LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS

ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE ACTION RESEARCH IS INITIATED

Teacher Researcher
Name / Mikel Anne Simms / Emp. ID
School or Department / Groveland Elementary
Issue or Topic / Phonemic awareness, phonics
Research Hypothesis / Will explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics in a small group and whole group setting improve my students’ probability of reading success on the FAIR test in assessment period three?
Principal‘s Signature / Date

TO BE COMPLETED AT CONCLUSION OF ACTION RESEARCH

RESEARCH PROCESS
Students in my classroom were assessed using the FAIR test. In assessment period one, eight of my 20 students scored below 85% probability of reading success.
I studied the class and student reports available on the Florida’s Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network website, as well as the Lake County Kindergarten Requirements and Final Assessment. In addition, I utilized the Kindergarten Harcourt StoryTown reading series, Phonographix, and Literacy First materials.
Demographic groups included Hispanic, white, African-American and Asian. These students were selected based on a score of below 85% probability of reading success in the first assessment period of FAIR testing.
During the study, I implemented a variety of strategies to improve Kindergarten phonemic awareness and phonics including letter sound sorts, sound picture flash cards, auditory and visual phoneme blending, segmentation, and categorization activities, partner reading, guided reading groups, rhyme recognition activities, Phonographix interventions in flex groups, and interactive PowerPoint presentations in Phonographix.
The timeline for the study was October 2009-May 2010.
Approved / Disapproved / Comments
Principal’s
Signature / Principal assigns
10-30 points / Date
Director of Staff
Development Signature / Date Acknowledged

LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS

ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT - SHARING THE RESULTS

[Complete online and email to

Title of Action Research Project / Kindergarten Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Instruction
Name of Teacher Researcher / Mikel Anne Simms
Name of School / Groveland Elementary / Grade Level / K
ABSTRACT:
I identified a problem in my classroom during the first assessment period of the Florida Assessment in Reading test. On this test, eight of my 20 students were below 85% probability of reading success. At the Kindergarten level, this test is based on phonemic awareness: oral rhyming, sound blending and segmentation, and identification of specific phonemes in words. It is also based on knowledge of letter names and sounds, as well as listening comprehension. When tested in the first assessment period, many of my students were unfamiliar with one or more of the phonemic awareness or phonics skills on this assessment.
To begin my research, I asked, “Would explicit whole-group, small-group, and individual instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics improve these eight students’ scores to above 85% by the third assessment period on the FAIR test.
In addition to the FAIR test, I collected data on the same concepts using Literacy First and the Lake County Kindergarten Assessment. Both of these tests monitor progress in phonemic awareness and phonics. I assessed each of my target students using Literacy First four times throughout the school year and I used the Lake County Kindergarten Assessment at the end of each grading period. Literacy First and the Kindergarten Assessment supported the data I had collected through the FAIR test.
Using the collected data as a baseline, I implemented strategies designed to improve the students’ scores in phonemic awareness and phonics. I utilized flash cards and picture sorting activities to help students identify letter sounds and discriminate between them. I modeled the identification and categorization of phonemes in words and provided time for guided practice. In the students’ daily 45 minute center block, I included rhyming and phoneme matching activities, as well as phoneme blending, and partner reading. In small-groups, I intervened with additional flash card practice, phoneme manipulation lessons, rhyming practice, and sound blending through guided reading groups using leveled readers. Using Phonographix, I taught the students to tap each phoneme on a different place on their arms to segment and blend words. This is an effective process because it uses student’s muscle memory in discriminating the position of sounds in words. When students continued to struggle with one or more concepts covered in the FAIR test, I worked with them individually during center time.
As the year progressed, each of my students demonstrated gains in the areas of phonemic awareness and phonics. Four of the eight students in my original target group reached an 85% or above probability of reading success on the third assessment period FAIR test. One student withdrew from my class before the third assessment period, and the three other students scored 65%, 78%, and 84%. Many of the students in my target group were able to continue past the Kindergarten level skills on the Literacy First test, and all these students met or exceeded the promotion requirements in Lake County.
I learned a great deal throughout the action research process. Collecting and analyzing data at the beginning of the school year was an effective way for me to discover what needs my students had as they began Kindergarten. This process allowed me to systematically decide which strategies I would use with my students to improve their skills in phonemic awareness and phonics. I was able to focus on more specific skill sets with my students when I used the three sources of data to determine their strengths and needs. My remediation was more effective and targeted in my small groups, and I could change my strategies and approaches throughout the year based on what my data reflected.
Becoming an action researcher has improved my teaching this year. I have a classroom that is data-driven and differentiated based on the academic needs of my students. I know that through this process, I have become a better teacher, and I intend to utilize action research in my classroom throughout my teaching career.
Source: A Guide to Becoming an Action Research – Department of Education

MIS 64 035 05-01-07 RVS Page 3 of 3

Submitted by Staff Development