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READING COMPREHENSION USING CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEXTS 1

Increasing Reading Comprehension for English Language Learner Students

Using Culturally Relevant Texts

Beth Christensen

Alverno College

TLA 750: Research Practicum

May 1, 2015


ABSTRACT

The number of Latino students enrolling in the United States’ K-12 schools continues to

rise; however the academic success of these students is minimal. Many of these students are

considered intermediate English language learners. That is, they converse well in English and

Spanish, but cannot read in either language. Multicultural Education and the use of culturally

relevant texts may allow these students to practice reading comprehension strategies with texts

they are familiar with. The purpose of this study is to determine if a positive link exists between

the use of culturally relevant text and increased reading comprehension for fourth-grade Latino

English language learners.


Acknowledgements

With sincere gratitude, I extend my thanks to those who assisted me throughout this

research study. First, to the participants, who willingly contributed their thoughts to my research.

Second, to my colleagues, who provided assistance with data interpretation. Third, to my

husband, who challenged me to explore different perspectives, acted as a sounding board, and

expressed infinite patience. Fourth, to my Godmother, who assisted with translation. Finally, to

my mother, who provided hours of proofreading and support.


Tables/Charts

Table 1: Mean Comprehension Scores of Students Using Anglo and Culturally Relevant Text

....................................................................................................................................................33

Chart 1: Mean Comprehension Scores of Students “Paul Bunyan” ...........................................74

Chart 2: Mean Comprehension Scores of Students “The Weeping Woman” ............................75

Table 2: Comparison of “Paul Bunyan” Non-agreement Codes ................................................76

Table 3: Comparison of “The Weeping Woman” Non-agreement Codes .................................78

Table 4: Final Codes – “Paul Bunyan” (PB) and “The Weeping Woman” (TWW)..................80


Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................7

Context .........................................................................................................................................7

The Problem/Issue Needing Improvement or Action...................................................................9

Underlying Issue/Cause ................................................................................................................9

Connections Between the Problem and the Broader Context ....................................................10

Research Question ......................................................................................................................10

Preliminary Plans and Research Goal ........................................................................................10

LITERATURE REVIEW ...........................................................................................................11

How Reading Comprehension is Assessed ................................................................................12

Culture ........................................................................................................................................12

Multicultural Education ..............................................................................................................14

Increasing Reading Comprehension with Culturally Relevant Texts ........................................15

METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................22

Research Methods ......................................................................................................................22

Data Sources ...............................................................................................................................23

Procedures ..................................................................................................................................24

Operationalization of Concepts/Variables (Measurement) ........................................................28

Ethics ..........................................................................................................................................31

DATA ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................31

Quantitative Analysis .................................................................................................................32

Qualitative Analysis ...................................................................................................................34

Summarization ...................................................................................................................35

Setting ................................................................................................................................36

Inferences ...........................................................................................................................37

Theme ................................................................................................................................38

Word Identification ............................................................................................................40

Text Evidence ....................................................................................................................40

Limitations .................................................................................................................................41

Conclusions ................................................................................................................................42


Trustworthiness and Critique of Research Design .....................................................................43

Credibility ...................................................................................................................................43

Transferability ............................................................................................................................43

Auditability .................................................................................................................................43

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS AND NEXT STEPS .............................................................44

REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................46

TIMELINE ...................................................................................................................................55

APPENDICES ..............................................................................................................................57

A: Anglo Perspective Text Selection .........................................................................................57

B: Culturally Relevant Text Selection .......................................................................................59

C: “Paul Bunyan” Reading Comprehension Test.......................................................................61

D: “The Weeping Woman” Reading Comprehension Test........................................................63

E: “Paul Bunyan” Reading Comprehension Rubric ...................................................................65

F: “The Weeping Woman” Reading Comprehension Rubric ....................................................67

G: Letter of Permission ..............................................................................................................70

H: Letter of Consent ...................................................................................................................71

I: Fourth-grade Reading Comprehension Common Core Standards .........................................73

J: Mean Comprehension Scores of Students “Paul Bunyan” .....................................................74

K: Mean Comprehension Scores of Students “The Weeping Woman” .....................................75

L: Comparison of “Paul Bunyan” Non-agreement Codes..........................................................76

M: Comparison of “The Weeping Woman” Non-agreement Codes ..........................................78

N: Final Codes – “Paul Bunyan” (PB) and “The Weeping Woman” (TWW) ...........................80


As a reflective practitioner, I constantly strive to assist students in reaching their goals in

obtaining the knowledge and skills to be career and college ready. I recognize that each student

learns differently, but how do I engage and support ethnically dissimilar learners who do not

possess the vocabulary required to comprehend English and textbook perspectives? As a teacher

in a self-contained classroom, I have influence over materials that I choose to incorporate as part

of the curriculum. The Catholic Archdiocese, located in southern Wisconsin, clearly

communicated that textbooks should not be the sole source of information regarding a topic.

Usage of other materials is encouraged. For these reasons, I chose to study cultural relevancy. In

this project, I explored the effectiveness of culturally relevant text, as it relates to reading

comprehension.

I teach fourth-grade at a private, Catholic school. In the course of my three-year tenure, I

have witnessed my students’ extreme frustration with comprehension of content-area textbooks

and workbooks. The students also perform poorly on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts

Examination (WKCE) and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) when compared to their public

school peers. Other teachers and volunteers have observed this phenomenon as well. Our society

is language-rich and requires interaction with text on a daily basis. I want my students to possess

the skills necessary to comprehend these texts. I feel that using culturally relevant literature will

strengthen my students’ reading comprehension skills and assist in the successful cross-cultural

transfer of those skills to other texts.

Context

I work at a choice school, which is the result of a merger of three Catholic parishes. The

parish supports two K4-8 schools. My school operates two campuses, one for K-4 – 3rd

grade and

one for 4th

– 8th

grade. Located in southern Wisconsin, the school’s mission is “Where Faith and


Knowledge Unite.” The staff consists of 13 teachers who serve approximately 300 students

divided among both campuses. More than 98% of students receive free and reduced lunch and

tuition assistance. The school is predominantly Latino with more than 95% of the students

identified as English Language Learners (ELL) and first generation Americans. Their parents

speak Spanish predominantly and cannot communicate effectively in English. Born in Mexico,

the majority of the parents and students have relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)

still living there. Less than 2% of staff speaks Spanish. My fourth-grade students converse well

in English and Spanish, but lack the background knowledge and vocabulary to comprehend

many of the school’s content area texts. Furthermore, the school has very limited resources. ELL

and language transition services are unavailable due to lack of funds. Small groups in first and

second grade receive remediation in language, reading, and math by a resource teacher. Other

grades receive these services from local volunteers. Students and teachers also have little access

to technology.

Intermediate ELL students compose a unique group. They do not qualify as beginning

language students because they can communicate competently in English in social situations and

demonstrate higher-order thinking skills. However, these students experience gaps in vocabulary,

especially in academic content areas (Ferlazzo & Sypnieski, 2012). Ranney (2012) points out

that academic language generally is associated with complex and abstract ideas with little

external context. Intermediate ELL students often lack the background knowledge, especially as

it relates to another culture, and vocabulary to effectively make connections and comprehend

content area concepts (Ferlazzo & Sypnieski, 2012). Traditional methods of teaching reading

comprehension have not worked well for these students, so newer teaching strategies must be

research-based (Freeman & Freeman, 1998).


The Problem/Issue Needing Improvement or Action

Consistently, the majority of the fourth-grade students enter my classroom below grade

level in reading comprehension, scoring in the minimal or basic range on WKCE tests and in the

1 – 25% range on the ITBS tests. The majority of my students are also English language learners

and first generation Americans. Students and parents speak Spanish predominantly at home and

reinforce the culture by regularly visiting close relatives still living in Mexico.

I regularly observe the students struggling to comprehend passages in their content area

textbooks. Students exhibit this frustration in math as well, as students fail to comprehend word

problems. However, when presented with the same information, but in numerical format, my

students excel.

Underlying Issue/Cause

As the expectations regarding higher level thinking continue to grow, my students

continue to fall behind when compared to their peers in public schools. Teachers must provide

the instruction necessary for students to succeed with limited resources, unavailable ELL support

and services, and inconsistent remediation opportunities. I do my best, as do the other teachers in

my school, to differentiate my instruction to meet all learner needs. However, I feel as though I

could more effectively teach concepts using student-familiar texts. James Banks’s (2007) theory

of culturally relevant education suggests that students of other cultures can better comprehend

material when familiar with the cultural perspective. I think a more integrated curriculum with an

emphasis on cultural relevancy would assist my students in making connections to the text,

thereby improving reading comprehension.


Connections Between the Problem and the Broader Context

I researched culturally relevant pedagogy practices to determine if they increased reading

comprehension for intermediate, fourth-grade English language learners. I found mixed results

when I focused specifically on creating culturally relevant classroom environments. I decided to

change my focus to culturally relevant texts. I wanted to know if culturally relevant texts

increased reading comprehension for ELL students, affording students more practice with

comprehension strategies before applying them to Anglo texts. This interest formulated my

research question.

Research Question

Does using culturally relevant text in reading increase reading comprehension for fourth-

grade intermediate English Language Learner students?

Preliminary Plans and Research Goal

I planned to identify increases in reading comprehension using culturally relevant texts

by testing them on students. I planned to share my findings with teachers at my school in order to

increase reading comprehension for our intermediate ELL students.

I analyzed current research for successful trends in using culturally relevant content to

instruct Latino students. I looked for examples that showed that reading comprehension for

intermediate Latino ELL students increased when utilizing culturally relevant materials in the

classroom.

I used a quasi-experimental research design to explore the possibility of a positive

relationship between reading comprehension and culturally relevant texts. However, a control

group, random sampling, and a large number of students were not involved. Thus, I employed a


naturalistic approach to interpreting the data. I gathered quantitative and qualitative data on

students’ reading ability prior to and after the implementation of culturally relevant materials.

I identified and employed proven culturally relevant texts to increase reading

comprehension for fourth-grade intermediate ELL students. The knowledge gained from a

deeper understanding as to whether culturally relevant text increases student comprehension can

be utilized to minimize barriers for English language learners, and to develop programs and

curriculum to support students. I plan to share my findings with other teachers at my school,

other schools with student populations similar to ours, and other schools within the Archdiocese.

