Avaliação das habilidades preditoras do sucesso de leitura em crianças de 1º e 2º anos do ensino fundamental

Both sides of the story: comparing student-level data on reading performance from administrative registers to application generated data from a reading app

The use of various learning apps in school settings is growing and thus producing an increasing amount of usage generated data. However, this usage generated data has only to a very little extend been used for monitoring and promoting learning progress. We test if application usage generated data from a reading app holds potential for measuring reading ability, reading speed progress and for pointing out features in a school setting that promotes learning. We analyze new data from three different sources: (1) Usage generated data from a widely used reading app, (2) Data from a national reading ability test, and (3) Register data on student background and family characteristics. First, we find that reading app generated data to some degree tells the same story about reading ability as does the formal national reading ability test. Second, we find that the reading app data has the potential to monitor reading speed progress. Finally, we tested several models including machine learning models. Two of these were able to identify variables associated with reading speed progress with some degree of success and to point at certain conditions that promotes reading speed progress. We discuss the results and avenues for further research are presented.

Identification of struggling readers or at risk of reading difficulties with one-minute fluency measures

Background

To identify readers who are struggling or at risk of reading difficulties, reference standards in oral reading fluency (ORF) are used to conduct an assessment that is based on a widely reported method known as curriculum-based measurement (CBM), which itself is based on 1-min fluency measures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate students’ ORF (with a 1-min fluency measure) to characterize their fluency and to determine references of appropriate development in reading at the 50th percentile.

Method

For this study, a database of readings made available by the Learning Studies Research Laboratory was used. This database consisted of 365 readings by elementary-school students from the third to fifth grades in two cities in the interior of the state of São Paulo from two different public school systems that use the same teaching methodology. The data consisted of digital audio recordings of the passage “The Umbrella” (text suitable for schooling levels) of the Protocol for Assessment of Reading Comprehension procedure. For this procedure, three steps were performed: step 1—listening to the 365 readings and assessing the scores for the number of words read correctly per minute; step 2—the calculation of the mean and percentiles for each grade; and step 3—the adaptation of the reference table to indicate students eligible to receive reading fluency intervention.

Results

Third-year students who correctly read 86 or more words per minute, fourth-year students who correctly read 104 or more words per minute, and fifth-year students who correctly read 117 or more words per minute were considered students who had made adequate progress in reading.

Conclusion

It was possible to classify students based on the 1-min fluency measures, with reference intervals of words read correctly per minute per school year (for the third, fourth, and fifth years) for those who were making adequate progress in reading and reference intervals for those who were considered readers who were struggling or at risk of reading difficulties.

Effects of a language program in the social functioning of children at elementary school

PURPOSE

the purpose of this study was to describe a language stimulation program, including teacher training and practical activities in the classroom, and investigate the effectiveness of this action on the social functioning and behavioral problems of elementary school children.

METHODS

136 children from six classrooms of a public school and their teachers participated in this research. Of these, half were given the language stimulation program: 16 hours of training for teachers and 9 meetings in the classroom with activities for students. The activities involved instruction for the use of language reflection and practice with the narrative structure. Teachers filled out questionnaires about the social skills and behavior problems of their students before and after the program.

RESULTS

there was no statistically significant difference between the research groups pre- and post- program in terms of assertiveness/ social resourcefulness (1st and 5th grades) and cooperation/affection (1st and 3rd grades). In the research groups, children of the 3rd grade, different from the 1st and the 5th grade, showed more evolution in their self-control abilities, which may be related to the lower frequency of externalizing problems in this group.

CONCLUSION

the language program had positive effects on social assertiveness/resourcefulness skills and social cooperation/affection.

E-LEITURA II: banco de palavras para leitura de escolares do Ensino Fundamental II

RESUMO Objetivo Elaborar banco de palavras de alta, média e baixa frequência em leitura para o Ensino Fundamental II. Método As palavras foram retiradas do material didático de Língua Portuguesa, utilizado pela rede de ensino do Estado de São Paulo do 6º ao 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental. Selecionaram-se apenas os substantivos. Foi registrada a frequência de ocorrência de cada palavra e elaborado um banco único. Para classificá-las como alta, média e baixa frequência, optou-se por trabalhar com os tercis da distribuição, frequência média e ponto de corte dos tercis. Para verificar se as palavras de alta, média e baixa frequência correspondem a essa classificação, foram avaliados 224 alunos: G1 (6º ano, n= 61); G2 (7º ano, n= 44); G3 (8º ano, n= 65); e G4 (9º ano, n= 54). As listas de palavras foram apresentadas aos escolares, para leitura, em voz alta, em duas sessões: 1ª) palavras de alta e média frequência e 2ª) palavras de baixa frequência. Resultados Foram excluídas palavras que contemplavam os critérios de exclusão e que geravam desconforto ou piadas por parte dos alunos. O banco de palavras ficou constituído por 1659 palavras e foi denominado E – LEITURA II. Conclusão O E-LEITURA II é um recurso útil para os profissionais, pois disponibiliza um banco de palavras que poderá ser utilizado para fins de pesquisa, educacionais e clínicos em escolares do Ensino Fundamental II. O profissional poderá escolher as palavras de acordo com seus objetivos e critérios para elaborar procedimentos de avaliação e intervenção com leitura.

Banco de palavras para leitura de escolares do ensino médio: E-LEITURA III

RESUMO Objetivo: elaborar um banco de palavras de alta, média e baixa frequência para leitura no Ensino Médio. Métodos: as palavras foram retiradas do material didático de língua Portuguesa, da rede de ensino do Estado de São Paulo. Selecionaram-se apenas os substantivos. Foi registrada a frequência de ocorrência das palavras. Para a classificação das frequências utilizou-se os tercis da distribuição, frequência média e ponto de corte dos tercis. Para verificar a classificação obtida foram avaliados 134 alunos: G1 (1ªsérie, n=44); G2 (2ª série, n= 44) e G3 (3ªsérie, n= 46). As palavras foram apresentadas, para leitura, em voz alta, em duas sessões: 1ª) alta e média frequência e 2ª) baixa frequência. Análise descritiva. Resultados: as palavras correspondem à classificação apresentada, porém, cada palavra apresenta seu nível de dificuldade e o profissional poderá eleger aquelas que melhor respondem aos seus objetivos, para que assim, possa elaborar instrumentos de avaliação e intervenção em leitura. Conclusão: o E-LEITURA III é um recurso útil para os profissionais, pois é disponibilizado um banco com ampla gama de palavras que poderá ser utilizado com escolares do Ensino Médio. Dessa forma, espera-se que o E-LEITURA III possa ser utilizado para elaborar procedimentos de avaliação e intervenção com leitura nesses escolares.