Grow Into Reading RPE 9/04 - secure.greatsource.com · The understanding that there is a predictable relationship between ... READING COMPREHENSION ... active readers use to make

G r e a t S o u r c e

Grow into Reading

R e s e a r c h B a s e a n d P r o g r a m E f f i c a c y

2 Grow into Reading Research Base and Program Efficacy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GROW INTO READING PROGRAM OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

GROW INTO READING CONNECTIONS TO READING FIRST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

GROW INTO READING RESEARCH BASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–12

EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13–14

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

TEACHER SURVEY RESULTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

TEACHER COMMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13–14

TEST RESULTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15–16

NOTES ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

3Grow into Reading Research Base and Program Efficacy

GROW INTO READING PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Grow into Reading is a full-year kindergarten literacy program that provides everything a teacher needs to implement

an effective, engaging, theme-based curriculum based on a holistic approach to reading instruction developed by

Robert and Marlene McCracken. Aligned with No Child Left Behind and Reading First areas of instruction, this complete

kit blends research-based lessons and instruction with time-tested activities and practice to help students build an

early understanding of essential reading concepts including:

• concepts of print through picture books, lap books, and pocket chart activities;

• phonemic awareness through poetry and manipulation of letters and sounds;

• phonics through explicit spelling lessons that link letters to sounds;

• vocabulary and comprehension through content-rich texts and exploratory science, math, and social studies activities;

• language fluency through oral repetition of poems, songs, chants, and games.

Filled with hundreds of activities incorporating new and traditional stories, poems, and songs, Grow into Reading

provides a rich literary environment for nurturing kindergartners’ emerging language skills.

Kit Resources:

Grow into Reading provides a solid foundation for a full-year early literacy program:

• Teacher’s Edition with step-by-step implementation guidelines; rich lessons designed around favorite books, stories, and poems; activities focusing on language skills and content; and practical teaching tips.

• 10 trade books for whole-group instruction and read-aloud activities.

• 9 theme-centered, full-color lap books designed for students to take apart and manipulate during specific read-aloud activities.

• 12 illustrated posters (17”x 22”) for read alouds.

• a variety of word and picture cards for teachers and students to use for reading, retelling, chanting, categorizing, and concept-knowledge activities.


PHONEMIC AWARENESSThe ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds—phonemes—in spoken words.Phonemic awareness is the understanding that sounds ofa spoken language work together to make words.

PHONICSThe understanding that there is a predictable relationshipbetween phonemes—the sounds of spoken language—and graphemes—the letters and spellings that representthose sounds in written language. Readers use these relationships to recognize familiar words accurately andautomatically and to decode unfamiliar words.

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENTDevelopment of stored information about the meaningsand pronunciation of words necessary for communication.There are four types of vocabulary:

• listening vocabulary—the words needed to understand what is heard;

• speaking vocabulary—the words used when speaking;

• reading vocabulary—the words needed to understand what is read;

• written vocabulary—the words used in writing.

READING FLUENCY—INCLUDING ORAL READING SKILLSFluency is the ability to read text accurately and quickly.It provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. Fluent readers recognize words and comprehend at the same time.

READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIESStrategies for understanding, remembering, and communicating with others about what has been read.Comprehension strategies are sets of steps that purposeful, active readers use to make sense of text.

Grow into Reading includes systematic instruction inphoneme identification, matching, substitution, and segmenting using words from poems, chants, and songs.Children practice identifying and isolating initial and finalsounds in spoken words; match initial and final sounds;and produce new words as a target sound is added, omitted, or substituted.

Activities matching individual sounds to printed lettersare included in every theme in Grow into Reading.Activities involve working with words written on thechalkboard or with word cards in the pocket charts tomatch sounds to printed letters, singing alphabet raps orchants to help children learn to decode words, and practicing spelling by using sound-letter relationships toput letters together to form words.

Throughout the program, children are encouraged to buildan awareness of words, to find and identify words thatname particular things, ideas, actions, and concepts, andto classify and categorize words and concepts that arerelated to each other and to group them appropriately.Picture cards provide many opportunities for this vocabulary development. For instance, children learntheme-related vocabulary such as names of animals andcolors by sorting and classifying picture cards into stacksor onto a picture bank.

Grow into Reading offers a variety of activities to helpchildren develop the listening and speaking languageskills they need to build oral reading fluency. Hundreds ofsongs, poems, and chants offer engaging models for language expression and phrasing and provide oral reading practice using patterned and familiar text.