Literature Review

The 2014-15 school year represents a milestone for the United States; for the first time,

the overall number of Latino, African-American, and Asian students in public schools, grades K-

12, will surpass the number of non-Latino white students (Maxwell, 2014). This shift poses a

significant challenge for schools; they must improve the educational outcomes for this diverse

majority, as their success links to the well-being of the nation (Maxwell, 2014). Mexican-origin

children have not fared well in United States’ schools. Many researchers have documented these

problems (Arias, 1986; Bean & Tienda, 1987; Carter, 1970; Carter & Segura 1979; Duran, 1983;

Matute-Bianchi, 1986; and Orfield, 1986). National data indicates that 76% of third-grade ELLs

performed below grade level in reading and 54% performed below grade level in mathematics

(Zehler, Fleischman, Hopstock, Stephenson, Pendzick, & Sapru, 2003). In 1990, Latinos

received only 3.1% of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the United States (Wlodkowski &

Ginsberg, 1995). In the 2009-10 school year, this number increased to 9%, but still represents a

very small population of the total number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the United States

(United States Department of Education, 2010). Many theories have proposed reasons to explain


this persistent low-achievement rate for ELL students. As stated previously, traditional teaching

methods have not worked well for these students (Freeman & Freeman, 1998). This literature

review will focus on culture (specifically Latino), how culture impacts reading comprehension,

and how the use of culturally relevant text increases reading comprehension for ELL students.

How Reading Comprehension is Assessed

Reading is the most critical academic skill and one of the best indicators of success in

school (Hosp & Fuchs, 2005). The goal of reading is to comprehend what is read (Basaran,

2013). Reading comprehension, therefore, can be defined as the ability to extract and construct

meaning from text (Vorstius, Radach, Mayer, & Lonigan, 2013). Reading comprehension can be

measured using traditional methods, such as word identification, phonetic knowledge, etc. or by

utilizing more contemporary methods including understanding and the use of information

implied or stated in the text (Basaran, 2013). Thus, reading comprehension is assessed based on

the understanding of vocabulary and the use of context to make inferences and construct

meaning (Johnston, Barnes, & Desrochers, 2008). In order to be career and college ready,

students need to be able to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and report on information

and ideas (Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014). The Common Core Standards, which are

research-based, aligned with work and college expectations, and are internationally benchmarked

provide the guidelines for how reading comprehension is to be assessed for students (2014).

However, comprehending text is an interpretive process which, as Mihara points out, involves

one’s background knowledge (2011).

Culture

Culture has a profound influence on learning and Davis (1948) believes that society

needs to pay more attention to how culture impacts learning. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s System


Theory places culture as part of an individual’s microsystem. This innermost ring influences all

other systems (Bronfenbrenner & Mahoney, 1975). Shade, Kelly, and Oberg (1997) define

culture much like Bronfenbrenner in that it represents a social system of beliefs, attitudes, habits,

values, and practices. Nobles (1990) furthers this definition as rules and frames of reference for a

design of living while Hall (1989) contends that culture consists of a set of invisible patterns that

become normal ways of acting and feeling. Maehr (1974) states that culture reflects a group’s

preferred way of perceiving, judging, and organizing daily life.

Regardless of the definition of culture, each culture possesses characteristics that drive

how a person acts and learns, and the Latino culture is no exception. Education is important to

the Latino culture; however, the focus of a person’s life, they believe, should not be education.

Rather, the family comes first (Valdés, 1996). Parents expect children to be responsible,

respectful, and to display good behavior, in addition to taking care of the family (Valdés, 1996).

Elders of the culture do not consider memorization and rote learning as real learning. Hence,

parents tell their children not to memorize information, but to understand the reasoning of the

task. For example, parents consider reciting the alphabet unimportant; however, recognizing

syllables containing consonants and vowels demonstrates the child’s mastery of the concept to

the parent. Thus, a student makes progress when he/she can recognize the consonant/vowel

combinations (Valdés, 1996).

In addition to the emphasis on understanding, the Latino culture values cooperative or

collective efforts (Shade, et al., 1997). Achievement increases perceptively when using

cooperative techniques (Aronson & Gonzales, 1988). Latinos hold maintaining ties across

generations and earning an honest living in higher esteem than individual success (Valdés,

1996). Furthermore, the Latino culture believes that some people are good at certain things and


that others are not. Therefore, different life roads exist for different people (Valdés, 1996). This

could mean that if an individual does not do well in school, parents expect that he/she will pursue

something else. However, recent research suggests that using multicultural education may

increase student success in school.

Multicultural Education

James Banks’s (1996) Multicultural Education theory offers a potential method for

reaching students of different cultural backgrounds. Banks argues that teachers need to help

students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to participate and function effectively in a

pluralistic democratic society. Additionally, applying the Multicultural Education theory in a

classroom develops a student’s critical consciousness, allowing them to challenge the status quo

and current social order (Ladson-Billings, 1995). A multicultural education creates equal

educational opportunities for all (Banks, 1996). It encourages equal respect for all backgrounds

and circumstances (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 1995). A culturally relevant pedagogy uses the

students’ culture to create meaning, thereby emphasizing social and cultural success, but

academic success as well (Milner, 2010).

Many researchers have recently studied the use of culturally relevant pedagogy in the

classroom and how to effectively incorporate Banks’s (1996) five dimensions of Multicultural

Education, which consist of content integration, knowledge construction, prejudice reduction,

equity pedagogy, and empowering school culture and social structure. These studies have

reported mixed results regarding increased student comprehension when the classroom

environment and teacher attitudes model culturally relevant pedagogy (Barr & Clark, 2011;

Brown-Jeffy & Cooper, 2011; Curtin, 2005; Gomez & Diarrassouba, 2014; Ladson-Billings,

1995; Nuñez, Ramalho, & Cuero, 2010; Sheets, 1997; and Wortham & Contreras, 2002).


However, when employing culturally relevant texts, study results indicate that reading

comprehension increases, which this study will focus on.

Increasing Reading Comprehension with Culturally Relevant Texts

In the past, schools focused on teaching school knowledge, which consists of facts,

concepts, etc. found in textbooks, as textbooks comprise the main source of knowledge in the

United States (Banks, 1996). Anyon (1979, 1981) and Sleeter and Grant (1991b) found that

textbooks present a highly selective view of social reality. The knowledge contained in them

encourages students to study facts in isolation. Furthermore, textbooks reinforce dominant social,

economic, and power arrangements and encourages students to accept them rather than question

them (Anyon, 1979, 1981). Sleeter and Grant (1991b) noted in their study that recently textbooks

incorporated more images of ethnic minorities, but failed to assist students in understanding the

concepts of racism, sexism, and classism in American society. Sleeter and Grant (1991b) believe

textbooks should reflect today’s society. Culturally relevant texts draw on students’ background

knowledge and experiences (Freeman, Freeman, & Freeman, 2003) and provide learning

experiences so students can maintain integrity and experience educational success (Wlodkowski

& Ginsberg, 1995). Using authentic, culturally relevant text allows students to create meaning

and to transform their social conditions (Lau, 2010), develop an understanding and appreciation

for other cultures (Callins, 2006), and assists them in recognizing stereotypes (Fountas & Pinnell,

2001). Additionally, motivation increases when students read texts and make connections to their

lives (Davis, 2006). Nation (2009) argues that ELL students don’t need to learn what they

already know in their first language. These skills transfer easily to the second language; however,

utilizing culturally relevant texts greatly assists in the transfer of these skills because of the

cultural familiarity.


Several researchers studied the effects of culturally relevant texts on ELL students’

reading comprehension. In a study conducted by Kintsch and Greene (1978), American college

students read and recalled information from one of Grimm’s fairytales and an Apache Indian

tale. This study concluded that the subjects recalled 86 percent of the important propositions in

the Grimm fairytale, but only 43 percent of the important propositions in the Apache Indian

story. The bicultural nature of the United States’ Apaches and their familiarization with Western

culture deemed this study inconclusive. Steffensen, Joag-Dev, and Anderson (1979) based their

study on the Kintsch and Greene study, but presented text to two distinct cultural groups; Indians

(natives of India) and Americans. This study also involved college students, but included a

norming group in addition to the 19 Indian and 20 American students. Students read two letters

regarding wedding customs; one about American wedding customs and one about Indian

wedding customs. Results found that American students read faster and comprehended more

(52.4%) from the American letter than the Indian letter (37.9%). Indian students read faster and

comprehended more (37.6%) of the Indian letter than the American letter (27.3%). Steffensen, et

al (1979) concluded from the findings that content profoundly influences a student’s reading

comprehension. Steffensen, et al (1979) goes on to suggest that minority children in the United

States may experience difficulty learning to read with comprehension because of the mismatch

between cultures.

Johnson conducted two additional studies in 1981 and 1982. These studies again focused

on reading comprehension when using culturally relevant text. They also explored whether text

complexity and background knowledge affected comprehension. Both studies concluded that the

use of culturally relevant text had greater influence on increased reading comprehension than

text complexity or background knowledge. Goodman (1982) conducted a study similar to


Johnson’s and concluded, “The more familiar the language of the text, the actions of the

characters, the description of the setting, the sequence of the events… the easier the text will be

for the reader to comprehend” (pg. 302).

In 1987, Carrell conducted a study focusing on culturally relevant text and text form in

order to find which factor more significantly affected reading comprehension. Carrell utilized

two groups of high level ESL students enrolled in an intensive English program at Southern

Illinois University at Carbondale. She used religion as the defining characteristic of culture.

Group one consisted of 28 students of Muslim background while group two included 24 students

with a Roman Catholic background. Carrell modified two religious historical biographies of

little-known religious personages so that the cultures matched either the Roman Catholic or

Muslim religion. Half of the students from each group read each biography and then answered a

set of 14 multiple-choice comprehension-inference questions, as well as, responded to recall

questions related to the text. Carrell found a positive correlation between familiar content

(culturally relevant) and the number of correctly answered questions. The quantity of recall and

culturally relevant material provided the same positive correlation. Subjects familiar with the

content recalled significantly more main topics and major ideas than those unfamiliar with the

content. The study concluded that while text form does have an effect on reading comprehension,

culturally relevant text provides a greater impact.

McNeil conducted further research in 2010. This study focused on how background

knowledge and reading comprehension strategies influence postsecondary ELL students.

Twenty-two students read a piece of text and then completed six short-answer comprehension

questions. McNeil used a short-answer test in order to provide a more reliable measure of

comprehension and to reduce potential guessing by the participants. The questions aimed at


literal levels and came explicitly from the text. McNeil concluded that background knowledge

did not contribute strongly to reading comprehension; however McNeil did not measure

interaction between students and text. Common Core Standards require that students accurately

make inferences, describe author’s purpose, and determine the contextual meaning of words,

which necessitates greater interaction with the text (Common Core State Standards Initiative,

2014). While McNeil concludes that culturally relevant text does affect reading comprehension,

the data gathered and presented does not reflect high student interaction with the text.

These studies, while useful in informing the education community about the effects of

using culturally relevant texts, focus only on its uses and benefits in postsecondary education.

Furthermore, the non-American culture groups focused on individuals from Muslim descent. As

stated previously in this paper, African-American, Latino, and Asian cultures make up the new

majority of students in school K-12. Thus, these studies, while useful in informing potential

reasoning regarding lack of student comprehension, do not specifically address the elementary

Latino population.

