Improving Reading Comprehension Using Graphic Organizers A Qualitative Study
Martha Youman Submitted as Requirement for the Completion of the Degree: Master of Science in Education Queens College, NY
Introduction Reading has become one of the most pertinent methods for extracting information in today’s culture. This reality has brought upon a focus of reading skills in elementary education as a basis for academic success. As children develop, it is essential that they learn the necessary tools to succeed academically, and it is with the mastery of reading and reading comprehension that students can ensure academic, economic, and societal achievement. With the cultural advancement toward a reading based society, many problems are posed to individuals who fail to gain meaning from written text. The National Assessment of Educational Achievement Report reports that approximately 6% of children between 4 and 9 years of age are not able to demonstrate basic reading skills and, by age 17, 16% of students fail to reach intermediate levels of reading comprehension (Boyle, 1996). The problem becomes more evident in school settings where reading comprehension is used as the base for every subject area; demands for higher levels of reading comprehension become even more significant as students advance to upper grades and require work that is both independent and demanding at the same time. A study by Schumaker and Deshler (1984) found that reading becomes more demanding in integrated settings where students are required to follow written and oral directions, skim reading selections, locate information in textbooks, recall information for tests, read at grade level, complete homework assignments, and locate answers to questions (Boyle, 1996). How are students to satisfy the requirements of all these tasks when they are not provided with the necessary tools to derive information from the texts used for their instruction? Students are failing to achieve reading standards, or advanced
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levels of reading comprehension, and in turn finding difficulty in satisfying the requirements of integrated settings. In light of this problem, it is essential that strategies for improvement of reading comprehension be implemented in order to promote reading and reading comprehension. One of the possible explanations for such findings might be due to the persistence of teaching students to read and extract meaning directly from text, without the aid of a tool to help classify information. A graphic organizer, for example, can provide several opportunities for students to apply tactics in order to overcome difficulties related to reading and reading comprehension. Graphic Organizers as Classification Tools According to Piaget (1969), there is a very close relation between the development of logical actions and that of sub-logical actions. Piaget refers to classification as one of the primitive actions in children and it is the nature of children to classify information (Piaget, 1969). Eight years of experimental work with 2000 children revealed that logical operations, such as classification and cross-classification, are closely linked with elementary actions. It is argued here that as it is human nature to classify information; students are benefited by being provided with a tool for classification such as a graphic organizer. Classification however, evolves as children develop and it becomes more functional in the Concrete Operations Stage; it is important to provide support tools that are age-appropriate and ability-appropriate. Cognitive theorists, in accordance to Piaget, agree on the major components associated with learning from text. Mayer (1984, 1989) conceptualizes the cognitive processes involved in learning by identifying three basic processes: selecting, organizing,
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and integrating information. In order for successful learning to occur, students must select information from text that is relevant to a specific goal in learning. Students then need to organize selected information into logical mental arrangements. Once learners organize information coherently, new knowledge can be integrated to existing information. Research shows that if a multiple stage strategy for implementation of graphic organizers in classroom instruction is used, such as the multi-stage strategy discussed here, the use of graphic organizers will increase reading comprehension of specific texts. Three studies conducted by Horton, Lovitt, and Bergerud (1990), found that students who constructed graphic organizers during teacher-directed activities demonstrated higher levels of understanding compared to counterparts who did not use the graphic organizers(as cited in J. Boyle, 1996). The use of graphic organizers can be incorporated during instruction to improve comprehension. It is essential that students learn to gainfully classify and organize information in order to achieve higher levels of understanding; once students learn, in the early stages of their education, to classify information from written texts, they can transfer such skills when confronted with more abstract types of texts during the higher stages of education. Activation of prior knowledge (AO, CS, PO) In addition to providing students with a framework for logical classification, graphic organizers often promote reading comprehension by activating prior knowledge as students are given the task to make connections between what they are reading and what they already know. Piaget’s use of the term “schema” refers to children’s ability to interpret new information by connecting it to information they have previously obtained.
