The Effectiveness of Reading Folk Literature in Improving English Language Learners’ Reading Proficiency in Elementary Grades
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Abstract
This mixed-methods study investigates the effectiveness of reading folktales, fairy tales, and fables in improving English learners’ reading proficiency levels in elementary grades and explores students’ experiences with reading folk literature. An experiment involving folk literature-based reading intervention was conducted with 68 second grade English learners for 11 weeks in an urban elementary school. The participants’ pre- and postintervention NWEA reading scores were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. The analysis of the results shows that reading folk literature is as effective as traditional reading texts in improving elementary English learners’ reading skills. The most significant finding from the quantitative phase of the study is that the use of folk literature in an ESL class can increase elementary English learners’ reading scores at least as much as traditional (unpredetermined) reading materials can do. The qualitative phase of the study used documents, observations, and interviews as the primary sources of data. The thematic analysis of the observation data yielded the following themes: (1) well-managed and structured lessons, (2) vocabulary instruction, (3) fluency, phonics, and phonemic awareness instruction, (4) reading comprehension instruction, and (5) oral language instruction. It was concluded that the components of reading instruction observed in the folk-literature intervention class matched the six components of effective reading instruction for ELLs suggested by the National Literacy Panel (2000). The interview data were analyzed to construct six narrative case studies as well as to derive themes from the participant responses. Three overarching themes emerged as a result of the interview data analysis: (1) text selection, (2) vocabulary teaching, and (3) visual support. The interviews revealed that the consideration of these three components while teaching reading to English learners is of critical importance. The themes that emerged from the qualitative data analyses provide guidelines for effective reading instruction for elementary English learners as well as native English speaking students struggling with literacy skills in English. Overall, the research increases the body of knowledge about effective reading instruction for struggling readers in general, and for English learners in particular. The research findings support previous research on essential components of effective reading instruction.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Literature review -- Methodology -- Findings -- Discussions and Recommendations -- Appendix A. SSIRB Approval for the Study -- Appendix B. Letter of Request to Conduct Research -- Appendix C. Invitation to Attend a Research informational Meeting -- Appendix D. Parental Consent Form in English -- Appendix E. Parental Consent Form in Spanish -- Appendix F. Child Consent Form -- Appendix G. Interview Consent Form -- Appendix H. Vocabulary Words Taught During the Intervention
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Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)