In 2006, Feger, a graduate assistant with the College of Education at the University of

South Florida in Tampa, noted that her ninth and tenth grade Latino ELL students experienced

greater comprehension when presented with culturally relevant texts in her English class. Feger

presents qualitative evidence in the form of classroom observations and student quotes indicating

that the use of culturally relevant text increases student engagement and reading comprehension

for students in grades 9-12. Feger notes that students engaged more with the culturally relevant

texts and provided a more critical reflection. One student wrote the following:

This is a pretty good story. If somebody read it, this person

can feel how the characters did. Francisco had a really bad


childhood. I feel sorry for him. I’m happy for my life is not

like his…if somebody have to start new life, isn’t easy. I

know because I had to do too. Many times I felt and I feel

how Francisco did. Not easy to live somewhere, where they

don’t speak your language, they don’t like you, and they

want you go back where you came from. (p. 19)

This student’s reflection represents what Feger observed in her classroom with the use of both

fictional and nonfictional texts. She credits the use of culturally relevant texts for transforming

the level of engagement in reading for the Latino ELL students in her class.

Surprisingly, very few studies regarding the use of culturally relevant text and reading

comprehension have been conducted at the elementary level. Studies at this level focus more on

specific reading comprehension strategies (Peregoy & Boyle, 1993; Carrell & Eisterhold, 1983;

Chen & Graves, 1998; Cazden, 1994; Ferlazzo & Sypnieski, 2012; Freeman & Freeman, 1998;

Hook, 2010; and Mihara, 2011), vocabulary (Mihara, 2011 and Peregoy & Boyle, 1993), text

form (Peregoy & Boyle, 1993; Kintsch, 1974, 1977; Rumelhart 1975, 1977; Kintsch, Mandel, &

Kozminsky, 1977; Mandler & Johnson, 1977; Glenn, 1978; Kintsch & Greene, 1978; Mandler,

1978; Adams & Collins, 1979; Stein & Glenn, 1979; Adams & Bruce, 1980; Johnson &

Mandler, 1980; Carrell, 1985, 1987; and August, 2010), and building background knowledge

(Hook, 2010; Ferlazzo & Sypnieski, 2012; and Carrell & Eisterhold, 1983).

Larrotta and Gainer (2008) conducted a small study with a group of Latino families at an

elementary school in the Southwest United States. The goal included increasing literacy for both

parents and students. This study focused on the culture at home, using Bronfenbrenner’s System

Theory. Larrotta and Gainer found that using culturally relevant literature inspired increased


discussion at home between parents and their elementary students. Culturally relevant texts in

this case, became a springboard for important dialogue about life experiences, economics, and

cultural differences. Thus, the microsystem plays an important role and affects all other systems

(Bronfenbrenner & Mahoney, 1975) and fostering literacy requires careful attention to the

selection of culturally relevant texts (Larrotta and Gainer, 2008).

In 2009, Rodriguez-Valls conducted an informal qualitative study using culturally

relevant poetry in his fourth-grade classroom in the inner city of Los Angeles. This study builds

upon Larrotta and Gainer’s findings in the elementary education setting. Rodriguez-Valls found

that he engaged Latino students in more critical thinking processes when using culturally

relevant poetry. He also found that ELL students manipulated and deconstructed culturally

relevant texts easier, increasing the depth of conversations the students had.

Ebe conducted a study in 2010 specifically focused on the use of culturally relevant text.

Nine third-grade Latino ELL students in an urban elementary school located in the Northeastern

United States participated. The students immigrated from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central

America. Students read two stories and received scores based on miscues, the ability to recall

details, and make inferences regarding the stories. Ebe’s study concluded that teachers can

support reading development of ELL students by using culturally relevant text. The study

demonstrates increased reading comprehension for elementary Latino ELL students using

culturally relevant texts and does not focus on factors other than the potential link between

culturally relevant texts and increased reading comprehension. Ebe furthered this research by

interviewing teachers and developing a culturally relevance rubric to identify literature that can

be used to support ELL students (2011). Although this additional research is more qualitative in

nature, it provides opinions of educators in the field of elementary education and concrete,


successful applications of the use of culturally relevant text and increased reading

comprehension for ELL students. For example, after sharing a selection of culturally relevant

text with a class, one of the study’s participants stated, “this story helped me realize that

connecting to their culture, their experiences, is what gets kids excited about reading.” (Ebe,

2010, p. 32). Other elementary teachers involved in the study shared similar conclusions and

utilized Ebe’s rubric as a tool for selecting additional culturally relevant texts to provide to

students.

Most recently, Robinson (2013) conducted a study with third-grade students in

Massachusetts. Robinson observed her 20 students over the course of five months, seeking to

understand the effects of culturally relevant texts on student responsiveness and engagement.

Students of European, African American, and Latino heritages participated in the study.

Robinson observed behaviors and interactions in the classroom as students constructed and

deconstructed meaning while engaged in multicultural readings. She found that students

empathized with characters and articulated and challenged their understandings of the world

around them. Robinson also found that the culturally relevant texts allowed students to reflect on

their own lives and provided cathartic experiences. One student said, “I want to do this more

often…because it makes me feel that I’m not different to anybody else” (p. 50).

Many studies examined the effect of the use of culturally relevant text on reading

comprehension for ELL students. The majority of these studies demonstrated success in

increasing reading comprehension for postsecondary education students, regardless of text

complexity. New, more recent research, supports the use of culturally relevant literature in

elementary grades as a method for increasing reading comprehension. As the growth of non-

white Latino students increases in schools across the United States, educators face the challenge


of meeting the needs of these new learners. Using culturally relevant literature could offer one

strategy to help teachers increase the reading comprehension of their elementary ELL students.

Methodology

In seeking ways to improve reading comprehension, I strive to provide students with

culturally relevant text in order to engage them more fully in reading. Poor reading

comprehension results link to a lack of understanding of current textbooks. Since Latino students

represent the majority of students in our schools, we must include texts written from other

perspectives.

A quasi-experimental research methodology measured one group’s pre- and post-reading

comprehension after engagement with culturally relevant text. My method focused on the one

group pre- and post-test design. My population consisted of 18 fourth-grade students at my

school. Within this group, the Wisconsin Department of Instruction officially labeled 10 students

(56% of the class) as ELL; however, a total of 16 students in the class have immediate family in

Mexico (parents, grandparents, etc.) and identify themselves as Latino ELLs even though the

Wisconsin Department of Instruction did not officially label them as such. This section of the

report will provide specific information about the research methods used, data sources, and

procedures followed to carry out this project.

Research Methods

I used a quasi-experimental positivist design to conduct my action research. Many

extraneous variables exist that influence the reading comprehension skills of these students, and

thus I am firmly grounded in the interpretist paradigm. I chose to focus on the culturally relevant

text variable and explored a potential link between the use of culturally relevant material and

reading comprehension.


I utilized the techniques employed by Steffensen, Joag-Dev, and Anderson (1979),

Carrell (1987), McNeil (2010), and Ebe (2010) in their studies. Students read a selection of text

written in the Anglo perspective (Anyon, 1979, 1981) and then took a comprehension test

consisting of short-answer questions based on the fourth-grade Common Core Standards for

reading. Students then read a selection of culturally relevant text and took another

comprehension test consisting of short-answer questions based on the fourth-grade Common

Core Standards for reading. I developed a rubric to assist in coding the short-answer responses.

The pre- and post-comprehension tests were coded using the rubric and the qualitative responses

analyzed. This method provided information regarding whether or not a direct link existed

between culturally relevant text and reading comprehension.

Data Sources

I began my research by reviewing WKCE and ITBS test scores for fourth- through

eighth-grade students at my school and comparing them to public school grade level constituents.

I wanted to confirm the lack of success by Latino students as suggested by current literature and

my observations in the classroom. I found my observations and data consistent with current

research regarding lack of classroom success for Latino students.

The literature review further crystallized and formed my research question when I

examined studies about increasing reading comprehension with the use of culturally relevant

texts. These studies focused mainly on secondary education students and those of Muslim

background. Little research existed on elementary Latino students. This confirmed my interest in

pursuing research in this area. The literature review also informed my data selection method. The

studies I found used the pre- and post-test method to obtain results regarding reading


comprehension. I used this method as well, but extracted my learnings through short-answer

questions instead of multiple choice questions.

My pre- and post-test completed my array of data sources. These tests were administered

to the students after reading a piece of Anglo-centric text and after reading a piece of culturally

relevant text. These tests were coded using the rubric and responses analyzed to determine if a

link exists between culturally relevant text and increased reading comprehension.

Procedures

This action research project determines if a link exists between the use of culturally

relevant text and increased reading comprehension for fourth-grade Latino ELL students. This

study was conducted over the course of one week and scheduled accordingly, so that the

possibility of disruption was minimal.

After my research proposal was accepted by the Alverno College IRB Board, I sought

formal approval from the principal and the Chief Schools Administrator (see Appendix G), and

the parents of my fourth-grade students (see Appendix H). A retired teacher translated the letter

of consent into Spanish for the parents and both the English and Spanish versions were sent

home. I encouraged students to talk to their parents about participating in the study and offered

students a piece of candy if the form was returned. I allotted two weeks to this task, as it is often

difficult to obtain documents once they are sent home. Additionally, I withheld the

implementation of the action research a week in order to accommodate Catholic Schools Week

and the increased stress on students due to schedule changes. This afforded me enough time to

copy the texts, tests, and rubrics and to obtain permission from parents who had not yet returned

the letter of consent.


I selected the folktale genre to explore cultural relevancy. I chose an excerpt from “Paul

Bunyan” as my Anglo text (see Appendix A) and “The Weeping Woman” as my Latino text (see

Appendix B). “Paul Bunyan” is a classic American folktale and was introduced to the students in

Social Studies during the Midwest unit. “The Weeping Woman” is a well-known Latino folktale.

It was not determined if students were familiar or had prior background knowledge with either

folktale. Both text selections are similar in length with “Paul Bunyan” 731 words long and “The

Weeping Woman” 722 words long. Lexile measures for fourth-grade range from 445L – 810L. I

used The Lexile Analyzer® tool to verify that the selected texts accurately reflected appropriate

fourth-grade reading levels. The Lexile score indicates the reading demand of the text in terms of

semantic difficulty and syntactic complexity. The mean sentence length represents the average

length of a sentence in the text, while the mean log word frequency represents the average

repetition of a word in the text (Metametrics, 2014). The Lexile measure for “Paul Bunyan” is

750L with a mean sentence length of 11.42 and a mean log word frequency of 3.59. The Lexile

measure for “The Weeping Woman” is 770L with a mean sentence length of 13.15 and a mean

log word frequency of 3.80 (Metametrics, 2014).

The test questions for each text selection (see Appendices C and D) were based on the

fourth-grade Common Core Standards. I chose comprehension questions related to main idea,

theme, and inference, as these are the required Common Core Standard skills all fourth-graders

must master. Furthermore, answers to these questions are not necessarily explicitly answered by

the text, requiring students to interact with the text at a higher cognitive level. I also requested

that students include text evidence as part of their responses, as it is required by the fourth-grade

reading Common Core Standards. I selected the short-answer question format because it


discourages guessing on behalf of the student (McNeil, 2010) and affords me greater insight into

the students’ reading comprehension processes.

