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Spring 5-12-2023

The Effectiveness of Using Phonics Instruction and Interventions

in Elementary Classrooms
Brittany Kasprick
brittanykasprick14@gmail.com

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

The Effectiveness of Using Phonics Instruction and Interventions in Elementary Classrooms

A Quantitative Research Methods Proposal

By
Brittany Kasprick

ED 603
Methods of Research
In Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Science in
Curriculum and Instruction
Fall 2022
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………...5
Chapter 1. Introduction
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….6
Brief Literature Review…………………………………………………………………...7
Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………………………7
Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………………8
Research Question………………………………………………………………………...9
Definition of Variables……………………………………………………………9
Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………….9
Research Ethics…………………………………………………………………………..10
Permission and IRB Approval…………………………………………………...10
Informed Consent………………………………………………………………...10
Limitations……………………………………………………………………………….10
Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………11
Chapter 2. Literature Review
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………12
Body of Review…………………………………………………………………….........13
Context…………………………………………………………………………………...13
Theme 1………………………………………………………………………….13
Theme 2………………………………………………………………………….16
Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………………………..18
Research Question……………………………………………………………………….18
Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………19
Chapter 3. Methods
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………20
Research Question……………………………………………………………………….20
Research Design…………………………………………………………………………20
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Setting……………………………………………………………………………………21
Participants………………………………………………………………………………21
Sampling…………………………………………………………………………21
Instrumentation…………………………………………………………………………..22
Data Collection…………………………………………………………………..22
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………….23
Research Question(s) and System Alignment……………………………………23
Procedures………………………………………………………………………………..24
Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………………………...24
Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………25
Chapter 4. Results
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………26
Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………..26
Results……………………………………………………………………………………27
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………….29
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….30
Chapter 5. Implications for Practice
Action Plan……………………………………………………………………………….31
Plan for Sharing………………………………………………………………………….31
Personal Perspectives and Thoughts……………………………………………………..32
List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………37
List of Tables
Table 3.1…………………………………………………………………………23
Table 4.1…………………………………………………………………………27
References………………………………………………………………………………..33
Appendices
Appendix A………………………………………………………………………37
Appendix B………………………………………………………………………43
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Appendix C………………………………………………………………………44
Appendix D………………………………………………………………………45
Appendix E………………………………………………………………………46
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Abstract

Nationwide students have struggled to achieve reading proficiency as measured by

standardized tests. Reading is a critical tool for academic success. Lack of reading skills and

strategies may contribute to difficulty in several aspects of academic life for students. Research

has shown that phonics skills play a crucial part in determining if a student will achieve

independent readership. Phonics skills may be foundational building blocks upon which students

can develop further reading skills, culminating in independent readership, particularly in early

elementary school. Daily phonics interventions may help improve a student’s performance in

reading. The focus of this particular, quantitative study is to determine the effectiveness of a

phonics intervention in the classroom targeted at students who are in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 level.

This 2022-2023 study takes place in a small town in northern North Dakota. The study focuses

on students from two third grade classes with varying levels of academic abilities, many far

below grade level standards. Data from test scores are collected from state STAR reading tests

throughout the year. Scores will be compared to the pre-intervention data collected to determine

growth. The data will be collected from the two third grade classroom and results will be

provided.
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Chapter 1

Introduction

Introduction

In the field of education, there seems to be many concerns. One area of education that is

of concern is a student’s academic abilities, especially a student’s ability to read. In many

schools nationwide, a student’s performance on reading assessments has seen a decrease since

the Covid 19 pandemic. It can be challenging, as a teacher,

to keep up with the academic needs of students, teaching them the required standards,

and most importantly prepare students for the next grade. To do this, teachers must be well

educated in the five areas of literacy and understand why they are the focus areas for best

practice, and ultimately to provide high quality instruction to students (Thomas, 2021). Even

with high quality instruction in most grades, many students will struggle to fully understand all

the components involved in learning how to read because of other factors.

In early elementary grades, it is important to ensure there will not be a gap in a student’s

ability to read or write. According to Cohen et al. (2016), “The ability to read well is key to

success in school, and in life” (p. 654). There are many reasons as to why learning to read and

write in school is important. Learning to read in school is not only important for a successful

education, but it is important for students to be successful in life. Phonics skills play a vital role

in determining if a student can successfully identify and read words. Studies will show the

importance of students receiving phonics instruction and how it is the foundation students need

before they can read independently. Piasta and Hudson (2018) state, “Word-level reading, and

spelling skills are absolutely necessary for successful reading and writing; these provide the

foundation for accessing and using print to convey meaning” (p. 208). In many articles there will
 7
Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

be discussion of the most effective types of phonics instruction and how teachers can support

children’s early literacy development. It is my intention to conduct a study on the effectiveness

of daily phonics interventions in an elementary classroom.

