MAE, Otterbein University, 2022, Education

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether student scores on the kindergarten DIBELS PSF assessment are correlated with student reading assessment scores in third grade. I chose to examine this correlation because the kindergarten PSF score is used as one of the earliest identifiers of students who are at-risk for reading difficulties. I determined that a small number of those students who scored at-risk in kindergarten remained at-risk in the third grade.

Committee: Paul Wendel (Advisor); Sue Constable (Committee Member); Allison McGrath (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Literacy; Special Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2012, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

Teaching a child to read is one of the greatest gifts we can give to that individual and to society as a whole, and yet many students exit school without the necessary literacy skills. For decades, research has demonstrated the importance of phonemic awareness in the development of the alphabetic principle, a prerequisite for competent reading, along with laying the foundation for more complex reading tasks; acquiring phonemic awareness is imperative for successful literacy development. Unfortunately, many students lack the necessary phonemic awareness skills to become competent readers. Extensive research exists pertaining to the development of phonemic awareness in emergent readers, but much less research is available regarding phonemic awareness development in older, struggling readers. The purpose of this study was to extend the research by exploring the effects of word box instruction, a research-based intervention designed to promote phonemic awareness, on the phonological, reading, and spelling skills of two groups of students: three kindergartners at risk for reading failure, and five fifth graders struggling with reading and spelling (i.e., treatment resisters). A further extension of the research was the use of nonsense words throughout the study. Concurrent interventions, utilizing a multiple probe across three phonemic awareness skills design that was sequentially replicated across subjects (Tawney & Gast, 1984), was implemented to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Results demonstrated a functional relation between the word box instruction and increases in all eight students' ability to segment and develop phoneme-grapheme relationships, along with demonstrated improvements in spelling and reading skills.

Committee: Moira Konrad PhD (Advisor); Ralph Gardner PhD (Committee Member); Laurice Joseph PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Special Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, ED Physical Activities and Educational Services

Phonological awareness skills (i.e., phonemic awareness, rhyme awareness, awareness of alliteration, etc.) are important to the reading ability of all participants (National Early Literacy Panel, 2007; National Reading Panel, 2000). More specifically, these skills are critical to the success of participants defined as at risk for reading disabilities (Adams, 1990; Juel, 1988). This study analyzed the effects of explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, rhyme awareness and awareness of alliteration as well as instruction in discrimination of the differences among the skills and their relationships. This study also provided a basis for introducing a computerized format of the Get it, Got it, Go and to compare the results obtained from the computer-based version with the traditional format of the assessment. Results indicate that participants responded favorably to the explicit instruction through increased responding if they had evidence of the individual skills prior to the beginning of instruction and emergence of the skill and growth in responding after instruction started. The computerized format was also found to be a valid and reliable format of the Get it, Got it Go assessment instrument. Lastly, contributions of this study and future research are presented

Committee: Ralph Gardner, III PhD (Committee Chair); Gwendolyn Cartledge PhD (Committee Member); Sheila Alber-Morgan PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Software

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Physical Activity and Educational Services

The study investigated the effectiveness of a supplemental early reading intervention program on the phonemic awareness and alphabetic principle skills of students identified as being at-risk for reading failure. Six instructional assistants and two graduate students in special education provided small-group instruction for 61 at-risk Kindergarten students across three elementary schools. Thirty-two Kindergarten students from the three schools served as controls. Participants were selected based on low scores on the beginning- and middle-of-year benchmark assessments as measured by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Scores on the letter-word identification and word attack subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-III (WJ-III) were used to verify risk status. Total instructional time varied across instructional assistants. Student participants received between 6.85 and 13.70 hours of instruction across 16 weeks of intervention. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the effects of participation in instruction, total instructional time, and level of treatment quality on the letter-word identification and word attack subtests of the WJ-III.