During discussions about stories and poems, children areasked to practice a variety of critical thinking skillsincluding answering and asking questions, recalling characters, sequencing events, making inferences, comparing and contrasting, predicting outcomes, drawingand/or dramatizing in response to a story or poem, andrecognizing thoughts and feelings aroused during readingor listening. These critical thinking skills give childrenpractice in comprehension-building activities that willhelp them engage with and understand texts.

GROW INTO READING CONNECTIONS TO READING FIRST

*Reproduced from U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2002, April). Guidance for the Reading First Program. Available at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/guidance.pdf

Reading First Areas of Instruction* Grow into Reading


Introduction

Kindergartners enter school with varying levels of literacy skills. It is important for students who do not have strong

literacy skills to be given opportunities to obtain these skills in a classroom with a focused and well-planned approach

(Strickland, 2001). Goodman (1972b) notes, “…the child learning to read needs all the strategies right from the

beginning” (p. 507). Their experiences should involve materials that are interesting and engaging without frustrating

the student. Beginning readers should also have an opportunity to revisit these materials as their skills develop

(Strickland, 2001). Engaging materials that revisit skills throughout the year allow students at all skills levels to learn

at their own pace and develop as readers. Research has shown that reading is a process during which a reader uses

many skills concurrently, not in isolation; therefore, reading instruction should incorporate all aspects and skills of

reading as part of the process of reading (Bodrova, Leong, Paynter, & Semenov, 2000; Bowey, 1994; Goodman, 1972b;

Mason 1984). The Grow into Reading program recognizes reading as a complex process and develops the skills students

need to be successful readers in this way.

Grow into Reading is designed to give students many opportunities to develop and apply their literacy skills through an

integrated and recursive approach to instruction. The core literacy objectives of Grow into Reading are organized into

eight broad skill areas, five of which are aligned directly with No Child Left Behind’s Reading First requirements. Those

skill areas are: concepts of print, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and

information skills. Research has proven that each of these areas is critical in developing reading and writing skills in

young children (National Reading Panel [NRP], 2000; Morrow, 1997; Welpner, Valmont, & Thurlow, 2000).

All activities in Grow into Reading operate on two levels: first, as rich experiences that engage children in joyful

learning; and second as developmentally-appropriate literacy activities that build children’s knowledge of the English

language. Students are given opportunities to explore and enjoy literature while receiving systematic and explicit

instruction on reading skills. It is this integrated approach to literacy instruction that best promotes reading

development (Pressley, Wharton-McDonald, & Mistretta, 1998).

The understanding that print carries a message is the formative platform upon which allother reading and writing concepts are built.

In learning to read, a young child must develop a clear understanding of basic literacy concepts such as what letters

and words are, that print carries meaning, and how the processes of reading and writing work. Children come to school

with varying levels of print awareness. To develop students’ print awareness they need to be immersed in print-rich

environments and given instruction in how print functions (McCracken & McCracken, 1986). Immersion in print is

important because students can see the language they are using and hearing (McCracken & McCracken, 1996). Teachers

need to directly teach and show students reading behaviors such as moving correctly through a text (Fountas &

R e s e a r c h B a s e

Grow into Reading R e s e a r c h B a s e


Pinnell, 1996). With direct instruction, children will shift from vague awareness to conscious manipulation of concepts

about print. A systematic approach to teaching the concepts of print also fills in any gaps students may have in their

prior knowledge regarding print awareness (Collins & Collins, 2001). The understanding that print carries a message is

the formative platform upon which all other reading and writing concepts are built (Clay, 1991).

Grow into Reading develops students’ print awareness through immersion in a print-rich environment and instruction in

how print functions to convey meaning. Most activities set up opportunities for the teacher to track print with word

cards in the pocket chart or books, to rebuild lines of memorized text with word cards, and to orally supply words for

missing text. These activities help students become aware of the relationship between oral language and printed text.

