A theoretical and experimental investigation of Russell Stauffer's approach to reading at the junior grade level.
Creators: name: Logan, Bayne.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1977
Subjects: subject: Education, Educational Psychology.

description: In this study, an investigation was made of Russell Stauffer's theory of reading development. Viewed from a psycholinguistic perspective, it was noted that his theory has a high degree of credibility within the context established by the psycholinguists. Essential to this psycholinguistic perspective rested the notion that evolving intellectual abilities and instructional procedures, by themselves and in interaction, exert considerable impact on the acquisition of higher order reading abilities. The review of the literature led to three hypotheses which form the nucleus of the study: (1) There is a significant difference in the acquisition of higher order reading abilities between older (grade 6) and younger (grade 4) subjects at the junior grade level. (2) There is a significant difference in the acquisition of higher order reading abilities between two different approaches to the teaching of reading at the junior grade level. (3) There is a significant interaction between age or evolving intellectual abilities of subjects and instructional approaches at the junior grade level in the acquisition of higher order reading abilities. As a result of the investigation, conducted with forty classroom teachers, support was found for two of the three hypotheses. The factor of evolving intellectual abilities had significant impact on the acquisition of higher order abilities, as did the factor of instructional procedures. It was found that, while reading could probably be introduced at any stage of intellectual functioning, older children acquired higher order abilities more readily than did their younger counterparts. In a similar direction, it was found that an approach to reading instruction which respects individual development within children produces significantly greater effect among children as they acquire higher order reading abilities. It was discovered that when these two factors were combined, the interaction lay in a direction opposite to that predicted. As the investigation evolved, it became increasingly more apparent that the classroom teachers had exerted a considerable impact on the effect of each of the two independent variables, particularly when in interaction. The conclusions included a consideration of the role of maturation in reading, recommendations regarding the use of prepared instructional materials and a consideration of the role of teachers in the teaching-learning exchange in reading. As a result of the study, it was concluded that maturational processes determine "how" rather than "what" a child will read. Within the context of this broad conclusion, it was suggested that reading can be introduced at any age, providing it is done so in a form commensurate with the child's level of intellectual functioning. In turn, it was concluded that a child begins to read when he first begins to interact with his environment, conclusions which may well digress from traditional views held by many teachers of reading. It was concluded that, since the objective of an effective reading programme should be to expand children's scope of reading activities and interests, prepared instructional materials serve an important role in any reading programme. In this respect, it was suggested that a unique blend might be achieved in the classroom between prepared instructional materials and language-experience activities, the language-experience providing the foundation for the development of reading abilities and the prepared instructional materials offering an opportunity for extended recreational and independent reading. With respect to the teachers of reading, it was concluded that, what children need most are teachers who see themselves as major resources in the reading process, people who understand the language learning process, people who appreciate children's competencies as language-learners.