Committee: Gwendolyn Cartledge (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Special

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2019, Education

Preschools have become an important beginning step in education. This sequential mixed methods study sought to determine if the Montessori preschool setting provides greater academic achievement in reading readiness, specifically phonemic awareness, in preschoolers as compared to a conventional elementary standards-based preschool setting. Social constructivist theory and sociocultural theory were used as theoretical frameworks. Qualitative data was comprised of interviews with kindergarten teachers who agreed unanimously that preschool had a positive impact on students' academic ability upon entrance to kindergarten. However, all four teachers had a negative connotation pertaining to Montessori students and the Montessori Method based solely on students' behavior and students' lack of conformity. For the quantitative data, multiple two sample t-tests were conducted to determine the effect of preschool experience on all 90 participants' reading readiness scores upon entrance to kindergarten based upon DIBELS FSF and PSF and their KRA assessment scores, while taking socio-economic status into consideration. T-tests were used to compare the results from 30 Montessori students, 30 conventional standards-based elementary students, and 30 students with no preschool experience. All three sub-groups were matched equally based on socio-economic status. Montessori students outperformed the other two school groups on all three assessments. The difference in scores when separating Montessori students by socio-economic status is the most significant finding to come from this study. Montessori students considered low income had statistically lower scores on all three assessments when compared to Montessori students who are not considered low income.

Committee: Mary-Heather Munger Ph.D. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Tests and Measurements; Elementary Education; Language Arts; Literacy; Preschool Education

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: School Psychology

Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of peer tutoring on academic skills, as well as the effectiveness of phonemic awareness (PA) instruction on early literacy skills. However, few studies have examined the use of peer tutoring interventions with younger populations of students, and only one has targeted PA skills. This study investigated whether first-grade peer tutoring was effective at increasing phonemic awareness skills and whether first-grade peer tutors were able to provide accurate feedback to tutees during peer tutoring procedures. A multiple baseline design across student participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the peer tutoring intervention, with Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) and Accuracy of Tutor Feedback serving as the dependent variables. One of the two tutees increased their PSF from baseline to intervention. Both tutors were observed delivering feedback with high levels of accuracy to tutees during peer tutoring sessions. The current peer tutoring procedure is a low-intensity intervention option for first-grade students who are not at the fall benchmark for phonemic awareness skills.

Committee: Renee Oliver Hawkins Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Janet Lee Graden Ph.D. (Committee Member); Todd Haydon Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2017, Education

Few researchers have examined the impact on pre-service teacher efficacy as related to a field experience in a literacy content area. In this study, the pre-service teachers were enrolled in a phonemic awareness and phonics course with an associated field experience. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and a researcher created content specific survey provided pre and post field experience data. The researcher created content survey provided insight regarding the changes in attitudes of the candidates with the overall responses in the survey indicated that the candidates were more confident in phonemic awareness and phonic lesson design after the field experience. The study was conducted at a small private college with early childhood education majors. The small sample size limited overall conclusions. Indeed, the results indicated no significant differences. The impact of the field experience on individual efficacy was not evident; further research is required.

Committee: Melissa Cain Dr. (Committee Chair); Clarissa Barnes Dr. (Committee Member); John Gillham Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

This study examined the effects of word box instruction on word identification and spelling performance of CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words of first grade students who are at risk learners. Word identification was measured via oral responses and spelling performance was measured by correct letter sequence. Students were between the ages of five and six, and all three participants were identified as at risk learners in reading. A multiple-probe across participants design was used to evaluate intervention effectiveness. Finding indicated students reading and spelling performance of CVC words improved as a result of the intervention.

Committee: Sheila Morgan (Advisor) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Reading Instruction; Special Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, ED Physical Activities and Educational Services

The current investigation employed a multiple-probe design to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of an instructional package on a phonemic awareness task by six learners with multiple disabilities. The intervention entailed a decreasing time delay procedure, a systematic error correction procedure in addition to incorporating active student responding and use of intermittent schedules of reinforcement for correct responses. Intervention effectiveness was examined in terms of the percent correct of phonemes isolated across training and maintenance data. Intervention efficiency was examined across mean number of sessions to criterion, mean number of trials to criterion, mean number of errors per session, and mean number of trials presented per session across continuous phonemes, stop phonemes, and consonant blends. For four of the six participants, instruction targeted isolating the initial phonemes of consonant-vowel-consonant words across continuous phonemes, stop phonemes, and consonant blends. One participant was exposed to instruction targeting isolating continuous blends, stop blends, and three-letter blends. Another participant received instruction on isolating the final phoneme of CVC words across phoneme type. Results indicate that the instructional strategy was effective for all participants. Data on instructional efficiency measures suggest tentative conclusions. Additionally, phonemes that were mastered were maintained at a high-level of accuracy over the course of the investigation. Stimulus and response generalization across untrained words and phonemes were minimal. Two participants demonstrated generalization across untrained words and generalization of untrained sounds. Finally, measures of social validity indicated that classroom educators positively viewed procedures and goals of the instructional package employed. Limitations of the study are discussed, and future research are suggested.

