GECI 591 CAPSTONE PORTFOLIO

Chapter One

TEACHER AS PROFESSIONAL:
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE STATEMENT
COLLABORATOR AND INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER

Buena Vista University

Master of Education
Kelly Lucas
Longfellow Elementary
6th Grade/General Education

January 11, 2014

GECI 591 Chapter One

BVU Standards Addressed
Buena Vista University

Evidence (brief description)

Artifact (title only and

number each)
Differentiated Instruction
Unit (1)
RtI (6)
40 Book Challenge (10)

1. With the theoretical

knowledge base about
students and curriculum
necessary for translation
into exemplary and
effective classroom
practices

Differentiated Instruction Unit (1) that

contains activities and assessments for
diverse learners.
RtI (6) analysis of student assessments and
instructional plan.

2. With the skills necessary

to master, implement and
evaluate research based
effective teaching
practice

Differentiated Instruction Unit (1) that

contains activities and assessments for
diverse learners.
Multiple Intelligences Survey for students
(8)

Differentiated Instruction
Unit (1)
Multiple Intelligences
Survey (8)

3. With the knowledge

and skills necessary for
data driven leadership

RtI (6) analysis of student assessments and

instructional plan.
Analysis of Student Work Template (9) to
guide work on evaluating student progress
Differentiated Instruction Unit (1) that
contains activities and assessments for
diverse learners.
MC/GF Goals (5) to create an environment
for a diverse body of learners
Multiple Intelligences Survey for students
(8)

RtI (6)
Analysis of Student Work
Template(9)

5. To engage in exemplary
leadership and
professional practice

Mentoring Documents (2) to show

collaborations and leadership
MC/GF Goals (5) to create an environment
for a diverse body of learners
PLC Power Point (7) collaboration and
leadership

Mentoring Log (2)

MC/GF Goals (5)
PLC Power Point (7)

6. To effectively collaborate
with a variety of
stakeholders and
constituents

Garden Power Point (3) share information

with stakeholders about school garden
Garden Photographs (4) hands-on learning
outside of the regular school day
MC/GF Goals (5) to create an environment
for a diverse body of learners
School garden workshop to collaborate with
other stakeholders (11)

Garden Power Point (3)

Garden Photographs (4)
MC/GF Goals (5)
Workshop (11)

4. To more effectively
handle the demands of an
increasingly diverse
student body population

Differentiated Instruction
Unit (1)
MC/GF Goals (5)
Multiple Intelligences
Survey (8)

Autobiography
Typically when you ask a teacher why they choose their profession, many of them
will tell you it is because of a teacher that made an impact in their life. A teacher inspired
them. Lit a fire within them to become a teacher themselves. They dreamed of being a
teacher their whole life. I am not one of those people. I didnt have a teacher that inspired
me. I didnt have any teachers with who I had a close relationship. I did not enjoy school,
and I was not a very good student. Growing up I never dreamed of being a teacher. In
fact, I would have laughed if you would have told me that one day this would be my
chosen profession. I didnt really have a clear focus on what I wanted to do, so when it
came time to pick a major in college, I went with Marketing. After graduation I worked
briefly doing marketing for an internet startup company. I realized quickly that marketing
really wasnt what I wanted to do, so when the company closed down, I got a job
evaluating student athletes academic records for NCAA Division I and II sports and
started considering going back to college.
My husband and I had 4 children of our own, and we were foster parenting 2
others. Our foster son was 3 years old and had many academic challenges. I worked very
closely with his special education preschool teacher and therapists to help him gain some
of the ground he had lost during his first 3 difficult years of life. I had worked with my
other children to teach them their colors, ABCs, how to count, tie their shoes, but those
things came pretty easily to them. Working with my foster son was very different; I had
to figure out what he could or couldnt do and really plan how I was going to teach him. I
documented what we did and the progress we made with his teacher and therapist. This is
when I realized what I was meant to do. I was meant to be a teacher. One year after my

foster children moved in with us, I had quit my job and was a full time student in the
College of Education at the University of Iowa. One year after that, my husband and I
officially adopted both of our foster children.
I graduated from college in May of 2007. In August I started my first job as a
Reading/Math K-5 Strategist in West Branch, IA. I had no set curriculum and had to
design all my own lessons. This was a very difficult task at first, but it helped me become
very knowledgeable about many different teaching strategies and techniques very
quickly. Although I enjoyed this position, I felt like I could transfer the knowledge I had
gained into a general education classroom and help students before pull-out instruction
was needed. I worked in this position for 3 years, until a 5th grade classroom position
opened up. I taught for 2 more years in West Branch in 5th grade. After 5 years in West
Branch, I decided to apply for a job in the Iowa City Community School District
(ICCSD), where I live and my children go to school. I got a job teaching 5th/6th grade at
Longfellow Elementary. The following year we went straight grade and I taught 6th grade
only. I am now in my 3rd year at Longfellow and I am still teaching 6th grade.
ICCSD is the 5th largest school district in the state of Iowa, and it currently serves
15,772 students (ICCSD, 2012). The district consists of 19 elementary schools, 3 junior
high schools, 2 high schools and 1 alternative high school. Longfellow Elementary
School serves roughly 340 K-6 students (ICCSD, 2012). Eighteen and a half percent of
the students receive free or reduced lunch (ICCSD, 2012). The school hosts a Behavior
Intervention Focus program with both a primary and intermediate room, Special
Education program and an Extended Learning Program. My 6th grade classroom is one of
2 at Longfellow. I have 25 students in my class; 10 boys and 15 girls.

