A Study of Reading Achievement in Terms of Various Background Factors.

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate reading achievement in terms of treatment, (direct concept teaching) and non-treatment, controlling for socioeconomic group, preschool attendance and the level of maternal education. The study population was composed of 117 children in six kindergarten classes in six schools in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Two schools were chosen at each socioeconomic level to allow for a treatment school and a control school. One class was used at each school. Schools representing the low, middle and high levels were determined by the percentage of children receiving free lunch at the school. Schools classified as high level had less than 10 percent of their population receiving free lunch. Schools classified as middle level had between 45 and 60 percent of their children receiving free lunch. Schools classified as low each had over 90 percent of their population receiving free lunch. In addition, school records were used to determine whether the child had attended preschool and whether the mother had completed high school or had post high school education. Instruments used in the study were the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, Form B and the Metropolitan Readiness Test, Level II, Form P, Pre-Reading Composite. Five hypotheses were tested: (1) There is no significant difference between the means of the treatment group and the means of the control group on the Boehm Test. (2) There is no significant difference between the means of the treatment group and the means of the control group on the MRT. (3) There is no significant relationship between the scores of the Boehm Test and the MRT among classes and between groups. (4) There is no significant relationship between the level of maternal education and scores on the Boehm Test for the treatment group and the control group. (5) There is no significant relationship between preschool attendance and scores on the Boehm Test. Acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis depended upon socioeconomic group. Hypothesis 1 was accepted at the high socioeconomic level but rejected at the low and middle level. Hypothesis 2 was rejected at the high level but accepted at the low and middle level. Hypothesis 3 was rejected for all treatment classes and the middle level control class but accepted for the low and high control classes. Hypothesis 4 and 5 were accepted. Conclusions of the study were: (1) Direct concept instruction in the concepts of space, quantity and time is