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(1 - 9 of 9)
- Title
- A COMPARISON OF THREE PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS TOOLS USED TO IDENTIFY PHONEMIC AWARENESS DEFICITS IN KINDERGARTEN-AGE CHILDREN.
- Creator
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Robelo, Edgard, Schwartz, Jamie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study was to determine if three different tests of phonological awareness: the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processes (CTOPP) (Wagner, Torgesen, & Rashotte, 1999), The Phonological Awareness Test (PAT) (Robertson & Salter, 1997), and the Pre-Literacy Skills Screening (PLSS) (Crumrine & Lonegan, 1999) measure the same phonological awareness skills (content) in the same manner (procedures) and, whether typically-developing kindergarten-age students perform similarly on...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine if three different tests of phonological awareness: the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processes (CTOPP) (Wagner, Torgesen, & Rashotte, 1999), The Phonological Awareness Test (PAT) (Robertson & Salter, 1997), and the Pre-Literacy Skills Screening (PLSS) (Crumrine & Lonegan, 1999) measure the same phonological awareness skills (content) in the same manner (procedures) and, whether typically-developing kindergarten-age students perform similarly on each of the tests. Twenty-five kindergarten students consisting of 14 males and 11 females (mean CA of 72.24 months) participated in this study. All participants were attending the second half of kindergarten in a public school in Orlando, Florida. Prior to the administration of the three tools, all participants were administered the Fluharty Preschool Speech and Language Screening Test - Second Edition (Fluharty-2) (Fluharty, 2001) to ensure that no formal speech and/or language assessment was needed. A comparison of the CTOPP, PAT, and PLSS revealed that the PAT and CTOPP produced similar outcomes. That is, participants who performed well on one tool also did well on the other. Results of this study have shown that tasks on these two tools are comparable measures of phonological awareness known to strongly predict future reading ability. However, when the PLSS was compared to either the CTOPP or PAT, similar outcomes were not obtained. Three participants were identified "at risk" for reading disability on the PLSS. No participants were identified "at risk" on either the CTOPP or PAT. Using a standardized battery to identify children "at-risk" for reading failure and planning intervention may be more advantageous than using a screening measure like the PLSS. Even though it will take more time to complete, a comprehensive assessment battery may be of more value to the clinician. A summary, possible limitations of study, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0000924, ucf:46720
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000924
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN CLASSROOMS FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.
- Creator
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Twyman, Allison, Schwartz, Jamie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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A survey was sent to classroom teachers in Central Florida educating students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to investigate: 1) intervention practices currently used in the classroom for students with ASD; 2) if the interventions being used are evidence-based, and; 3) if there a difference in use of evidence-based interventions between teachers with the Florida Autism Endorsement and teachers without the Endorsement. A nonprobability purposive study was conducted via an email-based...
Show moreA survey was sent to classroom teachers in Central Florida educating students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to investigate: 1) intervention practices currently used in the classroom for students with ASD; 2) if the interventions being used are evidence-based, and; 3) if there a difference in use of evidence-based interventions between teachers with the Florida Autism Endorsement and teachers without the Endorsement. A nonprobability purposive study was conducted via an email-based survey. The survey was designed using the tailored design method and was created in Qualtrics.com, an online survey software program. The survey was divided into three major sections: an intervention section which included a variety of evidence and non-evidenced-based practices drawn from the current research literature; a section focused on how teachers select the interventions they use in their classrooms; and, a demographic section. The survey was sent via email to classroom teachers registered with University of Central Florida Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. Participant inclusion criteria included: 1) currently a classroom teacher in a Central Florida, and 2) at least one student with ASD in the classroom. Forty surveys were completed for a ten percent response rate. Results indicated that a variety of evidence- based and non-evidence-based interventions were being used in classrooms. The top three reported interventions were Visual Supports (95 %), Computer Program Applications (93%), and Social Stories (73 %). Based on current empirical evidence, these top three interventions have insufficient evidence regarding their efficacy for use with students with ASD. In addition, two of the interventions reported to be used have a negative evidence base suggesting they may be harmful for some students with ASD. There were no significant differences between teachers with the Florida ASD Endorsement and teachers without the Endorsement with regard to the interventions used. Overall, the results of the study indicated a need for further research to determine which intervention practices may be the most effective for the specific needs of children with ASD.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004821, ucf:45468
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004821
- Title
- A COMPARISON OF STIMULI PRESENTATION IN ADVANCED THEORY OF MIND TASKS FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH ASPERGER'S SYNDROME (AS).