Brief Literature Review

The research that has been written about phonics instruction in the classroom suggests

that it makes a significant impact on a student’s education at a young age. Phonics instruction

focuses on the sound-spelling relationships, which allows students to get an idea of how to

pronounce words and be able to determine if it makes sense (Blevins, 2006). If a student

struggles with phonetic skills, it can create obstacles as they are learning how to read words and

books. There are several ways that a teacher can teach students the skills they need, but many

studies state that explicit and systemic instruction is effective. Instruction that is explicit and

systematic can help students learn the important foundational skills they need to read. Explicit

instruction in classrooms is effective because it involves direct explanations, direct instruction,

and modeling from teachers on how to use reading strategies (Reutzel et al., 2014).

There has also been a great deal of research documenting the effectiveness of reading

interventions in elementary classrooms, specially tiered interventions. According to Gilbert et. al

(2013) the role of interventions in primary level classrooms is to allow students the access to

high quality instruction to reduce the number of students who are identified as having problems

in reading. When teachers have interventions with students, it allows them to work on each skill

that students may be struggling with. Intense academic interventions can be tailored to meet the

individual needs of students with a timely delivery of instruction (Gilbert et. al, 2013).

Statement of the Problem

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

There are many components that help students learn how to read from a young age.

Research has shown how important knowledge of phonics skills are in a student’s journey of

learning how to read. There are many different elements involved in phonics instruction. As

educators we are always trying to find the most beneficial way of teaching our students the

necessary skills they need to be successful in school. These past few years have been especially

difficult for students in school. They have struggled to read books at their grade level and did not

make the adequate growth they needed. Consequently, students who are already behind in their

learning will continue to struggle as they enter the next grades. It is hard to catch up to peers who

are at grade level if students are not receiving the effective instruction in reading that they need.

This research study will examine the effect of daily explicit phonics interventions on a student’s

performance in their reading ability as well their performance on assessments.

Purpose of the Study

It has been personally and empirically observed that the lack of phonics skills has taken a

toll on a student’s ability to read. Reading in general is a complex task. Not being able to read

fluently and accurately can impact a student’s ability to comprehend texts. Castles et al. (2018)

states, “The foundation of reading comprehension is provided by oral language: Vocabulary,

grammar, and narrative skills at school entry and beyond predict later reading comprehension”

(p. 38). Additionally, a student’s chances of being able to understand what they are reading is

stronger when phonics is paired with word level reading and spelling skills (Piasta & Hudson,

2018). Learning the foundational phonics skills is what a student needs before they can take the

next step in their reading journey. It is important for teachers to determine what can be done to

help a student become a successful learner in the classroom.

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

The school district has seen a gap in a student’s ability to read and their performance on

standardized tests. Since students have not been making the necessary progress and meeting

grade level standards, my school district is implementing a phonics intervention curriculum this

year. The school district is putting extra emphasis this year on improving a student’s

performance on reading assessments and teachers want to see if the new intervention program

the school is implementing has created a change in a student’s reading abilities. This study will

determine the effectiveness of implementing a phonics intervention program on a student’s

performance on assessments.

Research Question

How does phonics interventions in the classroom impact a student’s reading abilities and

test scores who are below grade level?

Definition of Variables.

Independent Variable: The independent variable in this study will be the phonics

intervention curriculum being implemented daily in a 3rd grade classroom.

Dependent Variable: The dependent variable in this study will be the scores on a

student’s assessments and if there was growth in their level of learning from the beginning of the

school year.

Significance of the Study

This study is important because of the number of students who are struggling to meet

reading standards statewide as well as nationwide. According to the North Dakota Department of

Public Instruction (2021), the numbers of students in grades third through eighth grade who were

either proficient or advanced in English Language Arts was 42%. This was a decrease of 5%

from 2019. Since there was a decrease in students meeting grade level standards on standardized
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

tests, it is critical that teachers make effective instruction a priority. This study highlights the

need for teachers to teach effective phonics instruction through daily interventions. Effective

instruction can help improve a student’s reading abilities and hopefully increase the likelihood of

being proficient on reading standards, instead of continuing to fall behind their peers who are at

grade level.

Research Ethics

Permission and IRB Approval

In order to conduct this study, the researcher will seek MSUM’s Institutional Review Board

(IRB) approval to ensure the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects (Mills & Gay,

2019). Likewise, authorization to conduct this study will be seek from the school district where

the research project will be take place (See Appendix X and X).

Informed Consent Protection of human subjects participating in research will be assured.

