts about themselves as learners; and (3) their sense of knowing (or not knowing) how to overcome the problems they face in the learning process. Need for Reading Improvement Literature is ripe with information regarding the state of student reading ability in today�s world (Beers, 2003; Elbaum & Vaughn, 1999; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Swanson, 1999; Vaughn, Levy, Coleman, & Bos, 2002). Reading has been identified as a major concern for students with learning disabilities. It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of students identified as having specific learning disabilities have problems in reading (Bender, 2001; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Heward, 2003; Kavale & Forness, 2000; Swanson, 1999). Simply stated, there is a great need for improvements in student reading on national, state, and local levels. For instance, the percentage of both fourth and eighth grade students at or above the �proficient� level, which indicates solid academic achievement, was 31 percent in 2004 (Livingston, 2006), which leaves 69 percent of fourth and eighth graders below this level of proficiency. Nearly 40 percent of fourth grade students who attend school in inner cities across the United States are not able to read at even a basic level, as measured by national tests of reading ability (U.S. Department of Education, 2003). As it is nationally, the problem of struggling readers is prevalent within the State of Florida. In Florida, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) measures the reading abilities of Florida�s students. A score of three, four, or five on this test indicates whether the student is on grade level, proficient, or advanced respectively. However, only 46 percent of Florida�s eighth grade students, 40 percent of the ninth grade students, and 32 percent of the tenth grade students achieved at least a level three score. In other words, 54 percent of Florida�s eighth graders, 60 percent of its ninth graders, and 68 percent of its tenth graders scored as either a one or two on the FCAT, indicating they are reading under grade level (Florida Department of Education, 2006). Within Miami-Dade County, results are even worse. For instance, 40 percent of the eighth grade students, 32 percent of the ninth graders, and 27 percent of the ten grade students scored at least at a level three on the 2006 FCAT exam (Florida Department of Education, 2006), indicating that 60 percent of the eighth graders, 68 percent of the ninth graders, and 73 percent of the tenth grade students scored at a level 1 or 2, indicating they are reading under grade level. In addition to several processing deficits that impact student reading, particularly skills decoding and phonological awareness (Torgesen & Wagner, 1998), some psychological aspects may have an impact on reading ability. The following four sections of this paper will look at these issues (locus of control, learned helplessness, reading attitude, and self-esteem). Locus of Control Locus of control is a person�s perception of control over his or her environment (Bender, 2001; Chubb & Fertman, 1997). It may be either external, where one believes the environment or external factors control his/her fate, or it may be internal, where one believes that what he or she does has a major impact on his or her environment. Research indicates that academic achievement is related to locus of control (Gordon, 1976; Nowicki & Strickland, 1973). It has also been shown that repeated academic failures in spite of actual attempts to learn lead to an external locus of control (Bender, 2001; Schunk, 1985; Tollefson, Tracy, Johnson, & Chapman, 1986). Research has further shown that if a student has a high degree of external locus of control, this eventually leads to a lack of motivation for further study and for academic work in general. This phenomenon is known as learned helplessness (Bender, 2001). Learned Helplessness Learned helplessness may be defined as the maladaptive attributions in which individuals demonstrate low self-esteem, impoverished performance, lowered expectations and motivation, lack of engagement, weak persistence, and a sense of passivity (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993). When students are unable to read successfully, their academic achievement suffers. Kavales and Forness (1996) found that a mere perception of low academic achievement could bring about reduced social acceptance, less peer interaction within a classroom, a greater sense of rejection by non-disabled peers, and a lower social status. Such feelings, in turn, can lead to a need for more guidance and structure from teachers. Feelings of overdependency may then develop, leading to learned helplessness (Smith, Polloway, Patton, & Dowdy, 2001). When a student suffers from learned helplessness, he or she lacks confidence in the reading process because of countless instances of non-success over their years of schooling; this in turn leads to a poor reading attitude (Beers, 2003). In contrast, other studies reported that students were not found to suffer from extreme senses of learned helplessness (Burden & Burdett, 2005). Reading Attitude As early as the 1700s, the French philosopher Rousseau explained that any strategy for reading instruction would be acceptable as long as there is sufficient motivation on the part of the student (McKenna & Kear, 1990). In over 300 years, this may be still true. Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, and Wilkinson (1985) agreed, stating that skilled readers must understand that reading can be interesting, and Smith (1988) discussed the emotional response of reading as being the primary reason that readers take part in the reading process as well as the primary reason that nonreaders do not read. Wixon and Lipson (1990) stated that the attitude of a student towards reading is central in his or her reading performance. In other words, a number of authors point to the key relationship between attitude and achievement in the reading process (Beers, 2003; Galbraith & Alexander, 2005; Purves & Beach, 1972; Walberg & Tsai, 1985).Attribution theory provides one of the bases of this study because of the aspects of locus of control and learned helplessness (Bar-Tal & Darom, 1979; Burden & Burdette, 2005; Joiner & Wagner, 1995). An additional theory on which this study is based is the motivational process theory (Williams, Burden, & Lanvers, 2002), which provides a multifaceted approach to motivation, including three elements in a person�s learning motivation: (1) attitudes towards learning as well as the learning tasks that they face; (2) feelings and thoughts about themselves as learners; and (3) their sense of knowing (or not knowing) how to overcome the problems they face in the learning process. Need for Reading Improvement Literature is ripe with information regarding the state of student reading ability in today�s world (Beers, 2003; Elbaum & Vaughn, 1999; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Swanson, 1999; Vaughn, Levy, Coleman, & Bos, 2002). Reading has been identified as a major concern for students with learning disabilities. It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of students identified as having specific learning disabilities have problems in reading (Bender, 2001; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Heward, 2003; Kavale & Forness, 2000; Swanson, 1999). Simply stated, there is a great need for improvements in student reading on national, state, and local levels. For instance, the percentage of both fourth and eighth grade students at or above the �proficient� level, which indicates solid academic achievement, was 31 percent in 2004 (Livingston, 2006), which leaves 69 percent of fourth and eighth graders below this level of proficiency. Nearly 40 percent of fourth grade students who attend school in inner cities across the United States are not able to read at even a basic level, as measured by national tests of reading ability (U.S. Department of Education, 2003). As it is nationally, the problem of struggling readers is prevalent within the State of Florida. In Florida, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) measures the reading abilities of Florida�s students. A score of three, four, or five on this test indicates whether the student is on grade level, proficient, or advanced respectively. However, only 46 percent of Florida�s eighth grade students, 40 percent of the ninth grade students, and 32 percent of the tenth grade students achieved at least a level three score. In other words, 54 percent of Florida�s eighth graders, 60 percent of its ninth graders, and 68 percent of its tenth graders scored as either a one or two on the FCAT, indicating they are reading under grade level (Florida Department of Education, 2006). Within Miami-Dade County, results are even worse. For instance, 40 percent of the eighth grade students, 32 percent of the ninth graders, and 27 percent of the ten grade students scored at least at a level three on the 2006 FCAT exam (Florida Department of Education, 2006), indicating that 60 percent of the eighth graders, 68 percent of the ninth graders, and 73 percent of the tenth grade students scored at a level 1 or 2, indicating they are reading under grade level. In addition to several processing deficits that impact student reading, particularly skills decoding and phonological awareness (Torgesen & Wagner, 1998), some psychological aspects may have an impact on reading ability. The following four sections of this paper will look at these issues (locus of control, learned helplessness, reading attitude, and self-esteem). Locus of Control Locus of control is a person�s perception of control over his or her environment (Bender, 2001; Chubb & Fertman, 1997). It may be either external, where one believes the environment or external factors control his/her fate, or it may be internal, where one believes that what he or she does has a major impact on his or her environment. Research indicates that academic achievement is related to locus of control (Gordon, 1976; Nowicki & Strickland, 1973). It has also been shown that repeated academic failures in spite of actual attempts to learn lead to an external locus of control (Bender, 2001; Schunk, 1985; Tollefson, Tracy, Johnson, & Chapman, 1986). Research has further shown that if a student has a high degree of external locus of control, this eventually leads to a lack of motivation for further study and for academic work in general. This phenomenon is known as learned helplessness (Bender, 2001). Learned Helplessness Learned helplessness may be defined as the maladaptive attributions in which individuals demonstrate low self-esteem, impoverished performance, lowered expectations and motivation, lack of engagement, weak persistence, and a sense of passivity (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993). When students are unable to read successfully, their academic achievement suffers. Kavales and Forness (1996) found that a mere perception of low academic achievement could bring about reduced social acceptance, less peer interaction within a classroom, a greater sense of rejection by non-disabled peers, and a lower social status. Such feelings, in turn, can lead to a need for more guidance and structure from teachers. Feelings of overdependency may then develop, leading to learned helplessness (Smith, Polloway, Patton, & Dowdy, 2001). When a student suffers from learned helplessness, he or she lacks confidence in the reading process because of countless instances of non-success over their years of schooling; this in turn leads to a poor reading attitude (Beers, 2003). In contrast, other studies reported that students were not found to suffer from extreme senses of learned helplessness (Burden & Burdett, 2005). Reading Attitude As early as the 1700s, the French philosopher Rousseau explained that any strategy for reading instruction would be acceptable as long as there is sufficient motivation on the part of the student (McKenna & Kear, 1990). In over 300 years, this may be still true. Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, and Wilkinson (1985) agreed, stating that skilled readers must understand that reading can be interesting, and Smith (1988) discussed the emotional response of reading as being the primary reason that readers take part in the reading process as well as the primary reason that nonreaders do not read. Wixon and Lipson (1990) stated that the attitude of a student towards reading is central in his or her reading performance. In other words, a number of authors point to the key relationship between attitude and achievement in the reading process (Beers, 2003; Galbraith & Alexander, 2005; Purves & Beach, 1972; Walberg & Tsai, 1985).