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As children come into contact with new concepts, they assimilate them by reassuring their already existing schema, or they accommodate them by making changes to existing schema. Graphic organizers can provide ample opportunities for students to assimilate and accommodate new information they acquire form written text. Researcher David Ausubel developed and systematically studied the use of “advanced organizers” in 1960. According to Ausubel, an Advance Organizer (AO) is information that is presented prior to learning and that can be used by the learner to organize and interpret new incoming information. A cognitive set (CS) (Wittrock, 1963) is information given to students prior to instruction which will inform them about the associations they can expect to acquire the instruction. Post organizer (PO), refers to information that is given to students after instruction in order to connect what was just learned to previous knowledge. (As cited in T. Romberg, & J. Wilson 1970). In their 1970 study, Romberg and Wilson tested the effects of an advance organizer as well as the use of a cognitive set (CS), and a post organizer (PO) on the learning and retention of written materials during an algebra math lesson. Randomly selected students were given the task to learn new material on the principal of radioactive decay (material that is not familiar to 11th grade students). Booklets that included selfinstructing materials were constructed and distributed to students; booklets were designed and included the presence/absence of the advance organizer, cognitive set, or post organizer. The advance organizer provided students with information related to radioactive decay that aimed at activating prior knowledge before the instructions for the mathematical task; the cognitive set consisted of one sentence identifying the objective of the task; and the post organizer was similar to the advance organizer but included a
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statement that aimed at activation prior knowledge by making connections to what is being learned in the present task; the statement appeared after the self-instructing materials. 238 voluntary students enrolled in nine eleventh-grade Algebra classes in Wichita, Kansas, participated in the study. The independent variables were the presence, absence, or combination of the advance organizer, cognitive set, or post organizer. The dependent variables were the measure of learning taken immediately after instruction and the measure of retention taken after one week later. Romberg and Wilson found that although there was no significant difference on the learning test, there was a significant increase in the retention test when either of the treatment conditions were present. The results from the study conducted by Romberg and Wilson suggest that activating prior knowledge will increase students’ retention of new material by making connections to prior knowledge. A graphic organizer aims to achieve the same as an advance organizer, cognitive set, or post organizer since it provides an opportunity for students to synthesize information from a text by using techniques that have been learned before. For example, if a student learns to compare and contrast between new material and existing knowledge (i.e. comparing Iraq to the U.S when reading a piece of information about Iraq), he/she is activating prior knowledge (U.S) to new knowledge (Iraq). It is also important to note that, according to Barnes and Clawson (1975), who analyzed 32 studies on advance organizers, the differences between the effects of organizers differs among students of high, average, and low ability. According to Barnes and Clawson, other variables also influence the effect of organizers; these variables
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include subject area being study, grade level of students, type of organizer, and level of the learning task. It was the conclusion of this analysis that advance organizers do not facilitate learning since 20 of the 32 studies discussed did not demonstrate an effect of advance organizers on learning. The research provided by Barnes and Clawson provide evidence that advance organizers and graphic organizers must be used in the most effective way. In most of the studies that did not find a significant change when students used advance organizers, it is believed that students were not properly instructed on how to use these organizers (Ausubel, 1978). It is even more prevalent with the use of graphic organizers that students learn to utilize the information given as well as being able to construct graphic organizers on their own. Scaffolding Learning and Cognitive Mapping Social Theorist Lev Vygotsky (1978) applied the concept of “scaffolding” as one of the most important aspects of learning development. According to his theory, educators scaffold learners by providing opportunities to extend current skills and knowledge (Vygotsky, 1978). Learning is more successful when activities engage students' interest, tasks are simplified so they are manageable, and instructional goals are pursued with the use of motivation. Furthermore, modeling becomes a key aspect when scaffolding learning; it is with the use of examples that students are able master skills. Graphic organizers can persistently scaffold reading comprehension if proper modeling is provided for their use. A clear example of graphic organizers as scaffolding tools is provided by the study conducted by researcher J. Boyle who developed the concept of Cognitive Mapping. Cognitive Mapping is the process of creating a graphical