Professional Practice Statement

My goal as a teacher is to help students become socially responsible problem
solvers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners. Teaching is not just the process of helping
students acquire knowledge, it is about guiding students through the learning process,
providing support when needed, challenging them, and helping them experience success.
I want to start every day expecting the best out of my students and myself. I
believe that people will live up to the expectations you set up for them and if I expect the
best from my student, then that is what I will get. A study completed by Rosenthal and
Jacobson, (as cited in Wong & Wong, 1998) showed that when teachers were told that
certain students in their class, who were chosen at random, were expected to have
greater intellectual growth they were found to have significant amounts of growth
compared to the students who were not singled out as special when tested eight months
later (Wong & Wong, 1998). The teachers had higher expectations for those students,
treated those students as though they would be high achievers and those students lived up
to those standards. In addition to helping students achieve more I also think that
expecting the best out students everyday makes them feel good about themselves.
To be an effective teacher, you need to manage your classroom, not just discipline
students (Wong & Wong, 1998). One of these most effective ways to avoid problems in
the classroom is to anticipate and prevent them. In a study by Kounin, he found that the
discipline methods in virtually problem-free classrooms varied very little from the
discipline methods in chaotic classrooms (Woolfolk, 2004). The main difference he
found was that the problem free classroom teachers were better at preventing problems

from occurring. To effectively manage my classroom I am organized, have materials and

lesson plans ready, make plans and procedures clear to my students, and I am
consistent. It is important that I am prepared for class each and every day. It is easier to
lose control of a room if I am not organized. As a teacher, being organized also sets a
good example to my students and shows them that I respect them enough not waste their
time.
I get to know my students and want them to get to know me. I want to create a
classroom environment where the students feel that I care about them enough to want to
know about them and to let them know about me. I think it is important for students to
see their teachers as people and for their teachers to share a little about themselves with
their students. I make sure I know my students interests so I can incorporate that in to
the learning process to make it more enjoyable for them. Students will be more likely to
pay attention to, learn, and remember things that provoke emotional responses
(Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999). I would like to incorporate class assignments
where students can pick their own topics into my lesson plans (Differentiated Instruction
Unit, Artifact 1). It will give me, as a teacher, an idea of where my students interests are
and give them a chance to explore a topic that interests them. Of course, this must be
done with some structure to insure students are challenging themselves and expanding
their knowledge and skill set. For example, each year my class does The 40 Book
Challenge. Students are challenged to read 40 books from various genres (40 Book
Challenge, Artifact 10). Within these genres, I allow students to pick books of any topic
that interests them, even if its a picture book or a book below their level.

Teaching children to cooperate and work with each other to solve problems is
very important. Throughout our lives we are expected to interact with others
appropriately and school is the best place for children to learn these skills. Students can
gain interpersonal skills and problem solving skills by working to solve problems with
other students. This process is called co-construction (Woolfolk, 2004). One of my
favorite examples of this is something I learned from one of my teachers in high school
that I incorporate in my classroom. Every Monday I write a challenge problem on the
board, put students into groups of two or three and have them try to solve it. This is an
excellent way to teach students how to brainstorm with others, build off of each others
ideas and work together to find solutions.
I do not require my classroom to be silent; I encourage my students to use selftalk to guide their learning process. Self-talk is very important because it helps children
learn to develop their own thinking and problem solving skills (Vygotsky, 1978). I see
the benefits of this frequently in math. When a student is struggling with a problem, I ask
them to talk through their problem solving process out loud. As they began to talk about
the problem they are frequently able to find where they have gone wrong. I believe this is
more effective than when I point out where they made a mistake.
I believe in using scaffolding to keep students in their zone of proximal
development. The zone of proximal development is the stage where a student can master
a task when they are given the necessary help and support (Vygotsky, 1978). By being
aware of a students ability and where they are in the learning process, I am better able to
keep then in this zone. It is important that I provide students with enough assistance that
they can work through a task without getting too frustrated but not provide too much

assistance. I carefully analyze student work to develop lessons that will appropriately
challenge students (Analysis of Student Work Template, Artifact 9 & RtI, Artifact 6).
I like the idea of letting children explore things in detail to give them a broad view
of what things are and how they work. It is important that I allow my students to
discover answers on their own. When I just give a student the answer, it takes away a
learning opportunity (Fried, 2001). I provided a variety of learning experiences for my
students and give them opportunities to explore topics through many types of projects
and assignments (Differentiated Instruction Unit, Artifact 1).
I strongly believe in Gardners theory of multiple intelligences and feel that I can
use it to make teaching methods more effective in the classroom. Gardners theory states
that there are at least eight separate intelligences: linguistic, musical, spatial, logicalmathematical, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist (Woolfolk,
2004). This illustrates the importance of exploring many different teaching methods with
students that are having a difficult time grasping a concept. Each student has their own
way of learning things that is best for them. I survey my students at the beginning of each
year to get an idea of their preferred learning style (Survey, Artifact 8). I try to present
information in a variety of was to reach all students in my classroom (Differentiated
Instruction Unit, Artifact 1).