I began the action portion of my research project at the beginning of February. I chose to

conduct the research across the span of two days. I selected days with similar class schedules, as

the students quickly become unfocused when presented with schedule changes. I also chose to

test in the morning as that is the time the students are most focused and settled and there are

fewer classroom interruptions.

After morning announcements, I passed out the Anglo-perspective text, “Paul Bunyan"

and the corresponding comprehension test. The tests were numbered, which matched a list of

students, identified only by first and last initials. I locked the list in my file drawer. I reviewed

the test questions with the students, but did not review the meaning of any of the terms. The

terms (theme, summarize, setting, inference, and text evidence) were previously defined and

practiced as part of the school’s reading curriculum. I allowed the students to refer to the text

while taking the test, because with similar tests examining reading comprehension (i.e. WKCE

and ITBS) students can reexamine text when answering questions.

After reviewing the test questions, I asked students if they had any other questions.

Students asked about spelling, response length, and test timing. I told students that spelling was

not included as a part of my research, responses should be significant in length to convey their

ideas, and the test was not timed. I am not measuring how fast or how efficiently the students can

read. I am measuring reading comprehension. Students then completed the “Paul Bunyan”

reading comprehension test.

The following day after morning announcements, I passed out the culturally relevant

(Latino) text, “The Weeping Woman.” The tests were numbered and corresponded to a list of


students, identified only by first and last initials, which I locked in my file drawer. Students were

given the same numbered test as they received the previous day. The questions mirrored the

Anglo text, but specifically referenced “The Weeping Woman” text. I reviewed the test questions

with the students, but did not review the meaning of any of the terms, as they have been

previously defined and practiced as part of the school’s reading curriculum. Again, the students

could refer to the text while taking the test, because with similar tests examining reading

comprehension (i.e. WKCE and ITBS) students can reexamine text when answering questions.

After reviewing the test questions, I asked students if they had any other questions.

Students asked about spelling, response length, and test timing. I told students that spelling was

not included as a part of my research, responses should be significant in length to convey their

ideas, and the test was not timed. Students then completed the “The Weeping Woman” reading

comprehension test.

Once finished with testing, I made two copies of each test and two copies of each rubric.

I numbered the rubrics to match the corresponding test. Then I labeled each set with an A, B, or

C. I sent set B of both the Anglo test and the culturally relevant test to a colleague for coding in

order to prevent bias. I coded set A. I locked Set C in my file cabinet for use only if there is

conflict between the coding of Set A and Set B. This data coding method was informed by the

literature review and is based on Ebe’s 2010 research data collection method.

Using the rubrics (see Appendices E and F), I coded each answer for each question for set

A. I then entered the information into a spreadsheet and calculated the total points and

percentage correct per student and per test question. I repeated the procedure for set B. For

disagreements between coding, I requested a third colleague code the test question, using set C.

This became the final code for the test question. I entered the information into the spreadsheet


and calculated the total and percentage per student per test question and the total percentage of

comprehension per test question. After that, I calculated the total percentage of comprehension

per test. Using this information, I compared the percentages from the Anglo-text and the

culturally relevant text.

After the quantitative coding was complete, I coded the qualitative data, which included

the short-answer responses to the test questions. I originally started with the a priori codes of +

comprehension, - comprehension, and culture. While reviewing the short-answer responses, I

discovered that these codes were not specific enough to sort the themes I found. I changed the a

priori codes to the inductive codes of TE+ (text evidence provided), TE- (text evidence not

provided), NA (response did not answer question), TcS (connection between text and self), Cu

(culture evident in response), Sum (response summarizes story or part of story), Set (response

describes setting of story), Inf (response includes inference about story), Th (response proposes

theme of story), WID (response defines or attempts to define a word in the story), and BK

(background knowledge evident in response). I compiled all the short-answer responses to each

question in a Word document and then labeled each response with the appropriate code. Then I

grouped the data by theme and made interpretations.

Operationalization of Concepts/Variables (Measurement)

Banks’s Multicultural Theory argues for the inclusion of culturally relevant text, because

the student population of schools has become so diverse (1996). Anyon (1979, 1981) and Grant

(1991b) show that current textbooks do not reflect these new cultures. The literature review

reveals arguments for including culturally relevant texts in the classroom from seven sources

(Freeman, Freeman, & Freeman, 2003; Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 1995; Lau, 2010; Callins,

2006; Fountas & Pinnell, 2001; Davis, 2006; and Nation, 2009). These researchers argue for


texts that represent current society and allow all individuals to participate fully in the learning

environment.

The variable addressed in this action research project involves culturally relevant text,

with reading comprehension as the concept of exploration. The literature review investigated 15

studies that examine the potential correlation between increased reading comprehension and the

use of culturally relevant text in the classroom (Kintsch and Greene, 1978; Steffensen, et al,

1979; Johnson, 1981, 1982; Goodman, 1982; Carrell, 1987; McNeil, 2010; Feger, 2006; Larrotta

and Gainer, 2008; Rodriguez-Valls, 2009; Ebe, 2010, 2011; and Robinson, 2013). Of these

studies, seven focused on postsecondary education students, and six focused on high school

students and elementary students. Each study found increased student engagement and

comprehension when using culturally relevant text.

The literature review also formed my thinking as to the type of pre- and post-test to

administer. Originally, I planned to provide a series of multiple choice questions as used by

Carrell (1987) and Johnson (1981, 1982). However, after reading McNeil’s 2010 study, I

realized that multiple choice questions would not provide insight into student thinking. The

short-answer question would provide greater detail regarding a student’s actual comprehension

of the text. I then used the fourth-grade Common Core Standards to inform my short-answer

questions. I selected comprehension questions related to theme, main idea, inference, and context

clue word identification as these are the required skills students in fourth-grade must master

according to the Common Core Standards (2014).

Students read an excerpt from the American folktale, “Paul Bunyan,” and answered the

following comprehension questions, based on the fourth-grade Reading/Language Arts Common

Core Standards (see Appendix I):


1. Summarize the main events of the story. Use the text to support your answer. (RL.4.2:

Determine a theme of a story; summarize the text)

2. Describe the setting. Use the text to support your answer. (RL.4.3: Describe in depth a

character, setting, or event, drawing on specific details in the text)

3. What inference can you make about the relationship between Paul and Babe? Use the text

to support your answer. (RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining

what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text)

4. What is the theme of this story? Use the text to support your answer. (RL.4.2: Determine

a theme of a story; summarize the text)

5. What does the phrase “left their mark on the area” mean in the story? Use the text to

support your answer. (RL.4.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are

used in a text)

Two teachers coded the short-answer tests using the rubric (see Appendix E) to prevent bias. If a

conflict arose with the coding, a third teacher reviewed the question and provided a final code.

Students then read the Latino folktale, “The Weeping Woman,” and answered the

following comprehension questions, based on the fourth-grade Reading/Language Arts Common

Core Standards:

1. Summarize the main events of the story. Use the text to support your answer. (RL.4.2:

Determine a theme of a story; summarize the text)

2. Describe the setting. Use the text to support your answer. (RL.4.3: Describe in depth a

character, setting, or event, drawing on specific details in the text)


3. What inference can you make about Maria? Use the text to support your answer. (RL.4.1:

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and

when drawing inferences from the text)

4. What is the theme of this story? Use the text to support your answer. (RL.4.2: Determine

a theme of a story; summarize the text)

5. What does “seized” mean in the story? Use the text to support your answer. (RL.4.4:

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text)

Two teachers coded the short-answer tests using the rubric (see Appendix F) to prevent bias. If a

conflict arose with the coding, a third teacher reviewed the test and provided a final code.

Ethics

I understand the potential for harm exists in all research studies involving human

participants. I fully intended to cause no harm to my students. They had the option to quit the

study at any time. I obtained signed letters of consent from the parents (provided in both English

and Spanish), which explained the study and provided contact information for questions.

Furthermore, while I could not guarantee anonymity due to the small class size, I provided

confidentiality. Each student was assigned a number. Each test received a number and was given

to the student with the corresponding number. Students did not write their names on the tests. I

kept the assigned number list in a locked file drawer in my classroom. The second and third

teachers did not have access to the list. Students’ names are not used in any reports or

presentations.

Data Analysis

The data I collected as a result of this study included quantitative and qualitative.

The quantitative data resulted from the numerical rubric codes assigned by myself and a second


and third teacher. These codes indicated the degree to which each student comprehended the

material. The qualitative data resulted from the students’ short-answer responses to the

comprehension questions, which I divided into themes based on inductive codes.

Quantitative Analysis

Students received a quantitative code based on their response to the question. Three

teachers used the rubrics to assign a code (see Appendices E and F). Students, who received a 0

on a question, did not answer the question and did not include text evidence. Students, who

received a 1 on a question, either answered the question per the rubric, but did not support their

answer with text evidence or did not directly answer the question, but included text evidence to

support their answer. Students, who received a 2 on a question, answered the question per the

rubric and included text evidence to support their answer.

I compared the quantitative codes from Set A and Set B for “Paul Bunyan” and “The

Weeping Woman” and noted differences between the assigned codes (see Appendices J and K).

There were a total of 30 disagreements in codes in Set A and Set B for “Paul Bunyan” and a total

of 49 disagreements in codes in Set A and Set B for “The Weeping Woman.” A third teacher

then graded the questions in disagreement using Set C and provided a final code. Interestingly,

Set C codes were more similar to Set A codes for the conflicted questions. Sets A and C

disagreed on only 10 codes for the conflicted questions for “Paul Bunyan” and 13 codes for the

conflicted questions for “The Weeping Woman.” I feel that these differences can be accounted

for with different interpretations of the rubric.

When I designed the rubrics, I found the rubric for “Paul Bunyan” much easier to write. I

struggled with the rubric for “The Weeping Woman,” hence it was not as concise as it could

have been. Furthermore, I interpreted “The Weeping Woman” (the culturally relevant text) using


my Anglo background. This could have affected the results since, as Bronfenbrenner suggests, an

individual’s culture is part of the person’s microsystem and affects all other aspects of the

person’s life (1975). Additionally, the third teacher contacted me after coding and brought to my

attention that the rubric descriptions were not consistent. All questions required students to

include text evidence, but the rubric did not detail that requirement. For example, on the rubric,

the second question for a score of 1 states, “The setting is described, but there is no text

evidence; or the setting is not described, but there is text evidence.” Whereas question four on

the rubric for a score of 1 states, “Theme is not clearly stated.” Text evidence is not noted in the

rubric for this question, even though students were required to provide it. These reasons may

account for the discrepancies between the codes.

The final comprehension percentages can be found below in Table 1. Overall, students

scoring a 2 on the comprehension of Anglo text are 10% higher (12.22%) than those scoring a 2

on the comprehension of culturally relevant text (2.22%). Additionally, fewer students scored a 0

on comprehension questions related to the Anglo text (62.22%) than those who scored a 0 on

comprehension questions related to the culturally relevant text (76.67%).