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representation (Boyle, 1996). Boyle found that when students with mild disabilities used cognitive mapping as a method for reading comprehension, their literal and inferential comprehension increased. The independent variable of this study was the presence/absence of the cognitive mapping strategy incorporated as part of instruction. The dependent variable, reading comprehension, was measured with various tests; first, in order to determine reading comprehension ability and later in order to measure after control/treatment procedures. 30 urban middle school students with learning disabilities participated Boyle’s cognitive mapping study; they were selected through a pairwise matching procedure using control variables of categorical classification, grade level, and pretest scores producing 15 pairs of students with nearly identical abilities. After the pretest stage, students were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group and provided with a reading passage about traveling. 15 students were taught to use cognitive maps and given a reading passage; the other 15 students were given the same passage but did not receive instruction on cognitive mapping strategies. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that cognitive mapping did in fact increase significantly the posttest scores of students in the treatment group, unlike students who were in the control group, who’s posttest scores remained equal. In Boyle’s study, cognitive mapping, as a scaffolding tool, provided a reading strategy that allowed students to synthesize and visualize information in order to discriminate between relevant and irrelevant information. It is the purpose of a graphic organizer to instruct students with this strategy; a cognitive map itself, is a graphic organizer. Not only did the cognitive mapping technique provide students with a starting
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point in order to organize and comprehend information on a written text, but it also presented information from a visual and coherent approach. Teachers constantly scaffold learning by incorporating classification and organization tools to their lessons. According to researcher R. Marzano, in the context of current cognitive and social theories, teachers have developed different techniques in order to maximize the “Teaching of Thinking” (Marzano, 1993). “General Processing Strategies” are designed in order to enhance general information processing ability (Marzano, 1993). When using a cognitive mapping strategy or any type of graphic organizer, students are enhancing their reading comprehension by processing the information into information that is easy to decode and comprehend. Particularly, “Analyzing Strategies” provide the learner with the ability to identify component parts of information and articulate the important information and subordinate information and the relations among these parts (van Dijk & Kintsch, 1993 as cited in Marzano, 1993). When students complete a cognitive or graphic organizer, such as a main idea and details graphic organizer, they are classifying information and analyzing text, a practice that strengthens reading comprehension. Graphic organizers can be implemented in the classroom as a method for students to improve reading comprehension. In this study, GOs were systematically incorporated to daily Literacy instruction. Using a variety of graphic organizers, the development and progress of reading comprehension in second grade students was monitored for an extended period of time.
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Method Graphic organizers (GOs) were incorporated to instructional methods used in a 50/50 Dual Language second grade class in an urban school setting. 36 students who are classified as English Language Learners (ELL) or Spanish Language Learners (SLL) were systematically exposed to GOs during a seven month period. A multi-stage method was used for the implementation of GOs during 120 minutes of literacy instruction. 11 different GOs were designed for this study and students were exposed to these graphic organizers in three different stages (see appendix A). Modeling Stage During this stage, students observed how the teacher used a specific graphic organizer before or after reading a specific text. After conducting a read aloud of a second grade level book, a large graphic organizer was completed using interactive input from students. The large GO model was available for student reference in the next stages of GO use.
Completing a Venn-Diagram GO interactively after reading “Destello el Dinosaurio”.
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Practice Stage In the practice stage, students completed a graphic organizer with the help of the teacher and/or their peers; this can also be referred to as the “shared graphic organizer.” Students were given a selection of books as well as a duplication of the graphic organizer used in the modeling stage. Students complete the graphic organizer with a peer after “buddy reading” or while reading a specific book while in conference with the teacher. Once students have completed their shared GO, they can move to the final stage.
Students complete a Venn-diagram with a peer.
Student completes a GO with help of the teacher.
Individual Stage Once students mastered the use and interpretation of the given graphic organizer, they used it during individual reading; this stage was referred as the individual stage. Students were able to choose a book on their own and complete a GO using their shared GO and model GO as points of reference.
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Students complete GOs individually using the modeled Venn-diagram as a reference
Although the modeling stage was completed using Spanish language, students were encouraged to complete their shared organizers and individual organizers using either English or Spanish; this strategy was applied in order to promote reading, speaking, and writing expression beyond language limitations. The interpretations made in this study are based on observations of performance in the presence or absence of a specific GO during reading as well as individual progress over time. The participants were classified according to grade-level benchmark assessment as either below grade level, at grade level, or above grade level. Due to the population of this study students were also classified according to language acquisition levels as either English Language Learners (ELLs) or Spanish Language Learners (SLLs). In order to interpret the data generated in this study, individually completed graphic organizers were compared at different stages. Students were also periodically interviewed after reading similar books with and without a graphic organizer.
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In addition to the overall effect of GOs on reading comprehension, the different types of GOs were compared simultaneously in order to assess their individual value as tools for improving reading comprehension. The ten designed GOs were used for a period of one week using the stages discussed above. The figure below explains the system of integration of a specific GO during a one week period.
