Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
School
Education
Advisor
Terri Edwards
Abstract
Third-grade reading scores on some U.S. state tests revealed that children who attended a state-funded preschool program were not proficient readers. Reading gains made in preschool faded by the time the children reached third grade. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perspectives regarding the causes of preschool reading fadeout and the strategies they used to prevent preschool reading fadeout in low-performing schools. The conceptual framework included the dynamic skill-building theory and skill formation theory to examine the development of reading skills. Nine state-certified teachers who taught reading in preschool through third grade shared their perspectives through semistructured interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed using open and axial coding. Through thematic analysis, three overarching themes emerged: (a) instability in reading programs and reading curricula, (b) lack of knowledge and confidence in reading instruction, and (c) the use developmentally appropriate practices and engaging activities to help prevent reading fadeout. Participants identified frequent changes in the reading curriculum and reading programs, low confidence in reading instruction and assessment, and inconsistent alignment practices as causes of preschool reading fadeout. Participants used hands-on interactive games, engaging computer software programs, reading programs, and small group reading instruction to help prevent preschool reading fadeout. Early childhood professionals and school administrators may use the results of this study to inform their decisions regarding reading programs, reading curricula, and reading alignment practices from preschool through third grade to meet the needs of all children in low-performing schools.
Recommended Citation
Blanton, Jacquelyn, "Teachers’ Perspectives of Preschool Reading Fadeout and Strategies to Prevent It in Low-Performing Schools" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 9533.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/9533