Collaborator & Instructional Leader

Being respectful of others beliefs and cultures is very important. Thinking of the
United States as a melting pot is no longer a theory that fits. We cannot expect everyone
to assimilate to the American way of life. This country is filled with people from many

backgrounds and it is important to respect that. Through multicultural education we can

teach students the value of cultural diversity (Woolfolk, 2004). In addition to teaching
children to value cultural diversity it is also important that teachers understand that along
with respecting a students culture we must make sure we do not make assumptions about
a student based on their culture. It is important to value our commonalities and our
differences. The things we have in common bring us together and our differences help us
learn from each other. As my schools Multi-cultural/Gender Fairness (MC/GF)
representative, I help my school work toward creating an environment that is accepting of
everyone and their differences (MC/GF Goals, Artifact 5). I work with teachers and
administration to write MC/GF goals each year. I collaborate with teachers to include
MC/GF concepts in their curriculum and plan events that support our schools MC/GF
goals. In many classrooms teachers also tend to limit discussions of culture and race to
the curriculum, but just as we do in other subjects, we need to find real world examples
of how what we are teaching in the curriculum relates to real life; e need to authentically
address these issues in the classroom (Brooks & Thompson, 2005). Each year we do a
service learning project. As the MC/GF representative, it is my job to help plan and
implement this project.
In many classrooms teachers also tend to limit discussions of culture and race to
the curriculum, but just as we do in other subjects, we need to find real world examples
of how what we are teaching in the curriculum relates to real life; we need to
authentically address these issues in the classroom (Brooks & Thompson, 2005). One
way we can do this is by taking advantage of the ideas, skills and experiences our
students bring into our classroom. Not only is this a great way for students to get to know

about each other and each others cultures, but it also makes students feel more valued
and helps teachers get to know their students better. I do this in my classroom by inviting
students and families to share things about their culture. I have one Hispanic student who
has helped the class pronounce some of the Spanish words in our story and helped
explain some of the cultural celebrations we read about in our anthology. Another student
brought in potatoes latkes to share with the class.
In the past decade we have seen a substantial growth in the number of school
gardens in the United States. Schools are becoming more aware of the benefits of
gardening for students, teachers, schools and communities. School gardens offer handson learning opportunities for students. Lessons in all curricular areas can occur in the
garden. Longfellow elementary school has an edible garden started by our PTA. Three
years ago I was asked by a parent if I would like to take over the garden and give students
more opportunities to be involved with it. Since taking over the garden, I have increased
student involvement and found opportunities to bring the food from our garden into our
school and community.
Each year I work with classroom teachers to help them plan, plant, and care for
part of the garden. The 5th grade class always plants potatoes and the following year, as 6th
graders, they harvest them, roast them and serve them to their peers during lunch. The 6th
graders also visit the k-5 classrooms and talk to them about how they grew the potatoes
and read them picture books about potatoes. During the summer, students come in and
help me water, weed and harvest. I send some of the food harvested home with students
and any extra is donated to a local food bank. At back to school night, former 6th graders
come back to harvest lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers from the garden. They

prepare a salad and serve it to the Longfellow families in attendance (Garden

Photographs, Artifact 4).
I attend school garden workshops each year and collaborate with other gardeners
in the district (Workshop, Artifact 11). This gives the opportunity to make connections
with other organizations in the community and collaborate on bringing speakers into our
school. I have also been asked to share information about our garden at school and
community meetings (Garden Power Point, Artifact 3). The garden has given me a great
opportunity to share my interest in gardening and nutrition with students and families.
Mentoring has been a very valuable piece of my career. The mentor I was
assigned when I received my first job was incredible. I learned so much from her over the
2 years she mentored me. We continued to be very close throughout the time we worked
together, and I went to her frequently with questions, concerns or ideas. When given the
opportunity to be trained on how to be a mentor, I was very excited. I remember how
much my mentor had meant to me in my first couple of year of teaching, and I was ready
to mentor novice teachers through their first years.
Mentoring does not only benefit the novice teacher, it also fosters the professional
development of the mentor (Holloway, 2001). While mentoring new teachers, I enjoyed
collaborating with them on how to improve their teaching practice through observations
and collaborative discussions (Mentoring Log, Artifact 2).
In addition to being about to share my knowledge with novice teachers, I have
also had the opportunity to lead some professional development sessions at my school.
When I taught in West Branch, a large part of our professional development each year
was teacher led. I led 2 yearlong professional development groups; assessment for

learning and teaching for understanding. I have also developed professional development
activities for using the Understanding by Design template (PLC Power Point, Artifact 7).

