The Effects of Reading Skills on Elementary School Students With Program Development - Research Proposal Example

?Introduction Disorders in reading skills are a common problem for specifically because of the curricula that are expected to continue to be used by teachers. The persistence of the problem is linked to psychological, behavioral, emotional and developmental associations, making it difficult for students to increase their skills. The teacher responses are also often limited because of expectations with meeting specific standards, pressures associated with the classroom format and links to the expectations with the curricula that are used (Deasy, 2002). While these problems continue to be identified in the classroom, there are not as many determinations to help students that have disorders with reading. Solutions that match the specialized needs of each student and the ability to alter the teacher curriculum and teaching styles are some of the many gaps that are not being looked toward with the reading development which occurs. The result is the inability to match the needs of students that are at different levels while creating complexities in being able to offer the specific needs for children. Problem Statement The problem which is associated with reading skills and disorders is based on the gap from teachers and administrators with meeting the need of children. Currently, policies and standards have been put into place that is based on the needs and development of those interested in creating reading skills. This is combined with the need to have more resources and tools for teachers while finding ways to fill the gaps with students who are suffering from reading disorders. The lack of information available, difficulties with those who are working with the policies and the associations that are created from the development which is expected is the main way in which the problem arises with those who are suffering from disabilities with reading. Significance of Study The basis of this study will be to evaluate and determine the capacities and development which is available through intervention programs for students who have disabilities in reading. The study will examine the different intervention programs and techniques, specifically with gaps and opportunities which are available. Currently, there is not an understanding of the needs for teachers and administrators for students with disabilities. This is furthered with the diverse needs which are associated with learning disabilities. This particular study will look at the gaps as well as opportunities that are associated with specific reading disabilities among students. With this study, teachers will be able to develop more opportunities for students to have capacities to learn to read, even with learning disorders. Definition of Terms Reading Disorder: Difficulty in reading based on neurological alterations in the mind. Dyslexia: Decoding of words which is not created in order. Developmental impairments: Psychological factors which link directly to the reading abilities of students, such as ADD or ADHD. Literature Review The examination of disorders that are specific to reading skills is one which holds specific attributes. General learning disorders are now divided according to ways in which individuals react and the associations which are created toward the disorders. When looking at the standards and expectations, it is noted that there are common reading disorders that many children are now focused on. This relates to cognitive and psychological dysfunctions that hinder the learning process. The problem with the disorders furthers with the teacher and administrative standards and expectations as well as the inability to continue to change the curriculum because of these standards. This is furthered with the classification differences for the learning disorders and the expected intervention programs which often don’t have the correct link to solving the disorders. Developing the needed alterations with the learning disorders and understanding how this is continuing to develop creates a firm basis to finding improved solutions to help those with learning disorders in reading. Basis of Reading Learning Disorders Learning disorders with reading differ from other formats of learning disorders and needs, specifically because of the complexities which are associated with this. The forms of learning disorders are specific to reading because of the way in which the words form and are processed with specific students. Difficulties such as dyslexia, oral reading, comprehension skills and cognitive responses are some of the several disorders which occur among students when reading. It is noted that the decoding process and the way in which students recognize and respond to the different formats for reading create the root cause of each problem and develop into a disorder. These each come with different extremities and needs, specifically because of the decoding which takes place in the brain and the responses which are associated with this. Not only do the disorders come with the decoding process and cognitive abilities which are used. There is also a direct association with learning disorders and the academic association with not meeting standards. Behavioral, psychological and emotional responses to learning disorders create complexity with the problem and the way in which it is returned (Fletcher et al, 2006). The different formats with reading disabilities are furthered with other sensory perceptions which are cognitively altered with students who have learning disabilities. The phonetics and auditory perception of those who have difficulty with reading is another association which is created. The decoding which occurs after a child begins to hear the words is often not matched with the writing or reading skills. The phonics turn into nonsense word reading in which the child is unable to comprehend or create a cognitive link to the words which are read. It is noted that this particular disorder is linked to stimulus tones that are read at different rates as well as the perception which comes from the auditory skills that are used. The concept of phonic skills and the relationship which this has to reading and decoding is essential in understanding how to work with children and building the reading skills which are necessary. The need to understand and decode the temporal order, phonics of the words and auditory perception creates another challenge in identifying the disabilities associated with reading and comprehension (Tallal, 1980). Meeting Curriculum for Reading Standards The ability to read and write specific to standards is one which has been implemented through several years and traditional pedagogies based on teaching. The approach is to create a skill set which each child can carry through their development while moving into deeper sets of skills which are associated with this. The concept of using pedagogies for language development furthers with