Participant minors will be informed of the purpose of the study via the Method of Assent (See

Appendix X) that the researcher will read to participants before the beginning of the study.

Participants will be aware that this study is conducted as part of the researcher’s Master Degree

Program and that it will benefit her teaching practice. Informed consent means that the parents of

participants have been fully informed of the purpose and procedures of the study for which

consent is sought and that parents understand and agree, in writing, to their child participating in

the study (Rothstein & Johnson, 2014). Confidentiality will be protected through the use of

pseudonyms (e.g., Student 1) without the utilization of any identifying information. The choice

to participate or withdraw at any time will be outlined both, verbally and in writing.

Limitations
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Data collection in this study was limited due to the small number of participants from two

third grade classrooms. Only a select number of students received the phonics intervention

curriculum due to their test scores. Additionally, time allotted allowed for the phonics

intervention each day in the classroom may be a limitation.

Conclusions

This study will focus on the effectiveness of phonics interventions implemented on a

daily basis in elementary classrooms. There are many factors that can play a role in a student’s

ability to read or write but having strong phonics skills will impact how well a student will

perform. The next chapter will review current research that supports the importance of young

students receiving phonics instruction in the classroom and the effectiveness of interventions to

help students with their own individual academic needs.

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Chapter 2
Literature Review
Introduction

The first few years a child is in school is a crucial time. During this time, they learn the

skills needed to help them become good readers. For some students, learning how to read can be

a complex task. If students don’t receive proper reading instruction, it has the possibility to

impact how they perform in the areas of reading and writing. By the time a child is only six years

old they already have 6,000 words in their speaking and listening vocabulary (Blevins, 2006).

Students who learn phonics can make faster progress in reading and writing, therefore phonics

plays a vital role in helping students perform better in school. Because phonics instruction can

help students with recognizing words quicker and more accurately, it is an important aspect of

what helps students reading comprehension (Anderson, 1985; Eldredge et al., 1990).

Interventions, especially phonics interventions, are needed both daily and weekly in the

elementary classroom.

The researcher has observed many students struggle with phonics skills in the classroom.

It has caused students to be at risk in reading and not make the progress they need each year in

school. It also affects how they perform on assessments and the number of students who are

proficient in reading standards. Statewide, there are many students who aren’t meeting reading

standards. According to ND Insight (2022), only 44% of student demonstrate proficiency on

state assessments in the 2021-2022 school year. A low percentage of students being proficient is

a major problem. My school district is implementing MTSS and RTI this year for reading

supports because there has been a gap in students’ reading abilities. The intervention program

being implemented focuses on teaching phonics skills to students who are at risk of reading
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

failure. The purpose of this literature review is to see if phonics instruction, as well as daily

interventions in elementary classrooms, impacts students’ ability to read.

Body of the Review

Context.

The articles used in this research outline the importance of phonics instruction and multi-

tiered interventions on students’ abilities to read words accurately and fluently. The articles will

also show how successful phonics instruction can impact students’ test scores on assessments.

Phonics Defined

Phonics is made up of many different components. According to Piasta and Hudson

(2022), “Phonics instruction emphasizes the connections between spelling (print) and sound

(speech)” (p. 201). When students first enter school, they are introduced to letters and the

corresponding sounds that letters make. Later, they learn how to blend sounds together, spelling

patterns, and how to decode unknown words. Reading is a combination of many skills that

slowly build over time. Many times, a student’s inability to read can be linked to the lack of the

important phonics skills. Struggling readers, who still have problems decoding words letter by

letter, need special support in order to avoid their reading skills from falling more and more

behind those of their classmates (Ehri 2001; Volkmer, 2019). Therefore, mastering these skills is

the foundation students need for them to move on to reading words.

Since English is a complex language, it can require more effort for teachers to teach

content and students to learn then a lot of other languages in the world (Duke & Mesmer, 2018).

Many frequently used words in books are irregular English words, meaning they don’t follow the

letter-sound correspondence that other words do. There are many inconsistences in English with

the relationship between sounds and spelling (Castles et al, 2018). This can provide an additional
 14
Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

challenge for students who are just beginning to learn letter sounds and spelling of words. In

some cases, students will have to use their ability to memorize irregular spelled words and they

will become “sight words” students can add to their vocabulary.

Phonics Instruction in the Classroom

Learning how to read is an important skill for a student at any grade level. Studies have

shown that learning how to read in younger grades is the most crucial time because it is when

they learn the foundational skills needed to read texts. According to the National Reading Panel

(2000), “Phonics instruction taught early proved much more effective than phonics instruction

introduced after first grade” (p. 93). A student’s growth in the first few years in school can have

a big impact on their ability to read texts accurately and independently in the following grades.

