The purpose of this study was to document, analyze the strategies and techniques being used, and explore the feelings and perceptions often sixth-grade string students while individually sight-reading over the course of 11 weeks. The students were presented with a five lesson unit on sight-reading that focused on different musical elements and presented the students with strategies and techniques to be used as a class and during individual tests. Each student took the Watkins-Famum Performance Test, form A as a pretest and posttest to the unit. Between lessons, each student took an individual sight-reading test which reflected the musical element covered in the previous lesson. Before each test, the students were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the process and how they planned to approach the sight-reading test. Data was collected through field notes, interviews, tests, and video observations. The results show a significant difference in test scores from the pretest to the posttest. The qualitative data show each student's progression throughout the unit in musical language, strategies and techniques used, and the overall change in perceptions regarding sight-reading.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to document, analyze the strategies and techniques being used, and explore the feelings and perceptions often sixth-grade string students while individually sight-reading over the course of 11 weeks. The students were presented with a five lesson unit on sight-reading that focused on different musical elements and presented the students with strategies and techniques to be used as a class and during individual tests. Each student took the Watkins-Famum Performance Test, form A as a pretest and posttest to the unit. Between lessons, each student took an individual sight-reading test which reflected the musical element covered in the previous lesson. Before each test, the students were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the process and how they planned to approach the sight-reading test. Data was collected through field notes, interviews, tests, and video observations. The results show a significant difference in test scores from the pretest to the posttest. The qualitative data show each student's progression throughout the unit in musical language, strategies and techniques used, and the overall change in perceptions regarding sight-reading.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Deen, Natalie J."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Music Education - Instrumental Concentration","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Schwob School of Music","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Elizabeth Parker","Sean Powell"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:44:48Z","subjects":["Sixth-Grade","Watkins-Farnum Performance Test","Sight-Reading","Music","Music Education"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/1","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Elizabeth Parker","Sean Powell"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Deen, Natalie J."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-09-24T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Schwob School of Music"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Music Education - Instrumental Concentration"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Sixth-Grade","Watkins-Farnum Performance Test","Sight-Reading","Music","Music Education"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/1"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to document, analyze the strategies and techniques being used, and explore the feelings and perceptions often sixth-grade string students while individually sight-reading over the course of 11 weeks. The students were presented with a five lesson unit on sight-reading that focused on different musical elements and presented the students with strategies and techniques to be used as a class and during individual tests. Each student took the Watkins-Famum Performance Test, form A as a pretest and posttest to the unit. Between lessons, each student took an individual sight-reading test which reflected the musical element covered in the previous lesson. Before each test, the students were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the process and how they planned to approach the sight-reading test. Data was collected through field notes, interviews, tests, and video observations. The results show a significant difference in test scores from the pretest to the posttest. The qualitative data show each student's progression throughout the unit in musical language, strategies and techniques used, and the overall change in perceptions regarding sight-reading.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Examining Middle School String Students' Sight Reading Processes"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Elizabeth Parker","Sean Powell"],"dc:creator":["Deen, Natalie J."],"dc:date.available":["2015-09-24T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to document, analyze the strategies and techniques being used, and explore the feelings and perceptions often sixth-grade string students while individually sight-reading over the course of 11 weeks. The students were presented with a five lesson unit on sight-reading that focused on different musical elements and presented the students with strategies and techniques to be used as a class and during individual tests. Each student took the Watkins-Famum Performance Test, form A as a pretest and posttest to the unit. Between lessons, each student took an individual sight-reading test which reflected the musical element covered in the previous lesson. Before each test, the students were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the process and how they planned to approach the sight-reading test. Data was collected through field notes, interviews, tests, and video observations. The results show a significant difference in test scores from the pretest to the posttest. The qualitative data show each student's progression throughout the unit in musical language, strategies and techniques used, and the overall change in perceptions regarding sight-reading.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/1"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Sixth-Grade","Watkins-Farnum Performance Test","Sight-Reading","Music","Music Education"],"dc:title":["Examining Middle School String Students' Sight Reading Processes"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Schwob School of Music"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Music Education - Instrumental Concentration"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:44:48Z"}