A Metacognitive Program for Improving the Word Identification and Reading Comprehension Skills of Upper Primary Poor Readers

avondale-bepress.abstract<p>This project consisted of a pilot study to assess the effectiveness of a metacognitive approach to teaching word identification and reading comprehension skills to upper primary poor readers, followed by two investigations of effective methods for implementing the metacognitive program in the regular classroom. To improve word identification skills, experimental subjects were trained to: Consider the context, Compare with known words, and Carve up the word parts. To help monitor and control the use of these strategies, subjects were taught to: Be flexible, Look for the cues, and Ask: Does it make sense. Reciprocal teaching procedures, incorporating the above word identification strategies, were used for comprehension training.</p> <p>In Study One, (conducted by the experimenter) experimental subjects were given reciprocal instruction in metacognitive word identification strategies prior to reciprocal teaching of comprehension. Subjects in the control group received reciprocal teaching of comprehension combined with traditional methods of word identification. In Study Two, the experimenter set up the metacognitive word identification and reciprocal teaching program for the poor readers in the experimental classrooms, and then gradually ceded responsibility for its implementation to the class teachers. Subjects in control classrooms received their normal word study and comprehension activities (in some cases combined with phonics-based instruction). In Study Three, school-based personnel were responsible for conducting the program from the beginning. Subjects in the experimental condition received the combined metacognitive word identification and reciprocal teaching program. Subjects in two control conditions received either normal classroom word study and comprehension activities or reciprocal teaching of comprehension combined with traditional methods for identifying unfamiliar words. Measures of improvement in word identification and comprehension, metacognitive awareness and monitoring of reading strategies, and self-perceptions of academic ability, were taken on several occasions during each study.</p> <p>Results from Study One indicated that a combination of metacognitive word identification strategies and reciprocal teaching of comprehension was clearly more effective than reciprocal teaching of comprehension with traditional methods of word identification. Results from Studies Two and Three indicated that a classroom-based model of implementation appears to be more successful when teachers have responsibility for its implementation from the beginning.</p> <p>The implications of these findings for classroom practice are discussed, along with the limitations of the study and suggestions for further research.</p>
avondale-bepress.articleid1080
avondale-bepress.authorsMerle Cozens
avondale-bepress.context-key13142064
avondale-bepress.coverpage-urlhttps://research.avondale.edu.au/theses_non_Avondale/72
avondale-bepress.document-typethesis
avondale-bepress.field.advisor1Associate Professor Lorna Chan
avondale-bepress.field.advisor2Dr Greg Robinson
avondale-bepress.field.avon_awardinginstUniversity of Newcastle
avondale-bepress.field.comments<p>Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Thesis. University of Newcastle.</p> <p>Staff and Students of Avondale College may access a print copy of this thesis from Avondale College Library (372.47 B83).</p>
avondale-bepress.field.custom_citation<p>Bruce, M. (1998). <em>A metacognition program for improving the word identification and reading comprehension skills for upper primary poor readers</em> (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.</p>
avondale-bepress.field.degree_nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
avondale-bepress.field.embargo_date1998-12-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.field.publication_date1998-02-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.keywordsreading comprehension
avondale-bepress.keywordsword identification
avondale-bepress.keywordspoor readers
avondale-bepress.keywordsprimary
avondale-bepress.label72
avondale-bepress.publication-date1998-02-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.publication-titleTheses Non-Avondale
avondale-bepress.statepublished
avondale-bepress.submission-date2018-10-22T22:56:37Z
avondale-bepress.submission-paththeses_non_Avondale/72
avondale-bepress.titleA Metacognitive Program for Improving the Word Identification and Reading Comprehension Skills of Upper Primary Poor Readers
avondale-bepress.typearticle
dc.contributor.authorCozens, Merle
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-01T00:27:52Z
dc.date.available2023-11-01T00:27:52Z
dc.date.issued1998-02-01
dc.date.submitted2018-10-22T22:56:37Z
dc.description.abstract<p>This project consisted of a pilot study to assess the effectiveness of a metacognitive approach to teaching word identification and reading comprehension skills to upper primary poor readers, followed by two investigations of effective methods for implementing the metacognitive program in the regular classroom. To improve word identification skills, experimental subjects were trained to: Consider the context, Compare with known words, and Carve up the word parts. To help monitor and control the use of these strategies, subjects were taught to: Be flexible, Look for the cues, and Ask: Does it make sense. Reciprocal teaching procedures, incorporating the above word identification strategies, were used for comprehension training.</p> <p>In Study One, (conducted by the experimenter) experimental subjects were given reciprocal instruction in metacognitive word identification strategies prior to reciprocal teaching of comprehension. Subjects in the control group received reciprocal teaching of comprehension combined with traditional methods of word identification. In Study Two, the experimenter set up the metacognitive word identification and reciprocal teaching program for the poor readers in the experimental classrooms, and then gradually ceded responsibility for its implementation to the class teachers. Subjects in control classrooms received their normal word study and comprehension activities (in some cases combined with phonics-based instruction). In Study Three, school-based personnel were responsible for conducting the program from the beginning. Subjects in the experimental condition received the combined metacognitive word identification and reciprocal teaching program. Subjects in two control conditions received either normal classroom word study and comprehension activities or reciprocal teaching of comprehension combined with traditional methods for identifying unfamiliar words. Measures of improvement in word identification and comprehension, metacognitive awareness and monitoring of reading strategies, and self-perceptions of academic ability, were taken on several occasions during each study.</p> <p>Results from Study One indicated that a combination of metacognitive word identification strategies and reciprocal teaching of comprehension was clearly more effective than reciprocal teaching of comprehension with traditional methods of word identification. Results from Studies Two and Three indicated that a classroom-based model of implementation appears to be more successful when teachers have responsibility for its implementation from the beginning.</p> <p>The implications of these findings for classroom practice are discussed, along with the limitations of the study and suggestions for further research.</p>
dc.identifier.citation<p>Bruce, M. (1998). <em>A metacognition program for improving the word identification and reading comprehension skills for upper primary poor readers</em> (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.</p>
dc.identifier.urihttps://research.avondale.edu.au/handle/123456789/13142064
dc.language.isoen_us
dc.rights<p>Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Thesis. University of Newcastle.</p> <p>Staff and Students of Avondale College may access a print copy of this thesis from Avondale College Library (372.47 B83).</p>
dc.subjectreading comprehension
dc.subjectword identification
dc.subjectpoor readers
dc.subjectprimary
dc.titleA Metacognitive Program for Improving the Word Identification and Reading Comprehension Skills of Upper Primary Poor Readers
dc.typeThesis
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