They also teach students that print conveys information about meaning, that print is comprised of letters and words,

that written words are represented by a particular sequence of letters separated by spaces, and that English is written

from left to right and top to bottom. According to the National Research Council each of these skills are necessary for

kindergartners to become successful readers (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). In Grow into Reading students are read to

daily from lap books with large print that the students can see. These activities also use predictable texts that are

easy for students to memorize so they can experience success with print, an important step for students who are

beginning to interact and learn about print. The use of word cards and pictures in the pocket charts also help students

memorize text and gives them an opportunity to see print as exciting and having meaning (McCracken & McCracken,

1986). Students create many whole-group and individual books that can be displayed in the classroom so students

have access to them. The classroom is filled with posters and charts that display chants, songs, and poems. The

students also create their own chants, songs, and poems that can be exhibited throughout their environment. All of

these Grow into Reading program components help students explore and develop their print awareness.

Integrated themes that are relevant to students’ lives help them make connections toprior knowledge and increases student motivation.

Grow into Reading is organized into themes to promote student learning. Each theme is a topic that kindergartners will

find relevant and meaningful to their lives. This allows children to build connections to previous learning and create

deeper understandings. Fountas and Pinnell note, “Integrated themes serve a larger purpose by creating an overarching

web of meaning that helps children connect the various reading and writing activities in a purposeful way” (1996, p. 25).

The themes: Colors, Fall, Classics, Winter, Friends, Animals, Spring, and Fun are concepts taught in kindergarten

classrooms. Teaching these themes also appeals to students and makes them more involved in learning. Integrated

thematic instruction results in increased student motivation in reading and writing due to the authentic instruction it

provides (Lipson, Valencia, Wixson, & Peters, 1993).

Another advantage of integrated thematic instruction is that it allows students to develop all their literacy skills and

see the interrelationship of language processes. Grow into Reading uses themes and texts to integrate many different

language skills. For example, in the theme Animals students participate in activities that promote language skills such

as sequencing, predicting, listening, learning letters and sounds, and discussing stories.


Thematic instruction also encourages students to develop an integrated knowledge base. “An integrated knowledge

base results in faster retrieval of information, more flexible problem solving, and better concept transfer across

content areas” (Lipson, Valencia, Wixson, & Peters, 1993). Grow into Reading encourages students to develop

integrated knowledge by teaching language arts skills with skills from math, science, social studies, physical education

and the arts within each theme. In the theme Animals, students are also asked to practice math and science skills,

such as creating an animal countdown, matching numbers to animal chants, graphing animal preferences, classifying

farm and zoo animals, sorting habitats and identifying animals. They explore the arts by dramatizing stories about

animals, chanting about animals from a picture bank, dancing to a song about a farm, and singing favorite animal

songs such as “Bingo.” The rich thematic units of the Grow into Reading program are the heart of an integrated

kindergarten curriculum.

Phonemic awareness is the best predictor of success in learning to read.

Instruction in phonemic awareness helps children learn to read and spell (Adams, 2002; Ball & Blachman, 1991; Castle,

Riach, & Nicholson, 1994; NRP, 2000; Snow et al., 1998, Tangel & Blachman, 1992). Research shows that students

benefit most from receiving phonemic awareness instruction prior to grade one (NRP, 2000). Phonemic awareness

instruction is most effective when children are taught to manipulate phonemes by using the letters of the alphabet

rather than limiting instruction to phonemes alone (Ehri & Nunes, 2002; Mason, 1984). In addition, focusing on only

one or two types of phoneme manipulation at a time is most effective (Collins & Collins, 2001; NRP, 2000). Learning

to segment sounds with letters helps children spell words (Ehri & Nunes, 2002). Phonemic awareness is a key element

in beginning reading instruction and is the best predictor for success in learning to read (Center for Improvement of

Early Reading Achievement [CIERA], 2000; Collins & Collins, 2001; Ehri & Nunes, 2002).

Grow into Reading includes a comprehensive and systematic plan for developing phonemic awareness in young learners.

Throughout the program children work with words from the many poems, chants, and songs they learn. They also

practice identifying and isolating initial and final sounds in spoken words; match initial and final sounds; produce new

words as a target sound is added, omitted, or substituted; and produce and distinguish rhyming words from

nonrhyming. These are all activities that help develop phonemic awareness (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2002). The

variety of Grow into Reading activities involving poems, chants, and songs help keep students motivated and involved

in their learning. The National Reading Panel advises, “…techniques to develop children’s PA [phonemic awareness] in

classrooms should be as relevant and exciting as possible so that the instruction engages children’s interest and

attention in a way that promotes optimal learning” (2000, p. 2-7). By pairing phonemic awareness instruction with

engaging texts, Grow into Reading facilitates both the acquisition of early reading skills and helps students stay

motivated to learn.

