Jeffrey K. Smith

The Effects of Group Size on Interactive Storybook Reading.

THE AUTHORS investigated childrens comprehension of stories and their verbal interactions during storybook readings in groups of varying sizes. Adults read storybooks to 27 kindergarten and first-grade children from five U.S. school districts. Each child heard three stories read in each of three settings: one-to-one, small-group (3 children per group), and wholeclass (15 children or more). Measures were taken on only the third reading in each setting. On probed and free recall comprehension tests, children who heard stories in the small-group setting performed significantly better than children who heard stories read one-to-one, who in turn performed significantly better than children who heard stories read to the whole class. In addition, as expected, children who heard stories read in a small group or one-to-one generated significantly more comments and questions than children in the whole-class setting. Thus, reading to children in small groups appears to offer as much interaction as one-toone readings, and (surprisingly) appears to lead to greater comprehension than whole-class or even one-to-one readings.

The Effect of a Literature‐Based Program Integrated Into Literacy and Science Instruction With Children From Diverse Backgrounds

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of a literature-based program integrated into literacy and science instruction on achievement, use of literature, and attitudes toward the literacy and science program. Six third-grade classes with children from diverse backgrounds (N = 128) were assigned to one control and two experimental groups (literature/science program and literature-only program). Both standardized and informal written and oral tests were used to determine growth in literacy and science. Use of literature was measured by asking children to name book titles they knew and had read both in and out of school. Interviews with teachers and children determined attitudes toward the literature and science programs. Children in the literature/science group scored statistically significantly better on all literacy measures than children in the literature-only group. Children in the literature-only group scored statistically significantly better on all literacy measures, except for the standardized reading test, than children in the control group. There were no differences between the groups on number of science facts used in science stories written. In the test of science facts and vocabulary, the literature/science group scored statistically significantly better than the literature-only group and the control group. Observational data collected during periods of independent reading and writing, when children interacted in social settings, reported the nature of literacy activities that took place. n nEl proposito del estudio fue determinar el impacto de un programa basado en la literatura, integrado en la ensenanza de la lectoescritura y la ciencia, sobre los logros, el uso de la literatura y las actitudes hacia el programa de lectoescritura y ciencia. Seis cursos de tercer grado de ninos de diversas procedencias (N = 128) fueron asignados a un grupo de control y dos grupos experimentales (programa de literatura/ciencia y programa de literatura). Para determinar el avance en lectoescritura y ciencia se usaron pruebas estandarizadas y pruebas informales escritas y orales. El uso de la literatura se midio pidiendo a los ninos que nombraran titulos de libros que conocian y habian leido en la escuela y fuera de ella. Las entrevistas con docentes y ninos determinaron las actitudes hacia los programas de ciencia y literatura. Los ninos del grupo de literatuZWECK ra/ciencia se desempenaron significativamente mejor en todas las medidas de lectoescritura que aquellos del grupo de literatura. Los ninos del grupo de literatura se desempenaron significativamente mejor que los del grupo de control en todas las medidas de lectoescritura, excepto en la prueba estandarizada de lectura. No hubo diferencias entre grupos en el numero de hechos cientificos usados en los relatos escritos de ciencia. En la prueba de hechos cientificos y vocabulario, el grupo de literatura/ciencia se desempeno significativamente mejor que los grupos de literatura y de control. Los datos observacionales recogidos durante periodos de lectura y escritura independiente, cuando los ninos interactuaban en contextos sociales, permitieron describir la naturaleza de las actividades de lectoescritura que tuvieron lugar. n nDieser Studie war, den Einflus von literaturorientierten Programmen auf den Unterricht im Lesen, Schreiben sowie auf den Sachunterricht zu bestimmen, und zwar im Hinblick auf den Leistungsfortschritt, auf den Gebrauch von Literatur und auf die Einstellungen zu Literarisierungs- und Wissensvermittlungsprogrammen. Sechs Klassen der dritten Schulstufe mit Kindern unterschiedlichster Herkunft (N = 128) wurden einer Kontroll- und zwei Forschungsgruppen (Literatur-/Sachunterricht und reines Literaturprogramm) zugeteilt. Es wurden sowohl standardisierte wie informelle schriftliche und mundliche Uberprufungen verwendet, um die wachsenden Kenntnisse in der Literarisierung und im Wissen zu bestimmen. Der Gebrauch von Literatur wurde ermittelt, indem die Kinder nach Buchtiteln gefragt wurden, die sie kannten und die sie sowohl in der Schule als auch in der Freizeit gelesen hatten. Interviews mit Lehrern und Schulern ermittelten die Haltungen gegenuber Literatur- und Wissensprogrammen. Kinder in der Literatur-/Wissensgruppe punkteten statistisch gesehen eindeutig besser bei allen Leistungsfestellungen in der Literarisierung als Kinder in der reinen Literaturgruppe. Kinder in der reinen Literaturgruppe punkteten statistisch gesehen bei allen Leistungsfeststellungen in der Literarisierung - ausgenommen beim standardisierten Lesetest - besser als die Kinder in der Kontrollgruppe. Es gab keine Unterschiede zwischen den Gruppen in der Menge an Faktenwissen, die bei Sachtexten geschrieben wurde. Bei der Uberprufung von Faktenwissen und Vokabeln punktete die Literatur/Wissensgruppe statistisch gesehen deutlich besser als die reine Literaturgruppe und die Kontrollgruppe. Beobachtungen, die wahrend der freien, selbsttatigen Lese- und Schreibphasen aufgezeichnet wurden, als die Kinder in sozialen Lernphasen miteinander kommunizierten, lieferten Daten uber die Art von stattfindenden Lese- und Schreibaktivitaten. n nLe but de la recherche etait de determiner limpact dun programme integratif base sur la litterature dans lenseignement litteraire et scientifique, sur la reussite, la pratique de la lecture, et les attitudes a legard du programme de lettres et de sciences. Six classes denfants de 3° annee de milieux differents (N = 128) ont ete repartis en un groupe controle et deux groupes experimentaux (programme de lettres/sciences et programme de lettres uniquement). Pour evaluer les progres en lettres et en sciences on a utilise aussi bien des tests oraux quecrits, quetalonnes et informels. On a mesure la pratique de la lecture en demandant aux enfants de donner des titres de livres quils connaissaient et avaient lus a lecole et hors de lecole. On a determine les attitudes envers les programmes de lettres et de sciences au moyen dentretiens avec des enseignants et des enfants. Les enfants du groupe lettres/sciences ont une reussite qui est statis tiquement significativement superieure dans toutes les evaluations de lecrit a celle des enfants du groupe lettres uniquement. Les enfants du groupe lettres uniquement ont des resultats statistiquement superieurs dans toutes les evaluations de lecrit a ceux des enfants du groupe controle, exception faite du test de lecture etalonne. On na pas observe de differences entre les groupes en ce qui concerne le nombre de faits scientifiques rapportes dans les histoires scientifiques produites par ecrit. Dans le test de faits scientifiques et de vocabulaire, le groupe lettres/sciences a reussi statistiquement significativement mieux que le groupe lettres uniquement et que le groupe controle. Les observations effectuees pendant les moments de lecture et decriture autonomes, quand les enfants interagissent en situation sociale, ont apporte des informations sur la nature des activites de lecture-ecriture qui sy sont deroulees.