There has been a great deal of research done on the most effective types of phonics

instruction in the classroom. Researchers have identified explicit and systematic instruction as

being the most effective form of phonics instruction for students. “Explicit instruction involves

clearly explaining a concept, modeling its application, and allowing for guided practice with

frequent feedback. Systematic instruction follows a specified scope and sequence that builds

upon prior learning and moves from simpler to more complex tasks” (Piasta & Hudson, 2022, p.

206). Reading curriculums generally will have teachers follow a scope and sequence throughout

the year, which will have students previously learned skills continue to build upon each other to

make them stronger readers. Since explicit and systematic teaching of phonics have been proven

to be effective in early reading years, it has been highly recommended by the National Reading

Panel (Reutzel et al., 2014).

There have also been studies done to show that using a balanced approach to reading is

effective. A balanced approach method will incorporate whole language skills as well as teach
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

students phonics skills (Snyder & Golightly, 2017). The ultimate goal of phonics skills and

whole language skills is to teach students how to identify words accurately (Snyder & Golightly,

2017). Being able to identify words accurately can help students in other areas of reading. The

study done in this article involved a seven-year-old girl who has a learning disability. She was

already behind in kindergarten and only meeting a few of the benchmark standards. After

receiving intense and multi-sensory one-on-one interventions, she scored higher on reading

assessments and made huge gains in her reading level. Gains were made in the areas of decoding,

word identification, and comprehension because of the incorporation of a balanced approach

intervention.

It is crucial that teachers have training on teaching students’ phonics instruction. The

teacher’s knowledge and expertise can impact how effective instruction is within the classroom.

Without effective instruction, students don’t have as great of a chance to make progress in their

reading abilities. According to Spear-Swerling & Cheesman (2012), “Without consistency of

instruction and intervention across teachers within a grade, as well as coordination of instruction

across grades, ineffective instructional practices may continue to contribute to some children’s

learning problems” (p. 1694).

There are many goals that teachers set throughout the year while teaching students how to

read, but the main overall goal that teachers want is to give students the skills they need to

comprehend texts they read. “Because the end goal of reading is comprehension, early in the

reading process, teachers should consider how individual skills could eventually be linked to the

larger process of reading and that with practice, these skills could lead to improved

comprehension” (Boyle, 2008, p.7). With efficient and effective phonics instruction, students

have better opportunities to become proficient and skilled readers. Once students become
 16
Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

proficient readers, less focus will be put on the phonics aspect of decoding words and can instead

move on to the next stage of reading which is comprehension.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI)

When students aren’t making progress in phonics and reading instruction, a plan must be

put into place to support students’ needs. To meet all students’ needs, a Mutli-Tiered System of

Supports (MTSS) or a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework needs to be implemented in the

classroom. It can involve a great deal of work to align MTSS practices and coordinate supports

needed for students, but there is evidence proving that the extra time spent of figuring out the

best practices is worth it in the end. MTSS is a three-tiered level of support targeted at helping

students who are struggling and performing below where they need to be in school.

Implementing MTSS can help provide extra support for students who are at risk in reading.

Schools that have MTSS implemented will give students as young as kindergarten the intensive

intervention and instruction they need, instead of the risk of not receiving explicit instruction

until middle elementary grades (Leonard et al., 2019).

Identifying and supporting students who are struggling to read in school at a young age

allows them to have more opportunities to catch up to their peers in school. “There is a large and

growing body of evidence to support the notion that many students enter school significantly

behind their more advantaged and typically developing peers, and that over the course of

elementary school, the academic performance gap widens” (Foster & Miller, 2007, p. 173).

For the gap in a student’s reading performance to close, recognizing and responding to a

student’s academic needs is crucial. Teachers should frequently be observing a student’s daily

performance during reading instruction as well scores on reading assessments. “If we are not
 17
Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

responsive to our students, some students are likely to be left behind in their word-reading

development” (Duke & Mesmer, 2018, p. 16).

Without interventions in the classroom to help students who are already at risk, it may

lead to them not catching up to their peers in school. There have been studies done to show the

effectiveness of interventions in the classroom. One case study that I viewed involved four

schools from four different districts that participated in a pilot program for grades K-3. Leonard

et al. (2019) found that the schools from four different districts who participated in a pilot

program in grades K-3 had success in helping students improve in reading. Each grade

implemented a reading model and huge growth was made in students reading abilities. After just

a year of implementation, students showed significant improvement in reading. Data showed

students increased their reading performance by an average of 8 percentile points because they

received supports during intervention time (Leonard et al., 2019). After two years of reading

supports the percentile point increase was doubled. If they didn’t receive tailored supports, then

such significant progress may not have been made (Leonard et al., 2019).

