Carolyn Reeves

Concerns of Preservice and Inservice Teachers.

AbstractResponses of 128 preservice and 90 experienced teachers to the Teacher Concerns Questionnaire (TCQ) were analyzed in an attempt to further examine the Fuller-George theory of teacher concerns. In general, the results support earlier findings. However, contrary to the concerns theory, impact concerns were found to be highest for both experienced and preservice teachers, and no differences were found between the self and task concerns of the experienced teachers. Suggestions for future research on the concerns theory are made.

Mathematics Anxiety and Test Anxiety: Separate Constructs?

Abstract The authors used correlational and confirmatory factor analytic techniques to examine the relationship between measures of the constructs of mathematics anxiety and test anxiety. The correlations found between measures of the 2 constructs were nearly as high as those found within measures of the 2 constructs, bringing into question the separateness of the constructs. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis provided some support for a distinction between the constructs; the correlation between the 2 factors, however, was relatively high. Those findings suggest that mathematics anxiety and test anxiety may be separate phenomena; the conceptual uniqueness of mathematics anxiety, however, needs to be further delineated and its measurement improved.

Impact of Professional Development on the Literacy Environments of Preschool Classrooms

Abstract This longitudinal study examined the effects of a comprehensive professional development program on literacy environments of preschool classroom/teacher units. The Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation Toolkit (ELLCO) was used to assess effects of treatment. Forty (40) classroom/teacher units, representing 14 preschool centers, participated in the study (treatment group n = 20; control group n = 20). The treatment group of classroom/teacher units received mentoring by early childhood specialists, professional development training, and literacy materials. The control group of classroom/teacher units received literacy materials. Both the treatment and control groups of classroom/teacher units received Read Together, Talk Together kits along with training in use of the kits. The ELLCO measure was administered twice each year in treatment and control classroom/teacher units by qualified teams of assessors, via a subcontract arrangement with a university. Educational researchers served as external evaluators for the study. The data were analyzed using multivariate repeated measures of analyses of variance. Statistically significant (p < .001) effects were found for Group, Time, and the Group by Time interactions. All associated multivariate partial eta-squares exceeded .60, indicating strong effects. Also, follow-up, univariate analyses of variance indicated that all Group, Time, and Group by Time interactions were statistically significant (p < .001), with associated univariate partial eta-squares ranging from .26 to .72. Group means across the six measurements indicated little or no gain in classroom literacy environment means for the control group of classroom/teacher units, but substantial gains were made in the means for the treatment group of classroom/teacher units over the same period of time.

Poor readers’ attitudes: Effects of using interests and trade books in an integrated language arts approach

Abstract The study explored the effects of tutorial instruction, which utilized students’ interests and trade books in an integrated language arts approach, on the attitudes of poor readers. A total of 58 students enrolled in grades two through six participated in the study; the students were randomly assigned to treatment and comparison groups, with 29 students composing each group. The Student Attitude Inventory was used as a pre‐ and post‐ measure. Results of the two‐way, groups‐by‐grade‐level, analyses of covariance using the attitude pre‐measure as the covariate indicated significant group main effects for attitudes toward listening (p < .02), reading (p < .05), self‐perceptions as learners (p < .03), and overall attitude (p < .01). No significant main effects were found for speaking, writing, and grade level, and there were no significant groups‐by‐grade‐level interaction effects for any of the dependent measures. The findings of the study suggest that attitudes of poor readers may be positively inf...

THE ELEMENTARY READING ATTITUDE SURVEY: FACTOR INVARIANCE ACROSS GENDER AND RACE

The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) is purported to measure attitude toward recreational and academic reading. The present study examined the validity of this two-factor model across gender and race. Since measurement results are often group specific, factor invariance cannot be assumed, but should be tested empirically. No statistically significant difference in the factor structures for male and female respondents was found, indicating factor invariance across gender. However, there was a statistically significant difference (p < .05) in the factor structures of the African American and European American respondents. Follow-up analyses indicated that the sources of the invariance were three of the recreational reading attitude items (p < .05) and the recreational reading attitude factor variance (p < .005), with the variance being greater for African American than for European American students.

