EFFECTS OF A RATE EMPHASIS ON THE READING PERFORMANCE OF REFLECTIVE AND IMPULSIVE SIXTH-GRADE MALES AND FEMALES.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to determine the short-term effects of a reading rate emphasis upon reflective and implusive male and female student reading performance.;Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests (GMRT) were administered. Students were assigned reading material levels and the study commenced. The manipulated treatment variable was reading rate. Reading rate was manipulated via teacher monitored drill-type practice for speed treatment (fast) and non-speed treatment (careful) reading groups over a 20-day experimental period. Data necessary to gauge treatment effects were obtained when GMRT posttest administration occurrred.;The experimental design was mixed. Tests of hypotheses at the .05 significance level were conducted via separate three-factor ANOVR (Analysis of Variance with Repeated Measures) for sex, and for style, while pairwise statistics were used for follow-up significant difference analyses.;The overall F tests revealed several significant differences. Pairwise comparisons of significant difference means revealed a significant within-subjects difference for female vocabulary growth (p < .05), and a significant between-subjects difference in comprehension for reflective students (p < .05).;Matching Familiar Figures (MFF) tests were administered to 180 sixth-grade students. Participating students were then categorized reflective, impulsive, or unclassified, and assigned to study groups based on their SRA reading test scores, sex, and cognitive style. Teachers were randomly assigned to the treatment groups.;Raw scores were further analyzed by a SAS (Statistical Analysis System) program in order to obtain additional descriptive data for post hoc analyses. Those analyses revealed comprehension declines for all groups analyzed except reflective students, who posted comprehension raw score increases.