Interventions in early grades is crucial, but upper elementary students need interventions

just as much. Because students may not receive interventions early on in school, it can create

challenges for them to catch up with their peers academically once they enter upper elementary

grades. There is not a one-size-fits-all model when it comes to intervention with students,

therefore different forms of interventions may be needed to help students effectively make

progress.

Studies have shown that students respond positively to multi-sensory phonics

interventions while doing auditory, visual, and touch activities. “A body of research has shown

that struggling readers demonstrate word reading gains when explicitly taught using a systematic
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

multisensory phonics intervention” (Henry, 2020, p. 4). In the study conducted by Henry (2020)

she stated, “For the vast majority of students, the multisensory phonics intervention that used

visual memory cues, grapheme-to-phoneme correspondences, tactile manipulation, and

decoding/encoding practice was effective” (p.15). Multisensory phonics interventions can be

very beneficial because it is a way of engaging students while having them use more than one

sense at a time. It can be a way of meeting all students’ needs since students each have their own

learning styles.

Theoretical Framework

There has been a great deal of research about how children learn to read and the best

practices. In many research articles, the stages of reading that children go through are discussed.

In 1983 the theorist, Jeanne S. Chall, created the Chall’s Stages of Reading Development

Theory. This theory provides a clear framework of the 6 stages of reading development and the

progression in reading students go through. Chall believes that reading develops in a specific

order and that each skill builds upon the previous one learned. She stated, “Reading stages can

contribute to a better understanding of how reading is acquired and how the total environment, as

well as the school environment and instruction, may be made optimal for pupils at different

stages” (Chall, 1989, p. 13).

The stages of reading development are helpful for teachers because it can guide

instruction for what students need to learn and how they learn in each stage of reading. This

theory will help me determine what target skills students need to know in each stage and

effectively use that knowledge while teaching small group tiered interventions.

Research Question
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

In response to the literature reviewed and my passion to help students who have always

been struggling readers, this will be the focus of my research study:

How does phonics interventions in the classroom impact a student’s reading abilities and

test scores who are below grade level?

Conclusions

This chapter reviewed literature that discussed phonics instruction and interventions that

are implemented in the elementary classroom. In the world of education, teachers and

administrators need to find the most effective ways to help students achieve success in school.

There are many approaches to teaching students’ phonics in the classroom, but explicit and

systematic phonics instruction has been proven to be the most effective way of teaching students

important skills to set them up for success as readers. There is a focus put on tiered interventions

in school and how it positively impacts a student’s level of learning. Implementing tiered

interventions in the classroom will allow for the individual need of each student to be met. This

study will focus on how phonics instruction and interventions can impact and allow growth in a

student’s reading ability throughout the year. The next chapter will cover the methodology of

this study and how data will be collected.

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Chapter 3
Methods
Introduction
This action research will be conducted to study the effectiveness of implementing a

phonics intervention program daily into the classroom and determine its impact on students test

scores. Studies have shown how important phonics instruction is in the classroom to help

students learn the foundational skills needed, for them to read independently. According to the

National Reading Panel (2000), when phonics instruction is taught in kindergarten and first grade

it can make a significant impact on a student’s growth in school because it is right before they

start to read on their own. The earlier exposure to phonics instruction, the better. If students don’t

have explicit, systematic, or multisensory phonics instruction it can cause them to not gain the

knowledge needed to become proficient readers. Students need to learn the sounds letters make,

blend them together, and be able to take that knowledge and put it into word form.

Research Question
How does phonics interventions in the classroom impact a student’s reading abilities and

test scores who are below grade level?

Research Design
This will be a quantitative research study to collect data from tests and then analyze the

data to see if implementing daily interventions in the classroom can positively impact a student’s

performance on tests. This method was chosen because it aligns with what tests students will

already have to take throughout the school year. Data will be used from the STAR state reading

tests students take every quarter during the school year to determine the areas students made

growth in and if they moved out of a lower tiered intervention group.

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Setting
The setting of the study will be in rural community in the northeastern part of North

Dakota. The population of this small town is 381 people. Many of the families are either farm

families or have jobs in a larger city nearby, but overall, the town consist of lower income

families. There are many students from surrounding areas that attend school in this district

because of the small class sizes. The school district only has one school, and it consists of

students from grades PreK-8th. There are a total of 194 students in the school. Within the last few

years, the student population has become more diverse. Of those students, 86% are Caucasian,

7% are of two or more races, 6% are Hispanic/Latino, and 1% are American Indian or Alaska

Native. There are 25% of the student population that receive free/reduced lunch. The school

currently doesn’t have any English Language Learners, however a good majority of students in

the school qualify for special education services. In PreK-8th grade, 16.5% of the student

population qualify for special education services and are on Individualized Education Plans

(IEPs).