Committee: Sheila Alber-Morgan PhD (Advisor); Helen Malone PhD (Committee Co-Chair); William Heward PhD (Committee Member); Laurice Joseph PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Special Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2007, Elementary Education (Education)

Many at-risk readers lack phonemic awareness skills and require explicit systematic instruction to develop these skills (Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2001; National Reading Panel, 2000). The purpose of this study was to address three questions regarding the spelling error patterns of at-risk readers related to phonemic awareness: 1) Do younger at-risk readers make significantly more phonetically accurate and inaccurate errors than older at-risk readers? 2) Is the proportion of phonetically inaccurate errors greater than proportion of phonetically accurate errors for at-risk readers? and 3) Is the proportion of phonetically inaccurate vowel errors greater than the proportion of phonetically inaccurate consonant errors for at-risk readers? Of particular interest was whether at-risk readers experience significant difficulties processing short vowel information. To address these questions, data was collected on the spelling error patterns of at-risk readers that occurred during a pretest comprised of words with closed syllable patterns. Sixty-nine at-risk readers in grades one through four participated in the study. All of the subjects were enrolled in a Midwestern city school district summer intervention program for at-risk readers. Participants were administered a spelling pretest consisting of 15 words that contained a limited number of beginning level concepts: 1) initial and final consonants, 2) short vowels, 3) blending of two and three speech sounds, 4) consonant digraphs, 5) double consonants ff, ll, and ss plus one irregular orthographic pattern (all), and 6) adding the suffix s. For statistical analyses, grade levels were divided into two groups, younger (grades 1 and 2) and older (grades 3 and 4) at-risk readers. Spelling errors were classified into four main categories: phonetically accurate errors, phonetically inaccurate errors, phonetically inaccurate consonant errors, and phonetically inaccurate vowel errors. Results showed significant differences between (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dorothy Leal (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Elementary

Specialist in Education, Miami University, 2009, Educational Psychology

The present study examined the effectiveness of Teacher Directed: Paths to Achieving Literacy Success (PALS), an early literacy supplemental program, with 8 diverse students including English Language Learners (ELL). Progress was monitored weekly with select Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2002) measures: Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF), Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF), and Oral Reading Fluency (ORF). Pre and post-measures of Indicadores Dinamicos Del Excito en la Lectura (IDEL; Good, Baker, Knutson, Watson, 2003) were administered to those ELL students who could both read and write Spanish to examine whether phonological awareness would transfer between languages. A multiple-baseline design across three groups was used to determine the effects of treatment. Results indicated that students, in general, improved their early literacy skills. IDEL scores did not support whether or not phonological awareness had transferred between languages.

Committee: Kevin Jones PhD (Committee Chair); Amy Glaspey PhD (Committee Member); Steuart Watson PhD (Committee Member); Katherine Wickstrom PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Literacy

PHD, Kent State University, 2012, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

The purpose of this case study was to examine the interactions between parents and children as they participated in weekly tutoring sessions to develop phonemic awareness (PA) with the use of kinesthetic motions for the phoneme (KMP). The study examined how the parents extended the learning and explored the changes in their literacy understandings. In addition, it documented the children's growth in PA. The four major sources of data of the study were: field notes constructed from recordings of the tutoring sessions and dyads reading a poem at the beginning and end of the study; parental logs; interviews; and literacy measures of the children. The study chronicled the change in the parents as they developed the ability to teach PA. The parent-child interactions demonstrated the parents acted as effective tutors. They scaffolded attending to sound with KMPs and developed the following understandings through the use of poetry: to direct their children to attend to print nonverbally by pointing and verbally with the use of specific language for directionality, letters and punctuation. The children developed PA, as evidenced in their use of KMPs outside of the sessions, in their identification of letter sounds and ability to encode phonemes. The parents' guidance of the children to text resulted in growth in concepts about print. The implications of the study include the need to incorporate concrete markers,such as the KMP, with preschoolers in PA activities, the need to teach parents to scaffold interaction with text through pointing, and the need to seriously consider engaging parents in academic tutoring.

