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Action Research Project: Comprehension of Non-Fiction Text in 4 Grade By: Annie Walker

This action research project studied the effect of teaching comprehension strategies on 4th grade students' ability to understand non-fiction texts. The researcher worked with 4 students over 5 sessions, using strategies like graphic organizers and flipcharts. An initial assessment found students scored between 3-5 out of 7. Later sessions focused on determining importance. A final assessment found one student improved to 6/7, one to 5/7, while one declined and one stayed the same. The researcher concluded the project was not a success and different instruction techniques may better engage individual learning styles.

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43 views18 pages

Action Research Project: Comprehension of Non-Fiction Text in 4 Grade By: Annie Walker

This action research project studied the effect of teaching comprehension strategies on 4th grade students' ability to understand non-fiction texts. The researcher worked with 4 students over 5 sessions, using strategies like graphic organizers and flipcharts. An initial assessment found students scored between 3-5 out of 7. Later sessions focused on determining importance. A final assessment found one student improved to 6/7, one to 5/7, while one declined and one stayed the same. The researcher concluded the project was not a success and different instruction techniques may better engage individual learning styles.

Uploaded by

api-302405971
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Action Research

Project
Comprehension of Non-Fiction Text in 4th
grade
By:
Annie Walker

Comprehension
Comprehension is a key part of fluency
There are 6 components of
comprehension: making connections,
questioning, visualizing, inferring,
determining importance, and
synthesizing (Comprehension Strategies)
Less than 1% of total reading or social
studies instructional time was devoted to
the teaching of reading comprehension.
(Reutzel and Cooter)

Best Strategies to Use


Background knowledge (Books or KWL
charts)
Focus on important details (Graphic
Organizers)
Monitoring (Teacher and student)
Use multiple reading strategies at once
(Miller and Veatch)

The Question
Will the students
comprehension skills
improve if they learn how
to better determine what
is important information
from a given non-fiction
text?

The Students
Student A

Behind in reading

Struggles with
comprehension

Gives up easily

Student B

Loves to read and


enjoys reading

Struggles with
picking out
information

Easily distracted

The Students
(Continued)
Student C

Student D

Struggles with
finding details in a
text

Struggles with
reading and
comprehension

Does not always put


forth the desired
effort

From an Islamic
background

Is easily distracted

Easily distracted
and very goofy

Strategies Used
Reading comprehension quizzes
Picture Walk
Flipchart creation/color coded highlighting
Graphic organizers
Word Sort

Lessons/Assessments
Used
Flipchart (Assessed on whether they followed
directions and included correct and necessary
information)
Graphic Organizer (Assessed on completion and
whether the information was correct)
Vocabulary Chart (Assessed on completion
because we did it together)
Reading comprehension quizzes (We read the
passage out loud together, and then the
students would answer the questions)

Overview of Sessions
1st Session: Initial Assessment
2nd Session: Read a book about the weather and
then completed a flipchart from a nonfiction text
about weather
3rd Session: Read a nonfiction book about sharks
and then completed a main idea graphic organizer
about sharks
4th Session: Vocabulary lesson about synonyms and
antonyms
5th Session: Final Assessment

Initial Assessment
Student A Scored a 5 out of 7 on the initial assessment

Student B Scored a 4 out of 7 on the initial assessment

Student C Scored a 4 out of 7 on the initial assessment

Student D Scored a 3 out of 7 on the initial assessment

Session Two

Session Three

Session Four

Final Assessment
Results
Student A Scored a 4 out of 7 on the final assessment
(Regressed)

Student B Scored a 6 out of 7 on the final assessment


(Improved)

Student C Scored a 5 out of 7 on the final assessment


(Improved)

Student D Scored a 3 out of 7 on the final assessment


(Remained the same)

Charts of Results
80
70
60
50
40

Initial Assessment

30
Final Assessment
20
10

Student Bs Results

90

0
Scores

Student As Results

80
70
60
50

Initial Assessment

40

Final Assessment

30
20
10
0
Scores

80

Charts of Results
Continued

70
60
50
Initial Assessment

40

Final Assessment

30
20
10

Student Ds Result

0
Scores
45

Studen Cs Results

40
35
30
25

Initial Assessment

20

Final Assessment

15
10
5
0
Scores

Final Reflection
Improve Instruction
Different techniques for working with the
students in the environment that best
works for them
Discover the learning styles of the children
and use that to drive instruction
Overall, I do not think my project was a
success.
Questions?

References
Comprehension Strategies - Making Connections, Questioning,
Inferring, Determining Importance, and More. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 7, 2015, fromhttp://www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy/
comprehension_strategies.html#importance
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Strategies to Increase Comprehension.
In Literacy in Context (LinC): Choosing Instructional Strategies to
Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students in Grades 5-12 (1st ed.,
Vol. 1, pp. 3, 54-99). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson.
Reutzel, D., & Cooter, R. (2013). Teaching Reading Comprehension. In
The Essentials of Teaching Children to Read: The Teacher Makes the
Difference (3rd ed., pp. 216-265). Pearson.

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