Participants

The students in this study will be from two third grade classrooms. There will be 6 males

and 4 females. Of those students, there are 2 students who are on IEPs. The ages of the

participants will range from 8-9 years old. The students come from a wide variety of

backgrounds, mixed ethnicities, and family dynamics. Many of these students receive

free/reduced lunch.

Sampling
 22
Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

This will be a purposive sample based upon a student’s performance thus far in this

school year. These students qualified for the interventions programs the school is implementing

this year in hopes of helping students improve their test scores. The students will be from both

third grade classrooms to provide a larger group of participants.

Instrumentation
The researcher will be using the STAR data instrumentation from the Renaissance

program website. Students will take the STAR reading test and answer 34 multiple choice

questions. If a student, answers a question correctly, the next question may be harder. If they

answer the question wrong, the following question may be easier. Questions on the test will

include short paragraphs or sentences for students to read and afterwards they will have to

answer a comprehension question. Other types of questions will involve a student having to

determine what the meaning of a word in a sentence is. The reports are instantly generated once

the data is collected. The third grade classes will remain the same and both classes will take the

state reading test each of the four quarters throughout the school year.

Data Collection
The data will be collected from the STAR reading test students take every quarter, which

will be a total of four times throughout the school year. Initial data was collected in September to

have an indication where the student’s level is at the beginning of the school year. The researcher

will administer the STAR state reading test. This test will be taken on a computer. After a

student has finished taking the test, the researcher will be able to see their results. The scores will

instantly be calculated. The student will show as being below or at/above benchmark. The colors

corresponding with the benchmark tiers of learning are green, blue, yellow, or red.
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Data Analysis
Once data has been collected from the STAR state reading tests, the scores will be

analyzed to see if growth was made from the previous tests. On the STAR reading tests, the

researcher can look at specific areas of reading, specifically a student’s phonics scores. The test

also shows what a student’s equivalent grade level is and their scaled score, which will depend

on the difficulty level of questions they had to answer. Percentages of questions answered

correctly are calculated from the test and it shows if a student has moved to a higher tier of

learning.

Research Question and System Alignment

Table 3.1 provides a description of the alignment between the study Research Question and the

methods used in this study to ensure that all variables of study have been accounted for

adequately.

Research Question Alignment

Research Variables Design Instrument Validity & Technique Source
Question Reliability (e.g.,
interview)
RQ1 IV: Quantitative STAR The STAR STAR 10 Third
How does Study Reading Reading Reading Grade
phonics Phonics Test Test was Test Students
interventions Intervention taken Created by Given
in the Program quarterly Renaissance. each of
classroom All test the four
impact a DV: scores are quarters
student’s Student’s automatically on
reading test scores calculated computers
abilities and using this in the
test scores program classroom.
who are after students
below grade have finished
level? their test.
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Procedures
This study took place daily over the course of the 2022-2023 school year. The third grade

teachers used the Fundations intervention curriculum provided by the school district. This is a

multisensory/systematic phonics and spelling curriculum designed to help students at all learning

levels. Each day students are gathered in a small group setting where the teacher models first and

then students get the chance to practice the skills learned throughout the lesson using a wider

variety of materials. Students will receive 30 minute interventions daily using this curriculum. At

the beginning of the year, students took the STAR reading test to see where their beginning level

of learning is. Each of the four quarters, students will continue to take the STAR state reading

test to see if progress has been made from implementing the reading intervention program. Once

a student completes the test, the data sheet will show a student’s score and what tier of learning

they are currently in. A student does not retake the test once they finish unless the test site shows

that a student finished the test too quickly and appropriate scores can’t be given.

Ethical Considerations
To protect the well-being of the participants in this study, a letter of consent form is given

to parents beforehand. It is required to inform parents what this study is about and that there will

be no harm to their child. They are made aware that a child’s education in school can be

benefited by showing the growth they have made throughout the year. Parents will be reassured,

in the consent form, that the identify of their child will be protected and will remain anonymous

throughout the study. Once permission forms have been signed and returned for the study, data

can begin to be collected.

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Conclusions
In this chapter the researcher discussed the setting of the study and the selection of

participants. The researcher also discussed how data was collected and analyzed in the

quantitative study. In the next chapter, the researcher will provide the results from the study

conducted and discuss the findings.