Table 1

Mean Comprehension Scores of Students Using Anglo and Culturally Relevant Text

“Paul Bunyan” “The Weeping

Woman”

Total 0 Score: 62.22% 76.67%

Total 1 Score: 25.56% 21.11%

Total 2 Score: 12.22% 2.22%


According to Bronfenbrenner, Banks, and other studies in the literature review, these

quantitative results are inconsistent with current investigations and theories. The quantitative

data I gathered does not support a positive relationship between increased reading

comprehension and culturally relevant text. However, I found the qualitative data to be more

informative as to the reasons for the discrepancy between my quantitative results and those of

other scholars and researchers.

Qualitative Analysis

When I designed this project, I hoped the qualitative data would support the findings of

the quantitative data and show a positive relationship between reading comprehension and the

use of culturally relevant text. I found the qualitative data supportive of the quantitative data

even though a positive relationship between reading comprehension and culturally relevant text

is not immediately apparent. According to Johnston, Barnes, & Desrochers, reading

comprehension is assessed based on the understanding of vocabulary and the use of context to

make inferences and construct meaning (2008). Hence, I coded the qualitative data using the

inductive codes of TE+ (text evidence provided), TE- (text evidence not provided), NA

(response did not answer question), TcS (connection between text and self), Cu (culture evident

in response), Sum (response summarizes story or part of story), Set (response describes setting of

story), Inf (response includes inference about story), Th (response proposes theme of story),

WID (response defines or attempts to define a word in the story), and BK (background

knowledge evident in response). I compiled all the short-answer responses to each question in a

Word document and then labeled each response with the appropriate code. Then I grouped the

data by theme in order to make interpretations. The following are my findings and

interpretations.


Summarization. According to the Common Core Standard RL.4.2, students in fourth-

grade should be able to determine a theme of a story and summarize the text (2014). None of the

students scored a 2 for either story (see Appendix L), meaning students were unable to identify

and summarize all of the main events. Four students (22.22%) scored a 1 on “The Weeping

Woman” summary and on “Paul Bunyan.” Fourteen students (77.78%) scored a 0 on “The

Weeping Woman” and on “Paul Bunyan” Three of the four students who scored a 1 on “The

Weeping Woman” also scored a 1 on “Paul Bunyan.”

I am concerned by the high number of 0’s for summarization for both “The Weeping

Woman” and “Paul Bunyan” (77.78%). The short-answer responses for the students scoring a 1,

contain clear beginning and/or ending events, with little emphasis on main events from the

middle of the story. For example, one student’s summary response focused on the beginning of

“Paul Bunyan,” “Paul and Babe the blue Ox left Maine, and moved west to look for work in

other forests. Paul made a camp and got other lumberjacks to help him in his camp.” Another

student focused on the end of the story, “…Babe the blue ox died in South Dakota. Paul buried

his friend in the Black Hills.” The same type of responses are provided in the summaries from

“The Weeping Woman.” Those students that scored a 0, selected only events that occurred in the

middle of the story, such as, “There trip was usually was cold. One year Paul’s camp was

especially cold,” and “Maria liked a man and liked her. They got marry ied and had 2 children.

His husband went back to the forest and didn’t like mary anymore and Maria got mad.” None of

the responses included the final ending of either story.

Interestingly, the summaries for “The Weeping Woman” are more succinct as opposed to

the answer I wrote for the rubric. One student even wrote her answer in Spanish, “… and now

she cries & says ‘Hay Mis Hijos’.” This phenomenon may have occurred because the students


were more familiar with “The Weeping Woman,” as it is a well-known Latino folktale, while I,

using my Anglo culture, included more than was necessary in my rubric.

Setting. Common Core Standards RL.4.3 states that students must be able to describe in

depth a character, setting, or event, drawing on specific details in the text (2014). See Appendix

L for the breakdown of scores. Of the five students that earned a 2 on “The Weeping Woman,”

only one also earned a 2 on “Paul Bunyan.” The students that earned a 2 quoted almost word-for-

word from the text regarding the setting (a camp near the Onion River in Minnesota for “Paul

Bunyan” and a humble little village for “The Weeping Woman”). More students earned a 1 on

“The Weeping Woman” (seven students) than “Paul Bunyan” (five students). Of the seven

students that earned a 1 on “The Weeping Woman” two also earned a 1 on “Paul Bunyan.”

Students who earned a 1 on either story, referenced the weather or time of day. For example, one

student stated, “… it was dark and some times it was suny” as the setting of “The Weeping

Woman.” The students that received a 0 for either story (eight students for “Paul Bunyan” and 10

students for “The Weeping Woman”) provided more of a story summary than a setting. For

example, one student’s response included, “Babe and Paul Bunyan left their mark on many areas.

Babe the blue ox died in South Dakota. And there is many more stories about what happened.”

Six students (33.33%) earned a 0 for both stories.

Student background knowledge became apparent in responses to this short-answer

question as well. One student described the setting of Paul’s camp using words that are not found

in the text. The same student described the setting of “The Weeping Woman” also using words

that are not found in the text. I assume that the student is relying on background knowledge

about forests and rivers, as the words he uses “grass,” “water,” “animals,” describe the settings.

Another student stated, “I think La llorona lived in Mexico because it says some spanish word lik


ranchero and comache, and also Maria is a Latin name.” This student clearly is relying on his

background knowledge and making connections to the text in order to answer the question

regarding setting. This demonstrates higher order thinking skills and the ability of the students to

interact at a higher cognitive level with the text, regardless of its cultural relevance.

During the “Paul Bunyan” test, one student approached me and asked what “setting”

meant. I told the student that I was unable to provide that information. Based on this incident and

the qualitative and quantitative results from this question, I believe that students do not

understand the meaning of the term setting. When I use the term, “setting” in the classroom, I

often provide students with a synonym, definition, rephrase it immediately following the use of

the term. This would explain why the students appear to understand what it means in class and

answer appropriately and then are unable to provide appropriate answers when “setting” is

applied in a different manner. Thus, students may have scored poorly on this question not

because of the text, but due to the unfamiliarity or lack of application of the term “setting.”

Inferences. Common Core Standard RL.4.1 states that students should refer to details

and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing

inferences from the text (2014). See Appendix L for the breakdown of scores. One student asked

during the “The Weeping Woman” test what inference meant. I told the student that I was unable

to provide that information. Four students successfully recognized the relationship between Paul

and Babe, while no students made the correct inference about Maria. Eight students partially

answered the question, earning them a 1 for “Paul Bunyan” and one student earned a 1 for “The

Weeping Woman.” Finally, six students earned a 0 for “Paul Bunyan” and seventeen students

earned a 0 for “The Weeping Woman.” The majority of the responses for “Paul Bunyan”

included information about Paul and Babe helping each other (50%). Whereas, many students


discussed Maria’s beauty and/or the fact that she got angry. This was the focus for the majority

of the responses to this question (56%). One student stated, “She was jealous of children so she

killed them, then she killed more people.” The phrase, “then she killed more people” is not in the

text. I assume this again is the appearance of background information that the student is

connecting to the text. Since “The Weeping Woman” is a popular Latino folktale, it makes sense

for alternate versions or extensions of text to be known, just as there are many different versions

of “Paul Bunyan” because both stories began in the oral tradition.

I am surprised by the outcome of this question. I expected a much higher accurate

response for “The Weeping Woman.” The focus on Maria’s anger indicates that the students are

not interacting deeply with the text because the text explicitly states, “…she became very angry

with the ranchero. She also began to feel anger toward her children…” and “…a terrible rage

filled Maria ….” I do not believe that the students do not understand the meaning of inference

even though one student asked me. Twenty-two percent correctly identified the inference for

“Paul Bunyan” and 44.44% partially answered the question. Why the lack of higher level

interaction with “The Weeping Woman?” I wonder if culturally, since the intent of the story is to

scare children, the focus is on Maria’s anger in order to teach children a lesson. This may be a

topic to explore further. Additionally, is my inference which comes from an Anglo background

the appropriate answer for this question? (Maria is arrogant). Should the inference be that Maria

is selfish or jealous? Four students indicated this in their responses. I do not feel that this

question is a reliable measurement of reading comprehension, because the rubric answer may be

incorrect for the culturally relevant text.

Theme. I used Common Core Standard RL.4.2: Determine a theme of a story; summarize

the text (2014) to investigate reading comprehension using culturally relevant text (see Appendix


L). No students scored a 2 on “Paul Bunyan” or on “The Weeping Woman.” Eleven percent of

students scored a 1 on “Paul Bunyan” and 5% of students scored a 1 on “The Weeping Woman.”

Ninety-four percent of students were not able to correctly identify the theme for “The Weeping

Woman.” Only 88.89% of students were not able to correctly identify the theme for “Paul

Bunyan.” Four students asked me the meaning of theme during the “Paul Bunyan” test. I told

them that I was unable to provide that information.

The qualitative answers for “Paul Bunyan” are a mixture of responses regarding the

setting of the story, inferences about Paul and Babe, and summaries of main events. For

example, one student stated, “they settled in a camp near the onion river in the state of

minnesota.” The qualitative answers for “The Weeping Woman” discuss how sorry Maria is for

hurting her children, as one student stated, “to never be jealous of some one because it can turn

into something bad.” The responses to the “Weeping Woman” indicate a higher level of

interaction with the text, while the answers to the theme for “Paul Bunyan” are surface level,

direct quotes from the text. Again, I question the validity of the answer I wrote for the grading

rubric. Did my Anglo culture influence how I wrote the answer for the rubric? I suggested the

theme of “The Weeping Woman” was that bad things happen to prideful people. This means that

people who are selfish will be punished. Student responses focused more on Maria’s anger and

regret. Further research into the folktale indicates that Latino parents use it as a warning to their

misbehaving children. They tell their children that Maria will come for them because she is

looking for more children to murder (“La Llorona: The Weeping Woman: Mythic Figure

Throughout Time and Region,” n.d.). This explains the many references students made about not

staying out too late. One student wrote, “Maria wants her children back so be aware that she

wont snatch your children & never give them back”. I, not being familiar with this cultural link,


interpreted the story much differently. This could explain the lower reading comprehension

scores.

Word Identification. The final indicator of reading comprehension I tested was word

definition using context clues. The Common Core Standard RL.4.4 states that students in fourth-

grade should be able to determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text

(2014). Two students (11%) correctly determined the meaning of the idiom “left their mark on

the area” from “Paul Bunyan” while only one student (5.56%) correctly determined the meaning

of the word “seized” in “The Weeping Woman.” However, only 61.11% of students were unable

to define “seized” when compared to 67.67% of students who were unable to define “left their

mark on the area.” This statistic indicates that students are more capable of determining meaning

of unknown words and thus, better able to comprehend, culturally relevant text.

Text Evidence. After compiling the quantitative data and examining the short-answer

responses, it became evident that very few students provided any sort of text evidence for the

Anglo-centric and culturally relevant texts. Students that included key words in their responses,

per the coding rubric, scored significantly higher on all questions than students who did not use

words from the stories. I did not review the definition of text evidence prior to giving the test,

however, this is a skill practiced weekly in class and students were reminded to provide text

evidence when I read aloud the test questions prior to the start of both tests. Key words, per

coding rubrics, were included in questions one and two for both texts, which focused on story

summarization and setting (noted 100 times and 34 times in student responses respectively)

when compared to questions three, four, and five which focused on inference-making, theme,

and word identification using context clues.


