The problem addressed in this research study was that strategies used by literacy coaches to train teachers to improve elementary level reading instruction are often not effective. The purpose of this qualitative narrative analysis study was to gain insight into the perspectives of teachers and literacy coaches in one school district in South…

Statement of Purpose and Method of Study: This descriptive research aimed to explore third-grade reading laws in nine southeastern states. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 participants from the states included in this study and integrated both quantitative archival reading assessment data and qualitative interview data…

Students reading below grade level proficiency lack word recognition and comprehension skills. The problem addressed in this quantitative study was that third-grade students in a Title I school in South Carolina are reading below grade-level proficiency, lacking grade-level appropriate word recognition and reading comprehension skills, as…

When observing and consistently hearing about the obstacles our current public educational system faces, many are left wondering what can be done to produce genuine, significant, and continuous improvement. Upon deeper analysis of educational systems, one can see that many areas need system improvement. SOAR School (pseudonym) is a Pre-K-5 school…

The problem addressed in this study was kindergarteners in public, rural schools struggle with phonemic awareness, causing their reading development to be delayed. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore through the stories of kindergarten teachers whether students from a public, rural setting struggled with a lack…

This quantitative study aimed to examine the relationships between third grade reading instructional strategies in high-performing Title-One schools compared to low-performing Title-One schools in four school districts in South Carolina. The study was framed through the lens of Marzano's Theoretical Framework which outlined specific instructional…

This study evaluated third grade students who received RTI instruction and third grade students who do not receive RTI instruction performance on the Renaissance STAR Reading® assessment and the SC READY assessment with respect to gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This study is significant because it examined the academic performance…

This mixed-methods study is an evaluation of the Reading Recovery program utilized to support first grade student achievement levels in a small, rural, South Carolina school district. This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative data in order to analyze the perceptions of Reading Recovery teachers, first grade teachers, and principals in…

The purpose of this action research study was to determine how instructional coaching impacted implementation of shared reading strategies in kindergarten classrooms. This study included four teachers from one primary school in South Carolina. All of the teachers that participated in this study had more than two years of teaching experience. Data…

Technology is increasingly playing a role in the education of early learners. As such, it is vital that research demonstrates that the new suite of tools that are enabled by emerging technologies are both engaging and effective for all students. The Waterford Early Reading Program, a computer-assisted adaptive curriculum, was administered to…

The Waterford Early Reading Program is a computer-assisted instruction program that ensures individualized learning for kindergarten through second grade students. The Waterford curriculum was assigned to kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students in a school district in South Carolina for the 2015-2016 school year. The Developmental…

Student achievement in reading comprehension has been an important topic for the past several years due to the importance of reading in education. School districts in South Carolina have had enormous amounts of pressure put on them to increase student reading comprehension through the implementation of SLOs and the Read to Succeed initiative. The…

This study examined the effects of Reading Recovery on children's motivational levels, and how motivation may contribute to the effect of the intervention on literacy achievement. Prior studies concluded that Reading Recovery was positively associated with increased student motivation levels, but most of those studies were limited…

Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, lifelong condition that affects a person's ability to process language, which in turn can make reading and writing more difficult. Between 10 and 20 percent of all people are dyslexic. Providing appropriate reading instruction and intervention for young children by second grade could reduce the percentage of…

Third grade is a critical checkpoint in a child's educational journey. By the end of third grade, children need literacy skills that prepare them for increasing curriculum demands in fourth grade and beyond. Students who are not reading on grade level by this point are significantly more likely to drop out of high school or fail to graduate on…