- Creator
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Leon, Juliet, Schwartz, Jamie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Individuals diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) have marked impairments in social interaction, including difficulty expressing and perceiving thoughts, emotions, and intentions. This deficit may be due in part to a delayed or underdeveloped Theory of Mind (ToM). The previous research investigating ToM in individuals with AS has been inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to compare three Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks, presented via three different modalities, to evaluate the recognition...
Show moreIndividuals diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) have marked impairments in social interaction, including difficulty expressing and perceiving thoughts, emotions, and intentions. This deficit may be due in part to a delayed or underdeveloped Theory of Mind (ToM). The previous research investigating ToM in individuals with AS has been inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to compare three Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks, presented via three different modalities, to evaluate the recognition of complex emotions and mental states in adolescents with AS compared to typically developing adolescents. Participants in this study included twenty adolescents: 10 adolescents with AS and 10 typically developing adolescents matched by age and gender. Participants were administered three ToM tasks differing in mode of stimuli presentation: a visual mentalizing (VM) task; an auditory mentalizing (AM) task; and, a visual+auditory mentalizing (VAM) task. . Results were analyzed utilizing a factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). No significant difference was found between the groups overall, or between the groups by task. A pairwise analysis of the data revealed non-significant differences between visual only (VM) compared to auditory only (AM) presentation of stimuli; however significant differences were found between visual only (VM) stimuli compared to the combination of visual + auditory (VAM) stimuli, and between auditory only (AM) stimuli compared to the combination of visual + auditory (VAM) stimuli. These results indicated that the recognition of complex emotions and mental states increased when the stimuli were presented through the combined visual and auditory channels. Clinical implications of these findings were discussed. Recommendations were made for future research investigating ToM in individuals with AS.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003714, ucf:48800
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003714
- Title
- Fourth Grade Teachers' Implementation of an Explicit Vocabulary Teaching Technique with Students Who Are Socioeconomically Disadvantaged.
- Creator
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Spielvogel, Joanna, Ehren, Barbara, Schwartz, Jamie, Mckeown, Susan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The study investigated the impact of fourth grade general education teacher implementation of the Vocabulary Scenario Technique (-) General Education 16 (VST-GE16) protocol on the vocabulary knowledge gains of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) circumstances. For children living in poverty, vocabulary knowledge deficits begin in toddlerhood and persist throughout their lives. Early deficits in vocabulary knowledge translate to performance gaps in vocabulary knowledge, literacy, and...
Show moreThe study investigated the impact of fourth grade general education teacher implementation of the Vocabulary Scenario Technique (-) General Education 16 (VST-GE16) protocol on the vocabulary knowledge gains of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) circumstances. For children living in poverty, vocabulary knowledge deficits begin in toddlerhood and persist throughout their lives. Early deficits in vocabulary knowledge translate to performance gaps in vocabulary knowledge, literacy, and academic success between students from higher and lower SES homes. The development of explicit instructional protocols to be used by general education teachers is critical to the amelioration of these intransigent gaps. The study employed a quasi-experimental design (QED) with a treatment and comparison group. The settings for the study were four Title 1 schools in an urban-suburban district. Sixteen teachers (treatment, n = 10; comparison, n = 6), representing 20 classrooms, were recruited into the study. Treatment group teachers, who attended a three-hour face-to-face seminar and one hour of job-embedded coaching, implemented the VST-GE16 protocol and taught 32 academic vocabulary words to their students across a four week period; the comparison group teachers taught the same 32 words to their students using methods typical to their pedagogical practices (Typical Practice instruction) across a four week period. Three hundred and eighty-five fourth grade students participated in the study (treatment, n = 185; comparison, n = 198). Student vocabulary gains were measured with pretest-posttest multiple-choice synonym and cloze words-in-context instruments; data were analyzed using a split-plot Repeated-Measure ANOVA. Results indicated that VST-GE16 instruction significantly outperformed Typical Practice instruction in promoting vocabulary knowledge gains for synonyms and text comprehension. The current study advanced the effort to scale-up evidence-based practices to relevant educational settings and practitioners for the purpose of improving student outcomes, particularly for those students at-risk for academic failure secondary to socioeconomic disadvantage.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007103, ucf:51991
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007103
- Title
- Curriculum Vocabulary Acquisition of 4th Graders Using a Language-Sensitive Teaching Approach.
