Standardization has been part of teaching and learning in the United States since the late 19th century. This technocratic approach has gained more traction in the past two decades beginning with the passage of the landmark No Child Left Behind law in 2001 and continuing through the recent standardization movement to restrict content and…

The purpose of this study is to investigate if a mindfulness mandala coloring activity reduces a student's anxiety about reading. Reading is a fundamental skill for all other academic success, making proficient reading skills necessary. This study investigates if a reduction in a third grade student's reading anxiety results in changes to oral…

This mixed-methods study examined caregiver engagement with literacy resources provided by the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) in Tennessee. The research was rooted in Epstein et al.'s types of parental involvement, Hoover-Dempsey's parental involvement process model, and Gonzalez et al.'s funds of knowledge framework. The study…

The ability to read, the single most important skill students need for learning, has been on the decline across the nation while student interest in books has also waned. Yet, despite the flagging interest in, and proficiency with, reading, English Language Arts (ELA) instruction has remained largely unchanged especially in grades 6-12. The…

Reading is and continues to be on the decline in the U.S. Perhaps more startling to consider is the impact that low reading motivation levels may have on the persistent achievement gaps that pervade Black and Hispanic minorities. This research study aimed to elucidate the intersection of these two points and the implications of introducing choice…

The role of student choice reading on engagement and academic achievement from the perspective of teachers is the topic of this study. The problem addressed is that middle school students often struggle with reading due to a lack of engagement in English Language Arts courses. Students and educators are mainly impacted by this problem; however,…

Successful reading comprehension is not a guarantee, even for highly skilled readers. When comprehension fails, the ability of the reader to recognize the failure may be critical to avoiding "mis"comprehension (i.e., false confidence in an inaccurate text representation) and to taking steps to improve comprehension. Generally, people…

This single-case study was designed to evaluate the effects of autonomous text choice on reading motivation and reading comprehension in underperforming sixth-grade students. This study was built upon the theoretical framework constructed using self-determination theory, situational expectancy-value theory, and culturally relevant pedagogy. Study…

Middle school students are faced with many challenges. Puberty, social issues, and changes in the way that they learn can cause middle school to be a difficult time. An alarming number of students enter middle school with a reading deficiency--significantly below their grade level expectation. Students who are exceptional learners or are reluctant…

This qualitative reader profile study explored how Retrospective Miscue Analysis (RMA), by Y.M. Goodman and Marek (1996), broadens the reading process and perceptions about the reading process, how RMA impacts a child's perception of him/herself as a reader, how RMA influences a child's definition of reading and the shifts in reading strategies as…

The more students read, the better they read, and students are more inclined to read when they are motivated to read. Students' interests and their confidence as readers contribute to their motivation. Confidence is impacted by how students view themselves as readers, an identity which can be influenced by the environment surrounding them. The…

Dyslexia, which affects between 5% and 18% of Americans, is caused by difficulties with phonological processing. This study investigates the impact of an online intervention which remediates phonological processing deficits on functional reading skills such as accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. It also investigates changes to student…

A person's reading performance is the result of a combination of various factors. The current study was to investigate the influences of student and school background characteristics on student overall reading achievement. A sample of 2,922 tenth-grade students from 140 schools was included in this study from the Programme for International…

This paper describes a problem of practice that arose from a lack of consistent, systematic phonics instruction within a small rural school with a large percentage of students not mastering skills in a way that builds the needed foundation for reading. To address this problem, action research was conducted through a mixed methods approach to…

The purpose of this mixed method study was to examine the influence of reading motivation on African American and Latinx high school students' reading perceptions across grade levels and between genders. This study included a review of data from the "Motivations to Read Questionnaire," and conversational interviews using scripted…