Monday Read Aloud- Introduction of the specific GO Literacy Centers- Activity 1- All students complete shared GO Activity 2- All students complete Individual GO
Tuesday Read Aloud- Same GO format using a different book Literacy Centers- Groups 1 and 2- students performing above grade level of reading comprehension complete shared GO and individual GO
Wednesday Read Aloud- Same GO format using a different book Literacy Centers- Groups 3 and 4- students performing at grade level complete shared GO and individual GO
Thursday Read Aloud- Same GO format using a different book Literacy Centers- Groups 5 and 6- students performing below grade level complete shared GO and individual GO
Friday Read Aloud- Same GO format using a different book Accountable Talk- Students share their graphic organizers Homework- complete a GO as a book report
Data analysis Overall usage of graphic organizers in the classroom proved to be a successful tool for improving reading comprehension. The numerous data this study provided,
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demonstrated that the level of reading comprehension of most students increased after a seven month period. When comparing GOs completed at the beginning of the study with GOs completed after seven months, students established individual progress over time. Furthermore, students who used GOs while reading substantiated higher levels of reading comprehension than students who read without a GO. The following examples are provided as evidence of the effect of GO organizers when used with a variety of students at different language acquisition and reading levels. Case A- Use of GOs with an English Language Learner (ELL) Student Jessica is an ELL student who was performing at grade level of reading comprehension in Spanish at the beginning of the school year. Her reading comprehension was lower in English; this situation was reflected in her preference of completing GOs in Spanish when reading both Spanish and English language books at the beginning of the study. As the year progressed, she began completing GOs in the language corresponding to that of the book. In October, after one month of using GOs, Jessica used Spanish language to complete a Venn-Diagram. Student also includes pictures to complement her writing (see Fig. 1). After five months using GOs, this student writes in English as her reading comprehension and vocabulary in English has increased (see Fig.2). In an interview at the beginning of the study, Jessica stated she prefers reading and writing in Spanish; by the end of the study, Jessica stated “she likes both English and Spanish.” She has currently reached benchmark reading assessment in both Spanish and English.
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Fig. 1- Venn-Diagram completed on October 20th, 2006
Fig. 2- Venn-Diagram completed on February 23rd, 2007 Case B- Use of GOs with a Spanish Language Learner (SLL) Student Felicia is a SLL who has been part of the Dual Language Program since kindergarten. Although Felicia does not reside in a Spanish speaking home and has no 15
Spanish speaking background, her Spanish vocabulary is very comprehensive considering her age. When introduced to GOs at the beginning of this study, Felicia insisted that she wanted to complete these in Spanish since she was reading Spanish books in class. Her lack of Spanish language vocabulary and comprehension is reflected in her firsts GOs where she used mostly English accompanied by simple Spanish words (see Fig.3). When conferencing with Felicia during the first months it was evident that she was relying heavily on picture clues and she substituted English words for Spanish words. By the end of this study, Felicia’s reading comprehension and vocabulary in Spanish increased tremendously; comparing two GOs for making predictions, Felicia’s progress is evident. By month seven, Felicia expresses her reading comprehension primarily in Spanish when reading Spanish language books (see Fig.4).
Fig.3 Incomplete Making Predictions GO completed on 9/17/06.
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Fig.4 Making Predictions GO completed on 4/16/07 Felicia is currently performing above grade level in both Spanish and English benchmark assessments used for assessing literacy development from kindergarten to third grade. She stated that she enjoyed completing the GOs during this study. Case C- Use of GOs with a student performing below grade level in reading comprehension Lissette is a student who was performing one year below grade level according to benchmark assessment at the beginning of this study. Although she is fluent in both English and Spanish, she is classified as an ELL student since she has not passed the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT). Throughout the study, Lissette maintained a positive attitude towards the use of graphic organizers
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while reading. Lissette’s level of reading comprehension increased after seven months but she is still performing one grade level below in reading comprehension. It is evident that Lissette made progress while using GOs during reading; when completing a sequence GO during the first month, Lissete was only able to write a few scrambled letters and syllables (see Fig. 5), by the end of the study, Lissette demonstrates progress as she is able to express reading comprehension using full words (see Fig. 6). During interviews with Lissette, she was able to explain the information provided in individually completed GOs. Although Lissette is also performing below grade level on reading decoding and phonemic awareness which did not enable her to read text fluently, it was evident during individual interviews that she used picture clues and prior knowledge to complete individual GOs.
Fig. 5- Sequence graphic organizer completed on 9/20. According to benchmark assessment for reading comprehension she is performing at “End of Kindergarten Level”.
