Browsing by Author "Strong, John Z."
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Item Effects of a text structure intervention for reading and writing in grades 4-5: a mixed methods experiment(University of Delaware, 2019) Strong, John Z.This mixed methods experimental study investigated the effects and social validity of a text structure intervention in grades four and five. Eleven teachers in three elementary schools were randomly assigned to deliver a text structure intervention or a comprehension intervention. Quantitative data sources included pretest and posttest measures of students’ text structure awareness, reading comprehension, and writing quality. Qualitative interviews were conducted after the intervention period to understand teachers’ perceptions of the social validity of each intervention. Quantitative measures were analyzed using three-level hierarchical linear modeling. Qualitative data were analyzed typologically. Results were integrated to understand the acceptability of the text structure intervention for upper elementary grades. Quantitative results indicated that the text structure group outperformed the comprehension group on a measure of text structure awareness, a graphic organizer task, and use of ideas and details in informative writing. Qualitative findings revealed that teachers perceived the goals, procedures, and effects of both interventions as socially valid. Integrated results suggest that teachers found the text structure intervention acceptable for teaching text structure and writing, and they were able to implement the intervention consistently and with fidelity. This study contributes to existing research by evaluating the effects of a classroom-based text structure intervention on both reading and writing outcomes compared with an alternative treatment and understanding teachers’ perceptions of its social validity and acceptability.Item The Effects of Bookworms Literacy Curriculum on Student Achievement in Grades 2-5(Scientific Studies of Reading, 2023-12-03) May, Henry; Strong, John Z.; Walpole, SharonPurpose In this study, we investigated the effects of a schoolwide program, Bookworms K-5 Reading and Writing, on student achievement. Method The study included seven cohorts of students (N = 8,806) in grades 2–5 in 17 elementary schools across three school years. We used a comparative interrupted time-series design, conducting multilevel growth curve models of Measures of Academic Progress reading scores with up to 10 data points per student. By modeling each student’s growth curve, including a time by treatment interaction term, we were able to estimate the change in students’ achievement trajectories corresponding to the implementation of Bookworms. Results Results confirm a significant positive impact of Bookworms on achievement, with gains compounding over time and producing an overall standardized effect size of .26 by the end of 5th grade. Students who began third grade with relatively weaker achievement experienced more growth than those with average achievement, and those with average achievement experienced more growth than those with the highest achievement. Conclusion This study provides evidence that a comprehensive literacy curriculum that emphasizes high-volume reading of grade-level texts and the use of evidence-based instructional practices produces positive effects on student achievement for students with a range of initial reading achievement.