the expectation that each child should carry a skill set that reaches necessary standards and which integrates fundamental principles for reading and development. The standards which have been created are based on defining what skilled readers should be able to do and associations with each grade level. More important are various roles which the skills play with the development of a child, specifically based on reading skills and approaches which are used. The integration of language principles at each level, specifically with the association of defined requirements of skills, is one of the main complexities which occur with children who have learning disabilities and the expectations which are required (Honig, 1996). The skill measurements which are created for students are combined with the expectations with teachers, administrators and those which are supervising the reading programs. This changes the approach which can be used with those who have disorders with reading and which need specific forms of help. The main question which is being raised is based on how in sync the teachers and administrators are with instructional and assessment practices, specifically with how this relates to the state regulated standards that are within a given area. The curriculum which is now developed is based specifically on meeting standards, working with the community in maintaining these and linking instruction to the pedagogies and theoretical basis that is expected among teachers. However, each of these levels of activity is unable to provide the correct framework and assessments while modifications are required within the pedagogy that is used to assist students that are learning to read. Knowledge and skill guides which are associated with the reading instruction and assessment are based first on professional development and expectations for skill sets. To further this, an examination by administrators, policy makers and teachers need to be made in regards to the curriculum, standards that are expected and pedagogies, specifically with understanding the gaps that are created with required skill sets for students (Strickland, Genishi, 2006). Intervention Programs for Students The current approach which has been used with students that are unable to meet the standards within the classroom is intervention programs that help children to remain at the necessary pace for standards to be met. Most often, teachers are unable to change the curriculum and standards while administrators are developing assessments and a framework as guides without looking at the potential gaps. The only method which has been developed is to create intervention programs with tutors and outside areas that assist with reading difficulty. The approach is to have approaches such as a 16 week course that works with decoding the information with reading and helping to maintain the fluency in which students at each age are reading with. Interventions are furthered with finding the natural tendency of students that lead to the disorder and which create problems with being able to meet specific standards. While this intervention is one which has been proposed by many, it is often not met outside of special education programs and developed specifically with the expectation that those working with the disorder also have other special needs which are expected with learning abilities (Fletcher, Antony, Francis, 2006). Another concept which is associated with the intervention programs is based on finding different techniques which may be used for reading. Working with peer groups, repetitive reading and ways to work with decoding the skills are some of the effects which are used. Phonics, site reading and systematic approaches are also being used with the study and the responses which are created. In each of these intervention programs, it is noted that the comprehension, fluency and ability to respond with phonics only slightly improves. At the same time, the quality and effects with the reading are not as strong, specifically with broader skills that are required for reading and the systematic efforts which are required. The intervention programs, while enhancing some of the skills for reading, are unable to work specifically with the decoding and phonic disabilities that are associated with each of the individual learners while creating an understanding of the cognitive disabilities that are not as effective with the intervention programs required. The gap which is noted with these skills comes from the inability to reach the broader population of those that are disabled with reading and which have literacy complexities associated directly with reading (Browder et al, 2006). Classification of Learning Disabilities Another component which is related directly to the learning disabilities is based on the classification of those with the related difficulty. The problem is one which is related to the cognitive – motivational profiles that are related to students. The classification is furthered with the demographic association which one has, specifically which is linked to the cognition and motivational levels of each student. The deficits in reading comprehension by students at a younger age are specifically linked to the skills which are related to reading and consist of concepts such as phonetic cognition and dyslexia in the student. However, the motivational aspects are related to individuals that have a lower level of achievement or desire to move forward with emotions. Older level readers relate specifically to the motivation, emotions and psychopathology of reading. The categorization then becomes based on low skill and high motivation reading difficulties as well as high skill and low motivation readers. The comprehension level of both categories holds the same response, causing the classification of learning disabilities to be more than the basic cognitive responses for learning and reading disabilities (Siderdis et al, 2006). The link between skills and motivation is further defined by other classifications of students with reading disabilities. Other disorders are known to change the level of cognition and responses which children have, even when these are not directly associated with the problem of disabilities in terms of decoding or phonics. ADD, ADHD, adjustment disorder, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other forms of psychological disorders also contribute to the cognitive levels which children have toward reading. The frequency of learning disorders is known to develop in direct proportion to other cognitive responses and disabilities which a child has. If the disorder is higher than there is also likelihood that the reading development will be slower and will not have the correct functioning. The need to intervene with the educational programs available is the only way in which students have the ability to create specific responses with the disorders and to change the behaviors and disorders associated with the standards that are