The Effects of a Balanced Reading Program on Second Grade Reading Achievement

Abstract

The purpose of the thesis was to examine the positive effects a well-balanced reading program had on second graders reading achievement. There are many components that go into a well-balanced reading program. This study defined how some of the components were implemented, and in turn how the students benefited from a program that has the essential components students need to become successful independent readers. The subjects in this study were ten second-grade students from an urban elementary school. Each of the subjects was in the same first and second grade classroom with the same teacher. The students looped with the same teacher from first to second grade. They were taught both years using the same reading workshop format. Components of the balanced reading program are clearly defined in the study. The focal point of the research centered on the benefits of guided reading used during the researchers reading block. Running records were used on an ongoing basis to document student growth. The study tried to determine what elements contributed most to student growth in the area of reading. The findings revealed that using a reading workshop format with a strong guided reading component significantly helped students achieve as readers. The findings reveal one model that can help foster independent readers at a developmentally appropriate rate using texts that are at the child's level and strategy and skill based mini-lessons.