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    Remediation of mathematical deficits using self-instructional training with checking procedures : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in psychology, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1989) Pereira, Joyce A
    The present study examined the relative effectiveness of three procedures for teaching long multiplication/division to seven learning-disabled adolescents: no-checking, end- checking, and multi-checking. During training, each student was taught by modelling and imitation, to verbalise self-instructions in the form of a strategy while solving the problems. The relative effects of the various checking procedures on accuracy, error rate and rate of problems completed were examined in an alternating treatments design. The best treatment was then given alone and a follow-up (a reversal) was implemented six weeks later, followed by a return to the best treatment during a final phase. Irrespective of the procedure used, the students' accuracy improved and their error rate decreased accompanied by a decline in the rate of problems completed. These effects were greatest with the multi-checking procedure for six of the seven students. Variability in performance across students indicated that the effectiveness of procedures, especially multi-checking, might be influenced by pre-skill knowledge and distractibility. Generalisation to untaught problems occurred under all procedures. Though maintenance effects were seen during the follow-up. accuracy was generally higher and more reliable with the re-implementation of the student's best checking procedure. Several hypotheses were advanced for the differential effectiveness of the procedures based on error detection and correction. Limitations of the study and some directions for further research were discussed. The findings of the study were interpreted within a radical behaviorist framework.
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    Predicting reading recovery selection and outcomes : is it possible? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Literacy) at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) London, Athena
    Purpose: Predictive early literacy assessments are useful to identify students who are at risk of reading difficulty. This study investigated the use of six early literacy assessments, administered when students first entered school (Time 1), and in the middle of their first year at school (Time 2), in order to predict which students would be selected for Reading Recovery and to identify the Reading Recovery (RR) outcomes for students who participated in the intervention. Method: Unpublished data from a longitudinal study (Early Literacy Project, Chapman, Arrow, Tunmer, & Braid, 2016) was analysed to find predictive links between assessment results and later reading outcomes, for a cohort of 300 5-year-old children in New Zealand primary schools. Results: It was not possible to predict which students would be selected for Reading Recovery due to the variations in RR selection processes. It was found that children who participated in RR were more likely to be referred on for further support the lower their phonological awareness scores were. It was also found that if a child scored 20 points or less, in a combination of Time 1 assessments (letter names, letter sounds and three measures of phonological awareness), they were likely to have a body of literacy abilities that meant they would be working at least a year below the National Standard by the end of their second year at school. Implications: The findings indicate that standardising the selection of students for RR may mean students with the lowest literacy attainment all get support. In addition, early literacy assessments, including measures of phonological awareness, should be administered early in a child’s schooling and those identified as being at risk of reading difficulty should receive literacy support without delay. Addressing students’ low levels of phonological awareness in the first year of schooling may lead to better outcomes for students who participate in RR. Keywords: phonological awareness, Reading Recovery, early literacy assessment, letter names, letter sounds, New Zealand, timing of assessment, vocabulary
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    Severe learning disabilities : an investigation into the incidence and treatment of children failing to reach their reading potential : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1981) Smith, Bryce R
    During 1976 teachers in Taranaki, as in other parts of New Zealand, were expressing concern for children who appeared to make scant progress in language skills despite the best endeavours of teacher and pupil. Discussions with psychologists and education department officers resulted, in a research programme being structured to survey such a group. In view of the then current interest in visual and auditory perception deficiencies which were believed to contribute to learning difficulties, investigations were to be made of several strategies. It was planned to institute proceedings which would not only remedy deficiencies but could also become the basis for preventive action with similar pupils at an earlier age. At that time teachers were available to allow staffing of the project and so two schools were selected for field trials. Teacher nominations of candidates were tested and groups of children isolated who would benefit from the programme. Staff training commenced to build up a set of practices which would subsequently be modified as experience was gained. Teachers were also helped to devise monitoring behaviours to ensure adequate and comparable data collection strategies were instituted. During the investigation, changes in approach were made as programmes developed and from new insights resulting from concurrent reviews of the literature which became available. Two major shifts occurred, the second resulting in the abandonment of some major precepts concerning remedial programming. Investigations are still proceeding related to the early identification and preventive aspect. THE PROPOSAL It is now time to go back to the beginning. At that stage the writer held certain beliefs on causation and remediation of reading disabilities which became the basis for examining the hypotheses: • That learning disabled children present a number of neuro-sensory deficits which led to their disability. • That remedial programmes which build up these areas and reading programmes which are tailored to avoid use of those deficits will result in improved performance.