I suspect more key words are included in student responses for questions one and two

because the answers to these questions are explicitly stated in the text. The answers for questions

three through five required students to interact with the text at a higher cognitive level and are

not explicitly stated. However, I question whether the students truly understand the meaning of

providing text evidence. In class, I often request that students point to exact words or sentences

to support their thinking. The students in my class are able to do this when answers are explicit,

but experience difficulty finding exact words or phrases when required to support an opinion or

define a word using context clues. This is supported by the fact that only two students quoted

specific portions of the stories to demonstrate their thinking for question five for both the Anglo

and culturally relevant text, which involved higher cognitive levels of thinking. Furthermore, I

again question the validity of the rubric used to determine quantitative codes for “The Weeping

Woman” (culturally relevant text). The answers provided in the rubric were determined by me

with my Anglo background. This may have affected the way student responses were

quantitatively coded.

Limitations

In addition to the limitations of the rubric for the culturally relevant piece, other

limitations of my method relate to the questions themselves. I used the terminology utilized by

the Common Core Standards for my test questions, as these are the stated terms that students

must be familiar with in fourth-grade. I stated previously in this paper that students are able to

apply the terms (summarize, setting, inference, theme, word identification, and text evidence)

correctly in class, but that when I use those terms, I provide a synonym, definition, or rephrase

the question immediately following the use of the term. I recently attended a seminar, which

reinforced the research that intermediate ELL students compose a unique group. They can


communicate competently in English in social situations and demonstrate higher-order thinking

skills, but experience gaps in vocabulary, especially in academic content areas (Ferlazzo &

Sypnieski, 2012). As Ranney (2012) points out, academic language generally is associated with

complex and abstract ideas with little external context. Intermediate ELL students often lack the

background knowledge, including the vocabulary, to make connections and comprehend content

area concepts (Ferlazzo & Sypnieski, 2012). I suspect that if the questions were stated

differently, student scores would have been higher.

Conclusions

The results of my study tell two different stories. The quantitative data suggests that a

positive relationship between culturally relevant text and increased reading comprehension does

not exist. However, the qualitative data and anecdotal evidence I collected when I distributed the

tests suggest otherwise. The qualitative data supports the findings of other researchers and

scholars, that the use of culturally relevant text does increase reading comprehension. The

students were excited when they received a copy of “The Weeping Woman” and their responses

to the questions, although not correct per the rubric, suggest a deeper interaction with the text

and higher order thinking skills. The students made more personal connections and activated

more background knowledge with the culturally relevant text than with the Anglo text. The

summaries of the culturally relevant text were more succinct and students were able to extend

their thinking beyond the text. This research demonstrates that there is a connection. I conclude

that culturally relevant text engages students and has the potential to increase reading

comprehension.


Trustworthiness and Critique of Research Design

I did the best job possible to provide a faithful description of my data collection methods.

I was grounded in the interpretive paradigm. I selected this paradigm because my sample size

was very small, I did not have a control group, I chose not to include random samples, and I did

not generalize my data. I hope my findings can inform other professionals, but I do not assume

that they are applicable to other classrooms.

Credibility

I am unable to triangulate my data because I do not have three data sources. However, the

credibility of this research is enhanced by the use of peer debriefing. A second and third

colleague collaborated in the coding of the pre- and post-tests. Additionally, I worked with a

local principal to review my study, literature review, process, variables, and data interpretation.

Transferability

While the findings of this study will not be transferrable because it is not founded in the

positivist paradigm, I hope the results can inform other educators as to the benefits of using

culturally relevant texts in their classrooms. Other teachers may conduct a similar experiment in

their classrooms, or perhaps a school might try an experiment with several grade levels.

Auditability

I provided information as to my reasoning for my data collection methods, including why

the readings were selected and why I relied on short-answer questions. I clarified all procedures

and based my questions on fourth-grade Common Core Standards expectations. I did my best to

provide a faithful description of the data collection methods and of the data itself. My data

analysis reflects the utmost clarity and precision, thus the final results of this study represent

logical, believable conclusions.


Significance of Results and Next Steps

The significance of the results of this study is that they indicate that there exists a

considerable disconnect in reading comprehension for intermediate ELL learners. These

students, although able to communicate verbally in both Spanish and English, are unable to read

and comprehend text in either language. That is, they do not possess the skills in either language

that are needed to participate successfully in school. Teachers need to find and utilize methods

that will clarify reading comprehension techniques in order to support these intermediate ELLs,

as they struggle with vocabulary and are unable to use reading comprehension strategies

effectively.

As Bronfenbrenner, Banks, and other researchers suggest, I found increases in reading

engagement. When I distributed “The Weeping Woman,” the students buzzed with excitement,

indicating to me that they were excited to read the story and were already engaged in the text, as

opposed to when I passed out “Paul Bunyan” and the students sat silently at their desks. One

student approached me after the “The Weeping Woman” data gathering session and asked me if I

thought the story was real. “It’s because my cousin in Mexico said she heard her,” he told me.

This clearly demonstrates that students are more engaged with culturally relevant text and using

these texts may make it easier for students to focus on skill development, which can then be

transferred to Anglo and other cultural texts.

I plan to share these findings with my colleagues and further explore methods to support

intermediate ELLs. I plan to refine my research to investigate specific reading comprehension

techniques and methods that Latino students can use to increase their reading comprehension. I

then plan to teach my students these techniques and measure their success. I would also like to

have an individual with a Latino background read “The Weeping Woman” and determine the


answers for the rubric. Then, I would give the students the tests again, but rephrase the questions

so that they reflect the Common Core Standards, but do not mirror them. I suspect, with these

adjustments, student reading comprehension will increase and my results will reflect the research

I described in my literature review.

Ultimately, I would like to identify culturally relevant texts that can be used at all grade

levels to better reflect the student composition of my classroom and my school. The population

of Latino, African American, and Asian students will continue to grow in our schools. We, as

educators, need to provide meaningful instruction in order to support these students. One

potential method is to use culturally relevant text, not only in reading, but across the curriculum.

Bronfenbrenner reminds us that culture exists as part of everyone’s microsystem and affects all

other aspects of an individual’s life (1975). Banks’s Theory of Multicultural Education indicates

that using culturally relevant text increases student engagement and success (1996). The

literature review and my findings support the use of culturally relevant text in increasing reading

comprehension for ELLs, but that more reading comprehension techniques need to be taught to

intermediate ELL students, who are not able to read text in either language. Educators in today’s

classrooms need to respond to the changing demographic of their students and use methods that

encourage the success of all students.


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Timeline

Weeks of December 15 – January 10, 2015

❖ Have letter of consent translated into Spanish

Weeks of January 11 – January 24, 2015

❖ Obtain formal consent from HWA principal, St. John Paul II Chief Schools

Administrator, and fourth-grade students’ parents

Week of January 15 – January 31, 2015

❖ Catholic Schools Week

o Modified schedules accommodate various extra activities. Testing results could be

skewed, so no data collection will occur.

❖ Copy readings, pre- and post-tests, and rubrics for next week

Weeks of February 1 – February 13, 2015

❖ Administer readings and pre- and post-tests

❖ Code pre- and post-tests

❖ Have another teacher code pre- and post-tests

o If a discrepancy arises, have an additional teacher code pre- and post-test short

answer questions

Weeks of February 15 – February 28, 2015

❖ ITBS testing begins (February 23, 2015)

❖ Enter short-answer question responses

❖ Analyze short-answer question responses

Week of March 1, 2015

❖ Write report


Weeks of March 8 – March 21, 2015

❖ Prepare public presentation

May 1, 2015

❖ Paper due

May 9, 2015

❖ Public presentation


APPENDIX A: Anglo Perspective Text Selection

Paul Bunyan

In time, Paul and Babe the Blue Ox left Maine, and moved west to look for work in other forests.

Along the way, Paul dug out the Great Lakes to provide drinking water for Babe. They settled in

a camp near the Onion River in the state of Minnesota.

Paul’s camp was the largest in the country. The camp was so large that a man had to have one

week’s supply of food when walking from one side of the camp to the other.

Paul decided to get other lumberjacks to help with the work. His work crew became known as

the Seven Axemen. Each man was more than two meters tall and weighed more than one-

hundred-sixty kilograms. All of the Axemen were named Elmer. That way, they all came

running whenever Paul called them.

The man who cooked for the group was named Sourdough Sam. He made everything -- except

coffee -- from sourdough, a substance used in making sourdough bread.

Every Sunday, Paul and his crew ate hot cakes. Each hot cake was so large that it took five men

to eat one. Paul usually had ten or more hot cakes, depending on how hungry he was. The table

where the men ate was so long that a server usually drove to one end of the table and stayed the

night. The server drove back in the morning, with a fresh load of food.

Paul needed someone to help with the camp’s finances. He gave the job to a man named Johnny

Inkslinger. Johnny kept records of everything, including wages and the cost of feeding Babe. He

sometimes used nine containers of writing fluid a day to keep such detailed records.

The camp also was home to Sport, the Reversible Dog. One of the workers accidentally cut Sport

in two. The man hurried to put the dog back together, but made a mistake. He bent the animal’s

back the wrong way. However, that was not a problem for Sport. He learned to run on his front

legs until he was tired. Then, he turned the other way and ran on his back legs.

Big mosquitoes were a problem at the camp. The men attacked the insects with their axes and

long sticks. Before long, the men put barriers around their living space. Then, Paul ordered them

to get big bees to destroy the mosquitoes. But the bees married the mosquitoes, and the problem

got worse. They began to produce young insects. One day, the insects’ love of sweets caused

them to attack a ship that was bringing sugar to the camp. At last, the mosquitoes and bees were

defeated. They ate so much sugar they could not move.

Paul always gave Babe the Blue Ox a thirty-five kilogram piece of sugar when he was good. But

sometimes Babe liked to play tricks. At night, Babe would make noises and hit the ground with

his feet. The men at the camp would run out of the buildings where they slept, thinking it was an

earthquake.

When winter came, Babe had trouble finding enough food to eat. Snow covered everything. Ole

the Blacksmith solved the problem. He made huge green sunglasses for Babe. When Babe wore

the sunglasses, he thought the snow was grass. Before long, Babe was strong and healthy again.

One year, Paul’s camp was especially cold. It was so cold that the men let their facial hair grow

very long. When the men spoke, their words froze in the air. Everything they said remained

frozen all winter long, and did not melt until spring.


Paul Bunyan and Babe left their mark on many areas. Some people say they were responsible for

creating Puget Sound in the western state of Washington. Others say Paul Bunyan and Babe

cleared the trees from the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. They prepared this area for

farming.

Babe the Blue Ox died in South Dakota. One story says he ate too many hot cakes. Paul buried

his old friend there. Today, the burial place is known as the Black Hills.

