1. Student Engagement and
Motivation During Small
Reading Groups
Heidi Humberstone

2. I Wonder
O What are the effects of small reading group
interactions on EAL students reading
comprehension and engagement?

3. Demographics
O School (Early years- IB
program) 489 students
ranging from 18-20 in each
class.
O EAL (English as an
Additional Language) 39%
O Ethnicity
O 50% Norwegian
O 31% European (e.g.
British, Danish, German,
Swedish)
O 5% Asian
O 11% North American
O Classroom (Kindergarten)
15 students
O Our base curriculum is
British, also use the
International Primary
Curriculum, and supplement
with American and
Australian elements.
O EAL 4 of my students go out
for EAL support
O Ethnicity
O 3 North American
O 4 Asian
O 7 European
O 1 Norwegian

4. Main setting for the study
O Reading Groups
O Twice a week for two 45 minute lessons
students are divided into groups based on
ability level
O Four leveled groups, with in the 15 student
class, bases off of the Oxford Reading Tree
scheme
O EAL groups would be out one of the
sessions, so they would only receive one 45
minute lesson
O This changed halfway through the study and they
were able to participate in both lessons

5. Literature Review
O Struggling Readers
O Developing Comprehension Skills
O Reading in a language that is not native
O Using a technology to motivate and engage
O Implementation of eBooks
O iPads
O Use of Instructional Strategies
O Multiple Intelligences
O Art
O Cultural Background
O Parent Involvement

6. Literature Review
O Developing Comprehension Skills
O Understanding how to teach comprehension
O Ormrod (2011)
O Teaching and providing students with comprehension
skills
O Grouping
O Definitions
O Examples
O Scaffolding

7. Literature Review
O Using a technology to motivate and engage
O Effect of eBooks on listening comprehension and
motivation
O Ciampa (2012)
O Observing students motivation and engagement levels
O Jones & Brown (2011)
O Increased motivation in struggling readers through the
use of iPads
O Getting & Swainey (2012)

8. Literature review
O Use of Instructional Strategies
O Multiple Intelligence
O Engage and motivate struggling readers
O Cluck & Hess (2003)
O Art
O Struggling readers can make connections through
role-playing, narrating, and creative movement
O Grant, Hutchinson, Hornsby & Brooke (2008).

9. Literature Review
O Cultural Background
O Conteh & Kawashima (2008)
O Parental Involvement
O Ormrod (2011)

10. Focus Group
O Daan
O Six years old. He is one of three boys in his family and
is the middle child. Both his parents are Dutch and the
family just moved to Norway at the beginning of the
school year, 2012.
O He came to this school not knowing any English which
resulted in him having behavior problems. He is a visual
learner as well as kinesthetic. He needs time to process
information and relate it to his own life. He likes to be
the first at everything. Daan is extremely clever and
likes being involved in his learning.
O Daan has come a long way. He knows and understands
more English, is able to read and participate in reading
groups, and his behavior problems have decreased
significantly.

11. Focus Group
O Madelene
O She is the oldest in my class. Her emotional state is
up and down. She is on an ILP and goes out for four
different groups; speech, phonological
awareness, language, and phonics.
O Mom is British and her father is Norwegian. She was
in Norwegian preschool from age two until age four.
She now speaks both Norwegian and English. She
did not speak any English until last year. She is the
middle of three, one older sister and one younger
brother.
O Has a strong sense of what is fair and what is right.
Visual learner that needs to be constantly redirected.
She has come a long way in he emotional needs, is
able to express herself in more productive ways.

12. Method
O Data was collected in the form of student
surveys, student interviews conducted by
teacher, visual informal assessments, sample
work, and recordings of reading groups.
O Analyze of data
O Analysis- need visual aids to make connections
O Synthesis- comprehension is difficult when they
do not understand vocabulary, classroom
arrangement is key when in groups
O Deconstruction- some of my interpretations are
based on my students cultural and home life
backgrounds, this can be useful and dangerous
O Contextualization- the role of student and
teacher, Daan wants to please but also struggles
with control

13. Collection of Data

14. Collection of Data

15. Collection of Data

16. Collection of Data

17. Learning Story: Daan

18. Learning Story: Madelene
O This was a moment of realization for me to better
support Madelene and how she learns.
O This was also a moment of breakthrough for
Madelene
O Usually she just sits and stares at her
work, book, game, or other students and does not
ask anyone for help.
O

19. Findings and Discussion
O Learned
O Classroom arrangement is key
O Students are motivated through technology and
hands on learning
O Assumptions confirmed
O Understanding comprehension relies on
understanding vocabulary
O New findings
O Behavioral issues can be eliminated when
students are engaged and challenged in a
meaningful way

20. Conclusion
O Implications for teaching in reading groups
O Students need to be engaged and motivated
intrinsically and extrinsically
O Cultural and parental influences can predict how a
student will learn and interpret information
O Promote diversity
O Parental involvement is a huge factor in my
reading groups and with my focus students
O Hold workshops
O Parent surveys on how they feel about reading
with their child
O Tips and tricks to help their child with reading

21. New Question
O How can I continue to develop their vocabulary while
increasing comprehension?

22. References
O Abbott, L., Dornbush, A., Giddings, A., & Thomas, (2012).Implementing guided reading
strategies with kindergarten and first grade students. (Master's thesis).
O Ciampa, K. (2012). Icanread: The effects of an online reading program on grade 1 students'
engagement and comprehension strategy use. Journal of Research on Technology in
Education, v45 (n1), p27-59.
O Cluck, M., & Hess, D. (2003). Improving student motivation through the use of the multiple
intelligences.. (Master's thesis).
O Conteh, J., & Kawashima, Y. (2008). Diversity in family involvement in children's learning in
english primary schools: Culture, language and identity. English Teaching: Practice and
Critique, v7 (n2), p113-125.
O Crichton, S., Pegler, K., & White, D. (2012). Personal devices in public settings: Lessons
learned from an ipod touch/ipad project. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, v10 ( n1 ), p23-31.
O Getting, S., & Swainey, K. (2012). First graders with ipads?. Learning & Leading with
Technology ,v40 (n1), 24-27.
O Grant, A., Hutchinson, K., Hornsby, D., & Brooke, S. (2008). Creative pedagogies: "art-full"
reading and writing. English Teaching: Practice and Critique,v7(n1), p57-72.
O Jones, T., & Brown, C. (2011). Reading engagement: A comparison between e-books and
traditional print books in an elementary classroom. Online Submission, International Journal
of Instruction , v4(n2), p5-22.