Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether
exposure of See the Sound/Visual Phonics (STS/VP) in first grade would
have an effect on selected second-grade literacy assessments. There is
some evidence to suggest that the use of STS/VP as an adjunct to
literacy instruction may increase decoding abilities of kindergarten and
first grade students. We are unaware of evidence of the longevity of
such an effect.
Subjects: Informed assent forms were secured from fifty-one
children, randomly assigned to three second grades. Seventeen of the
children had been in a first-grade class where literacy instruction was
supplemented with STS/VP (experimental group). The remaining thirty-four
children had been in two first grades where STS/VP was not used.
(control group). All fifty-one children were identified by a
district-assigned student number.
Method: Permission was secured, via agreed-upon St. Ambrose
University IRB procedures approved on August 23, 2014. This permission
was in the form of a signed assent form, in which parents allowed us to
access results of district-wide assessments, as part of the Common Core
state goals, for their child. The assessments were completed in the
Fall, Winter, and Spring, and given to all students. Results from four
assessment instruments were used: Adaptive Reading, Curriculum-Based
Measurement of Reading, Explanatory Performance Assessment, and District
Unit Writing Assessment. Mean and standard deviation values for each
assessment were generated for each group for the three assessment
periods. Comparison scores were made of the Fall-Winter, Winter-Spring,
and Fall-Spring assessment periods. Two types of assessment are
presented. First, descriptive assessments, in terms of tables and
charts, indicated no particular trend in the data. The second type of
assessments were inferential. A one-way, between group, ANOVA was
conducted to compare the effect of exposure in first grade to STS/VP on
scores from District-Wide Assessments in second grade. In addition,
effect size was measured, following the guidelines discussed by Cohen
(1988).
Results/Discussion: Mean scores for both groups on the
assessments were similar. This may indicate a lack of residual effect of
first grade exposure to STS/VP on second grade literacy assessment.
Results of the ANOVA indicated that the null hypothesis could not be
rejected. This indicated scores from both groups were more alike than
different. Effect size was small in all instances. It may also be that
other forms of measurement, such as curriculum-based probes, may be more
sensitive to differences resulting from use of STS/VP. Since many
educators are using STS/VP as an adjunct to literacy instruction, it
appears there is need for further data on whether this technique has
lasting or transient benefit.