Date of Award
January 2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Communication Sciences & Disorders
First Advisor
Sarah Robinson
Abstract
In recent years, research has proved that vocabulary knowledge is highly correlated with reading comprehension and academic success. Despite the importance of vocabulary instruction, teachers are lacking a cohesive approach. Teachers are concerned about the quality and quantity of vocabulary instruction in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine if students in the Grand Forks Public Schools were learning their vocabulary words through indirect instruction using the Scott Foresman's Reading Street program. Twenty-seven fourth grade students were given clinical vocabulary assessments, as well as a researcher-designed assessment to determine percentage of vocabulary words known. Results indicated that students were learning their vocabulary words in the classroom. When comparing the results from the researcher-designed assessment and clinical vocabulary measures, no significant correlation was found. This indicates that knowledge of vocabulary words was not an artifact of the students' general vocabulary abilities, but learning in the classroom.
Recommended Citation
Lindsey, Elizabeth, "Teaching Vocabulary Through Weekly Spelling Lessons: An Efficacy Study" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. 1566.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/1566