Effects of task training on kindergarten students' performance on early literacy measures

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Mackiewicz, S. (2010). Effects of task training on kindergarten students' performance on early literacy measures. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

The use of early literacy screening measures helps determine which students are at risk for future reading difficulties. However, there has been some recent concern related to the classification validity of screening measures (Hintze, Ryan, & Stoner, 2003; Nelson, 2008). Low classification validity results in the identification of a large number of false positives, students who are falsely identified as being at risk. Task training may help to address false positive rates by providing brief instruction focused on helping students understand demands and expectations of the measure. This true experimental study investigated the effects of task training for three DIBELS subtests (i.e., Initial Sound Fluency, Phoneme Segmentation Fluency, Nonsense Word Fluency) in order to differentiate the need for supplemental instruction from task misunderstanding for students in kindergarten. Participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control group and change in instructional status recommendation between pretest and posttest were examined along with the change in score on the individual subtests. Results indicated that students in the treatment group (n=20) were significantly more likely to move up in instructional status. On the pretest, all students in both groups demonstrated the need for supplemental instruction. Based on results of the posttest, only 35% of the treatment group still demonstrated the need for supplemental instruction while 82% of students in the control group still demonstrated the need for extra support. Additionally, students in the treatment group outperformed the control group (n=22) when a combination of subtest performance was examined.

Details
Author

Mackiewicz, Sara

Title

Effects of task training on kindergarten students' performance on early literacy measures

Physical Description

1 online resource (145 pages) : PDF

Date

2010

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

The use of early literacy screening measures helps determine which students are at risk for future reading difficulties. However, there has been some recent concern related to the classification validity of screening measures (Hintze, Ryan, & Stoner, 2003; Nelson, 2008). Low classification validity results in the identification of a large number of false positives, students who are falsely identified as being at risk. Task training may help to address false positive rates by providing brief instruction focused on helping students understand demands and expectations of the measure. This true experimental study investigated the effects of task training for three DIBELS subtests (i.e., Initial Sound Fluency, Phoneme Segmentation Fluency, Nonsense Word Fluency) in order to differentiate the need for supplemental instruction from task misunderstanding for students in kindergarten. Participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control group and change in instructional status recommendation between pretest and posttest were examined along with the change in score on the individual subtests. Results indicated that students in the treatment group (n=20) were significantly more likely to move up in instructional status. On the pretest, all students in both groups demonstrated the need for supplemental instruction. Based on results of the posttest, only 35% of the treatment group still demonstrated the need for supplemental instruction while 82% of students in the control group still demonstrated the need for extra support. Additionally, students in the treatment group outperformed the control group (n=22) when a combination of subtest performance was examined.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Special education
Reading
Educational tests and measurements

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

Dibels
Early Literacy
Kindergarten
Screening Measures
Task Training

Subject Area

Special Education

Advisor(s)

Cooke, Nancy

Committee Members

Wood, Charles
Flowers, Claudia
Thompson, Michael

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2010.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Mackiewicz_uncc_0694D_10091

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:160