The effects of classroom blogging on reading comprehension and interpersonal contacts among fifth grade students.

Abstract

A descriptive methodology was implemented through an in depth investigation of the impact of blogging about a novel on developing reading comprehension and interpersonal contacts among fifth grade students. Participants included a small group of six females students from a small, rural, Western New York grades 5-8 Middle School within a K-12 building. The overall goal of this study was to improve students' reading comprehension as well as rate and effectiveness of communication with peers within a blog using Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), research-based practice. The Test of Reading Comprehension 4 (TORC-4), observational notes, and interpersonal contact categorization sheet were used to gather and record data. Both qualitative and quantitative data were used to inform the researcher of student progress during the study and further the direction for the future uses of this study. Data results reveal that the use of CSR to structure student blog posts when discussing a novel positively impacts and improves student reading comprehension.