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Fig. 6- Sequence GO completed on 4/19/07. Six months later, Lissette is performing at “End of First Grade Level” of reading comprehension according to benchmark reading assessment.
Case D- Use of GOs with a student performing at grade level in reading comprehension José demonstrated grade level reading comprehension ability at the beginning of this study. His extraordinary artistic abilities are demonstrated in his constant use of pictures and illustrations to supplement his writing. During the first months, José expressed his reading comprehension using a few short sentences accompanied by pictures (See Fig. 7); by the end of the study, José has was able to demonstrate reading comprehension using full paragraphs as well as pictures (See Fig. 8). During personal interviews, José demonstrated a positive attitude towards the use of GOs when reading
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independently. By the end of the study, José demonstrated above grade level reading comprehension levels.
Fig. 7- Compare and Contrast GO completed on 10/20/06. Student uses simple sentences to express reading comprehension.
Fig 8.- Character analysis GO completed on 4/19/07. Student writes sentences and paragraphs.
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Case E- Use of GOs with a student performing above grade level in reading comprehension Students who were performing above grade level expressed language that included higher order thinking and prior knowledge when completing graphic organizers. Katiana is a student who was performing at “End of Second Grade” level in all aspects of literacy development at the beginning of this study according to benchmark assessment. As a SLL, Katiana preferred to complete GOs in English when reading both in English and Spanish. Her initial artifacts reflected her ability to derive meaning from text when completing individual GOs (See Fig. 9). With the progression of GO use, Katiana demonstrated the ability to understand abstract concepts beyond actual written facts; she expressed relations between cause and effect and formulated inferences and opinions when completing individual GOs (See Figs. 10-11).
Fig. 9- Author’s Purpose GO completed on 10/20/06. After reading a fiction story in Spanish, Katiana writes in English about the plot and identifies the Authors Purpose as “He was entertaining”
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Fig. 10- Cause and Effect GO completed on 3/14/07. Student expresses cause-effect relation after reading a book in Spanish.
Fig. 11- Individual Facts vs. Opinion GO completed on 4/19/07. Student extracts facts from a Spanish book and expresses her opinion.
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When analyzing the overall individual value of each graphic organizer it was evident that some GOs were more appealing to the participants in this study than others. Students displayed more positive attitudes towards GOs that included visual outlines such as the Character Analysis GO and the Sequence GO. Most Students also experienced difficulty completing GOs that required subjective thinking such as finding the main idea and finding word meaning in context. Discussion After observing a heterogeneous group of second grade children for a period of seven months while completing designed graphic organizers, it is evident that graphic organizers increased the level of reading comprehension for most students. As hypothesized, graphic organizers served as a venue for established successful theoretical practices for literacy development such as classification, activation of prior knowledge, and the process of learning through scaffolding. In addition to the expected outcome of this study, several clearly derived benefits include:
Writing, Listening, and Speaking for Early Literacy Development In relation to reading and reading comprehension development while using GOs, students were provided with opportunities for improving additional strands of early literacy development which include writing, listening, and speaking. During the “modeling stage”, students actively listened to a story as well as instructions for completing GOs; spoken language development and modeled writing was also supported during this stage as students were encouraged to participate. The “shared GO” offered ample opportunities for peer-scaffolding and teacher-scaffolding while developing all 23
strands of early literacy development. Finally, the “individual GO” gave students an opportunity to independently develop and apply attained specific reading and writing skills. Establishing a Focal Point While Reading Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this study comprises the level of involvement observed in students when reading while using a GO. It seemed evident that GOs established a focal point while students completed reading assignments. During the modeling and shared stages of GO completion, students demonstrated high levels of participation and enthusiasm; the task of completing a GO when reading appears to be a good strategy to promote and maintain active participation. In a similar manner, individually completed GOs were more successful at maintaining students on task when conducting independent reading. Application of Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences The Theory of Multiple Intelligences developed by Gardner (1983) establishes the importance of providing equal opportunities for different styles of learners in a classroom. Although this was not a theory that was initially explored when designing this study, it became evident that GOs provide opportunities beyond the most commonly emphasized linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences. In particular, GOs offered students who possess “Spatial Intelligence” the opportunity to perceive and express content through visual representations. Given the high artistic abilities the participants demonstrated, GOs became a means to think and interpret through the use of pictures and diagrams accentuating their learning styles.
