1. Animation Technology as
a Supplement to Reading
Instruction
Leonardtown Elementary
Emily Davis & Jessica Morgan

2. Justification
Leonardtown did not make AYP last year
As a result, SIP is almost singularly focused on
improving amount of students reading at proficient or
advanced by county benchmark and by DIEBELS
Students in 3rd grade received lower than proficient
scores in identifying and defining:
Setting and mood (38%)
Words, lines, and stanzas(56%)
Main ideas and themes (57%)

3. Justification
Professional Development Goal: “Teachers will use
these best practices to change instruction if necessary
after reviewing student work samples”
Differentiation
Learning styles
Animation Technology
Technology allows students to experience different
types of writings while still remaining in their digital
comfort zones
Supplements culturally relevant teaching
Incorporation of these tools and applications is merely a
natural extension of the way these students are
currently living and learning outside of that classroom

4. Strategy
Interns will use pre and post tests to assess students’
comprehension during whole group reading.
First test will be a simple reading comprehension
assessment. Second test will follow a mini-lesson
using cartoon technology as a supplement to usual
instruction and include sequencing question using
pictures from supplement.

5. Research questions
Does sequencing of cartoon technology
increase student content comprehension.
Does cartoon technology increase student
reading comprehension more then
discussion.

6. Data collection plan
Data source 1 Data source 2 Data source 3
Does cartoon Pre-test and Pre-test and N/A
technology increase Post-test Post-test with
student reading cartoon images
comprehension more
then discussion.

7. Pre-post assessment
items
First pre- and post-test for Grandma’s Records

8. Pre-post findings
Our findings!
There was a significant increase from Grandma’s
Records (p = 1.45346E-08 ) and talking cloth (p =
6.06992E-06).
However, there was not a significantly higher
increase in the difference in reading
comprehension when using cartoon technology
rather than traditional classroom strategies. (p =
.38)

9. Answers to research
questions
Does cartoon technology increase student reading
comprehension more then discussion.

10. Limitations
Timing
The cartoon handout was done the Thursday before
the Halloween weekend, so the school as a whole was
off task.
Curriculum Demands
Due to passing guides and test schedules, activities
such as these are difficult to work into the classes tight
schedule.

11. Next steps?
Yes, we would recommend future application of this
strategy; however, there are a few things that we would
like to change
Next time I would have the students create their own
cartoon strip of the story.
Also, due to lack of resources the cartoon had to be
printed out in black and white. It would have been
more exciting to have it in color as it was created.
Under what conditions?
For what kinds of students?
What would you change? Keep?

12. Back to the big picture
Given the problem you laid out originally and the
results of this action research project, what is your
big final take-home message?