Emergent literacy: An exploratory study of the effects of an expanded language experience approach

The authors explored the effects of an expanded Language Experience Approach (LEA) on emergent literacy skills of kindergarteners. Forty-four kindergarteners were randomly assigned to either an expanded LEA condition or a traditional LEA condition. At the end of the six-month treatment period, the expanded LEA group performed better than the traditional LEA group on the listening for information subtest (p<.05) of the California Achievement Test (CAT), and on other measures. A treatment-by-sex interaction (p<.01) on the sound matching subtest of the CAT favored the girls in the expanded LEA group. The traditional LEA group performed better than the expanded LEA group on the total alphabet skills subtest (p<.01) of the CAT. The results are interpreted as indicating that use of an expanded LEA is more effective than the traditional LEA in aiding the development of listening comprehension skills of kindergarteners.RésuméLes auteurs explorent les effets du programme LEA (Language Experience Approach) dans l’éveil des habiletés littéraires des enfants de maternelle. Quarante quatre enfants de maternelle ont été assignés de façon aléatoire á soit une forme prolongée ou à une forme traditionelle du LEA. A la fin de la période de traitement de six mois, le groupe prolongé de LEA a performé mieux que le group traditionnel dans la sous-épreuve d’écouter une information (p<.05) du California Achievement Test (CAT) et dans d’autres mesures. Une analyse de l’interaction selon les sexes (p<.01) dans la sous-épreuve de combinaison de son du CAT a bénéficié davantage les filles du group prolongé du LEA. Par ailleurs, le groupe traditionnel du LEA a mieux performé que le groupe prolongé dans l’ensemble de la sous-échelle sur les habiletés dans l’alphabet du CAT. L’interprétation des résultats indique que l’utilisation d’un LEA prolongé est plus efficace que l’utilisation du LEA traditionnel dans l’aide aux habiletés de compréhension de l’écoute chez les enfants de maternelle.ResumenLos autores exploran los efectos del programa LEA, “Language Experience Approach” (Enfoque de Experiencia Lingüistica) en las habilidades literarias incipientes de niños de jardín infantil. Cuarenta y cuatro niños fueron asignados, en forma aleatoria a, ya sea, una forma prolongada del enfoque LEA o a una forma tradicional del mismo. Al final del período de seis meses del tratamiento, el grupo sometido al enfoque prolongado performó mejor que el grupo opuesto en el sub-test sobre escuchar la información (p<.05) del California Achievement Test (CAT) y en otras medidas. Un análisis según la interacción de acuerdo al sexo (p<.01) en el sub-test de CAT relativo a la combinación por sonido favorecío a las niñas del grupo prolongado de LEA. Sin embargo, el grupo tradicional de LEA performó mejor que el grupo prolongado en la totalidad de sub-test sobre habilidades alfabéticas (p<.01) del CAT. La interpretación de, los resultados indica que el uso del LEA prolongado es más efectivo que el uso del LEA tradicional para ayudar al desarrollo de las habilidades para comprender lo escuchado en los niños de jardín infantil.

Effects of Expanded Language Experience Instruction on Language Processing Skills of Kindergartners.

Abstract The effects of an expanded Language Experience Approach (LEA) on the language processing skills of kindergartners were explored. During a two‐year period, two experiments were conducted with different groups of kindergartners. The first experiment included children who had been volunteered by their parents to participate in a pilot kindergarten programme. The second experiment replicated the first experiment and included children who were not volunteers because kindergarten participation had become mandatory. The two LEA conditions differed only in the kinds of follow‐up activities associated with each of the conditions. The follow‐up activities associated with the traditional LEA included asking children to draw a picture about the story, letting them say/read the story aloud along with the teacher, and letting them share with the group other ideas and personal experiences related to the story topic. The follow‐up activities associated with the expanded LEA included interaction with the print (t...