Summary/Conclusions
As I look back on my journey from the decision to become a teacher, to my first
few years of teaching, and now to becoming an accomplished teacher and receiving my
masters degree, I am surprised at how much I have learned over the last 10 years and
how much I have changed.
I have learned what it truly means to be a lifelong learner. In addition to pursuing
my masters degree, I have been fortunate to have many opportunities for additional
training. I have been trained on various supplemental reading and math programs
(REWAWRDS, Phonics for Reading, Do the Math), teaching strategies (differentiation,
Backward Design, PLC, Total Participation Techniques, 6+ Trait Writing) and leadership
(Contemporary School Leadership). I found a passion for improving my practice as a
teacher, and I enjoy learning from others.
My work with the school garden has exposed me to the benefits of outdoor
classrooms. I have experienced firsthand how beneficial it is to give students the
opportunity to take part in hands-on, experiential learning in nature. My teaching now
expands well beyond the 4 walls of my classroom. The garden has also taught me a lot
about sustainability and the benefits of organic gardening and seed saving. I apply these
concepts at school and in my home garden.

I have enjoyed my last 7 years of teaching more than I ever imagined I would
enjoy any career. I learn new things each day and have the opportunity to constantly
reflect on and improve my practice. I look forward to my future years of teaching.

GECI 591 CAPSTONE PORTFOLIO

Chapter Two
Action Research Plan Introduction and Literature Review

Buena Vista University

Master of Education

Kelly Lucas
Longfellow Elementary
6th Grade

01/30/15

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of implementing The 40 Book
Challenge in a classroom on the students level of reading enjoyment, quantity of reading
and wide reading. This study also looked for a correlation between the number of books
read and fluency rates and reading level. The participants were 49 6th grade students in 2
classrooms. In one classroom all students participated in The 40 Book Challenge as
designed by Miller (2009) in. In the other classroom, students did not participate in The
40 Book Challenge. Students participating in the study completed five different
assessment measures in a pretest/posttest format including, DRA2 Student Reading
Survey, The Reading Interest Inventory from Miller (2009), DIBELS, DAZE and DRA.
Student reading response journals were also assessed during this study.

Introduction and Background

When I got my first job as a classroom teacher, I knew that literature would be a
big part of my classroom. I had always enjoyed reading, and I read many types of book,
but I especially loved childrens literature. Before even getting that first classroom
teaching position, I already had a pretty impressive classroom library that I had spent
years accumulating. Before the start of the school year, I set up my classroom, organized
my bookshelves by genre, created a cozy reading nook and waited for my 21 passionate
little readers to walk through the door. There was just one problem. I realized quickly that
some of them hated reading. Hated reading? I didnt really understand how that was
possible.

My first class of 5th graders consisted of quite a few girls that loved to read, a
couple of boys who enjoyed reading (but only books about sports), a handful of
struggling readers who avoided reading because they were embarrassed, and a pretty
sizable group of mostly boys who only read if it was required. This was not what I
expected. I knew I needed to do something to help encourage them to read more and
hopefully, to love reading as much as I did.
I went through the first part of the school year trying to expose my class to a
variety of genres, authors and writing styles hoping something would stick. I wrote a new
poem on the chalkboard every week, I put my favorite books on display on the tops of my
bookshelves, I suggested books to students, and I read my favorite books aloud to the
class during oral lit. The kids who already loved to read took my book suggestions and
some enjoyed reading the poems, but for the most part, it didnt really change student
attitudes toward reading. The one thing that did make some difference was oral literature.
I read them my favorite historical fiction novel by Yolen (1998). Most of my students had
no knowledge of the Holocaust or World War II, and they were enthralled. They hung on
every word and begged for oral lit time. I brought in more books on the topic, borrowing
from other teachers, the library and the AEA. This got a few more kids reading, but my
class still wasnt where I wanted them to be; they all didnt love to read.
Over winter break that year I decided I needed to make some changes in my
classroom. I decided to revamp how I taught reading. I had recently read 2 books by
Boushey and Moser (2009 & 2006). I decided I would start using the Daily 5 and CAFE
model in my classroom. My schools reading program did not have a small group
component, so this model fit in well with our curriculum. Through the use of The Daily 5

and CAF, I increased the amount of time students spent listening to reading and reading
on their own. I brought in audio books for my struggling and reluctant readers so they
could read the same books as their peers. I borrowed boxes of books each month from the
AEA to go along with topics from other subject areas. I also began to conference with
students each week on the books that they were reading and their current reading
comprehension strategy goal area. Through this, I saw students become more confident
readers and saw some of my reluctant readers come out of their shell. I continued to teach
this way for the rest of the year. The following year I had several other teachers join me
in using The Daily 5 and CAF.
The next year I applied for and got a job in a different school district teaching in a
5th/6th grade classroom. The district had just adopted a new reading curriculum, Journeys
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Being the first year with the curriculum, we were told to
teach it with integrity and fidelity. They wanted the curriculum followed as closely as
possible in an effort to bring some continuity to the reading instruction in the district.
Daily 5 and CAF were a thing of the past in my classroom.
When the school year started, I again had a class with a mix of avid readers,
struggling readers, and students who disliked reading. I was looking for something to
help boost reading in my classroom without interfering with the curriculum. A coworker
mentioned that she had used The 40 Book Challenge with success in her classroom so I
read Millers (2009) book, and decided to try it out in my classroom the following year.
The main reason I selected The 40 Book Challenge for my classroom and for this study is
because I liked the structured format that has students reading a wider variety of genres,
but it also gives students choice in which books they read and when they read them.

Students are more motivated to participate in reading activities when they are given more
choice (Reynolds & Symons, 2001). They are also more likely to stay on task, choose
appropriate texts, have quality discussions about their reading, and respond to their
reading (Trudel, 2008). By giving students choice, we help to strengthen their selfconfidence, reward their interests, and encourage positive attitudes towards reading by
showing that we value the reader (Miller, 2009).
In this study we will answer the following questions: Will implementing The 40
Book Challenge increase students level of reading enjoyment, quantity of reading and
level of wide reading? And is there a correlation between the number read and fluency
rates and reading level.

Literature Review
Students who are not reading proficiently by 3rd grade are 4 times more likely to
drop out of school than students who are reading proficiently (Rose & Schimke, 2012).
The amount of reading students do for enjoyment at home and at school is a large
contributing factor to student reading achievement and general knowledge of the world
(Cox & Guthrie, 2001) These are scary statistics but not surprising. As teachers we have
seen that students who read more have better fluency, a wider vocabulary, and an overall
larger base of world knowledge. This world knowledge is critical for academic success
(Hirsch, 2008). Unfortunately, we also have seen that many students do not like to read.
A study conducted by Taylor, Pressley and Pearson (2001) showed that students in
more effective schools spent more time reading independently. In an effort to increase
reading enjoyment and reading level, many teachers are carving out time in their day for

students to read independently. Some teachers use a SSR model where students use the
time to read free choice books, while other teachers are using a more structured reading
format like Daily 5, The 40 Book Challenge or IR where students are given time to read
their free choice book, but they also spend time meeting with the teacher and responding
to their reading.
The challenge is how to get students reading. As the populations within schools
get more diverse, so do student needs and interest levels. Reading materials for students
need to cover a wide variety of genres and topics and need to be offered at a variety of
reading levels (Ediger, 2002). In a study by Green, Kandyba, McDonald and Stevens
(2002), it was found that offering access to large variety of high interest books in a
classroom lending library helped to encourage reading motivation. The greater the variety
in books available to students, the more likely they are to read. Giving students more time
to explore literature and a providing a wide variety of reading material that support
students interests has been shown to increase reading motivation (Luna, Urbanski &
White, 2002).
It is also important to give students the opportunity to interact with others about
their books. In a study by Parr and Maguiness (2005), it was found that when students
were given an opportunity to take the silent out of their sustained silent reading time, they
became less reluctant readers. According to Guthrie and Wigfield (as cited in Parr &
Maguiness, 2005), the interaction and collaboration taking place between students or
students and teachers disposes students to do more independent reading. These types of
interactions can also be facilitated across grade levels. In a study conducted by Monteiro
(2003), it was found that when 4th grade students were partnered together with 2nd grade

students in a paired reading program both tutors and tutees showed significant growth in
their levels of reading motivation.
One way to improve reading motivation and engagement for students, especially those
with disabilities, is to teach at their academic level and increase their interest in the
instruction and activities through choice (Servilio, 2009). Some teachers believe that
increasing a students reading level will also increase their reading motivations, but a
study by Melekogle (2011) showed that when students, both with and without learning
disabilities, were given structured, research based reading program for 18 weeks, there
were significant gains in reading achievement for all students, but significant gains in
reading motivation for the students without disabilities only.
Through differentiated instruction (DI) and offering more opportunities for
student choice, teachers can improve motivation and engagement. DI is a teaching theory
that involves altering the pace and type of instruction a teacher provides in response to
each students individual learning need, style and interest (Heacox, 2002). DI is based in
part on the idea that there are multiple types of intelligences. Gardners theory of multiple
intelligences states that there are at least eight separate intelligences: linguistic, musical,
spatial, logical-mathematical, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and
naturalist and depending upon a persons learning style, they learn, remember, understand
and perform in different ways (Woolfolk, 2004). Individual learning styles are the
preferences people have for where, when or how they learn (Heacox, 2002). By having
knowledge of and using a students preferred learning style, we can be more effective
teachers. By having knowledge of our students learning styles and interests, we can make
sure we are providing them with reading material on topics they are interested in and

giving them opportunities to engage with those materials in their preferred method. When
we provide students with choice in learning activities, we allow them to pick their own
level of challenge.
Students today lead busy lives outside of school. Many students are involved in a
variety of extracurricular activities. Their free time can be limited, and many students do
not choose reading as a free time activity. Many of these students do not see their parents
or teachers as reading role-models so they do not view reading as a worthwhile activity
(Wojciechowski & Zweig, 2003).
Too often classroom reading is limited to textbooks and basal readers. One way to
encourage students to choose free reading as an independent activity is by modeling it in
the classroom (Wojciechowski & Zweig, 2003). The purpose of teacher read-alouds is to
provide a model of adult reading, share literature with students, and to cultivate an
enthusiasm for books (Wojciechowski & Zweig, 2003). For this to be a successful
method of increasing reading for enjoyment, it must be implemented in the classroom on
a regular basis throughout the school year and include a wide variety of texts
(Wojciechowski & Zweig, 2003).

GECI 591 CAPSTONE PORTFOLIO

Chapter Three

Methodology and Results

Buena Vista University

Master of Education

Kelly Lucas
Longfellow Elementary
6th Grade

2/11/15

Methodology
Participants
This study involves 49 6th grade students in an urban school district in eastern
Iowa. Consent was given from the principal for the completion of this study. The
elementary school includes grades K-6. There are two sections of 6th grade. One class
will implement The 40 Book Challenge as designed by Miller (2009), and the other will
serve as a control group. The class implementing The 40 Book Challenge has 25 students
including 8 ELP students and no students with reading goals on their IEPs. The control
class has 24 students including 7 ELP students and no students with reading goals on
their IEP. There is one student in each class with an IEP math goal.

Setting
The urban school district brings together five separate communities, and is the 5th
largest school district in the state of Iowa. It currently serves 15,772 students (ICCSD,
2012). The district has 3 high schools, 3 middle schools, and 19 elementary schools.
This study will take place in one of the elementary schools. The school is a
neighborhood school located in a historic neighborhood in the center of town class to a
state university. Eighteen and a half percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch
compared to the state average of 39% (ICCSD, 2012).

Measures/Instruments:

There will be 4 measures used in this study; 1 student self-assessment Likert scale
survey and 3 standardized tests. The The Reading Interest Inventory by Miller (2009) will
also be administered and student reading response journals will be collected weekly. Both
will be used to guide instruction, but will not be used in data collection. The purpose of
this survey is to gather information about reading interests and reading enjoyment. He
purpose of the writing journals is to monitor reading comprehension.
The standardized tests that will be used in this are the DIBELS, DAZE and DRA2.
These tests are all required by the district. The DIBELS and DAZE are administered once
in the fall, winter and spring. The DRA is only administered in the fall and spring. The
DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is used as a reading screener
to measure accuracy and fluency. The DAZE test is version of maze procedures for
measuring reading comprehension. The purpose of this test is to measure the reasoning
processes that constitute comprehension. The DAZE assesses the students ability to
construct meaning from text using word recognition skills, background information and
prior knowledge. The DRA2 Student Reading Survey will measure the variety of genres a
student reads and whether or not those books are at grade level.
The final measure used in this study will be student journals. Students will
respond weekly to a book they are currently reading. They must at least make one journal
entry a week, but they can choose to make more. Students will meet with the teacher to
share these journals once per week during small group reading rotations.

Design

There are three main outcomes or goals associated with this research study;
through The 40 Book Challenge, students will increase their level of reading enjoyment,
expand their reading interests, and improve their reading skills.
During the month of August, standardized test data from the previous year will be
evaluated to determine the reading levels of students and the classroom library will be
inventoried and books will be added to include texts from a variety of reading levels and
genres. Additional books will be gathered from the school library and local AEA if
needed.
In September students will be given the Reading Interest Survey. Students will
also take the DRA2 Student Reading Survey and begin recording their daily reading on a
student reading log. The 40 Book Challenge will be implemented with all components in
October. Data from student reading logs from September will be compiled to be
compared to reading log data in May. From October to May The 40 Book Challenge will
be used in conjunction with the required reading curriculum. Students will keep a reading
log, meet weekly with their classroom teacher to discuss what they have read, and will
reflect weekly on the books they have read in their reading journal. In May standardized
tests (DIBELS, DAZE, DRA2) and reading surveys will be administered again. Results
will be compared to data gathered in October. The Likert student survey will also be
administered in May.

Results
Likert scale student surveys were administered to gather data on the following
questions: I enjoy reading more this year than I did last year, I read more this year than I

did last year, I have read a wider variety of genres this year than I did last year, I enjoy
doing The 40 Book Challenge. Two free response questions were also given: Are there
any genres you have read through The 40 Book Challenge this year that you did not read
or did not read before reading them for The 40 Book Challenge? If so, what were they?
And is there anything else you would like to let me know about you as a reader or The 40
Book Challenge? Students in the control group were only given the first 3 questions. The
possible responses to the Likert scale questions were: strongly agree, somewhat agree,
neutral/no opinion, somewhat disagree, and strongly disagree.
Students in both groups showed an increase in reading enjoyment from last year
to this year with 19 students in The 40 Book Challenge group strongly or somewhat
agreeing and 17 students in the control group strongly or somewhat agreeing. No students
in The 40 Book Challenge group disagreed with this statement (Figure 1).
Students in both groups also felt like they read more this year than last year with
17 students from the The 40 Book Challenge group strongly or somewhat agreeing and 16
students from the control group somewhat agreeing. Both groups had students who felt
neutral about their increase in reading; 5 in the The 40 Book Challenge group and 8 in the
control group (Figure 2).
Students in both groups felt like they read a wider variety of genres this year with
20 from The 40 Book Challenge group and 14 from the control group strongly or
somewhat agreeing. Only 1 student from either group felt like he/she had read fewer
genres than they did last year (Figure 3).
Students were administered the DRA2 Student Reading Survey to measure reading
wide reading. This is a self-reported measure of the books a student has read over the last

2 months. A score of 4 indicates the student has read a wide variety of texts across 3 or
more genres on and above grade level, a score of 3 indicates the student has read at least
4 titles from 2-3 genres or multiple books from 1 genre that were generally on grade
level, a score of 2 indicates the student has been only 2-3 titles that were slightly below
grade level, and a score of 1 indicates less than 2 titles read. The fall data showed 11
students received a score of 4, 10 students received a score of 3, and 4 received a score of
2. The winter data showed significant improvement in these scores with 19 students
receiving a score of 4, 3 students receiving a score of 3, and 3 receiving a score of 2
(Figure 5 & 6).
Students in The 40 Book Challenge group were split on their enjoyment of
participating. Only 8 students enjoyed doing The 40 Book Challenge, 6 were neutral or
had no opinion, and 11 did not enjoy participating (Figure 4). These numbers were further
elaborated on in the open response question Is there anything else you would like to let
me know about you as a reader or The 40 Book Challenge. Six students reported that
they had a hard time keeping track of their 40 Book Challenge record sheet and 2 said
they didnt like having to write down what they read.
Fifteen out of the 25 students in The 40 Book Challenge group reported that they
had discovered a genre they previous didnt enjoy or didnt read while doing The 40
Book Challenge and now enjoy reading it. Seven students now enjoy reading historical
fiction, 4 now enjoy informational texts, 2 enjoy poetry and 2 enjoy fantasy.
Data was collected from several standardized assessments. The DIBELS is
administered 3 times each year. In the fall, all students from The 40 Book Challenge
group were reading adequate number of words per minute, but 3 were not reading with

sufficient accuracy; 2 being slightly below and 1 significantly below. At the end of this
study, all 3 students had made improvements with the 2 who were slightly below meeting
the standard and the 1 significantly below being only slightly below.
The DAZE test was also administered to students. In the fall all students in The 40
Book Challenge group met proficiency on the DAZE test with an average score of 36.4.
On the spring test, all students were still meeting proficiency, but the average score had
risen to 40.2. The control class had 92% proficiency in the fall with an average score of
34.2. In the spring the class remained at 92% proficiency, but the class average had risen
to 39.5.
Summary
These results show an increase in all areas by the group who participated in The
40 Book Challenge. The control group also showed an increase in all areas, although the
increases were slightly smaller except for in the DAZE results. The control group had a
larger increase on the DAZE test. One of the most significant increases was on wide
reading according to the DRA2 Student Reading Survey.
I enjoy reading more this year than I did last year. Figure 1

I read more this year than I did last year. Figure 2

I have read a wider variety of genres this year than I did last year. Figure 3

I enjoy doing The 40 Book Challenge Figure 4

Wide Reading Fall Figure5

Wide Reading Spring Figure 6

GECI 591 CAPSTONE PORTFOLIO

CHAPTER FOUR
Conclusions and Implications to Practice

Buena Vista University

Master of Education

Kelly Lucas
Longfellow Elementary
6th Grade

2/22/15

Conclusions
Research shows that students who spend more time reading in school perform as
well as or better on standardized tests of reading comprehension than students who spend
less time reading (Williams, Hall, Hedrick, Lamkin & Abendroth, 2013).The act of
reading fosters the ability to read accurately, fluently, and with comprehension; simply
stated, reading makes you a better reader (Allington, 2012). In addition to more time
spent reading, reading a wide variety of genres has also been shown to contribute to
increased listening comprehension.
This research led me to try to find ways to increase the amount of time my
students spend reading in and outside of the classroom and to encourage students to read
a wider variety of genres. I was introduced to The 40 Book Challenge by a coworker who
had used it in her classroom with success. The 40 Book Challenge is an effort to
encourage more independent, free-choice reading. Each student has a goal of reading 40
books from a variety of genres. Students are given at least 20 minutes of free reading
time each day, and are expected to read for at least another 20 minutes each night as
homework. Reading 40 books is not a requirement; it is a goal.
The Likert scale administered to students showed an increase in reading
enjoyment and wide-reading from both groups although The 40 Book Challenge group
had slightly higher numbers. This data was not statistically significant and could not be
used to show that The 40 Book Challenge increases amount of reading or wide-reading.
However, the DRA2 Student Reading Survey did show a large increase in wide-reading in
The 40 Book Challenge group. Open response questions on the student survey also

showed that many students had discovered a genre through The 40 Book Challenge that
they previously had not read, or had not enjoyed reading. I think that this shows that The
40 Book Challenge did increase wide-reading for most students.
Data collected through standardized DIBELS and DAZE assessments showed
some increases in fluency and comprehension, but again, nothing of statistical
significance. I believe that this may be, in part, due to the level of reading ability of the
grade level at the beginning of the study. This 6th grade class is very high achieving with
100% of students meeting DIBELS/DAZE proficiency at the beginning of the year in The
40 Book Challenge class and 92% meeting proficiency in the control class. Both classes
contained mostly students who enjoy reading and read frequently in their free time. I
think the data may have showed more growth in a class with more typically reading
abilities.

