TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of classroom organization on letter-word reading in first grade
AU - Cameron, Claire E.
AU - Connor, Carol Mc Donald
AU - Morrison, Frederick J.
AU - Jewkes, Abigail M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development R01HD027176 and R01HD48539 and US DOE Institute for Educational Sciences R306H04013. The authors would like to thank the members of the University of Michigan, Florida State University, and Loyola University projects as well as the parents, children, teachers, and school district personnel, without whom this study would not have been possible.
PY - 2008/4
Y1 - 2008/4
N2 - Teacher organization is a crucial part of classroom functioning; however, its relation to student achievement has not been investigated as extensively as that of instruction. In this study, organization is defined as the amount of time teachers spend explaining the purpose and procedures of learning activities and daily routines. Data from first-grade classrooms (N = 44) observed three times during the school year (fall, winter, and spring) are analyzed, along with students' (N = 108) literacy skills at fall and spring. Hierarchical Linear Modeling reveals that, controlling for students' fall word reading and vocabulary skills, as well as amount of language arts instruction they receive, both amount and change in amount over time in classroom organization significantly predicts spring word reading skills. Specifically, children in classrooms observed in higher amounts of classroom time in organization at the beginning of the school year, followed by sharp decreases over the school year, demonstrated stronger letter and word reading skills by spring, and this was a main effect (p < .05). Practical and research implications are discussed.
AB - Teacher organization is a crucial part of classroom functioning; however, its relation to student achievement has not been investigated as extensively as that of instruction. In this study, organization is defined as the amount of time teachers spend explaining the purpose and procedures of learning activities and daily routines. Data from first-grade classrooms (N = 44) observed three times during the school year (fall, winter, and spring) are analyzed, along with students' (N = 108) literacy skills at fall and spring. Hierarchical Linear Modeling reveals that, controlling for students' fall word reading and vocabulary skills, as well as amount of language arts instruction they receive, both amount and change in amount over time in classroom organization significantly predicts spring word reading skills. Specifically, children in classrooms observed in higher amounts of classroom time in organization at the beginning of the school year, followed by sharp decreases over the school year, demonstrated stronger letter and word reading skills by spring, and this was a main effect (p < .05). Practical and research implications are discussed.
KW - Classroom organization
KW - First grade
KW - Hierarchical linear modeling
KW - Literacy instruction
KW - Word reading
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jsp.2007.03.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jsp.2007.03.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 19083356
AN - SCOPUS:38949175436
SN - 0022-4405
VL - 46
SP - 173
EP - 192
JO - Journal of School Psychology
JF - Journal of School Psychology
IS - 2
ER -