Effects of a multimedia enhanced reading buddies program on kindergarten and Grade 4 vocabulary and comprehension |
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| Authors: | Rebecca Silverman Young-Suk Kim Anna Hartranft Stephanie Nunn Daniel McNeish |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA;2. Florida Center for Reading Research, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA;3. Language and Literacy Research Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA |
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| Abstract: | Reading buddies programs, which pair older and younger students to read books together on a regular basis, are common in many U.S. elementary schools. Yet, the research base on these programs is limited. Therefore, we conducted a quasiexperimental study of a reading buddies program targeting vocabulary and comprehension. The program we studied paired fourth-grade students with kindergarten students to read, talk, play, and write together. In all, 16 Grade 4 classrooms and 16 kindergarten classrooms participated in the treatment group and in the comparison group. The treatment included 10 one-hour sessions implemented over the course of roughly 10 weeks. Analyses revealed effects of treatment on proximal measures of vocabulary for both kindergarteners and fourth-grade students. However, there were no effects on distal measures for either group. Teachers' perceptions of the program are presented, and findings are discussed in light of the extant literature. |
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| Keywords: | Comprehension cross-age peer learning elementary vocabulary |
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