Committee: Timothy Rasinski (Committee Co-Chair); Belinda Zimmerman (Committee Co-Chair); Tricia Niesz (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Elementary Education; Literacy; Reading Instruction

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2012, Reading

Phonemic awareness is one of the strongest predictors of early reading success. Children who have little phonemic awareness often have difficulties in learning to read. Research suggests that children who have special needs related to reading often do so, because they lack appropriate phonemic awareness and skills. Lacking phonemic awareness can contribute to academic failure and continued academic frustration. The purpose of this study was to review practitioner literacy journals and magazines to identify phonemic awareness strategies were being advocated as appropriate and effective for teaching phonemic awareness to children who have special needs. This study examined the following periodicals: three practitioner literacy journals used were The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, Teaching Exceptional Children, and two practitioner literacy magazines were Instructor and Teaching Pre K-8. All articles published in the journals were analyzed for content that addressed (a) phonemic awareness, (b) phonemic awareness for children with special needs or have phonemic awareness deficits, and (c) strategies and approaches recommended as effective. The results of this study found only eight articles related to phonemic awareness approaches and strategies. None of the articles explicitly stated that the strategies or approaches were to be used solely for students with special needs. These results indicate that phonemic awareness strategies and approaches were not a hot topic amongst the most popular practitioner journals and magazines read by teachers during the years of 2002-2007. This is an indication that there is disconnect between what is being advocated in practitioner literacy journals and magazines and what research-based recommendations are advocating for effective reading instruction.

Committee: Cindy Hendricks PhD (Committee Chair); Penny Soboleski Ed.D (Committee Member); Trinka Messenheimer Ed.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Reading

Teachers enter the classroom with a myriad of responsibilities and can easily become overwhelmed by all that is asked of them. One of the greatest concerns they may encounter is how to meet the needs of all of the students they have at the same time, specifically in the area of reading instruction. If the school district happens to practice inclusion, the needs of their students become much more diverse. The purpose for this study was to address this dilemma with regards to one disability in particular, Autism. In the last year, the prevalence of children diagnosed with Autism increased substantially, justifying the need for research. From this, the research question developed; what are the best practices for teaching children with Autism to read in an inclusive classroom setting? To discern answers to this question, a research site that works solely with students with Autism was chosen. The administrators and teachers at this school, who guide and instruct these students on a daily basis, were utilized as participants to gain valuable data from a variety of perspectives. The process of data collection was done through an interview, surveys, and a number of observations. Upon completing these elements, the data were coded, tallied, and compiled within tables and charts. From these data emerged recommendations in five areas of reading; phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. These data also included suggestions around reading instruction in four areas; environment, behavior, communication, as well as materials and resources. From this study, teachers in all classrooms including students with Autism can gain valuable insight into their educational practices involving reading instruction.

Committee: Cynthia Bertelsen (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Reading

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2013, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

This study investigated the early effects of the Tomatis Method, hypothesizing improvement in processing speed, phonological awareness, reading efficiency, attention, behavior and brain physiology by the end of Phase 1 of the Tomatis Method. This study documented the effects of the first phase of the Tomatis Method on children with ADD ages 7-13. Of the 25 participants, 15 received solely the Tomatis treatment while 10 served as controls and were stabilized on ADD medication three months prior to and throughout the study. Therefore, this research study compared Tomatis versus non-Tomatis intervention, not ADD medication treatment with Tomatis intervention. The Tomatis group received 15 consecutive 2 hour sessions; participants received no additional vestibular or visual-motor exercises throughout the research. Results revealed statistically significant improvements for the Tomatis when compared to the non-Tomatis group: the experimental group showed significant improvement in processing speed, phonological awareness, phonemic decoding efficiency when reading, behavior, and auditory attention. A statistically significant increase in slow brain activity at central and parietal midline recording sites in the Tomatis group was observed when comparing pre- and posttreatment theta/beta ratios within each group. Taken in isolation, these are paradoxical findings as they do not concur with the gains documented. The peak alpha frequency values and the z-scored theta/beta ratios of the pre- and post- qEEGs for each participant in the Tomatis group were further explored. The paradoxical increase in theta/betha ratios obtained from individual raw values were not observed to the same extent when using z-scores. The z-scores suggested that the theta/beta ratio, although higher for the Tomatis group after training, remains within the average range for all participants. The individual analysis showed that the changes observed still fell within normal values, which may se (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Alejandra Suarez PhD (Committee Chair); Maritza Rivera-Gaxiola PhD (Committee Member); Patricia Linn PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology