Utilizing English Language Development Strategies to Facilitate Vocabulary Development During Teacher Led Read-Aloud

ABSTRACT UTILIZING ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO FACILITATE VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT DURING TEACHER LED READ-ALOUD by Anna Bernedo 2011 Master of Arts in Education California State University, Chico Summer 2011 As the researcher, I examined the following question: How does my use of English language development strategies, while teaching explicit vocabulary instruction during read aloud time, affect all my students’ vocabulary development? Other questions included: Do the students in the study acquire more vocabulary? Do the students obtain a deeper understanding of the meaning of words and how to correctly use them? Do the students respond differently to paper and pencil tests versus electronic format? These questions were examined while providing explicit vocabulary instruction with the use of research-based English Language Development strategies to support vocabulary acquisition for all students in the class. Specific research based strategy models included Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English and Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol. Qualitative data was analyzed to determine the impact participation in vocabulary instruction has on students’ vocabulary development. Multiple methods of data were collected to demonstrate triangulation. Students’ pre- and post-test vocabulary test scores were compared to determine if students made any gains, based on vocabulary questions answered correctly. The number of correct answers for the pre-tests was compared with the number of correct answers on the post-test to calculate the difference. The action research thesis intended to not only examine the gain, if any, of vocabulary knowledge as determined by the vocabulary tests, but also to determine if vocabulary gains had been confirmed by the data collected. Student vocabulary assessments, student vocabulary journals, student letters, observations, video recordings, and teacher journals to interpret students’ development and engagement in vocabulary knowledge were analyzed.