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Chapter 4
Results

Introduction

Learning how to read is one of the most important skills students must learn how to do in

school and many students struggle to read proficiently. If students struggle with reading, school

may be challenging for them since reading crosses over to all subjects. When students first enter

school, they learn all the key foundational knowledge needed before reading can happen. Part of

the foundational knowledge students need to learn is phonics. A way to help support students in

catching up to their peers, is grouping them together with other students at the same academic

level. This support can happen using the MTSS model by grouping students in three tiered levels

and having instruction specifically geared towards helping them grow in the areas of reading

they struggle with.

With previous research showing the importance of students learning phonics skills in

school, especially at a young age, this action research was aimed at determining the effectiveness

of implementing a phonics intervention curriculum in the classroom. The end goal was to see if

the curriculum was successful at helping students make growth in their reading abilities as well

as their assessments scores.

Data Collection

Quantitative data was collected throughout the school year. A portion of the students in

the class, based on the tier of learning they are in, received daily intervention lessons for 30

minutes each week in small groups. The lessons were from the school’s phonics curriculum that

was implemented this year. Students were given four state STAR reading assessments that began
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

at the beginning of the school year. The students are required to take the state STAR reading

assessment at least once each quarter. Data was collected from each assessment to determine if

there was progress made in their scores.

There are many components the data collected can show about each student. For

example, in Appendix A there is a table showing the level of learning students are placed in

based on their performance on a test. The column SS (scaled score) represents how well students

did answering questions and the difficulty level of those questions. The column GP (grade

placement) represents the specific month in which the student took the test throughout the year.

The column GE (grade equivalent) shows what appropriate grade level the students match up

with based on their scores. The PR (percentile rank) shows how well the students performed

compared to other students in the same grade throughout different schools in the United States.

The column EROF (estimated reading oral fluency) is how quickly students can accurately read

words and how that translates to their comprehension of the text they read. Finally, the column

LR (lexile range) shows the appropriate reading level and difficulty of texts based on the

students test scores.

Results

Table 4.1

Table 4.1 shows the STAR reading test data that was collected from two third grade

classrooms. There were four categories the students will be placed in based on their test scores.

The categories were urgent intervention, intervention, proficient (meeting benchmark standards),

and at/above grade level. The students scores are highlighted below to easily show their progress

throughout the year. Data gathered was from the beginning of the school year up until the end of

March. Each student took the test in their designated classroom. Students will take one more test
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

at the end of April during quarter four to get the final data for the school year. There were

students who fluctuated with their test scores, but all 10 students made growth in their test scores

when compared to the beginning of the school year. There may have been different factors that

influenced students test scores decreasing between the test dates and, as a teacher, it can be hard

to control those outside factors.

`
Color Codes for Grouping:
Red- Urgent Intervention
Yellow- Intervention
Blue- Proficient
Green- At/Above Grade Level

STAR Reading Test Results in Third Grade Classrooms

Student September December February March Percent Change
Of Scaled Score
1 929 925 1003 1009 8.61%

2 975 999 1004 1020 4.62%

3 994 1020 992 1054 6.04%

4 939 961 945 952 1.38%

5 955 988 1072 1103 15.50%

6 992 939 957 1002 1.01%

7 805 809 804 837 3.98%

8 798 772 792 896 12.28%

9 798 811 839 915 14.66%

10 822 821 774 879 6.93%

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Data Analysis
As the previous literature reviewed suggested, a student needs to have strong phonics

skills to become an independent reader. The data from this quantitative study shows that students

have been making the necessary progress needed throughout the school year. After the STAR

assessment was taken in March, there were two students who were at/above grade level, three

students who were proficient, one student who was in the intervention category, and four

students who were still in the urgent intervention category. The students who are in the urgent

intervention category have struggled with reading their previous years in school. Sometimes it

can take a while for students to catch up to their peers if they tend to usually be in the urgent

intervention category. There were some students who made significant growth in their test scores

during each testing period. A few students moved out of the intervention category and are now

meeting benchmark standards for their grade level. Other students have steadily made

improvements, even if that means they still are in the red or yellow intervention category.

Once students were placed in their appropriate MTSS tiered groups of learning after the

first test results, it made it easier to meet students at their levels of learning rather than trying to

teach all students in the class the same material. This differentiation helped lessen the chance of

material being too easy for students or other students struggling to grasp what is being taught. If

students were kept in a large whole group setting, not all students may get out of the lesson what

they need to.

The goal at the end of the school year is to be in the proficient category, which is

symbolized by the blue color. Students who were in the green category didn’t receive the

intervention curriculum since they were already testing above grade level. Those select students

did supplemental work that was at their higher level of learning. Students who are in the red,
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

yellow, and blue received instruction from the intervention curriculum. Even though students

who are in the blue category are proficient, those students could still have areas they can improve

in that the intervention curriculum provided. That was my rationale for including those additional

students in the small groups within each classroom.