Phonics instruction is an important component of a comprehensive reading program for beginning readers.

Systematic and explicit phonics instruction significantly improves children’s word recognition, spelling skills, and

reading comprehension (Adams, 2002; Bus & van IJzendoorn, 1999; Cunningham & Cunningham, 2002; Snow et al.,


1998; Tangel & Blachman, 1992). Phonics instruction is most effective when introduced as early as kindergarten

(NRP, 2000). It is effective for all children, but most beneficial for children who are at risk for developing future

reading problems.

Research on the reading process has found that word recognition is a parallel and interactive process. This means that

the brain is processing spelling, pronunciation and meanings of words simultaneously; therefore, the more effort a

reader puts into recognizing words the less time he or she can attend to comprehension (Adams, 2002). A student who

is more skilled in phonics will be able to focus more on the meaning of a word or text.

In every theme, children work with words printed on the chalkboard or on word cards in the pocket chart to match

individual sounds with their respective printed letters. This method of matching the letters to their sounds in the

correct sequence is an important part of phonics instruction. (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985; Bus & van

IJzendoorn, 1999; Ehri, 1998; Ehri & Wilce, 1987; Snow, et al., 1998; Stahl & Murray, 1998). Students can learn how

the alphabetic principle works when they are exposed to direct explanations of how print represents the sounds of

language (Collins & Collins, 2001; McCracken & McCracken, 1996). The work students complete in each theme helps

them learn the alphabetic system and how it functions. Miller notes, “Children love to learn about words and are

fascinated by their ability to use them in new ways” (2002, p.50). Grow into Reading encourages this enthusiasm

through exciting and engaging activities that allow children to discover and share their knowledge about words.

Most themes include an alphabet rap or chant that assists children in mastering the alphabetic principal to learn to

decode words. Children also use the phonetic principles of sound-letter relationships as they learn to put letters

together to form words in learning to spell (Anderson et al., 1985; Collins & Collins, 2001; McCracken & McCracken,

1996). Grow into Reading is a comprehensive program that includes extensive opportunities for building fluency,

vocabulary, and comprehension in addition to systematic and explicit phonics instruction.

Fluency is a strong indicator of efficient and proficient reading.

Fluency is a strong indicator of efficient and proficient reading. Repeated and monitored oral reading with guidance

and/or feedback from the teacher improves reading fluency and overall reading achievement, including reading

comprehension. Fluency can be developed through directed reading practice, specifically with repeated oral reading

that gives an emergent reader several opportunities to read the same text (CIERA, 2000; NRP, 2000).

Oral language also plays an important role in a child’s reading ability and literacy experience (Bowey, 1994; Chaney,

1998). Grow into Reading gives students many opportunities to use oral language to support and extend their reading

and writing skills. The program is filled with opportunities for children to develop fluent oral language, both listening

and speaking skills, that are critical prerequisites to oral reading fluency. Children track, chant, repeat, and read aloud

memorized verse and patterned and familiar text. The Commission on Reading explains, “Reading must be seen as part

of a child’s general language development and not as a discrete skill isolated from listening, speaking, and writing.

Reading instruction builds especially on oral language” (Anderson et al., 1985, p.30).

Students can use their oral language knowledge to predict and understand the syntax of a text (Fountas & Pinnell,

1996). When students repeatedly read passages orally with guidance and instruction from their teacher their reading


skills improve (NRP, 2000). Repeated chanting also helps the students develop fluency with standard English

syntactical forms (McCracken & McCracken, 1979). Hundreds of songs, chants, and poems in the program are powerful

models of English phrasing and expression; saying them aloud provides daily opportunities for emerging readers to

mimic fluent oral reading. The skill of fluency is more than just word automaticity. It also includes prosodic features

such as stressing certain words more than others, appropriate pitch, and correct phrasing of words (Kuhn, 2000).

Encouraging students to pay more attention to reading with correct expression also encourages them to be more

attentive readers (White, 1995).

The songs, chants, and poems students memorize give them the practice they need to become fluent readers. It helps

students add words to their sight word vocabulary so they can focus more on the other processes of reading. More

proficient learners are able to memorize texts and relay the meanings of the texts (Yang & Kuo, 2003). Memorizing

texts allows student to play with language and internalize its meanings, concepts, forms, and purposes (McCracken &

McCracken, 1996). Grow into Reading engages students in many different kinds activities that allow them to explore

language and improve their reading and oral fluency.

