The implementation of some prescriptive teaching techniques in reading in the primary grades through in-school materials development

Cross, Roberta Fasula (1974) The implementation of some prescriptive teaching techniques in reading in the primary grades through in-school materials development. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (7MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

The implementation of prescriptive teaching techniques in reading through in-school materials development took place at St. Pius X Girls School, St. John's, Newfoundland, during May and June of 1974. Although the school is both a primary and elementary school, the focus of the internship was in the primary grades, kindergarten through three. Eight teachers, two at each grade level, and 249 students participated in the program. -- At a preliminary meeting, the principal and the teachers expressed an interest in the need for individualizing and developing learning materials to meet this need. The intern proposed a program to be initiated that would provide development in these two areas. The objectives for the program were formulated from discussions with the teachers about student needs and needs for learning materials in the classroom. -- The proposed program was implemented through the use of a variety of techniques. Classroom observation by the intern focused on teacher rapport with students and teaching style. This aided the intern in identifying specific learning materials that would be most beneficial in individual classrooms. An inventory of all school owned materials was made to determine those that would be adaptable to classroom use as learning aids in reading. All such materials that were not being used in the classroom were organized in a small resource center in the school. Each item was catalogued in a file under its title and the skill area for which it could be used. Materials from the library and teacher-created ideas for materials were also included. In addition, suggestions for classroom use of each item were described. -- Individual teacher conferences focused upon individual needs of particular students and teacher needs for materials. Materials were suggested that would fulfill these needs. Follow-up meetings were held to determine the effectiveness of the materials and further suggestions were made. Some diagnostic testing was done by the intern at the teachers' request to aid them in formulating plans for teaching individual students. -- Large group and grade level meetings were used as evaluation and planning sessions. The effectiveness of materials being used in the classroom and teacher ideas for the adaptation of these materials toward more efficient classroom use were reviewed. After a number of school-owned materials had been assessed and evaluated through classroom use, more current published instructional materials were borrowed from the Language Arts Resources Center and Curriculum Materials Center at Memorial University. These materials were assessed in a similar manner. -- A resource book, Skill Reinforcement Activities and Classroom Games, was compiled by the intern and the teachers. -- This book included ideas that the teachers had found most effective for classroom use from previous experience and from evaluation of the published instructional materials. Each teacher chose ideas from this book which were used to create individual activity kits. These kits were made at a workshop which was held at the end of the internship. -- A conference with the principal, informal teacher conferences; individual and large group, and a questionnaire responded to by the teachers were used to evaluate whether the objectives of the internship had been achieved. The overall response to all three evaluation methods was a positive one. During the conferences, the principal and the teachers expressed the view that the internship had been a beneficial experience which met the proposed objectives. The responses to the questionnaire concurred with the results of the conferences. Of a possible eighty-eight responses, eighty were in the strongly agree and agree categories, only eight were in the undecided category, and there were no responses in the disagree or strongly disagree categories.

Actions (login required)

View Item