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Language Development for Language Learners (ELL and SLL) A clear added benefit observed in this study includes the development of language abilities in both English Language Learners (ELLs) and Spanish Language Learners (SLLs). Second Language skills for both groups increased in areas such as reading/decoding fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and oral expression. In the examples provided in this study it is evident that GOs can be used as a successful tool to promote language development in a bilingual classroom. Jessica, an ELL student increased her proficiency in the second language after a seven month period; this is demonstrated in her ability to complete graphic organizers in both languages. Her reading fluency and oral expression were also visually advanced at the culmination of the study. Similarly, Felicia, an SLL student, increased her language skills in Spanish after participating in this study; vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension were evident in her ability to perform at “third grade level” in Benchmark Assessment Tests administered in Spanish. GOs as Assessment Tools In this study, GOs served as a tool for individual diagnostic assessment of reading, writing, and comprehension skills at the beginning of the school year. In addition, numerous data was created providing evidence of progress over a period of time. Even though reading comprehension varied among students at different stages in this study, individual GOs demonstrated advancement in literacy development in all participants. It is principally important for teachers to maintain individual ability records over extended periods in order to plan and support learning development.
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The reviewed literature and data generated in this study provides evidence that supports the use of reading strategies as a successful method to improve reading comprehension. The findings provided here urge that we must pay careful attention to the methodology used to implement reading comprehension methods when applied in the classroom, as they may not yield expected results unless students have learned to correctly use such strategies. In considering graphic organizers as a tool to improve reading comprehension, students must be taught to use and interpret these organizers in the most effective way. One successful component in this study comprises the strategy used to implement GOs as students were able to fully benefit from their usage. Conversely, some noticeable limitations of this study include the small number of participants and the lack of a control group. Furthermore, being the qualitative nature of this study, it is not possible to generalize findings related to language development, and literacy skills; however, it is the purpose of this study to promote future research to validate GOs, concept maps, and advance organizers as tools that promote language and literacy development. References 1. Ausubel, D. P. (1978). In Defense of Advance Organizers: A Reply to the Critics. Review of Educational Research, Vol 48. No. 2. 251-257 2. Boyle, J. R. (1996). The Effects of a Cognitive Mapping Strategy on the Literal and Inferential Comprehension of Students with Mild Disabilities. Review of Educational Research, Vol. 45, No. 4, 637-659. 3. Barnes, B. R., & Clawson E. U. (1975). Do Advance Organizers Facilitate Learning? Recommendations for Further Research Based on an Analysis of 32 Studies. Review of Educational Research, Vol. 45, No. 4. 637-659. 4. Garner, H. (1987). The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Annals of Dyslexia, Vol. 37, No. EJ368940
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5. Inhelder, B. Piaget, J (1969). The Early Growth of Logic in the Child. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc 6. Marzano, R. J. (1993). How Classroom Teachers Approach the Teaching of Thinking. Theory into Practice, Vol. 32, No. 3, 155-160 7. Romberg, T. A., & Wilson, J. W. (1973). The Effect of an Advanced Organizer, Cognitive Set, and Post Organizer on the Learning and Retention of Written Materials. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Vol. 4, No. 2, 68-76. 8. Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind and society: The Development of Higher Mental Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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Appendix A- Graphic Organizers (GOs) Designed for this Study
Making Predictions GO Students complete this GO by stopping periodically during reading to make predictions. Predictions are validated and/or change to actual facts of the story.
Main Idea and Details GO After reading text, students complete this GO by identifying the main idea in the center surrounded by supporting details.
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Making Inferences GO Students identify aspects of the story such as problem and solution in order to make inferences.
Sequence GO Students complete the sequence of events in a story by following the “train tracks”. Transition words prompt students through stages of their writing.
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Finding Word Meaning in Context GO Students find the meaning of challenging words using surrounding words as reference.
Facts and Details GO
Students state three facts in a story and identify supporting details.
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Character Analysis GO Students select a specific character in a story to describe different identifiable aspects.
Author’s Purpose GO Students Identify the central theme and supporting facts in a story in order to determine author’s purpose.
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Fact vs. Opinion GO
Students identify facts after reading a story and supplement these with personal related opinions Compare and Contrast GO
Students compare and contrast two components of a story using a Venn-Diagram.
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Cause and Effect GO Students express cause and effect relationships using a paintbrush and paint analogy diagram.
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