Action Plan
What I Implemented
Reading strategies were explicitly taught each week within my guided reading small groups. Each group consisted of 4-6 students. These groups were determined based on Text Levels and included students from other sections of first-grade at my school. By partnering with my colleagues, we were able to differentiate and pinpoint the needs of each group; however, it also meant that I did not directly teach all of my students within small groups. This difference in instruction offered additional data in how the strategies impacted comprehension for my 23 students, given that my colleagues taught other needed skills within guided reading groups. Research questions emerged such as:
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Were students who received explicit instruction in visualizing more successful in comprehending their independent Read-to-Self texts? (Note: Each student was expected to independently read for fifteen minutes daily and selected texts from their individual book bin.)
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How did the variance in instruction impact overall achievement on the Common Formative Assessments (CFAs)?
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What anecdotal evidence might suggest differences in students' reading confidence?
Explicit strategy instruction included modeling, scaffolds, differentiated questions, and other research-based instructional approaches to aid in students’ comprehension. Data was collected to determine the level of transfer of the teacher-instructed reading comprehension skills to the student-directed “Read to Self” station completed daily during our Guided Reading time.
In order to effectively support and manage explicit instruction of questioning and making connections, I utilized a log for students to note the questions and connections we were making together. At the beginning of the research period, this was a very guided experience for most students. We discussed sentence starters of questions and connections and created a question or connection as a group. As we continued, students gained more independence in identifying connections (text to text, text to self, text to world) and asking and answering questions with the text.
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After making a connection, students were asked to share out their connection to the small group. With this, they explained and identified the type of text connection. With questioning, students asked a question relating to the text. After reading, we discussed as a group to see if any questions were answered. Students were asked to identify text evidence when answering their questions to show how the text can aid in comprehension.
Guided Reading Strategy Logs
"Read to Self" Student Logs
In addition to Guided Reading Strategy logs (above), students completed individual "Read to Self" logs during reading stations. Each week, we focused on either questioning or making connections, aligning with the comprehension skill in Guided Reading groups. Along with this strategy practice, students rated their personal reading stamina on a 5-star scale and we rated our class stamina during stations each day. This rating encouraged students to take ownership for their independent reading time and supported reading endurance for our entire class. Logs were collected and analyzed each Friday and students were provided a new log at the start of each week.
Throughout the course of this study, I adapted instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of each student. For example within small group reading, students reading at a higher level initially had more success in independently making connections and asking questions. These students were encouraged to stretch their brain and make text to world connections as these were more difficult for students to generate based on a text. My students reading at a lower reading level needed more support in understanding how to make connections and ask questions. These groups continued to be guided throughout and focused more on text to self connections.
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In addition to small group instruction, some students showed they needed differentiation within the log. In addition to filling out her log, one student used sticky notes during independent reading, placing them in individualized books in her book bin. I honored this student's needs by allowing her to personally monitor her comprehension and asking follow-up questions about the notes she made. Further, I used this practice with another student who consistently struggled to complete the log. Once he used the sticky note approach, his comprehension increased through making connections and asking questions!
Meeting Diverse Learning Needs
In order to foster accessibility and equity to best support all students in growing their reading comprehension, I offered to send home "Book Packs" with leveled readers to all students who were not on grade level for reading. On a weekly basis, these students took home books at their instructional and independent reading level to repeatedly read and returned them for a refill at the end of the week. Students were occasionally offered to read one of the books they mastered through fluent reading to the class. On the back side of the "Book Pack", there were generic questions for parents to ask their students for both fiction and nonfiction texts. This allowed students to practice asking and answering questions about the text at home. Additionally, some students brought home a reading log in their "Book Pack" in order to write down the connections they were making and questions they were asking at home as they read. In order to continue challenging and responding to the needs of my on-level and above-level readers, I was intentional about using the Fountas & Pinnell Learning Continuum to provide differentiated learning opportunities.
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Lastly, I provided literature that my students could see themselves in, supporting text-to-self connections. Through the Wonders leveled readers and other available books, students were exposed to a variety of global texts, which provided rich examples of text to world connections. This intentional scaffold was critical to students' learning because text-to-world connections presented a unique challenge to all students in my class.
Fostering Accessibility and Equity
Why I Implemented This Plan
According to research, students simply cannot grow as a reader unless they have acquired the necessary skills to draw information from and comprehend a text. Researchers find that if students do not acquire the necessary skills by third grade, including the skills of reading comprehension, they will fall so far behind that it will be almost impossible for them
to catch up (Prado & Plourde, 2013). Because I teach first grade, this was alarming. It provided a sense of urgency to be more intentional and explicit within reading and, specifically, developing comprehension skills in my students.
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Within my research, I learned that many skills can have a positive impact in aiding students in reading comprehension. These were decoding, fluency, connections, visualizing, inferencing, and questioning. Initially, I planned to focus one week of research on each skill. After some reflection, however, I decided to focus on two, allowing for significant practice and support with skills that would be critical in subsequent grade levels and offer the greatest potential to transfer to other academic areas: questioning and making connections. Students were expected to demonstrate and share these skills in a variety of ways. Over time, students became more comfortable stating their questions and connections in both formal and informal settings. By the end of my study, students were able to consistently and independently use both comprehension skills to support their understanding.
Why My Students Needed This Plan
I chose to implement this plan because my students showed a need for skills in reading comprehension in their diverse reading abilities. Before starting my action research, students completed a Common Formative Assessment (CFA) through the Wonders Reading Curriculum as a pre-test. 12 of my 23 students received a comprehension score that was considered below grade level, 6 were on grade level, and 5 were above grade level.
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With having the largest group of students in the below level group, I knew I needed to respond. By being able to identify what my students needed - skills to develop reading comprehension - I was able to better plan for instruction and best support my students.
Collaboration
I found success in this action research by collaborating and reflecting with other professionals within and outside my school building. My building administrator, reading interventionist, and first grade team were supportive by making themselves available to listen and share expertise. For example, our school reading interventionist provided ideas for differentiated guided reading instruction and methods for teaching questioning and making connections that were developmentally appropriate. Additionally, my school administrator conducted a formal observation which allowed for a guided conversation on how to best improve instruction and student outcomes. This feedback encouraged me to reflect on my own teaching and make changes.
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Additionally, I worked with external stakeholders including my cadre associate, cadre cohort, University Professors, and district personnel. My cadre associate organized focused observations in another first grade classroom , providing new ideas to integrate into my practice. I maintained ongoing collaboration with my cadre cohort. Together, we were able to guide each other through the research process. Having reflective conversations about our studies allowed me to make changes as I saw fit. My University Professors guided me through each part of the action research process and supported my quality completion. Lastly, district personnel was instrumental in this research. For example, our district reading curriculum specialist offered me advice on which skills for to target within the study. As a result of the assistance and support of these internal and external stakeholders during my research, I can now apply best practices in teaching students reading comprehension skills.