Data Analysis
Data Set One: Student Survey
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The infographics above represent the data I collected from student surveys. Writing time in my classroom could be difficult. At the start of the year our whole class lacked stamina in writing. By the end of quarter one the majority of the class had their stamina built back up and could write for the full 25 minute block. The students that were included in this study were the students that still struggled to write the entire time. The question above, "Do you like writing less because it's hard to spell words?" was something, I wondered, that was impacting their writing and why they preferred reading. I had originally asked a yes/no question, but students asked if they could list sometimes, which I then included.
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The pre-test showed me that the student's spelling does impact their writing. When struggling with spelling words in their paper, students only had a list of words to reference, and often the word they were trying to spell was not on the list. Students then could use only one strategy to help them solve the word, sounding it out. The students that responded "no" and "sometimes" were all in the same reading group and were reading on an end-of-second-grade reading level. The five that said "yes, it does make writing harder" were also in the same reading group. These students were two levels below an end-of-second-grade reading level.
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The post survey was exciting to see. After being taught five new strategies, students had more self-confidence when it came to their spelling. All three students who responded “no it doesn't impact my writing” were all in the same reading group that was reading on an end-of-second-grade reading level. One of their group members still selected "sometimes." I wasn't surprised to see this student select this. They often struggle with words that have silent e's, r-controlled vowels, and the -ou blend. These three spelling patterns are frequently used especially in second grade writing. Four of the five students from the reading group that was two levels below second grade level moved up to saying it "sometimes" impacts their writing. After being taught five new strategies, it was exciting to see these students say it "sometimes" makes it difficult. During writing time these students were frequently using the strategies that were being taught and had less spelling errors in their writing. The student that still said spelling still impacts their writing is a student that receives speech services for articulation errors.
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Data Set Two: Conventions Rubric
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The infographic above represents the data I collected from students' writing. To grade their conventions, I followed the district rubric. When grading, I focused on the spelling of kindergarten, first grade, and second grade words. I then looked for grammar, ending marks, capital letters, and basic formatting of a paragraph. The data collected from this was used to see how the group of students was doing with conventions. This information would then show me if I needed to not only work on spelling, but on other types of conventions.
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The pre-test showed me that the majority of my students were progressing in the area of conventions. These students still had first grade words that were mis-spelled and all second-grade words were mis-spelled. They also had run on sentences and the letter I by itself was not capitalized. Seeing this, I knew that I needed to teaching spelling strategies, but also needed to have meaningful mini lessons to re-teach these skills. The one child that scored a beginning score still struggled with Kindergarten words. She is currently receiving speech services for articulation errors. It is important to note that on our district rubrics we have an advanced scoring column. Out of the nine students monitored in this study, no students scored an advanced score.
After the seven-week study I graded a new writing piece with same district rubric. After being taught strategies to solve spelling or words and six weeks of mini lessons on capital letters, ending marks, and grammar, two of the nine students scored an advanced score in conventions. These two students were in the same reading group that read at the end-of-second-grade target. These students had originally scored a proficient score. All six students that were in the progressing category in conventions all moved to the proficient category. Finally, the one student who was in the beginning category for conventions also moved up to the proficient category.
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The data above shows that growth was made in all areas of conventions for the selected students. Though not all students made it to the proficient area of the rubric, growth was still celebrated. The instruction that was given was successful and gave students new strategies to help with spelling and gave exposure to writing conventions correctly.
Data Set Three: High Frequency Words
The infographics above show the data collected from the pre and post-test of high frequency words, both written and read. The spelling assessment for high frequency words was given to the entire class. The word was said, a sentence with the meaning of the word was given, and the word was repeated again. We would ask if a student needed anything repeated after giving 10 words. For reading, students were given a list and read the words orally. If they mispronounced the word the child continued on. No adult feedback was provided.
The pre-test of high frequency words showed me that my students were lacking reciprocity between their reading and writing. The majority of the students knew how to read their words. This showed me that students could not only read the word, but also the blends that were in those words. When it came to writing, they understood the words but were missing the understanding of the blends and what letters they included. This allowed me to see what we needed to focus on in small group and during writing. We used our analogy linking chart frequently to make connections to the blends in words. Students were still making errors when it came to -er words, as they would put just an r. They made these same errors with silent e words. During our time together we focused on these words and again made connections with them by frequently practicing with them. Letter boxes helped with these connections. If students were spelling the word writer and they saw the word had six letters but they only had five of the boxes filled, they would then make the connection that they needed the -er ending.
The post-test data showed that the strategies and writing opportunities were helping build their reciprocity. Though we still have work to do to close the gap, students are making connections to their spelling and blends. In education, we always meet students where they are at. The study allowed this to happen and through the course of the study the two groups made significant growth with their spelling.
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In addition to other data pieces, a paired-samples t-test was conducted to determine the effect of the use of strategies to improve reciprocity on increasing students' reading and writing achievement. There was a significant difference in the scores prior to implementing summarizing strategies (M=30.55 SD=16.83) and after implementing (M=54.22 SD=23.85) the summarizing strategies; t(9)= 4.91, p = 0.0005. The observed standardized effect size is large (1.64). That indicates that the magnitude of the difference between the average and μ0 is large. These results suggest that the use of strategies to improve reciprocity had a positive effect on students’ reading and writing achievement. Specifically, the results suggest that the use of strategies will increase students' reading and writing achievement.
To gain knowledge about my students I used both quantitative and qualitative research. My quantitative data points were based on a number scale. The conventions rubric and high frequency word assessments allowed me to gauge growth in my students from a numerical standpoint. These data points showed me that growth was being achieved, and from an academic standpoint, students were growing as learners. My qualitative data point allowed me to see how students felt about themselves as learners. The data I gained from their surveys showed me that they also felt they had grown during the study. They felt confident with the strategies that they had been taught and could also apply them in their daily schoolwork. Seeing that students grew in both quantitative and qualitative data points shows that the intervention and study were successful for students in their academics, and also in their confidence in the classroom.
Triangulation Of Data