AMANDA BROWNRED 420

Action Research Project

Introduction

Three 3rd grade underachieving students struggling with literature comprehension with retell at Gibbs Elementary School

Standardized test scores and reading levels Student 1:

Literature Comprehension-56% Winter NWEA score-181 (grade level mean is 194) Lexile Level-159-309

Student 2: Literature Comprehension-63% Winter NWEA score-186 Lexile Level-249-399

Student 3: Literature Comprehension-63% Winter NWEA score-181 Lexile Level-159-309

Introduction Continued

Theoretical Grounding: E.S. Ellis in Makes Sense Strategies: Connecting Teaching

Learning and Assessment in 2001 identifies three benefits of using graphic organizers.

First, graphic organizers make content easier to understand and learn. Graphic organizers also help students separate important information from what might be interesting but not essential information.

Second, according to Ellis (2001), graphic organizers decrease the necessary semantic information processing skills required to learn the material. By making the organization of content information easier to understand, graphic organizers allow material to be addressed at more sophisticated levels.

Finally, students who use graphic organizers may become more strategic learners. An individual’s approach to a task is called a strategy (Bulgren & Lenz, 1996).

Introduction Continued

Theoretical Grounding continued:

“Studies have linked the use of graphic organizers with advanced student achievement and recall in reading comprehension” 

“Graphic organizers provide concrete representations for structuring abstract ideas and help students see the hierarchy or sequences of concepts”

Method

Intervention: Comprehension with RetellFocus Question: How does thinking aloud

with a graphic organizer impact retelling a fiction story?

Measurement tools: Pre/post assessments Student work samples

Method Continued

Day 1 Pre-Assessment: High level graphic organizer and on level book (Caribbean Dream

Lexile 230) Day 2

Book 2 (Cat Traps Lexile 110), modeling basic graphic organizer Day 3

Book 2 (Cat Traps Lexile 110), independent practice with basic graphic organizer Day 4

Book 3 (Sammy the Seal Lexile 120), guided practice with basic graphic organizer Day 5

Book 3 (Sammy the Seal Lexile 120), modeling and guided practice with intermediate graphic organizer

Day 6 Book 4 (Young Cam Jansen and the Baseball Mystery Lexile 260), guided practice and

independent practice with intermediate graphic organizer Day 7

Book 3 (Sammy the Seal Lexile 120) modeling and guided practice with complex graphic organizer

Day 8 Book 4 (Young Cam Jansen and the Baseball Mystery Lexile 260) independent practice

with complex graphic organizer Day 9

Book 5 (Click Clack Moo Lexile 160) , guided practice with complex graphic organizer Day 10

Post assessment with book 1 (Caribbean Dream Lexile 230) and complex graphic organizer

 

Basic Graphic Organizer

Intermediate Graphic Organizer

Complex Graphic Organizer

Results

• Complex Graphic Organizer• Book: Caribbean Dream by Rachel Isadora