- Creator
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Spielvogel, Joanna, Ehren, Barbara, Schwartz, Jamie, Mckeown, Susan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if a direct, explicit method of teaching vocabulary with a Vocabulary Scenario Technique-Language Sensitive protocol (VST-LS) would yield gains in the vocabulary knowledge of 4th grade students greater than those seen in 4th grade students receiving vocabulary instruction typical to some general education classrooms. VST-LS is a detailed description of procedures intended to be used by a teacher in a general education classroom for direct...
Show moreThe purpose of this pilot study was to determine if a direct, explicit method of teaching vocabulary with a Vocabulary Scenario Technique-Language Sensitive protocol (VST-LS) would yield gains in the vocabulary knowledge of 4th grade students greater than those seen in 4th grade students receiving vocabulary instruction typical to some general education classrooms. VST-LS is a detailed description of procedures intended to be used by a teacher in a general education classroom for direct vocabulary instruction. The VST-LS protocol provides for 14 word encounters involving listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Forty-one 4th grade students consisting of 18 males and 23 females participated in the study. All participants were attending a suburban elementary school in a large urban-suburban school district. Two 4th grade teachers at the suburban elementary school agreed to participate in the study. One of the teachers who agreed to participate in the study had previously participated in a Vocabulary Scenario Technique pilot study (Ehren, Zadroga, (&) Proly, 2010); therefore, her 4th grade classroom was designated as the treatment group and the second 4th grade classroom was designated as the comparison group. The treatment group received direct vocabulary instruction by a graduate student speech language pathologist (SLP) using the VST-LS protocol. The comparison group received vocabulary instruction by a 4th grade teacher using word study activities typical to some general education classrooms. Both the treatment group and the comparison group were taught 32 preselected curriculum vocabulary words across four consecutive weeks. Eight words were taught per week, for four weeks, during three thirty minute instruction periods (dosage = 6 hours). Two pre-test/post-test vocabulary measures, a multiple choice synonym test and a fill-in-the-blank/word-bank sentence test, were used to document both the treatment group and comparison group performances. Both the synonym pre-test and the sentence pre-test were administered to the treatment group and the comparison group one week prior to the commencement of the pilot study. Both the synonym post-test and the sentence post-test were administered to the treatment group and the comparison group one week after the conclusion of the study. A one way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to examine the treatment effects of the VST-LS protocol in comparison to treatment effects of vocabulary instruction typical to some mainstream classrooms. The ANCOVA testing indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in post-test scores for both the synonym measure, F(1, 35) = 14.76, p (<) .001, and the sentence measure, F(1, 34) = 43.66, p (<) .001, between the treatment condition and the comparison condition, when controlling for pre-test scores on both the synonym measure and the sentence measure. A large effect size was demonstrated, indicated by group, in regard to both the synonym measure, partial ?2 = .30, and the sentence measure, partial ?2 = .56. On average, participants in the treatment condition scored higher on both the synonym measure (M = 24.33, SE = 0.77) and the sentence measure (M = 26.24, SE = 0.76) than did the study participants in the comparison condition (synonym measure: M = 20.14, SE = 0.77; sentence measure: M = 19.03, SE = 0.78).The result of the VST-LS pilot study indicated that this method of direct vocabulary instruction was more successful in generating vocabulary gains in 4th grade students than was vocabulary instruction typically seen in general education classrooms. Additionally, the result indicated that the VST-LS protocol has potential as a viable, efficient method for teachers to use when directly teaching curriculum vocabulary words to 4th grade students in general education classrooms. A summary of the findings, limitations of the study, and suggestions for the direction of future research are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004169, ucf:49084
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004169
- Title
- Effects of a Reading Inference Strategy Intervention on the Reading and Social Inference Abilities of Adults with Asperger Syndrome.
- Creator
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Murza, Kimberly, Nye, William, Ehren, Barbara, Schwartz, Jamie, Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The ability to generate inferences is a skill that is necessary to fully comprehend a text and understand the intentions, behaviors, and emotions of a conversational partner. Individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) have been shown to demonstrate significant difficulty in inference generation in both social contexts and in reading comprehension. Although, the reciprocity of the four components of literacy (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) has been established in the literature ...
