Repeated Readings in Poetry Versus Prose: Fluency and Enjoyment for Second-graders
This study examined the effectiveness of repeated readings in four second-grade classrooms in two urban elementary schools in Northwest Ohio. As determined by the Ohio Department of Education, 75% of the students in each building must score at or above the proficient level. For the 2008-2009 school year Building A, a school within one of Ohio’s urban settings, had a passage rate of 65.7% and Building-B, in the same district, had a lower passage rate of 58.1%. To evaluate the effectiveness of the 10-week repeated reading session of poetry and prose the following research questions were addressed: (a) What is the effect of repeated readings of poetry versus repeated reading of narrative passages on fluency (Words Correct Per Minute) over a 10-week intervention?(b) What is the effect of repeated readings of poetry versus repeated reading of narrative passages on fluency (prosody) over a 10-week intervention? (c)What is the effect of repeated readings of poetry versus repeated reading of narrative passages on reading comprehension over a 10-week intervention? (d)What is the effect of repeated reading of poetry on students’ attitudes toward reading as compared to the repeated readings of narrative passages? Mixed methods design was selected for this study due to both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The quantitative data represents the scores on the pre- and post-tests of Words Correct Per Minute, retelling rubric, Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, and prosody rubric. The qualitative data within the study consisted of student questionnaires, student interviews, and teacher journals following the 10-week repeated readings project.
Reading Instruction, repeated readings, poetry, fluency
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