Action Research Proposal

Action Research ProposalSandy BuschardtEDU697 Capstone: A Project ApproachKeith Pressey, Ph.D.January 20, 2014

1Area of FocusFind ways to encourage parents to read daily to and with their childrenTo increase reading level and enjoyment of reading

The purpose of this study is to find ways to encourage parents to read to/with children daily to increase reading level and enjoyment of reading.2Explanation of ProblemLack of interest in reading:decreased levels of comprehension.important adults not modeling reading

Children enjoy reading when parent reads to/with them.

Anecdotally, I have observed that a good number of children and adults do not enjoy reading. According to ongoing reports, the academic level of our students is not gaining even though we know more about teaching methods than ever. The problem of a lack of interest in reading goes hand-in-hand with the generally decreasing levels of reading comprehension.

One of the primary causes for lack of interest in reading is not seeing it modeled by important adults in the childs life. They have not learned that a book can take them on exciting adventures. An initial review of data suggests that children are more likely to enjoy reading when a parent reads to/with them on a regular basis. One study suggests that facilitative reading by a parent had positive direct effects on childrens literacy (Newland, Gapp, Jacobs, Reisetter, & Syed, 2011). The students benefit from reading daily with their parents by learning to enjoy reading and learning to read with better comprehension. Young children whose parents read to them are more likely to develop language and literacy skills earlier and easier and score higher on reading achievement in school (Nathanson & Rasmussen, 2011, p. 467).

3Explanation of ProblemChild will not read as an individual activity.Busy schedules make reading together challenging.Television, computer games become childs default activity.

In the same manner, when a parent does not read with the child, and never models it as an activity that is important in the family, the child will generally not choose reading as an individual activity. Another challenge today is that many families only have one parent in the home, or both parents work outside the home. In these cases, reading must be a proactive activity, or it will easily be pushed aside by the urgent needs of the family. Television or computer games too easily become the childs default activity when parents are busy. This is not a judgment, but rather a reality. These are all passive ways that do not foster the importance of regular reading, either individually or parent and child together.4VariablesParticipantsKindergarten TeacherKindergarten StudentsStudents ParentsChosen because of reading levels, gender, and ethnicityVariablesParents beliefsAmount spent reading with childThe participants in this study are a Kindergarten teacher, her students, and their parents. The teacher has noticed a significant variance in the reading level of her students. Some of the students can recognize simple words, some recognize letters of the alphabet, and some do not recognize words or letters. The 15 students are comprised of eight girls and seven boys. The ethnicity of the students roughly represents the demographics of the city: White 47%, Hispanic 40%, Black 13%. Nine of the students live in two-parent homes, six live in one-parent homes. I have chosen this class because of the cross-section of reading levels, gender, and ethnicity. One study found that one third of Latino parents read to children 3-4 years old; one half read to 5-year-olds (Saenz & Felix, 2007). This is because they generally do not read to children until parents believe the children can comprehend the words. I have chosen a Kindergarten class because a bias against reading has generally not become an issue yet. Variables in the study include whether the parents accept the information that regarding reading with their children. As noted above, there are cultural differences in how adults interact with young children. This ties in to another variable, that being there will be differing amounts of time reading with the children. With any lack of participation, those children will be affected in the study.5Research QuestionWhat strategies are available to get parents to read daily with their child?

The question is answerable by the researcher. First, I am trained in Teaching and Learning with Technology. Although the technology is not the issue here, significant study has gone into learning styles and teaching strategies, and a review of literature studying the relationship between reading with a parent and increased reading comprehension. Second, the time has been set aside for this action research proposal as a graduate project. Third, the principal has given approval for resources needed, which include teachers time, other staff members time, computers, printers, and paper for all aspects of data collection and any other incidental printing.

6Locus of ControlI have principals approval.I have worked successfully with Kindergarten teacher before.The area of focus of this study is definitely within my locus of control. I have the principals approval, which includes all aspects of the study. I have worked successfully with the Kindergarten teacher on prior projects, and foresee no problems working with her again. Because of her cooperation, I will have access to the students and their parents for purposes of this study.7InterventionBegin with daily handouts 10 minutes per dayThen teacher will introduce booksParents will complete weekly reading report

The teacher will help the parents begin to schedule regular reading time with their children through handouts at the beginning, and then introducing them to books to enjoy together. The parents will send a weekly report to the teacher of the actual time reading, and decrease the reports as the reading becomes a regular part of the schedule at home.