Show moreThe ability to generate inferences is a skill that is necessary to fully comprehend a text and understand the intentions, behaviors, and emotions of a conversational partner. Individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) have been shown to demonstrate significant difficulty in inference generation in both social contexts and in reading comprehension. Although, the reciprocity of the four components of literacy (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) has been established in the literature (Bradley (&) Bryant, 1983; Catts (&) Kamhi, 2005; Englert (&) Thomas, 1987; Gillon (&) Dodd, 1995; Hiebert, 1980; Kroll, 1981; Ruddell (&) Ruddell, 1994); the relationship between inference generation in reading and social inference generation is not well understood. The present study investigated the efficacy of a language-focused reading inference strategy intervention (ACT (&) Check Strategy) on the general reading comprehension, inference generation in reading, social inference, and metacognitive ability of adults with AS. Twenty-five adults with AS were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a control group. The treatment group participants were divided into groups of 3-4 based on their availability and preferred location for treatment resulting in a total of 4 groups. Each group met in one-hour sessions twice a week for a total of six weeks. When controlling for pretest scores, the treatment group was found to perform significantly better on one measure of inference generation in reading and metacognitive ability compared to the control group. Significant differences between groups were not found in two measures of inference generation in reading comprehension or social inference ability. These findings suggest that the ACT (&) Check strategy was effective in improving participants' ability to generate inferences as they read and their metacognitive reading ability. However, instruction in inference generation in reading does not appear to generalize to other language modalities (i.e., social inference generation). This research provides support for an explicit language-focused strategy intervention addressing the reading inference deficit area. Further research is warranted to investigate potential interventions to address social inference skills for individuals with AS.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004146, ucf:49045
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004146
- Title
- Effects of symbol type on naming and identification of graphic symbols by typically developing three, four, five and six-year olds children.
- Creator
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Resnick, Pamela, Kent-Walsh, Jennifer, Schwartz, Jamie, Zraick, Richard, Bai, Haiyan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Speech-language pathologists and educators face unique challenges in assessing the language skills of children with complex communication needs due to the wide array of impairments with which these individuals present. For example, most receptive language assessment tools require that children either point to or label line drawings to determine whether or not they comprehend the depicted concepts; task demands such as these preclude administering such assessment tools with children who are...
Show moreSpeech-language pathologists and educators face unique challenges in assessing the language skills of children with complex communication needs due to the wide array of impairments with which these individuals present. For example, most receptive language assessment tools require that children either point to or label line drawings to determine whether or not they comprehend the depicted concepts; task demands such as these preclude administering such assessment tools with children who are unable to physically point to or verbally label presented stimuli. In light of these challenges, the use of eye tracking technologies has become particularly appealing since this alternate response mode reduces the behavioral demands associated with standardized assessment procedures. Another challenge clinicians and educators face as they strive to ensure accurate receptive language assessment results with children who have complex communication needs is the type of stimuli utilized in such assessments. When individuals with cognitive delays are presented with stimuli that may not be comprehensible to them, there is a risk of under-estimating language comprehension abilities (Emerson, 2003). Given the documented challenges that individuals with disabilities often have in identifying constructs depicted by the types of line drawings typically included in receptive language assessment tools (e.g., Mirenda (&) Locke, 1989; Mizuko, 1987), there is a critical need to include recognizable stimuli in assessment tools in order to determine this population's true receptive language capabilities. Beyond this potential to improve the validity of receptive language assessments, improvement in assessment practices such as these also have potential positive implications for effective AAC technology selection and AAC treatment planning.The current investigation examined the effect of symbol type (color photograph symbols1 vs. SymbolStix(&)copy;2 color line drawing symbols) on identification and naming of graphic symbols for nouns, verbs and adjectives in typically developing three, four, five and six-year old children. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with counterbalance for experimental stimuli (color photograph symbols1 vs. SymbolStix(&)copy;2 symbols) and task (identification task vs. naming task). Eighty-nine participants completed the identification and naming tasks with both examined symbol types (color photograph symbols1 vs. SymbolStix(&)copy;2 symbols) on two different days. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to examine the effects of symbol type on both accuracy and rate of identification, and on accuracy of naming. Bivariate correlation was completed to determine the relationship between participants' touch and eye identification rates, and to determine the relationship between identification accuracy and eye rate. Mean scores revealed that all participants achieved higher accuracy for the identification and naming tasks with color photograph symbols1, and that participants evidenced faster touch and eye identification rates for the color photograph symbol1 condition. These findings suggest that color photograph symbols1 are more transparent and thus more easily identifiable. Therefore, potential future assessment modifications include the incorporation of color photograph symbols1 as stimuli and eye gaze as a selection option within AAC assessment tools. Overall, results of this study have the potential to change the way speech-language pathologists and educators assess the receptive language skills of children with complex communication needs to yield more accurate assessment results.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006909, ucf:51701
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006909
- Title
- Effects of a Mixed-Mode Instructional Program on the Communicative Turns of Preschoolers with Down syndrome who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
- Creator
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Nicsinger, Erika, Kent-Walsh, Jennifer, Schwartz, Jamie, Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie, Binger, Cathy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Children with Down syndrome are at increased risk for a variety of deficits, including those in the area of speech, language, and literacy. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have historically focused on building children's verbal and signed vocabulary, but these efforts do not always result in significant changes in children's functional communication. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and interventions have been recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing...