The Influence of Presentation Format and Viewer Training in the Visual Arts on the Perception of Pictorial and Aesthetic Qualities of Paintings

The comparability of viewers responses to slide-projected and computer-generated images of nine paintings by renowned artists to those obtained from individuals experiencing the originals in the galleries of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art was investigated. The influence of training in the visual arts upon evaluative judgments made under the three presentation formats was also assessed. Specifically, art-trained and untrained participants in each format condition rated each artwork on sixteen measures of physical and structural characteristics, novelty of content, and aesthetic qualities. Analyses revealed significant differences in the judged hedonic value of the originals as contrasted with the two types of reproduction, whereas trained and untrained participants evaluations of the pictorial qualities of the artworks were comparable across presentation formats. Findings are discussed in terms of a facsimile-accommodation hypothesis proposed by the authors.

Classroom Behavior of Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis

Meta-analysis was used to review the results of 25 studies that compared the classroom behavior of children and adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) to children without learning disabilities. The data were analyzed from several different methodological perspectives. Results showed that both methodologically strong and weak studies demonstrated significant behavioral deficits of children with learning disabilities compared to their nondisabled peers in each of five overall areas: on-task behavior, off-task behavior, conduct disorders, distractibility, and shy/withdrawn behavior. Both observational and teacher rating data demonstrated these differences. Effect sizes for both groups of studies seemed to cluster around 1 standard deviation, suggesting noticeable and educationally significant impairment in the behavior of children with disabilities. Analysis of grade-level effect sizes suggests some explanation for the large number of referrals often witnessed during the elementary school years. Educational implications of these behavioral differences in terms of implications for mainstreaming are discussed.