8Group MembershipPrincipal primary decision makerThree Kindergarten teachersStaff Resource Committee

The action research group consists of the principal, three Kindergarten teachers, including the one whose class is the study group, and the staff committee (to which I belong) which serves as an ongoing teacher resource. The principal drafted the letter to be sent to the parents regarding the study, which also asked for their permission to include their children in the study. She also will give final approval for the go-ahead. I will be the point person for the study, keeping all members apprised of progress. I will work closely with the study group teacher for logistics and access to the students and parents. I will be responsible for data collection. All members of the group will meet to discuss findings. These findings will be especially cogent to the Kindergarten teachers, as they will apply this information to their classes at a later time.9NegotiationsPrincipalStudy class teacherInform herHelp with logisticsParentsI will need permission from the principal to conduct the study and for all necessary resources. Although the principal will give permission, I will want to discuss the study at length with teacher whose class is the study group, to inform her of the proposal and process, and to be sure that she understands it. Her participation will be critical. Parents of the students in the study class will need to sign permission forms to allow their children to participate. 10EthicsComprehensionVolunteering

One ethical concern to be aware of is comprehension. The class is comprised of several ethnicities, with Hispanic being 40%. Some of these families come from Mexico and English is not the first language in the home. Care must be taken to be sure the parents understand and agree to the study. As the Belmont Report states, Because the subject's ability to understand is a function of intelligence, rationality, maturity and language, it is necessary to adapt the presentation of the information to the subject's capacities (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Part C, 1979). The challenge here would be primarily with parents who are not fluent in English. Because the question in the action research problem is not concrete, but rather is one of values and beliefs, it could be misinterpreted. It would be necessary to have translators available for the benefit of those parents (or children) who may not understand the nature of the questions. The key is, If we conduct our research in a systematic, disciplined manner, we will go a long way toward minimizing personal bias in our findings (Mills, 2014, p. 121).Another concern is volunteering. Care must be taken to avoid any insinuation that the parents arent educating their children correctly, or at all. These parents need to be compassionately presented with the evidence that reading with their children produces benefits. If they choose not to believe this evidence, or refuse to participate, their concerns and desires must be honored. In addition, the parents must not be led to believe that their child will lose favor with the teacher or others if they choose not to participate. Mills (2014) discusses the role of authority in the classroom and, whether or not students can reasonably be expected to opt out of a study without being concerned about possible censure by the classroom teacher.

11TimelineData Collection2 WeeksAnalysis2 WeeksPrepare Study2 WeeksThe timeline for the study will be broken down into three components. Preparation time, including completion of all forms, will take two weeks. With the principals approval, I will create these documents. Data collection will take another two weeks, and analysis will be two weeks also.12Statement of ResourcesTimeBudgetPersonnelKindergarten TeacherStudentsParentsPrincipal/Staff MembersComputer, printer, paper, etc.The resources are not complex for this study. The principal has allocated the time and budget for this study, which includes all computers, printers, paper, and other incidentals for creating and printing documents. She has also given her approval to work with the Kindergarten teacher, her students, and their parents. School personnel needed are the principal, the three Kindergarten teachers, and the Staff Resource Committee. All school personnel listed will take part in the analysis portion of the study.13Data Collection

The data collection tools include a parent interview, which will serve as a pre-test to find out the parents understanding about the importance of reading together daily. The second is a discussion with the parent, child, and teacher to explain the importance of reading together. This will be where the teacher will sell the importance of reading together. The last tool is an agreement that all three parties will sign to commit to read together daily for a specified period of time.

The data collection tools are a combination of qualitative and quantitative. Using mixed-methods data gives answers from different perspectives. I think of it as asking a similar question several ways, in the approach an attorney may. This will color the answers in different ways, which may shed important information to the research. Triangulation has been found to be beneficial in providing confirmation of findings, more comprehensive data, increased validity and enhanced understanding of studied phenomena (Bekhet & Zauszniewski, 2012, p. 40).

14ConclusionReading begins here.Positive affectiveemotional parenting behaviors include warm, positive affect and contingent responsiveness to the childs signals during reading (Landry, Smith, Swank, Zucker, Crawford, & Solari, 2012, p. 971). Helping our students to be strong readers gives them the possibility of learning to enjoy reading and to benefit from it for life.

15ReferencesBekhet, A. K., & Zauszniewski, J. A. (2012). Methodological triangulation: an approach to understanding data. Nurse Researcher, 20(2), 40-43.Landry, S. H., Smith, K. E., Swank, P. R., Zucker, T., Crawford, A. D., & Solari, E. F. (2012). The effects of a responsive parenting intervention on parentchild interactions during shared book reading. Developmental Psychology, 48(4), 969-986. doi:10.1037/a0026400

ReferencesMills, G. E. (2014).Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher(5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.Nathanson, A. I., & Rasmussen, E. E. (2011). TV viewing compared to book reading and toy playing reduces responsive maternal communication with toddlers and preschoolers. Human Communication Research, 37(4), 465-487.

ReferencesNewland, L. A., Gapp, S. C., Jacobs, G. M., Reisetter, M. F., Syed, D., & Chih-Hsiu, W. (2011). Mothers' beliefs and involvement: links with preschool literacy development. International Journal Of Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach / Tarptautinis Psichologijos Zurnalas: Biopsichosocialinis Poziuris, (9), 67-90.Saenz, T., & Felix, D. (2007). English-speaking Latino parents' literacy practices in southern California. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 28(2), 93-106.

ReferencesU.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (1979).Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. The Belmont Report. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.html