Show moreChildren with Down syndrome are at increased risk for a variety of deficits, including those in the area of speech, language, and literacy. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have historically focused on building children's verbal and signed vocabulary, but these efforts do not always result in significant changes in children's functional communication. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and interventions have been recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as appropriate options for facilitating functional communication skills with children with Down syndrome ([American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA], 2010; New York State Department of Health [NYSDOH], 2006). In spite of these recommendations, there exists a critical shortage of SLPs who are clinically competent in providing necessary AAC services to children with Down syndrome (Edgar (&) Rosa-Lugo, 2007; Light, McNaughton, Drager, Roberts, (&) Wilson, 2004). As a result, families of children with varying disabilities, including Down syndrome report high levels of stress related to accessing important professional expertise and intervention for their children (Dabrowska (&) Pisula, 2010). Researchers and clinicians alike must consider alternative treatment delivery options that are responsive to the needs of families and children with complex communication needs (Cirrin et al., 2010; Light (&) McNaughton, 2015). A telepractice service delivery model has been documented to ease burdens felt by families when attempting to access rehabilitative services (Gladden, 2013). Telepractice involves the use of technology to connect clinicians and clients at a distance for the purposes of assessment, intervention, or consultation (Theodoros, 2011). An expanding body of research promotes the use of telepractice service delivery within AAC to address the needs of both children and families. One evidence-based AAC intervention of interest is communication partner instruction. Communication partner instruction, even in small doses, has been proven to be an effective method for providing parents and children with complex communication needs, specifically children with Down syndrome, access to necessary intervention (Kent-Walsh, Murza, Malani, (&) Binger, 2015). Partner instruction involves educating those critical stakeholders who surround the child most frequently (e.g., parents, educators, educational assistants) to recognize and respond to children's communicative signals and to create opportunities for children to participate in the conversation (Pennington, Goldbart, (&) Marshall, 2004). Despite the evidence supporting the use of communication partner instruction, SLPs continue to struggle with implementation in billable contexts (Ogletree, 2013). SLPs in the United States often operate in a billable context, where the client must be actively involved in the therapy session in order for practitioners to receive reimbursement from insurance companies for time spent with clients. This issue has served as a barrier to use of communication partner instruction, as currently accepted research-validated models use introductory parent sessions independent of the children's learning to teach partner skills. Therefore, the current investigation examined the effects of a communication partner instruction using a mixed-mode service delivery model, which incorporated face-to-face and telepractice sessions, as well as a billable context. The focus of the protocol was on educating parents in one aided language strategy using a communication partner instruction program incorporating continuous child involvement and a mixed-mode service-delivery model, including both face-to-face and telepractice intervention components (e.g., Skype/FaceTime), to address the need for interventions which consider stressors faced by families when attempting to access evidence-based AAC intervention. The study utilized a single-case, multiple-probe experimental design across three parent-child dyads. Baseline, intervention, generalization, and maintenance phases were used to investigate the efficacy of the nine-session intervention. Visual analysis and Improvement Rate Difference (IRD) analyses indicated that the intervention was highly effective in increasing parents' use of the target strategy and children's communicative turntaking during shared storybook reading. One-hundred percent of parent participants increased their performance from baseline to post-intervention (IRD = 1.0), and all parents maintained these levels of achievement during the maintenance phase (IRD = 1.0). Similarly, children increased their frequency of communicative turns from baseline to post-intervention (IRD = 1.0), and all children participants maintained these levels of turntaking during the maintenance phase (IRD = 1.0), as well as during a novel book series (IRD = 1.0). These findings suggest that the mixed-mode service delivery model, which includes both face-to-face and telepractice sessions, as well as continuous child involvement is an effective method for increasing parents' use of a target strategy and children's frequency of multimodal communicative turns. Clinical and professional implications, as well as future directions for research are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006542, ucf:51327
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006542
- Title
- The Relationship Between Comprehension of Descriptive and Sequential Expository Texts and Reader Characteristics in Typically Developing Kindergarten Children.