expected (Mayes, Calhoun, 2006). The link to specific disorders and learning abilities, specifically with reading, then show a direct significance in how one responds to the skills, motivational levels and psychological associations with those who are working with intervention programs. Research Methods The lack of development and implementation for students that have disorders in reading skills is one which implies the need to find different formats to help students who are suffering from these specific problems. The methodology will look at the different methods which are currently being used with those who have disorders as well as ways in which these can be enhanced. The methodology will be inclusive of a qualitative study that is based on observing students with disorders that are working with intervention programs. An average of 10 different intervention programs will be examined with notes taken based on how much impact each program has. The study will examine the type of disorder that the teachers are working with, demographic relationships to this and different behavioral and attitude attributes which contribute to this. There will also be an examination of the changes in reading skills by the students and whether this is effective. The observation of interaction programs will combine with examining more literature based on the intervention studies and how this works to create more opportunities for students. The observation that is created with students who are working with intervention programs will be furthered with a second part of the qualitative study. A series of teachers will be contacted with the examination of the intervention programs and how this is working with students. An average of 50 – 100 teachers will be contacted and given the survey. The teachers will be chosen at random while keeping the need to have demographic relationships to students as a main dividing factor, specifically which will be divided according to elementary, middle school and high school development areas. The input will be based on the teacher responses of how effective the programs are and what can be done to further enhance the needs of students. Specialized problems will be looked into, such as phonics, dyslexia or motivational problems. Each of these will be examined from the viewpoint of teachers and potential solutions which are associated with this. Results The study which will be created will be based on determining the gaps in current intervention programs and how these can be enhanced. This will be furthered with an examination of the teacher responses of how this can further be developed to begin changing the way in which students relate to teachers. The ability to measure the differences with reading skills through intervention programs and to understand how teachers relate to this can create a deeper understanding of what students with disabilities in reading need to change specific approaches to learning. The results will further be determined with the understanding that the curriculum and techniques which are currently used need to be enhanced. Intervention programs and the understanding of how to expand these for different needs will also need to be looked into. It is noted from the above literature that this is a main gap in being able to reach students with disabilities. Altering this particular problem and looking at new methodologies for development will be recommended after conducting this particular study (Ramirez, 2006). The responses which will be given by the study will be essential to understand what intervention programs are working and what the gaps are within this curriculum. More important, there can be an understanding of whether the intervention should be enhanced or altered with different techniques or skills that are available. Combining the observations and questionnaire with information from other current studies can help to expand the potential solutions to students who have reading difficulties. The importance will be to begin looking at specific problems, such as dyslexia or motivational factors, and to attribute this to the intervention programs which are used as well as the curriculum which teachers are currently basing the teaching skills on. Creating a stronger response and understanding the distinctions which are required with different students is one of the challenges which this study will begin to look at in determining potential solutions for students with learning disabilities for reading. The more which is understood of responses, outcomes and techniques used, the more that teachers can begin to change the focus of the curriculum while offering new techniques to the educational system (Thompson, Vaughn, 2006). Conclusion The complexities that are currently a part of the educational system come not only from the standards and expectations that are associated with students. There is also a specific affiliation with the reading skills that students are under and potential disorders that are a part of this. The disorders range from the decoding and phonics of the words to motivational factors and other psychological affiliations that cause reading skills to be hampered. The different components which are related to reading skills create a different need to assist students with the disability and to meet specific standards. Currently, there are intervention programs which are being used to help students; however, these are based on using specific methodologies that are already known within the school. Expanding this to include the alternative methods of teaching and offering this within the classroom is the next step to begin changing the disorders with reading skills and the inability to match standards because of this. This research paper will examine the current problems and disorders while considering techniques which are used for intervention programs outside of the classroom. The approach will be to observe the teachers and students as well as the current methods used. From this, there will be suggestions that are available in determining how to approach students with disorders as well as how to begin incorporating different methodologies within the classroom. Combining this with more alternatives to change the learning disabilities and needs within the classroom can then create a different approach with those who are in need of explicit instruction for the disorder. The approach to this study will be to look at the current methodologies for teaching students with disorders and to suggest expansions of these to further enhance the needs of teachers in the classroom. References Browder, Diane, Shawnee Wakeman, Fred Spooner, Lynn Delzell, Bob Algozzine. (2006). “Research on Reading Instruction for Individuals with Significant Cognitive Disabilities.” Exceptional Children 72 (4). Deasy, RJ. (2002). Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development New York: Routledge. Fletcher, Jack, Jason Anthony, David Francis. 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