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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Education
Notes
- Abstract:
- Purpose : This study investigated whether true cognate instruction, compared to traditional reading instruction, would have an impact on the vocabulary and reading comprehension of English language learners (ELLs) with and without disabilities. True cognate instruction is a reading intervention that focuses on English words that are phonologically and semantically equivalent in Spanish and English. Method : This quasi-experimental study was implemented in eight classrooms, four experimental and four control groups, at two schools in the upper elementary school grades. There were 122 participants in the study 65 ELLs without disabilities and 47 ELLs with disabilities and 10 students who were not classified as ELLs. After being trained to identify true cognates in classroom textbooks, the teachers in the experimental groups implemented the true cognate instructional approach for five-weeks, while teachers in the control groups used the instructional approach recommended by the school district. The pre- and post-tests consisted of selected vocabulary and reading comprehension subtests from the Woodcock Muñoz Language Survey – Revised (WMLS-R) in English. Spanish proficiency was also assessed; however, based on preliminary findings, Spanish proficiency was not treated as a covariate in this study. Major Findings : The results of the study indicate that true cognate instruction had a significant impact on the vocabulary and/or reading comprehension of selected participant subgroups. There was a significant interaction effect between methodology and disability on vocabulary, showing that students with disabilities performed better on vocabulary measures when provided with true cognate instruction, while this trend was not seen in students without disabilities. This was true particularly for picture vocabulary and oral language. There was also a significant interaction effect among the variables methodology, disability, and the levels of English as a Second Language (ESOL) on reading comprehension. This interaction suggests that while students with disabilities had a significant increase in reading comprehension if they were in ESOL Levels 1-4, among students without disabilities, only those who were in ESOL Level 5 or who never received ESOL instruction had a significant increase in reading comprehension.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (Ph.D.)--Barry University, 2012.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-175).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Rosalia F. Gallo. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- PE1128.A2 G35 2012_GalloRosalia ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- PE1128.A2 G35 2012 ( lcc )
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