- Creator
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Zadroga, Cheran, Schwartz, Jamie, Kent-Walsh, Jennifer, Nye, Chad, Lieberman, Rita, Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Researchers have found that children need to be proficient in reading and writing expository text to succeed academically as well as in their future careers. More than ever before, children in primary grade classrooms are being exposed to and expected to comprehend a variety expository text types. However, empirical evidence to support the use of expository texts in kindergarten classrooms, in particular, is sorely lacking. To begin to fill this gap, this study was conducted to investigate...
Show moreResearchers have found that children need to be proficient in reading and writing expository text to succeed academically as well as in their future careers. More than ever before, children in primary grade classrooms are being exposed to and expected to comprehend a variety expository text types. However, empirical evidence to support the use of expository texts in kindergarten classrooms, in particular, is sorely lacking. To begin to fill this gap, this study was conducted to investigate kindergarten children's comprehension of two types of expository text structures (i.e., descriptive and sequential) commonly found in kindergarten classrooms. Specifically, the aims of the study were three fold: (1) to investigate if there is a relationship between prior knowledge and the comprehension of descriptive or sequential expository text; (2) to determine if the comprehension of descriptive and sequential expository text are important predictors of performance on the Token Test for Children-2 (TTFC-2) and the Assessment of Literacy and Language (ALL); and (3) to determine if there is a correlation between the descriptive and sequential expository text comprehension measures (i.e., retelling of expository text and answering comprehension questions) on the researcher created Expository Text Protocol.The sample included 45 typically developing kindergarten children (ages 5 years, 8 months to 6 years, 10 months). All children passed a vision and a hearing screening; were enrolled in kindergarten for the first time (no history of retention); scored within the normal range on a non-verbal intelligence screener; and, were not receiving services in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program or the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program. Each child participated in two, one-hour, assessment sessions on two separate days. During the sessions, children were administered formal (i.e., TTFC-2 (&) ALL) and informal (i.e., Expository Text Protocol) assessments, counter balanced across the sessions. The standardized tests were administered in the prescribed manner. During administration of the researcher created Expository Text Protocol children listened first to either an illustrated descriptive expository text or an illustrated sequential expository text read aloud by a researcher. After the reading, the children either first retold the text without the use of the corresponding expository text or answered a set of 12 comprehension questions for each type of expository text (i.e., descriptive and sequential). The order of the retelling and comprehension questions were counter balanced across children. Simple linear regressions, multiple linear regressions, and partial correlational analyses were used to assess the data obtained in this study. The research findings indicated that a statistically significant relationship exists between the comprehension of expository text and the following reader characteristics: listening comprehension ability, language ability, and literacy ability. However, a statistically significant relationship was not found between the comprehension of the expository text types and prior knowledge. In addition, a statistically significant relationship was found between each of the two types of comprehension measures: retelling of descriptive and sequential expository texts and answering comprehension questions related to each type of text.This investigation revealed that the incorporation of descriptive and sequential expository text structures into the kindergarten curricula is appropriate and the exposure to expository texts may facilitate language and literacy growth and build upon kindergarten children's existing prior knowledge. In turn, exposure to expository texts also may be beneficial in expanding children's use of expository language found in these types of texts. Future research is needed to examine kindergarten children's comprehension of other types of expository text structures found in kindergarten classrooms.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006426, ucf:51479
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006426
