Reading Engagement Action Research

READING  ACTIVITY  ENGAGEMENT   An  observational  study  of  year  0  –year  2  children  engaged  in  independent  reading  activities.  

Junior  learning  team   Anderson’s  bay  school   Otakou  ictpd  contract  2009     Need:     We  had  noticed  that  some  junior  children  were  engaging  in  independent  learning  activities  for  very   short   times,   with   limited   concentration.   This   was   most   apparent   in   reading   activity   times.   We   wanted  to  improve  engagement  in  learning.  

Purpose:     We  wanted  to  discover  if  engagement  in  reading  activities  was  enhanced,  using  ICT  as  a  tool.   Each  class  had  access  to  two  classroom  computers  and  a  pod  of  laptops.    These  were  already  used   regularly  in  the  reading  programmes.   We  were  aware  that  later  in  the  year  our  classrooms  were  to  be  fitted  with  interactive  whiteboards.     Literacy   is   a   strong   focus   in   our   junior   classes   so   we   anticipated   that   the   Interactive   Whiteboards   would  also  become  an  integral  aspect  of  our  reading  programmes.  

Question:     In  literacy,  do  children  engage  more  in  independent  learning  opportunities,  using  ICT  as  a  tool?    

Literature  review     1.embedding  interactive  whiteboards  in  teaching  and  learning:  the  process  of  change  in  pedagogic   practice   Bridget  Somekh  (uk)  2009   Summary:  a  two  year  study  of  schools  with  Interactive  Whiteboards.  Measurable  gains  were  made   in  Maths,  Science  and  English.    Children’s  attention  was  held  more  strongly  than  e.g.  A  shared  big   book.     Interactive   Whiteboards   support   visual   learners   and   led   to   a   positive   trend   in   attention   improvement,  especially  in  low  attaining  boys.    Children  use  the  boards  with  ease.      

2.   Effective   literacy   practice   in   years   1   to   4   (ministry   of   education   2003.)   Chapter   5:   engaging   learners  with  texts.   Summary:       Students   need   to   engage   in   text   in   a   variety   of   media.     Electronic   media   can   be   used   purposefully   to   give  opportunities  for  problem  solving,  creative  thinking,  composing  and  presenting  texts.       There  needs  to  be  a  focus  on  purpose;  what  the  teacher  wants  the  students  to  learn    and  how  the   students  will  know  that  the  learning  has  taken  place.   Children  need  to  see  good  examples  of  reading  and  writing.   Small  group  work  at  computers  can  generate  a  lot  of  discussion.   Small   group   collaborative   work   is   the   most   beneficial   way   of   using   communications   electronic   equipment.   This   has   implications   for   how   we   will   use   the   Interactive   Whiteboards   in   the   future,   and   in  the  meantime  small  groups  accessing  the  laptops.   ICT  can  enhance  the  feeling  of  being  a  community  of  learners  in  the  classroom.   Reading   programmes   need   to   include   a   broad   range   of   text   and   activities   that   are   relevant   to   the   children.     3.literacy  learning  progressions  (draft)  ministry  of  education  2008   Summary:   Children   need   to   be   motivated   to   engage     actively   in   their   learning   in   order   to   make   expected   progress   in   literacy.     They   are   motivated   by   learning   that   makes   connections   to   their   individual   interests.     Engagement  is  a  critical  aspect  of  developing  literacy  learning.   In   our   reading   programmes   children   need   to   build   on   prior   experiences   through   lots   of   reading   related  activities  –  engaging  in  text  in  the  broad  sense.  This  can  be  books,  symbols,  signs,  visual.   Our   school   expectations   for   literacy   learners   who   are   turning   6   years   old,   meet   the   national   expectations  of  reading  at  l12  -­‐14  by  the  end  of  the  first  year  at  school.      

Implementation     While   satisfied   that   the   majority   of   our   junior   children   continue   to   learn   to   read   at   or   above   expected   levels,   we   wanted   to   better   understand   what   activities   motivated   their   engagement   in   learning.     We  each  chose  a  group  of  6  children  as  our  target  group  to  observe.  

We  observed  the  target  group’s  engagement  with  reading  activities  using  2  formal  observations.   We  conducted  oral  interviews  with  the  target  group  about  their  attitudes  and  preferences  within   the  class  reading  programmes.    

Observations     24  junior  class  children  were  selected.     These  were  12  who  focused  on  one  task  for  a  short  time  and  12  who  were  able  to  focus  for  longer.   They  were  all  observed  while  involved  in  independent  reading  activities,  within  the  reading   programme.     Each  child  was  observed  twice  over  a  15  minute  time  (30  minutes  in  total.)  They  were  observed  at  a   range  of  ICT  and  non-­‐ICT  activities.    

Observations  conclusion     The   results   of   the   observations   show   that   children   are   more   on-­‐task   when   engaged   in   an   ict   reading   activity  (on  average  between  85  –  95%  of  the  time)  .     However  it  was  also  interesting  to  establish  that  for  other  independent  reading  activities  the  on-­‐task   behaviour  was  still  high  (  on  average  between  65%  -­‐  75%).      

Interviews     Jlt  action  research  child  interview  questions     1.what  reading  time  activities  do  you  most  like  to  do?   Why?   2.if  you  could  choose  between  a  computer  activity  and  playing  a  reading  game  with  another  person,   which  would  you  choose?   Why?   3.if  you  could  choose  between  a  computer  activity  and  a  making  activity,  which  would  you  choose?   Why?   4.if   you   could   choose   between   a   computer   activity   and   doing   an   activity   sheet,   which   would   you   choose?   Why?   5.when  you  are  having  reading  time  on  the  computer  what  do  you  enjoy  doing?  

6.can  you  get  into  e.g.  Letter  getter    or  pm  books  all  by  yourself?     7.what  do  you  do  if  you  need  computer  help?    

Interview  conclusions     The   children   mostly   prefer   ICT   activities.     When   given   a   choice   they   also     prefer   to   do   making   activities  and  play  games.   Most  of  the  children  are  able  to  access  familiar  computer  activities  independently  and    will  ask  for   help  when  needed.    The  three  main  ICT  reading  activities  (letter  getter,  pm  books  and    starfall  )  are   all  equally  popular.    

Summary  of  findings     Our   action   research   has   confirmed   that   ICT   has   a   place   in   helping   to   engage   children   in   reading   activities.     The   children   reported   they   prefer   ICT   activities   and   they   appear   to   remain   on   task   for   longer.    

Implications  for  future     In  literacy,  children  do  engage  more  in  independent  learning  opportunities,  using  ICT  as  a  tool.     At  the  conclusion  of  this  action  research  study,  interactive  whiteboards  were  installed  in  all  junior   classrooms.   The   action   research   has   shown   us   that   these   will   be   a   valuable   ICT   tool,   along   with   the   existing   class   computers  and  school  laptops.