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    Teaching high frequency words to poor readers using flashcards : its effects on novel word acquisition, skill trasfer to in-text word reading, and passage reading competencies : a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Iqbal, Butul Samera
    Several literacy reports published in the last decade have emphasised the large gap in the reading attainment of children in New Zealand. A common barrier that prevents poor readers to catch up to their peers is difficulty in reading fluency, which is theorised to represent underlying difficulty in rapid and automatic word recognition. The ability to rapidly recognise a few common words, also known as high frequency words (HFWs), may increase the fluency of reading the majority of novel text. As such, the National Standards for literacy achievement outline the development of basic HFW vocabulary by the end of the first few years at school. However, past research that has investigated single word training has rarely used HFWs and those that have used HFWs have scarcely investigated its transfer to in-text reading. Therefore, the aims of the current research were to provide an investigation of HFW training and its influence on word reading accuracy, intext word reading, and passage reading accuracy, speed, and comprehension. Experiment 1 was a single case design carried out with one 8 year old participant and was largely used to inform the second experiment. Experiment 2 was a multiple baseline design carried out with five 8-9 year old participants using a modified training procedure. Experiment 1 utilised visual analysis and Cohen’s d effect size analysis whereas Experiment 2 also used statistical analysis, made possible through the Wampold-Worsham method of randomisation incorporated into the experimental design. The results of both experiments indicated that training facilitated word reading accuracy but the successful transfer of target words to in-text reading was only observed in Experiment 2. Post-training increases to passage reading accuracy, speed, and comprehension scores were not apparent in either experiment. The main contribution of the current research is its applicability to classroom practice. Another important contribution of the study to research practice is the rare application of the Wampold-Worsham method of randomisation.
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    How and why does phonics and comprehension skill instruction impact on spelling, reading and self-efficacy for struggling adolescent learners? : a case-study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Education (Educational Psychology) at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Nelson, Melanie
    The ability to read and write is important to learning; there is a reciprocal relationship between reading and cognitive development, and academic achievement. Adolescents who experience difficulties in spelling and reading have been found to display avoidance behaviour, and low self-efficacy, or over inflated self-efficacy that is incongruent to capability. This case study investigated how and why spelling, reading, comprehension and self-efficacy for four struggling adolescent spellers and readers was impacted by a phonological based and comprehension skills intervention. The intervention implemented was Agility with Sound. The children received eight weeks of intervention aimed at improving their spelling, word decoding and comprehension. Pre and post-intervention measures of spelling, decoding, word decoding, and comprehension were taken. Measures of pre and post-intervention self-efficacy, to investigate the influences of phonic knowledge and comprehension skill development on self-efficacy, were also taken. Infield observations and post-intervention student interviews were used to provide an in-depth investigation. There were meaningful increases in word decoding and spelling. Participants reported phonological-based instruction simplified and reduced the ambiguity of word spellings and decoding. The impact on self-efficacy was that judgements were recalibrated to more accurate judgements of capability; although the adolescent learners reported their improved skill knowledge increased their belief they could improve their spelling and reading comprehension overtime. Struggling adolescent children do benefit from explicit phonics instruction. Time constraints reduced the opportunity for the consolidation of skills which impacted on comprehension development for two students, and self-efficacy growth.
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    Developing reading comprehension for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder through concrete representations : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Serci, Amanda
    The ability to comprehend written text is an essential skill for all students, leading to their increased engagement at school, and the development of communication and cognitive skills. Recent research has found that a significant number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have fluent word reading skills, but often experience difficulties with reading comprehension. Research is limited on this topic, and there are few studies that have identified strategies that enhance comprehension for learners with ASD. In the present study, the researcher investigated whether it was possible for students with ASD to improve their reading comprehension through a multimodal, researcher developed intervention, “Show Me’. Concrete figures and objects representing text features were manipulated by the students in accordance with the text they read, as a scaffold to assist their understanding. A single subject multiple baseline design was utilised to assess the effect of the intervention on the reading comprehension ability of three participants (aged 7-10 years old) with ASD. The results established a functional relationship between the independent variable, the ‘Show Me’ intervention, and participants’ ability to respond to comprehension questions during and after a reading session. A smaller relationship was established between the intervention and the verbal output of the students. Staff responses to the intervention were positive and indicated high social validity. The findings suggest that the manipulation of concrete representations may support students with ASD develop their reading comprehension abilities.