Conclusion

After carrying out this research, the data shows the positive impact daily reading

interventions can have on students making growth on their assessments. A small interval of time

set aside for extra explicit instruction each day can make even the slightest difference in a

student’s learning. All students test scores have improved since the beginning of the year. Some

student’s percentage of growth is greater than others, but the overall goal was to make progress

no matter the percentage increase. The various graphs and tables provided on the Renaissance

testing site provide information on how students performed in each area of reading. The next

chapter will provide the researchers action plans for using these interventions daily in her

classroom this year and the following years to come.

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Chapter 5
Implications For Practice

Action Plan
The study conducted for this research was able to provide the researcher with useful data

and ways to improve her teaching. As mentioned in the previous chapter, the test results show

the students growth on their test scores since the beginning of the school year. This growth can

be a combination of the students general reading curriculum as well as the intervention

curriculum they receive instruction from daily.

Moving forward, one way that the researcher will use the results is to reflect on her

teaching to see what was done well and areas to improve. Since this is the first year

implementing the intervention curriculum there are ways that instruction can be improved and

areas of reading that need more focus. Based on the test results from the assessment the teacher

can assign additional activities for students to get more practice in the areas of reading they

struggle. These activities can be assigned on the Renaissance testing site and the researcher can

see instant results on how the students performed.

Another way this research was important is by showing the importance of additional

reading instruction. Explicit and systematic instruction geared at students in small groups helped

to improve their learning. Each lesson built upon what was taught the previous day and

instruction was tailored for the academic level of the group of students.

Plan for Sharing

Overall, the study has been very beneficial to me. I had anticipated students making

growth every quarter, but I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the scores on the tests.

Moving forward, I will share the results with the other teachers in the school during the
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

professional learning community meetings held each week. I feel as if my colleagues would

appreciate the information I have learned through doing this action research, because they are

implementing the same intervention curriculum in their classroom. I think that all teachers can

learn from each other on what happens well in their classroom and what doesn’t. To become the

best teachers we can be for our students, successes and struggles make room for growth to begin.

Personal Perspective and Thoughts

I have personally enjoyed doing this action research and have gained insight to myself as

a teacher. I was able to see if my teaching was helping the students in my class make the

progress they needed and make corrections along the way. Teaching reading is a passion of mine

because I see how important it is for students and my hope is that my teaching can continually

improve to meet the specific needs of my students.

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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

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Appendix A
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions
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Appendix B
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Effectiveness of Phonics Instruction and Interventions

Appendix C

Institutional Review Board

DATE: January 23, 2023

TO: Kathy Enger, PhD, Principal Investigator

Brittany Kasprick, Co-investigator

FROM: Dr. Robert Nava, Chair

Minnesota State University Moorhead IRB

ACTION: APPROVED

PROJECT TITLE: [2007470-1] The Effectiveness of Using Phonics Instruction and Interventions
in Elementary Classrooms
SUBMISSION TYPE: New Project
APPROVAL DATE: January 23, 2023
EXPIRATION DATE:
REVIEW TYPE: Exempt Review

Thank you for your submission of New Project materials for this project. The Minnesota State University
Moorhead IRB has APPROVED your submission. This approval is based on an appropriate risk/benefit
ratio and a project design wherein the risks have been minimized. All research must be conducted in
accordance with this approved submission.

This submission has received Exempt Review based on the applicable federal regulation.

Please remember that informed consent is a process beginning with a description of the project and
insurance of participant understanding followed by a signed consent form. Informed consent must
continue throughout the project via a dialogue between the researcher and research participant. Federal
regulations require that each participant receives a copy of the consent document.

Please note that any revision to previously approved materials must be approved by this committee prior
to initiation. Please use the appropriate revision forms for this procedure.

All UNANTICIPATED PROBLEMS involving risks to subjects or others and SERIOUS and UNEXPECTED
adverse events must be reported promptly to the Minnesota State University Moorhead IRB. Please use
the appropriate reporting forms for this procedure. All FDA and sponsor reporting requirements should
also be followed.

All NON-COMPLIANCE issues or COMPLAINTS regarding this project must be reported promptly to the
Minnesota State University Moorhead IRB.

This project has been determined to be a project. Based on the risks, this project requires continuing
review by this committee on an annual basis. Please use the appropriate forms for this procedure. Your
documentation for continuing review must be received with sufficient time for review and continued
approval before the expiration date of .

-1- Generated on IRBNet

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Appendix D
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Appendix E