Brief Report on Performance of Students Whose First Language is Spanish: Direct Instruction and a Comparison School

Slocum, T.

Abstract:

This study examined the effect of Direct Instruction (DI) language and reading programs on the academic achievement of students for whom English was a second language. A comparison school in the same school district was chosen based on matched demographics and historical achievement levels. In the fall of the first year of implementation, kindergarten and first grade students were administered the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test: Letter Identification Subtest. In the spring, students who had been pretested were administered the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test: Word Attack and Passage Comprehension subtests. Results of the Letter Identification pretest indicated that kindergartners in the DI school performed slightly lower than kindergarteners at the comparison school. In addition, first grade students at the comparison school began the school year with substantially stronger reading skills than first graders at the DI school. Posttest results indicated that kindergarten students at the DI school outperformed students at the comparison school on decoding, word attack, and passage comprehension skills. Significant results in favor of the DI school appeared for all ESL students and when the sample was restricted to those whose first language was Spanish. (Copyright © 2011, National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI). All rights reserved).

Research areas:

• Project Follow Through

Year:

2000

Main publication type:

Program Effectiveness

Subtype:

Article

Keywords:

Englsh Lngg Lrnrs; reading; language; Woodcock Reading Mastery Test; letter identification; word attack; passage comprehension; English Language Learner students

Source:

Unpublished report (Utah State University)

Design type:

Pretest Posttest Control Group Design

Fidelity monitored:

No

Students included:

Kindergarten students, elementary students, English as a second language (ESL) students, English language learners (ELL), Hispanic students, Pacific Island students, Eastern European students

Other tags:

Englsh Lngg Lrnrs, reading, language, Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, letter identification, word attack, passage comprehension

Location/Setting:

Elementary school, Salt Lake City, Utah