A Read-Aloud Program for Second and Fourth Graders
Authors:   , Bennett Zachary 
Published: February 2023

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate the attitudes toward reading of second and fourth grade students before and after implementing a read-aloud program. The sample consisted of 78 students; 32 from second grade, 46 from fourth grade. The second grade included 16 students in the experimental group and 16 in the control group. The fourth grade included 22 students in the experimental group and 24 in the control group. The independent variables were participation status, gender, socio-economic status, Title I participation, number of schools attended, and family structure. The dependent variables were scores from the scales of the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey. They are the following: Attitudes Toward Academic Reading, Attitudes Toward Recreational Reading, and Total. Pretest scores from the scales of the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey were employed as covariant measures. Six composite null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. Each composite null hypothesis was tested employing a single-factor analysis of covariance. A total of 21 comparisons were made. All 21 comparisons were main effects. Of the 21 main effects, 2 were statistically significant at the .05 level. The following main effects were statistically significant at the .05 level: 1. For fourth graders and the independent variable socio-economic status for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Recreational Reading, and 2. For second graders and the independent variable family structure for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Academic Reading. The results of the present study indicated the following: 1. Fourth graders who had reduced cost lunch had a statistically higher adjusted post mean Attitudes Toward Recreational Reading score than those who paid full price and those who received free lunches, and 2. Second graders who were from intact family structure had a higher adjusted post mean Attitudes Toward Academic Reading score than those who were from other family structure. It should be noted that 1 fourth grade student had a reduced price lunch. Since the statistically significant comparison was due to one individual, no generalization should be made pertaining to socio-economic status. The mathematical assumption of homogeneity of regression was met for all 21 comparisons. The results of the present study appeared to support the following generalizations: 1. Second graders who participated in a read-aloud program from intact families had a more positive Attitudes Toward Academic Reading than children from other family structure, 2. Second and fourth grade children who participated in a read-aloud program had no more positive attitudes toward reading than those who do not participate, 3. The gender of second and fourth graders who participated in a read-aloud program was not associated with attitude toward reading, 4. The socio-economic status of second and fourth graders who participated in a read-aloud program was not associated with attitude toward reading, 5. The participation status in Title I of second and fourth graders who participated in a read-aloud program was not associated with attitude toward reading, 6. The number of schools attended by second and fourth graders who participated in a read-aloud program was not associated with attitude toward reading, and 7. All subgroups of second and fourth graders who participated in a read-aloud program had a positive attitude toward reading.