Vocabulary knowledge is strongly related to reading ability.

Vocabulary knowledge plays an important role in learning to read. The more words children acquire, the better chance

they have to succeed in reading, writing, and spelling (Collins & Collins, 2001). Research supports exposing children to

a classroom environment rich in language through listening to and discussing a variety of literary genres. It is

important for students to experience words within a text so they are able to more deeply understand their meanings

(Goodman, 1996; McCracken, 1970). “Encountering words again and again in text builds a fabric of meaning that

makes it easier to learn new words,” (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). Grow into Reading presents vocabulary repeatedly in a

text-rich environment of songs, poems, stories, and chants. Children learn the meanings of most words indirectly

through their everyday experiences with oral and written language. Although a great deal of vocabulary is learned

indirectly, some vocabulary should be taught directly, particularly difficult words and concepts that are not part of

children’s everyday experience (CIERA, 2000; Dickinson, McCabe, Anastasopoulos, Peisner-Feinberg, & Poe, 2003;

Graves & Watts-Taffe, 2002).

Children are asked throughout the Grow into Reading program to become aware of their words, to find and identify

words that name particular things, ideas, actions, and concepts. This helps advance their word consciousness.

According to Graves and Watts-Taffe, “…word consciousness refers to awareness of and interest in words and their

meanings” (2002, p.144). An increase in word consciousness will help students stay motivated to build their

vocabulary (Graves & Watts-Taffe, 2002). Children are also asked to do the converse, to classify and categorize words

that are related to each other and to group them appropriately. Picture cards provide many opportunities for this

vocabulary development. For instance, as children sort and classify picture cards into stacks or onto a picture bank,

they focus on theme-related vocabulary such as names of animals, colors, etc. This allows students to process the

words in multiple ways and enhance their understanding of the words (Collins & Collins, 2001). Repeated exposure to

vocabulary words also increase student gains (NRP, 2000). Grow into Reading revisits texts often so students have

repeated exposure to vocabulary in the classroom. The program also uses themes that are understood and encountered

by kindergarten-age students, therefore the vocabulary of each theme is presented to the student in multiple contexts.


Explicit instruction is effective in helping readers use specific comprehension strategiesand develop their metacognitive awareness.

Current research has shown that reading comprehension is a purposeful and active process. Comprehension is an

essential part of the reading process (Goodman, 1972a; Pearson, Roehler, Doyle, & Duffy, 1992). Instruction in

comprehension helps children understand, remember, and communicate with others about what they read. Research has

also shown even in their initial attempts at reading, children want to relate printed words to their meanings (Mason,

1984). Explicit instruction is effective in helping readers use specific comprehension strategies and develop their

metacognitive awareness (CIERA, 2000; Collins & Collins, 2001; Gambrell & Dromsky, 2000; Mason, 1984; Pressley,

Johnson, Symons, McGoldrick, & Kurita, 1989; Snow et al., 1998).

In the Grow into Reading program, children are encouraged to think critically about all they listen to and read.

Students’ desire to read is increased as they comprehend materials they find interesting and relevant (Goodman,

1972b). Grow into Reading uses meaningful stories, songs, and poems that appeal to students, so they are encouraged

to derive meaning from the text. Literacy learning is also a social process that is constructed through communication

and interaction in the classroom (Green et al., 1994). During discussions about stories and poems, children answer and

ask questions, recall characters, sequence events, make inferences, compare and contrast, and predict outcomes. They

draw and/or dramatize a response to a story or poem, and recognize thoughts and feelings aroused during reading or

listening. All of these critical thinking skills give children practice in comprehension-building activities and require

students to use the higher-level thinking skills that improve comprehension (McCracken, 1970; Ruddell, 1994; Snow et

al., 1998; Taylor et al., 1999). The National Reading Panel found that teachers could improve comprehension

instruction by “…keeping students engaged in their reading by providing tasks that demand active involvement”

(2000, p. 4-8). Grow into Reading asks students to participate in a wide variety of engaging comprehension-enhancing

activities such as dancing, singing, and creating.

Writing instruction should coincide with reading instruction because it helps studentsdevelop concepts of print and understand the organization of language.