Implications to Practice
I think there are benefits from doing The 40 Book Challenge, especially in
increasing wide reading. The 40 Book Challenge fits in well with any reading curriculum.
I would like to continue to use The 40 Book Challenge in my classroom. I am interested
to see if there is a bigger impact on reading achievement with a less proficient class.
There are several areas that I will change moving forward with The 40 Book
Challenge. Quite a few students indicated that they did not like doing The 40 Book
Challenge. Student responses for the question Is there anything else you would like to
let me know about you as a reader or The 40 Book Challenge showed that many students
did not like keeping track of their book log or writing down what they had read. I think in

the future I will have students record the books they have read electronically. I think this
will eliminate the need to keep track of their book log and student may prefer using
technology for book tracking.
Technology Networking

References
Allington, R. L. (2013). What really matters when working with struggling readers.
Reading Teacher, 66(7), 520-530.
Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2009). The CAFE book: Engaging all students in daily literacy
assessment & instruction. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse.
Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2006). The daily 5: Fostering literacy independence in the
elementary grades. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & R. R. Cocking (Eds.). (1999). How people learn:
Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academies
Press.
Brooks, G. J., & Thompson, E. G. (2005). Social justice in the classroom: By recognizing
and addressing the social justice issues embedded in classroom
discussions, we
Association for

honor the whole child and every child. Alexander, VA:

Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Cox, K.E., & Guthrie, J.T. (2001). Motivational and cognitive contributions to students
amount of reading. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 26, 116-131.
Fried, R. L. (2001). The passionate learner. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Ediger, M. (2002). The substitute teacher in reading instruction. [Opinion Paper]
Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED461836.pdf

Green, P., Kandyba, C., McDonald, C., & Stevens, T. (2000). Motivating students to
read. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED449493.pdf
Heacox, D. (2002). Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom. Minneapolis,
MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Hedrick, W. B., & Cunningham, J. W. (2002). Investigating the wide effect of wide
reading on listening comprehension of written language. Reading Psychology,
23(2), 107-126.
Hirsch, E.D. (2008, February 16). The knowledge connection. The Washington Post,
A21.
Holloway, J. H. (2001). Membership. Educational leadership: Who is teaching our
children?: The benefits of mentoring.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/may01/vol58/num08/The-Benefits-of-Mentoring.aspxAccessed 18 Jan.
2015.
ICCSD. (2012). ICCSD enrollment report.
http://www.iowacityschools.org/files/_rWI1d_/925a0e0e002b720c3745a4901385
2ec4/aa_ICCSD_Enrollment_Report_2012_13FINAL.pdf. Accessed 25 Oct.
2013.

Luna, M., Urbanski, A., & White, S. (2002, May 1). Motivating students to read
for enjoyment. [Masters Thesis Action Research, St. Xavier University
and
Skylight Professional Development Field Based Masters Program]. Retrieved
from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED468239.pdf
Melekogle, M. A. (2011, Nov.). Impact of motivation to read on reading gains for
struggling readers with and without learning disabilities. Learning Disability
Quarterly, 4 (4), 248-261.
Miller, D (2009). The book whisperer. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Monteiro, V. (2013). Promoting reading motivation by reading together. Reading
Psychology, 34(4), 301-335.
Reynolds, P.L., & Symons, S. (2001). Motivational variables and childrens text
search. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(1), 14-22.
Parr, J. M., & Maguiness, C. (2005). Removing the "silent" from SSR: Voluntary reading
as social practice. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 49(2), 98-107.
Rose, S., Schimke, K., & Education Commission of the States. (2012). Third grade
literacy policies: Identification, intervention, retention. Education
Commission Of The States.

Servilio, K. L. (2009). You get to choose! Motivating students to read through

differentiated instruction. TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 5(5).
Siah, Poh-Chua & Kwok, & Wai-Ling. (2010, Jul). The value of reading and the
effectiveness of sustained silent reading. Clearing House, 83(5), 168-174.
Taylor, B.M., Pressley, M.P., & Pearson, P.D. (2000). Research-supported
Characteristics of Teachers and Schools that Promote Reading
Achievement. Washington, DC: National Education Association, Reading Matters
Research

Report.

Trudel, H. (2007). Making data-driven decisions: Silent reading. Reading Teacher,

61(4), 308-315. doi:10.1598/RT.61.4.3
Vygotski, L. S., & Cole, M. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher
psychological processes. Cambridge : Harvard University Press.
Williams, L. M., Hall, K. W., Hedrick, W. B., Lamkin, M., & Abendroth, J. (2013).
Developing an observation instrument to support authentic independent reading
time during school in a data-driven world. Journal Of Language And Literacy
Education, 9(2), 24-49.
Wong, H. K., & R. T. (1998). The first day of school: How to be an effective
teacher. Mountainview, CA: Harry K.Wong Publications.
Woolfolk, A. (2004). Educational psychology ( 9th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and
Bacon.

Yolen, J, (1988). The devil's arithmetic. New York, NY: Viking Kestrel.