8. Research Summary (cont.) As many as 90% of students with SLD have reading problems (Bender, 2001; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Heward, 2003; Kavale & Forness, 2000; Swanson, 1999) Need for Reading Improvement Literature is ripe with information regarding the state of student reading ability in today�s world (Beers, 2003; Elbaum & Vaughn, 1999; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Swanson, 1999; Vaughn, Levy, Coleman, & Bos, 2002). Reading has been identified as a major concern for students with learning disabilities. It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of students identified as having specific learning disabilities have problems in reading (Bender, 2001; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Heward, 2003; Kavale & Forness, 2000; Swanson, 1999). Need for Reading Improvement Literature is ripe with information regarding the state of student reading ability in today�s world (Beers, 2003; Elbaum & Vaughn, 1999; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Swanson, 1999; Vaughn, Levy, Coleman, & Bos, 2002). Reading has been identified as a major concern for students with learning disabilities. It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of students identified as having specific learning disabilities have problems in reading (Bender, 2001; Gersten & Baker, 1999; Heward, 2003; Kavale & Forness, 2000; Swanson, 1999).

9. Research Summary (cont.) Need for reading improvement at all levels Nationally: 31% of both 4th and 8th graders at or above the �proficient� level in 2004 (Livingston, 2006), which leaves 69 % below this level of proficiency Nearly 40 percent of 4th graders in inner cities across the U.S. are not able to read at even a basic level (U.S. Department of Education, 2003)

10. Research Summary (cont.) Need for reading improvement at all levels State: 46% of 8th graders, 40% of 9th graders, and 32% of 10th graders achieved at least a level three on FCAT. (54% of Florida�s eighth graders, 60% of 9th graders, and 68% of 10th graders scored as either a one or two on FCAT, indicating they are reading under grade level (Florida Department of Education, 2006)

11. Research Summary (cont.) Need for reading improvement at all levels Locally (Miami-Dade County): 40% of 8th graders, 32% of 9th graders, and 27% of 10th graders scored at least at a level three on the 2006 FCAT exam (60% of 8th graders, 68% of 9th graders, and 73% of 10th graders scored at a level 1 or 2, indicating they are reading under grade level) (Florida Department of Education, 2006)

12. Conceptualization/Development 8 week action research project in public middle school in southeastern Florida Examine the relationships between student self-esteem, their attitudes toward reading, and their reading abilities Can a character education program cause improvement in student self-esteem, in reading attitude and in reading, itself?

13. Conceptualization/Development(cont.) Motivation is key to reading participation Weekly Scope magazines normally used in daily 30 minute reading activities across school Very topical for middle school students At appropriate reading levels Used too frequently - ran out! Challenge: develop reading activities to motivate students to read

14. �Week of Songs� Viewed on school�s closed circuit TVs Daily activities for school-wide reading program 30 minutes in length Incorporated DVDs, students handouts, teacher workbooks Based on well-known popular songs Selections made based on song�s message Songs introduced as �poetry set to music�

15. Steps Select and purchase song; secure permissions Get written lyrics Design activities (whole class, individual student) Choral reading for fluency High-order, critical thinking reading questions Write script Record narration Create student and teacher workbooks (and get duplicated in advance)

16. Steps (cont.) Design video Initially created in Microsoft� PowerPoint�; save slides as individual files Use Microsoft� Windows� Movie Maker� to create video file Incorporate song, narrations, and actual slides Set up appropriate timings throughout video Include transitions Use Camtasia Studio 2� to capture it as it plays on computer screen Save as a video file Create DVD Use Nero� to create DVD from video file Burn DVD

17. Let�s Take a Look!