Thirty years of research has shown that writing instruction should include explicit modeling and practice with the

conventions of written English. Children benefit from systematic instruction and practice with spelling, grammar,

usage, mechanics, and written presentation skills. Children in kindergarten should begin to use their knowledge of

language structure and how print works to begin to put their ideas onto paper with pictures and words (Morrow,

1997). Writing instruction should coincide with reading instruction because it helps students understand the concept

of print and the organization of language (Anderson et al., 1985; Bromley, 2000; Clay, 1975).

In Grow into Reading all children practice writing their own name. This shows students there is a distinction among

their names in print and builds a foundation for the analysis of new words (Clay, 1991). They also learn to write both

uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet and to write numerals. Throughout the program the teacher models

writing whenever he or she puts lines of a poem, story, or song on the chalkboard or on cards in the pocket chart.

Writing also aids students with their phonemic and phonological awareness because they are required to encode words.

It supports their understanding that words are a sequential combination of phonemes (McCracken & McCracken, 1987).


Children draw and dictate to express ideas and opinions about the stories and poems they have learned and to record

their thoughts about the read alouds, science experiments, and other language activities taking place in their

classroom. Writing is taught using both shared and interactive writing approaches, which are important parts of a

literacy program (Bromley, 2000; Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). Students gradually become more involved and responsible

for their writing. As a result, children learn that writing carries meaning and has a purpose.

As students learn and develop their language skills, they are also learning about theworld around them through these literacy experiences.

The increasing availability of ideas and information requires that children be taught to research, gather, and produce

information using effective skills and strategies. It is important for kindergartners to begin learning the basic skills

involved in processing information. As students learn and develop their language skills, they are also learning about

the world around them through these literacy experiences (Goodman, 1992). Students need to be able to process and

understand the knowledge they gain from these experiences. Instruction in research and inquiry skills should begin at

an early age. The goal of this explicit instruction should be to prepare children to become independent at finding,

using, and providing information throughout their lives (Welpner, Valmont, & Thurlow, 2000). Carr writes, “…

objectives must include application, analysis, divergent thinking, opportunities to organize ideas and support value

judgments” (1988, p.70). Grow into Reading teaches the skills students need to understand, process, and evaluate the

information that surrounds them.

Young children are naturally curious and work hard to make sense of their world. To build their data analysis skills,

kindergartners need to begin with concrete information and representations from their immediate world so they will be

prepared to understand more abstract data representations in the future (Curcio & Folkson, 1996). Throughout Grow

into Reading, children have many opportunities to categorize and relate concepts graphically as they gather

information and present it pictorially on a simple graph, table, or calendar. Children also organize information

numerically, by size or shape, and alphabetically. These activities are the basics of thinking and concept development

(Carr, 1988; McCracken & McCracken, 1979). Additionally, children are asked to analyze and/or compare data based on

observations they make during science experiments. These different ways of gaining and analyzing knowledge ensure

that students are learning true inquiry skills (McCracken & McCracken, 1986). Grow into Reading gives kindergarteners

the data analysis skills and experiences they need.

As students are read to or read themselves, they are adding new information to their prior learning about a particular

topic. They process this information to improve their understanding of the topic. Good readers need to become adept

at processing information while reading (Pearson et al., 1992). Grow into Reading actively engages students in

processing and evaluating the texts they encounter. The program provides kindergartners with the beginning stages of

inquiry skills at an age-appropriate level. Kindergartners need to begin developing these skills to prepare them for

what will be expected of them as they progress through their schooling. They will need to be able to classify,

categorize, and compare information from printed materials. Grow into Reading gives students opportunities to begin

experimenting with these skills at their own level. Research has shown the students’ ability to process various texts

and apply these skills can be improved with instruction and guidance (Taylor, 1992). Grow into Reading provides

instruction in these important thinking skills and gives students a foundation to be successful lifelong learners.


Appropriate assessment helps teachers focus instruction and meet individual student needs.

The primary goal of Grow into Reading is to provide early reading experience, knowledge, and skills to help children

become confident, competent, and successful readers. Assessment and evaluation are important components of

creating successful readers. It is necessary to gauge a student’s performance in literacy skills, so instruction can focus

on building the skills students need to improve while using their strengths to support all the language processes.

Assessment should help teachers focus and improve instruction for each student (Johnson & Rogers, 2001).

Grow into Reading includes Growth Charts as the key assessment component to:

1. help guide teacher's observations of children's growth;

2. help teachers identify areas where children excel and areas where they might need more encouragement and support;

3. provide an easy management tool for monitoring children's progress.