Whatever happened to Paul Bunyan? There are lots of stories. Some people say he was last seen

in Alaska, or even the Arctic Circle. Another tradition says he still returns to Minnesota every

summer. It says Paul moves in and out of the woods, so few people ever know that he is there.

Adapted from: Lapidus, F. (2012, January 7). Special English program: Children’s story [Paul

Bunyan]. Voice of America. Podcast retrieved from http://learningenglish.voanews.com/

content/childrens-story-paul-bunyan-136836893/114708.html


APPENDIX B: Culturally Relevant Text Selection

The Weeping Woman

(La Llorona)

by Joe Hayes

Long years ago in a humble little village there lived a fine looking girl named Maria. Some say

she was the most beautiful girl in the world! And because she was so beautiful, Maria thought

she was better than everyone else.

As Maria grew older, her beauty increased. And her pride in her beauty grew too. When she was

a young woman, she would not even look at the young men from her village. They weren't good

enough for her! "When I marry," Maria would say, "I will marry the most handsome man in the

world."

And then one day, into Maria's village rode a man who seemed to be just the one she had been

talking about. He was a dashing young ranchero, the son of a wealthy rancher from the southern

plains. He could ride like a Comanche! In fact, if he owned a horse, and it grew tame, he would

give it away and go rope a wild horse from the plains. He thought it wasn't manly to ride a horse

if it wasn't half wild.

He was handsome! And he could play the guitar and sing beautifully. Maria made up her mind-

that was, the man for her! She knew just the tricks to win his attention.

If the ranchero spoke when they met on the pathway, she would turn her head away. When he

came to her house in the evening to play his guitar and serenade her, she wouldn't even come to

the window. She refused all his costly gifts. The young man fell for her tricks. "That haughty

girl, Maria, Maria!" he said to himself. "I know I can win her heart. I swear I'll marry that girl."

And so everything turned out as Maria planned. Before long, she and the ranchero became

engaged and soon they were married. At first, things were fine. They had two children and they

seemed to be a happy family together. But after a few years, the ranchero went back to the wild

life of the prairies. He would leave town and be gone for months at a time. And when he returned

home, it was only to visit his children. He seemed to care nothing for the beautiful Maria. He

even talked of setting Maria aside and marrying a woman of his own wealthy class.

As proud as Maria was, of course she became very angry with the ranchero. She also began to

feel anger toward her children, because he paid attention to them, but just ignored her.

One evening, as Maria was strolling with her two children on the shady pathway near the river,

the ranchero came by in a carriage. An elegant lady sat on the seat beside him. He stopped and

spoke to his children, but he didn't even look at Maria. He whipped the horses on up the street.

When she saw that, a terrible rage filled Maria, and it all turned against her children. And

although it is sad to tell, the story says that in her anger Maria seized her two children and threw


them into the river! But as they disappeared down the stream, she realized what she had done!

She ran down the bank of the river, reaching out her arms to them. But they were long gone.

The next morning, a traveler brought word to the villagers that a beautiful woman lay dead on

the bank of the river. That is where they found Maria, and they laid her to rest where she had

fallen.

But the first night Maria was in the grave, the villagers heard the sound of crying down by the

river. It was not the wind, it was La Llorona crying. "Where are my children?" And they saw a

woman walking up and down the bank of the river, dressed in a long white robe, the way they

had dressed Maria for burial. On many a dark night they saw her walk the river bank and cry for

her children. And so they no longer spoke of her as Maria. They called her La Llorona, the

weeping woman. And by that name she is known to this day. Children are warned not to go out

in the dark, for, La Llorona might snatch them and never return them.

Adapted from: Enriquez, L. & Pajewski, A. (1996). The weeping woman (La Llorona). In

Teaching from a Hispanic perspective: A handbook for non-Hispanic adult educators.

Retrieved from http://www.literacynet.org/lp/hperspectives/llorona.html.


APPENDIX C: “Paul Bunyan” Reading Comprehension Test

Paul Bunyan

1. Summarize the main events of the story. Use the text to support your answer.

2. Describe the setting. Use the text to support your answer.

3. What inference can you make about the relationship between Paul and Babe? Use the text

to support your answer.


4. What is the theme of this story? Use the text to support your answer.

5. What does the phrase “left their mark on the area” mean in the story? Use the text to

support your answer.


APPENDIX D: “The Weeping Woman” Reading Comprehension Test

The Weeping Woman

1. Summarize the main events of the story. Use the text to support your answer.

2. Describe the setting. Use the text to support your answer.

3. What inference can you make about Maria? Use the text to support your answer.


4. What is the theme of this story? Use the text to support your answer.

5. What does “seized” mean in the story? Use the text to support your answer.


APPENDIX E: “Paul Bunyan” Reading Comprehension Coding Rubric

Question 0 1 2

1. Summarize the

main events of

the story.

The text is not

summarized and

events are not in

any order.

The text is

summarized, but

events are listed

somewhat out of

order.

The text is well

summarized and

the events are

listed in order.

(Answer: Paul and

Babe settle in a

camp in Minnesota;

Paul gets other

lumberjacks to help

him; tall tales about

the cook; Paul hires

Johnny Inkslinger

to handle finances;

tall tales about

mosquitoes, Babe,

and winter; Paul

and Babe leave

their mark on many

areas; Babe dies;

possible sightings

of Paul.)

2. Describe the

setting. Use

examples from

the text to

support your

answer.

The setting is not

described. No text

evidence is

provided.

The setting is

described, but there

is no text evidence;

or the setting is not


is text evidence.

The setting is

accurately

described with

specific text

examples for

support. (Answer:

Logging camp near

the Onion River in

Minnesota; Text

Evidence: “They

settled in a camp

near the Onion

River in the state of

Minnesota.” and

references

throughout story to

“lumberjacks” and

“logging”)


Question 0 1 2

3. What inference

can you make

about the

relationship

between Paul

and Babe? Use

examples from

the text to

support your

answer.

Inference is not

stated. No text

evidence is

provided.

Inference is

incorrectly stated or

not present; text

evidence is not

present.

Inference is

clearly stated with

text evidence. (Answer: Paul &

Babe are good

friends; Text

Evidence: “Paul

buried his old

friend there.”)

4. What is the

theme of this

story?

Theme is not

stated.

Theme is not clearly

stated.

Theme is clearly

stated. (Answer:

story describes how

U.S. landmarks

came to be;

references to Great

Lakes, Black Hills,

Puget Sound,

clearing of North

and South Dakota.)

5. What does the

phrase “left their

mark on the

area” mean in

the story? Use

the text to

support your

answer.

Definition is not

stated. No text

evidence is

provided.

Definition is

incorrectly stated;

text evidence is not

present.

Definition is stated

with text evidence. (Answer: Paul &

Babe changed the

landscape; Text

Evidence: “Paul

Bunyan and Babe

left their mark on

many areas. Some

people say they

were responsible

for creating Puget

Sound in the

western state of

Washington. Others

say Paul Bunyan

and Babe cleared

the trees from the

states of North

Dakota and South

Dakota. They

prepared this area

for farming.”)


APPENDIX F: “The Weeping Woman” Reading Comprehension Coding Rubric

Question 0 1 2

1. Summarize the

main events of

the story.

The text is not

summarized and

events are not in

any order.

The text is

summarized, but

events are listed

somewhat out of

order.

The text is well

summarized and

the events are

listed in order.

(Answer: Maria

was very beautiful,

but would not

marry the men in

her village because

they were not

handsome; Maria

met a handsome,

wealthy ranchero;

the ranchero

courted her and

they married; they

had two children,

but the ranchero

went back to the

wild life; Maria

became angry

because the

ranchero ignored

her; the ranchero

meets Maria and

his children near

the river; the

ranchero talks to

his children, but not

Maria; Maria gets

angry and throws

her children in the

river; Maria

realizes what she’s

done, but it’s too

late; a traveler

found Maria dead;

the villagers buried

her near the river;

the villagers still

hear the sound of a

woman crying)


Question 0 1 2

2. Describe the

setting. Use

examples from

the text to

support your

answer.

The setting is not

described. No text

evidence is

provided.

The setting is


is no text evidence;

or the setting is not


is text evidence.

The setting is

accurately

described with

specific text

examples for

support. (Answer:

small village; Text

Evidence: “a

humble little

village”)

3. What inference

can you make

about Maria?

Use examples

from the text to

support your

answer.

Inference is not

stated. No text

evidence is

provided.

Inference is

incorrectly stated or

not present; text

evidence is not

present.

Inference is

clearly stated with

text evidence. (Answer: Maria is

arrogant; Text

Evidence: “Maria

thought she was

better than

everyone else.”;

“When she was a

young woman, she

would not even

look at the young

men from her

village. They

weren't good

enough for her!”)

4. What is the

theme of this

story?

Theme is not

stated.

Theme is not clearly

stated. Theme is clearly

stated. (Answer:

Bad things happen

to prideful people;

Text Evidence: “the

ranchero came by,

an elegant lady sat

on the seat beside

him, he spoke to his

children, but he

didn't even look at

Maria. When she

saw that, a terrible

rage filled Maria,

and it all turned

against her

children. Maria

seized her two


children and threw

them into the river!

But as they

disappeared down

the stream, she

realized what she

had done! She ran

down the bank of

the river, reaching

out her arms to

them. But they

were long gone.

The next morning,

a traveler brought

word to the

villagers that a

beautiful woman

lay dead on the

bank of the river.

That is where they

found Maria, and

they laid her to rest

where she had

fallen.”)

5. What does the

phrase “seized”

mean in the

story? Use the

text to support

your answer.

Definition is not

stated. No text

evidence is

provided.

Definition is

incorrectly stated;

text evidence is not

present.

Definition is stated

with text evidence.

(Answer: to grab;

Text Evidence:

“and threw them

into the river!”)


APPENDIX G: Letter of Permission

[Date]

Dear Chief Schools Administrator and School Principal,

I am currently doing graduate work in education at Alverno College. I am preparing to begin

work on an action research project, which is a required part of my coursework and will help me

improve my teaching skills. My research topic is the effect of culturally relevant text on reading

comprehension. I would like to explore ways that I can improve our students’ reading

comprehension and am seeking your approval to carry out this action research project. I want to

stress that this project is an extension of the work I do as a teacher and reflective practitioner.

Students will read a selection of text written from the Anglo perspective and one written from a

culturally relevant perspective. Students will then be asked to answer a series of short-answer

questions designed to determine whether the text was understood and to what extent. Before the

study begins, I will explain the study to the students and they will have the opportunity to ask

questions at this time, as well as, anytime throughout the study.

Students’ scores on these assessments will remain confidential. I will not use student names or

our school’s name in any of my notes, records, or written results in order to assure

confidentiality. My research results will be shared with faculty and students at Alverno College. I

also plan to share my findings with other faculty members in order to continue to provide the

highest quality education possible.

