Date of Award

5-1-1971

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education, Health & Behavior Studies

Abstract

Problem: The purpose of this study was to determine what relationships exist between a child's performance of selected tasks of conservation and selected factors in reading readiness. Comparisons were also made between conservation and reading readiness to selected variables such as mental age, sex, chronological age, and teacher prediction.

Procedure: The research population for this study was comprised of 81 first grade subjects enrolled in four classrooms of the Grand Forks Public Schools during the 1970-1971 school year. The students were selected to be representative of the total Grand Forks, North Dakota school population. Due to changes in school populations between kindergarten, May, 1970 and first grade, September, 1970 only 63 of the 81 first grade students were ranked on their comparative readiness for reading by their kindergarten teachers during May, 1970. All of the 81 first grade children participating in the study received the following battery of tests in September, 1970: Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests: Readiness Skills, SRA Primary Mental Abilities Test: Grades K - 1, and Procedures of Conservation of Number and Substance with First Grade Children.

The statistical procedure utilized in the investigation consisted of a multiple linear regression to find the multiple correlation coefficients and the zero-order coefficients for all hypotheses. A stepwise regression was employed to find the variables which contributed most to prediction. Discriminant analysis by multiple linear regression was used to predict the number of conservers and nonconservers.

Conclusions: 1. A child's performance of selected tasks of conservation is significantly related to selected factors in reading readiness.

2. Mental age is significantly related to conservation and reading readiness.

3. Sex differences are significantly related to conservation and reading readiness.

4. Chronological age is positively but not significantly related to conservation and reading readiness.

5. Teacher prediction is significantly related to reading readiness, but more closely related to mental age.

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