Abstract

Recent data have shown that only 34% of eighth graders and 37% of 12th graders were reading at or above proficiency (NAEP, 2015). A total of 21% of Hispanic eighth graders were reading at or above proficiency, and only 25% of Hispanic 12th graders were reading at or above proficiency. Of African-American students, 16% of eighth graders and 17% of 12th graders were reading at or above proficiency. In order for adolescents to become successful and productive adults, they need to acquire advanced literacy skills. Many of these demands require an education beyond high school (Rothman, 2012). Concern for English learners (EL) is even more warranted due to the fact that they represent the fastest growing school-age population in the United States and tend to exhibit lower academic achievement than their non-EL peers (Matthews & Ewen, 2006; National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition [NCELA], 2006; Padolsky, 2005; Thomas & Collier, 2001; Klingner, Artiles, & Barletta, 2006). To address this issue, the present study was conducted to examine the effects of a Vocabulary Scenario Technique English Learner Peer Protocol (VST-ELP) with ninth-grade English learners (ELs) who were struggling with literacy. The technique's purpose was to increase students' vocabulary in order to improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The study employed an experimental design, specifically a pre-test/post-test comparison group design with a total of 34 participating students and one classroom teacher. The study was conducted over four weeks with six hours of intervention. An analysis of variance revealed that there was an increase in mean scores from pre to post in the experimental group on both the synonym and sentence tests. Findings suggest that the Vocabulary Scenario Technique English Learner Peer Protocol (VST-ELP) was effective with ninth-grade EL students who were struggling with literacy. Clinical implications and future research directions were discussed.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2017

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Puig, Enrique

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Education and Human Performance

Degree Program

Education; Communication Sciences and Disorders

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0006880

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0006880

Language

English

Release Date

12-15-2017

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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