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    A comparison study of Quick60 and reading recovery instruction : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) MacDougall, Bridget Alexandra
    New Zealand has a national system of early reading intervention called Reading Recovery. This intervention is available to children after a year at school if they are seriously underachieving in reading. There has, however, been concern that the intervention has not achieved its aim of bringing underachieving readers up to class average. Results of international literacy surveys consistently indicate a wide gap between the best and poorest readers. Some critics have argued that a key reason for the gap is a lack of focus on the explicit teaching of phonologically-based skills in Reading Recovery and that other interventions could be more effective. One intervention that has been suggested is Quick60, a New Zealand developed literacy intervention for underachieving children that is taught in small groups and emphasises the teaching of phonologically-based skills. One aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of Quick60 relative to Reading recovery. A second aim was to consider whether Quick60 could be of equal efficacy but more cost-effective than Reading Recovery which is taught on an individual basis and is whole language in approach. The comparison study of Quick60 and Reading Recovery took place in two schools and involved 30 children. Children were assessed on a number of language and literacy measures before and after 13 weeks of instruction. The results of the study indicated that both the Quick60 and Reading Recovery children made gains but no more than did the control group.
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    An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Resource Teacher of Reading Service in the Nelson educational district : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1989) Potaka, Paul M
    The study, an evaluation, had three purposes; to find and employ a model of evaluation that could be applied to specialist teaching programmes, to use the evaluation model to determine how effective the Resource Teacher of Reading Service is at meeting the needs of the students accepted for specialist reading teaching in the Nelson Education District., to suggest ways the model could be adapted for use in other curriculum areas. After examining a number of possible approaches to evaluation the Stake model for evaluation was selected for use. Documentation about the Service was examined to determine the philosophy behind the programmes offered to children and to discover how the Service is supposed to operate. The records of the sixty-two students in the programme between February 1986 and December 1988 were examined. Reading levels at entry to the programme were compared with reading levels at exit from the programme. A literature search was conducted to provide information about appropriate teaching approaches to help provide a standard against which the Service could be measured. Interviews were conducted with Resource Teachers of Reading, Resource Teacher of Reading committee members, classroom teachers and some parents of children who have been taught by Resource Teachers of Reading, to determine their attitudes towards the service given to the children. Interview schedules were designed for use with each group of people interviewed. Children were observed in teaching-learning situations while working with Resource Teachers of Reading, to examine the processes involved in the programme. The data gathered from records, interviewees, observation and from document analysis, provided the basis for applying standards to the Resource Teacher of Reading Service before making judgments about the Service. The data were also used to make judgments about the effectiveness of the Resource Teacher of Reading Service. It was judged that most children in the programme had made satisfactory progress and that the people interviewed believed the programme was working well. The teaching methods being used were consistent with those described in the literature reviewed. It was also judged that Resource Teachers of Reading were making good use of methods that were a mixture of recognised approaches. Teacher-pupil relationships were judged to be important in the teaching-learning situation. A number of suggestions have been offered to people wanting to use this approach to evaluation in schools. The study concludes with recommendations for the Resource Teacher of Reading Service and for people who might consider using the Stake model for evaluation in other parts of the school curriculum.
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    Collaborative support for reading development : parent partnership in practice : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Education, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Jackson, Jayne Helen
    There is a wealth of existing research which reports on programmes aiming to improve the reading skills of children who are struggling to learn to read. This thesis builds on one specific research area where parents are central to the process of reading remediation and are engaged to promote learning and improve reading skills. In this research the Participatory Intervention Model was used to guide the development and implementation of a collaborative intervention in support of reading development. The researcher and parents jointly developed reading support strategies which linked child assessment data, existing home literacy practices and research led literacy instruction practices. Parents then implemented these strategies during iterative cycles of support and review. The findings focus on three aspects of the process. Factors which enhanced and inhibited the effectiveness of collaboration are explored. The particulars of parental enactment of strategies to coach children’s reading are revealed. Finally, the impact of parental reading support on the children’s reading skills is highlighted. Finally, the study presents a new way of conceptualising an intervention as a collaborative endeavour. It proposes a new term; home based pedagogy to describe the actions parents and the researcher took in supporting each child.
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    Does linguistic comprehension support the decoding skills of struggling readers? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Blick, Michele Anne
    The majority of struggling readers experience difficulty with accurate and fluent word recognition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of linguistic comprehension to the decoding skills of struggling readers. This study focused on two groups of poor decoders defined by the Simple View of Reading. Children aged 8 to 12 years with poor decoding skills were grouped according to those with below average linguistic comprehension (n = 18) and those with average linguistic comprehension (n = 18). The performance of the two groups was compared on a number of standardised measures that included pseudoword reading, reading accuracy of words in context, reading comprehension, and reading rate. In addition, the oral reading errors of the two groups were analysed to determine whether any significant differences existed as a function of linguistic comprehension. It was hypothesised that the children with a higher level of linguistic comprehension would make more oral reading errors that were syntactically and semantically appropriate due to their more advanced linguistic comprehension skills. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between the two groups on any of the measures. This suggests that children struggling with decoding, regardless of their level of linguistic comprehension, require intervention focused primarily at the word-level. These findings do not support an approach to intervention that differentiates between poor decoders based on level of linguistic comprehension.