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An Experimental Investigation of First Grade Reading Group Instruction. Report No. 76-3.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: An Experimental Investigation of First Grade Reading Group Instruction. Report No. 76-3.
Authors: Anderson, Linda Mahaffey, Brophy, Jere E., Texas Univ., Austin. Research and Development Center for Teacher Education.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 24
Publication Date: 1976
Document Type: Reports - Research
Descriptors: Ability Grouping, Beginning Reading, Grade 1, Grouping (Instructional Purposes), Homogeneous Grouping, Primary Education, Reading Instruction, Reading Research, Small Group Instruction, Teacher Behavior, Teacher Effectiveness, Teaching Methods
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of 22 principles of small-group instruction of young children. The principles dealt only with teacher behavior in managing instruction in the small-group setting and were organized in two major sections. Items described as organization and management concerned getting the children's attention, introducing the lesson, calling on children, and meeting individual learning needs within the groups. Items included under the second category, responding to children's answers, suggested appropriate teacher behavior when a child does not respond, when the child's answer is incorrect, and when the child is correct, and commented on praise and criticism. In the experiment, teachers in nine schools were divided into three groups: treatment-observed, in which ten teachers were instructed in the 22 principles and were observed once a week for most of the year; treatment-unobserved, in which seven teachers were instructed in the 22 principles but were not subsequently observed; and control-observed. The results indicated that the treatment group teachers produced greater reading gains in the students than did the control group teachers. (MKM)
Entry Date: 1976
Accession Number: ED124921
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of 22 principles of small-group instruction of young children. The principles dealt only with teacher behavior in managing instruction in the small-group setting and were organized in two major sections. Items described as organization and management concerned getting the children's attention, introducing the lesson, calling on children, and meeting individual learning needs within the groups. Items included under the second category, responding to children's answers, suggested appropriate teacher behavior when a child does not respond, when the child's answer is incorrect, and when the child is correct, and commented on praise and criticism. In the experiment, teachers in nine schools were divided into three groups: treatment-observed, in which ten teachers were instructed in the 22 principles and were observed once a week for most of the year; treatment-unobserved, in which seven teachers were instructed in the 22 principles but were not subsequently observed; and control-observed. The results indicated that the treatment group teachers produced greater reading gains in the students than did the control group teachers. (MKM)