The design of the Growth Charts is especially important because it provides teachers a method of collecting data on

each child’s reading development, so that they can then evaluate the data and make instructional decisions (Harp &

Brewer, 2000).

Grow into Reading encompasses eight thematic units, each with a separate Growth Chart. Each Growth Chart lists a

number of literacy objectives organized around the eight skills areas of the program:

• concepts of print, • vocabulary development,

• phonemic awareness, • comprehension,

• fluency, • writing,

• phonics, • and information skills.

Assessing students throughout each theme creates a more comprehensive picture of each student’s progress. This gives

the teacher a clear picture of the student’s progress across time. It also provides the teacher adequate time to observe

and record each student’s reading behavior, so they can make accurate judgments regarding the student’s progress

(Clay, 1991).

These Growth Charts can be useful aids for teachers in reporting and discussing children's growth with parents and

other caregivers or administrators. It is important for early literacy assessments to communicate a child’s progress, so

everyone, especially parents, can support the child’s literacy development (Harp & Brewer, 2000; Johnson & Rogers,

2001; Salinger, 2001). To chart a child's growth, the teacher observes the child during theme activities, indicating

whether or not the child demonstrates the skills targeted in each theme. This allows the teacher to assess students

while they are reading authentic texts in a variety of settings to give a more accurate measure of the student’s ability

to engage in the process of reading (International Reading Association & National Association for the Education of

Young Children, 1998; Valencia & Pearson, 1986). Assessments that are derived from the instructional process, such as

the Growth Charts, give a better reflection of student learning (Hiebert & Calfee, 1992); therefore, the teacher is able

to more accurately focus instruction on the areas the student needs.


EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION

Introduction

In 2003, schools in Las Vegas, NV were invited to participate in a study on the effectiveness of Grow into Reading, a

new literacy program for kindergarten students.

15 classrooms participated in the study from January-May 2004.

Each classroom implemented Grow into Reading instructional materials to supplement their current curriculum. Teachers

administered a pre- and post-test at the beginning and end of the evaluation period and were also asked to complete

a survey regarding their experiences with Grow into Reading.

Teacher Survey Results

Teachers were surveyed on their opinions of the Grow into Reading program. Respondents were asked to rate particular

aspects of Grow into Reading using a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.

• 100% of teachers rated the Grow into Reading student materials a 4 or higher overall.

• 100% of teachers rated the Grow into Reading activities a 4 or higher on the question of how appropriate the activities are for their students.

• 100% of teachers rated Grow into Reading a 4 or higher in response to the question of how engaged students were by the materials.

• 90% of teachers rated the Grow into Reading Teacher’s Edition a 4 or higher overall.

• 100% of teachers rated the Grow into Reading Teacher’s Edition 4 or higher on the question of how easy it is to use.

Teacher Comments

• “I loved all the picture cards and word cards…They loved doing the outside games like ‘What time is it?’ and the

Valentine projects…It was very teacher friendly. I liked the heads up on materials we needed to gather. ”

Katrina Stage,

Kindergarten Teacher

Las Vegas, NV

• “Everything was developmentally appropriate and easy-to-use.”

Jennifer Shenkberger


Las Vegas, NV

• “I liked this program for promoting literacy across the curriculum. It helped me to use literacy in my social

studies/science/math areas.”

Tracy L. Marsden


North Las Vegas, NV


Teacher Comments cont.

• “The posters, picture cards, and trade books were very useful and kept the students interested and motivated!…The

objectives of each selection are extremely close to my state standards”

Katherine Calcaro


Las Vegas, NV

• “They cover all areas of our curriculum as well as consistent spiraling to reteach.”

Jennifer Lepore


Las Vegas, NV

Test Results

66

44

68 7161

73 7265

8878

8591

84 8691

77

0102030405060708090

100

All Students

Pretest Posttest

3326

0

22

4247

52

23

7871

6575 77 76

85

63

0102030405060708090

Students Struggling in Skill Area on Pretest

Pretest Posttest

Students advanced in all skills areas during the time teachers implementedGrow into Reading in their classrooms.Students were evaluated prior to implementation to see if they were proficient in key literacy skills and again at the end of the school year (See chart).

For students who struggled in a particular skill area at pre-test time,growth was even more remarkable. For a closer look at students whostruggled with particular skill areas,only students who missed one or moretest question in a skill section on thepre-test are represented to the left.


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