Spending Time on Art

Conventional wisdom among museum professionals is that art museum visitors do not spend much time viewing works of art. The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate that question as well as to look at the relationship that age, gender, and group size have on viewing times. Visitors to The Metropolitan Museum of Art were observed as they looked at six masterpieces in the Museums collection. A total of 150 individuals looking at six paintings comprised the sample for the study. The observations were of naturally occurring stops at the works of art. The gender, group size, estimated age, and time spent at the work of art were recorded for each encounter. The mean time spent viewing a work of art was found to be 27.2 seconds, with a median time of 17.0 seconds. Viewing time was not related to gender or age, but was strongly related to group size, with larger groups spending more time. There were also significant differences among paintings. Results are discussed in terms of how different types of looking patterns may be related to the amount of time spent in front of works of art.

Effects of a Story Reading Program on the Literacy Development of At-Risk Kindergarten Children

The present study investigated the effects of a storybook reading program as one means for literacy development with at-risk students in eight Chapter I, extended-day, urban kindergartens. Children in four experimental classes followed a daily program of literature experiences that included reading for pleasure, story retelling, repeated readings of favorite stories, interactive story reading, recreational reading periods, and others. During the same period of time, students in four control groups followed the prescribed reading readiness program used in the district that emphasized letter recognition and letter-sound correspondence. Based on the results of pretests in September and posttests in May, the experimental groups scored significantly better than the control groups on story retellings, attempted reading of favorite stories, comprehension tests, and other measures. There were no significant differences between the groups on standardized measures of reading readiness.

Relation of Test-Specific Motivation and Anxiety to Test Performance:

The relations between consequence of test scores and motivation, anxiety, and test performance were studied with 112 persons in four undergraduate educational psychology courses. Students were given two versions of an hourly course examination that varied in consequence, with one counting for part of their grade and the other not counting. Each student completed the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory prior to taking the examination. Afterwards students completed a measure of test anxiety and test motivation specific to the examination they had just taken. Significant main effects were found for consequence of test with scores for test anxiety, test performance, and test motivation. Also, the subscales showed a consistent pattern of relations with test performance and test anxiety across the two conditions, but not for test motivation for which few relations were found under the condition with no consequence.

Museum visitor preferences and intentions in constructing aesthetic experience

Abstract Visitors to art museums vary on a number of a dimensions related to how they construct their museum experience. The visiting preferences and intentions of a sample of visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art were examined by having them respond to a survey as they entered the Museum. Visitors were presented with a set of nine contrasting statements (e.g., “I know how I like to look at art” and “I would like to learn more about how to look at art”.) separated by a six-point scale. Responses to the statement pairs indicated wide variability on items concerning whether visitors liked to look at many works of art in depth, or a few works briefly; whether they preferred to discuss works with others, or look alone; whether they preferred a linear or global organization; whether they wanted to learn more about how to look at art, or felt their skills were adequate. A series of regression equations looked at the relationship of age, education, self-reported knowledge of art, and frequency of Museum visitation to responses to the statement pairs. Knowledge of art was consistently the most important predictor.

Comparison of the Mantel-Haenszel Test With a Randomized and a Jackknife Test for Detecting Biased Items

The Mantel-Haenszel (MH) chi-square test has been shown to have desirable statistical properties in detecting biased items. However, small sample sizes are still of concern, especially when large differences in ability exist between the focal and reference groups. This is because the accuracy and power of the MH test depends on the range of overlap between the focal and reference groups on raw scores, as well as the total sample size at any particular raw score. The MH procedure is compared with (a) a randomization test and (b) a jackknife test, which make weaker distributional assumptions. The MH chi-square significance levels were found to be extremely robust.

Original Paintings versus Slide and Computer Reproductions: A Comparison of Viewer Responses

The issue of whether viewing works of art by computer or slide is comparable to viewing original paintings was investigated by having visitors to The Metropolitan Museum of Art view works in these three formats and having them rate the works on measures of physical and structural characteristics, novelty of content, and aesthetic qualities. Only four of the sixteen evaluative ratings showed statistically significant results among groups, typically with viewers of the original works differing from viewers in the slide and computer formats. Correlational and factor analyses provided additional support for a notion of “pictorial sameness” for artworks viewed in the three formats. The results are examined in light of Curries (1985) transferability thesis and the concept of “facsimile accommodation” developed by the authors.