A dissertation completed at
The Center for Education, Widener University,
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013 		 
THE IMPACT OF THE STEP 4WORD PROGRAM IN ASSISTING SECOND GRADE STUDENTS WITH READING SKILLS
Myra Gehret Forrest, Ed. D.
November 2000

RETURN
edited 3/25/01

 


ABSTRACT

Criticism has been aimed at public school administrators, teachers, and school boards for the lack of success that many students experience with reading, especially in low socio-economic areas. School districts have used a wide variety of textbooks, strategies, and personnel to address the concerns posed and rectify the perceived problem.

It is crucial for educators to find new solutions for students experiencing a lack of success in reading. New technologies have opened innovative educational doors and have offered unprecedented promise to students. Scientific Learning Corporation has developed three highly adaptive technology-based programs that develop critical skills necessary to learn to read or become a better reader (i.e. Fast ForWord, 4WD, and Step 4Word).

Step 4word is one of the newest programs from Scientific Learning Corporation. There has been little research conducted on the impact of this program in a public school classroom setting. It is important for administrators, school boards, and educators to analyze data related to this technology-based program and the implications it has on implementing reading instruction for students. The original design of Step 4word was for 90 minutes a day, five days a week, for eight weeks. It is difficult for educators to designate such a significant amount of time each day for students to participate in this program.

The Step 4word program was instituted in Pottstown School District and via the research design of 60 minutes per day for six weeks, answers to the following questions were obtained: Did students included in the first group that completed the program increase their reading skills more than the second group that completed the program? Did students of all reading ability levels increase their reading skills after completing the program? Were the results of the program effected by either the gender or race of the child? Quantitative data used to answer these questions were collected using the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement- Revised (WJ-R) in Reading.

This study involved seventy-seven second grade students from two elementary schools located in an urban school district. The socio-economic background of both schools is similar, with the combined free and reduced lunch rate for both schools at approximately 55%.

The Woodcock-Johnson Revised sub-tests for Letter-Word Identification, Word Attack, and Passage Comprehension were administered three times during the course of the study: pre (point A), mid-point (point B), and post (point C). These sub- tests were used to provide data showing improvement or lack of improvement following the treatment. The independent variables of ability level, gender, and race were compared against the results of the sub-tests.

Results showed that students in the 1'9t Comparison Group increased their reading skills in both passage comprehension and letter and word recognition. However, students in the 2nd Comparison Group did not improve their reading skills. Students of low and average ability showed significant improvement in passage comprehension after receiving the treatment. There were no effects regarding the gender of the child and the treatment except for passage comprehension where females made significant gains over males from testing point A to point C. There were no effects regarding the race of the child and the treatment except for word attack where Hispanic students made significant gains over Caucasian and African American students.

TO TOP