I am confident that I have taken all necessary steps to ensure that my research will be conducted

in a manner that meets ethical standards. I have attached the consent letter that I wish to give to

the students and to their parents/guardians. Please sign below and return a copy of this letter to

me indicating whether or not you give me permission to conduct this research project. If you

have any questions about the research, please feel free to contact me any time at 414-469-8895

or [email protected]. You may also contact Rita Nawrocki-Chabin, the Alverno

supervisor for this study (414-382-6414, [email protected]) or Paul Smith, the

Alverno Institutional Review Board Chair (414- 382- 6363, [email protected]).

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Beth Christensen

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I give permission to you to conduct the action research project described above.

I do not give you permission to conduct the research project described above.

Signatures:

Chief Schools Administrator: Date:

School Principal: Date:

mailto:[email protected]




APPENDIX H: Letter of Consent

[Date]

Dear Parent or Guardian,

I am currently doing graduate work in education at Alverno College. I am preparing to begin

work on an action research project, which is a required part of my coursework and will help me

improve my teaching skills. My research topic is the effect of culturally relevant text on reading

comprehension. I would like to explore ways that I can improve your child’s reading

comprehension. I want to stress that this project is an extension of the work I do as a teacher.

Your child will read a selection of text written from the Anglo perspective and one written from

a culturally relevant (Latino/Latina) perspective. Your child will then be asked to answer a series

short-answer questions designed to determine if he/she understood the text. Before the study

begins, I will explain the study to your child and students will have the opportunity to ask

questions at this time, as well as, anytime throughout the study. You and your child may also

withdraw from the study at any time.

Your child’s scores on these assessments will remain confidential. I will not use his or her name

in any of my notes, records, or written results in order to assure confidentiality. My research

results will be shared with faculty and students at Alverno College and with people who attend

the formal presentation of my project. I also plan to share my findings with other faculty

members in order to continue to provide your child with the highest quality education possible.

Please sign below and return to me indicating whether or not you give your child permission to

participate in this research project. If you have any questions about the research, please feel free

to contact me any time at 414-469-8895 or [email protected]. You may also contact

Rita Nawrocki-Chabin, the Alverno supervisor for this study (414-382-6414,

[email protected]) or Paul Smith, the Alverno Institutional Review Board Chair

(414- 382- 6363, [email protected]).

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Beth Christensen

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I give permission for my child to participate in the research project described above.

I do not give permission for my child to participate in the research project.

Child’s name:

Signature of Parent/Guardian: Date:





Enero, 2015

Estimados padres o guardián:

Estoy haciendo la maestría en educación en Alverno College. Estoy preparándome para empezar

un proyecto de investigación que es requisito para parte de mis estudios de maestría. Este

proyecto de investigación me ayudará a mejorar mi enseñanza. El tema de mi proyecto se trata

del efecto entre las lecturas de varias culturas y la comprensión. Me gustaría explorar maneras

para que su hijo mejore su comprensión. Quiero informarles que este proyecto de investigación

es una extensión de lo que hago cada día como profesora.

Su hijo leerá una selección de lectura del punto de vista de un anglohablante y otra selección del

punto de vista de otra cultura. Después su hijo responderá a algunas preguntas breves para saber

si entienda la lectura y cuánto. Antes de empezar el proyecto de investigación, yo se lo explicaré

a los estudiantes. Los estudiantes tendrán la oportunidad de hacer preguntas cuando lo explicaré

y en cualquier punto durante el estudio. Usted y su hijo tendrían el derecho de retirarse del

proyecto en cualquier momento.

Los resultos de los exámenes serán confidenciales. No se pondrán los nombres de los

estudiantes ni en mis apuntes ni en mi data ni en los resultos escritos. Los resultos de mi estudio

serán compartidos con la facultad y con los estudiantes de Alverno College. Planeo compartir

los resultos con los maestros para continuar poder darles a todos los estudiantes la mejor

educación posible.

Favor de firmar en la parte abajo dándome permiso (o no) de participar en el proyecto. Favor de

regresarlo. Si Ud. tiene algunas preguntas sobre el proyecto, favor de llamarme por teléfono a

414-469-8895 o por correo electrónico a [email protected] . También Ud. puede

ponerse en contacto a Rita Nawrocki-Chabin, supervisora del estudio, a 414-382-6414 o

[email protected] o a Paul Smith, jefe del Alverno Institutional Review Board,

a 414-382-6363 o [email protected] .

Gracias por su interés en este proyecto de investigación.

Sinceramente,

Beth Christensen

_____ Concedo el permiso de participar en el proyecto descrito arriba.

_____ No concedo el permiso de participar en el proyecto descrito arriba.

Nombre de hijo ________________________________________________________________

Firma del padre(madre)/guardián ____________________________ Fecha ________________






APPENDIX I: Fourth-Grade Reading Comprehension Common Core Standards

English Language Arts Standards » Reading: Literature » Grade 4

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when

drawing inferences from the text.


Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.


Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in

the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).


Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that

allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).


Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements

of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions,

dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.


Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the

difference between first- and third-person narrations.


Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the

text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.


(RL.4.8 not applicable to literature)


Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and

evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from

different cultures.


By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in

the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of

the range

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/4/1/











APPENDIX J: Mean Comprehension Scores of Students “Paul Bunyan”

62.22%

25.56%

12.22%

Total 0 Score:

Total 1 Score:

Total 2 Score:


APPENDIX K: Mean Comprehension Scores of Students “The Weeping Woman”

.

76.67%

21.11%

2.22%

Total 0 Score:

Total 1 Score:

Total 2 Score:


Appendix L: Comparison of “Paul Bunyan” Non-agreement Codes

Set A

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5

Student 1 0 0 0 0 0

Student 2 1 0 1 0 0

Student 3 0 1 0 0 0

Student 4 0 1 1 0 0

Student 5 1 2 1 0 0

Student 6 1 1 0 0 0

Student 7 0 0 1 0 0

Student 8 0 1 0 0 2

Student 9 0 2 1 1 0

Student 10 0 0 1 0 0

Student 11 0 1 0 0 0

Student 12 0 0 1 0 0

Student 13 0 1 2 0 1

Student 14 1 2 1 0 0

Student 15 0 0 1 0 0

Student 16 0 1 0 0 2

Student 17 0 2 2 0 1

Student 18 0 2 2 0 2

Total 0: 14 6 6 17 13

Percent: 77.78% 33.33% 33.33% 94.44% 72.22%

Total 1: 4 7 9 1 2

Percent: 22.22% 38.89% 50.00% 5.56% 11.11%

Total 2: 0 5 3 0 3

Percent: 0.00% 27.78% 16.67% 0.00% 16.67%

76


Set B

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5

Student 1 0 0 2 0 1

Student 2 2 0 1 0 0

Student 3 0 1 2 0 1

Student 4 0 0 1 0 1

Student 5 1 2 1 1 0

Student 6 1 1 1 0 0

Student 7 0 0 0 0 0

Student 8 0 0 1 0 2

Student 9 0 2 1 1 0

Student 10 1 0 2 0 0

Student 11 0 0 0 1 0

Student 12 1 0 1 0 0

Student 13 1 1 2 0 1

Student 14 2 2 2 1 1

Student 15 0 1 1 0 0

Student 16 0 1 1 0 1

Student 17 1 2 2 1 1

Student 18 2 2 1 1 2

Total 0: 9 8 2 12 9

Percent: 50.00% 44.44% 11.11% 66.67% 50.00%

Total 1: 6 5 10 6 7

Percent: 33.33% 27.78% 55.56% 33.33% 38.89%

Total 2: 3 5 6 0 2

Percent: 16.67% 27.78% 33.33% 0.00% 11.11%

77


Appendix M: Comparison of “The Weeping Woman” Non-agreement Codes

Set A

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5

Student 1 0 0 0 0 0

Student 2 0 0 0 0 0

Student 3 0 2 0 0 0

Student 4 0 2 0 0 0

Student 5 1 2 0 0 1

Student 6 1 1 0 0 0

Student 7 0 0 0 0 1

Student 8 0 0 0 0 0

Student 9 0 1 0 0 0

Student 10 1 0 0 1 1

Student 11 0 0 0 0 1

Student 12 0 0 1 0 0

Student 13 1 1 0 1 0

Student 14 1 2 0 0 0

Student 15 0 1 0 0 1

Student 16 0 0 0 0 0

Student 17 1 1 0 0 0

Student 18 1 2 0 0 2

Total 0: 11 8 17 16 12

Percent: 61.11% 44.44% 94.44% 88.89% 66.67%

Total 1: 7 5 1 2 5

Percent: 38.89% 27.78% 5.56% 11.11% 27.78%

Total 2: 0 5 0 0 1

Percent: 0.00% 27.78% 0.00% 0.00% 5.56%

78


Set B

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5

Student 1 0 0 1 2 1

Student 2 0 0 0 0 0

Student 3 2 1 1 0 0

Student 4 0 1 1 1 0

Student 5 2 1 0 0 1

Student 6 2 2 0 0 1

Student 7 0 0 1 1 2

Student 8 0 0 1 2 2

Student 9 1 2 2 1 0

Student 10 2 0 0 1 1

Student 11 1 0 1 2 1

Student 12 0 0 1 0 0

Student 13 2 2 2 2 1

Student 14 1 2 2 0 0

Student 15 2 2 1 0 0

Student 16 0 1 0 1 0

Student 17 2 0 0 1 1

Student 18 2 0 1 1 2

Total 0: 7 9 6 7 8

Percent: 38.89% 50.00% 33.33% 38.89% 44.44%

Total 1: 3 4 9 7 7

Percent: 16.67% 22.22% 50.00% 38.89% 38.89%

Total 2: 8 5 3 4 3

Percent: 44.44% 27.78% 16.67% 22.22% 16.67%

79


Appendix N: Final Codes – “Paul Bunyan” (PB) and “The Weeping Woman” (TWW)

Summarize the main events of the story.

Use the text to support your answer.

Describe the setting. Use the text to

support your answer.

What inference can you make? Use the text to support your answer.

What is the theme of this story? Use the text to support your answer.

What does "left their mark on the area"/"seized" mean in the story?

Use the text to support your answer.

PB TWW PB TWW PB TWW PB TWW PB TWW

Student 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

Student 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

Student 3 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

Student 4 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

Student 5 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 1

Student 6 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Student 7 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

Student 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1

Student 9 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 1

Student 10 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 1

Student 11 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Student 12 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0

Student 13 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0

Student 14 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

Student 15 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

Student 16 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

Student 17 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0

Student 18 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 2

80


Total 0: 14 14 8 10 6 17 16 17 12 11

Percent: 77.78% 77.78% 44.44% 55.56% 33.33% 94.44% 88.89% 94.44% 66.67% 61.11%

Total 1: 4 4 5 7 8 1 2 1 4 6

Percent: 22.22% 22.22% 27.78% 38.89% 44.44% 5.56% 11.11% 5.56% 22.22% 33.33%

Total 2: 0 0 5 1 4 0 0 0 2 1

Percent: 0.00% 0.00% 27.78% 5.56% 22.22% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 11.11% 5.56%

81

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