Action Research Project EDTP 645

Teaching Literacy Strategies through Poetry

by Anna Goldstein Howe

Introduction

Background of Study• The transition from

reading comprehension to literary analysis can be challenging.

• This transition can be eased if students are given the proper tools.

Context of Study

A low self-concept can have a damaging impact on student success. Students need to be provided with concrete scaffolding to develop their confidence.

Purpose of Study The purpose of this

study is to examine the impact that meta-cognitive literacy strategies will have on students’ comprehension and analysis of literature.

Action Research

Action research is a simple and effective approach to improving practice. It involves identifying existing problems/obstacles to learning, researching possible interventions, formulating a plan to apply the changes, and then evaluating how effective they were.

Environment for Study

For this small Action Research Project, I based my work on a series of one-on-one tutoring sessions that I gave over the summer. The student that I worked with would be entering 9th grade in the fall. He was motivated and engaged but felt that often, when it came to literature, he just “didn’t get it.”

Setting for Tutoring Most of our tutoring sessions were conducted in a

quiet and comfortable home work space. This put the student at ease and allowed us to work for longer stretches without distraction. It also provided opportunities for the student to take breaks which helped him to stay focused and on task.

Philosophical Approach to Tutoring

My approach to these tutoring sessions was less about teaching hard content and more about boosting confidence in the student regarding his abilities while creating scaffolding that would foster increased independence.

Academic Research

In order to conduct a sound Action Research Project, the teacher must ground her inquiry in academic research.

Meta-Cognitive Comprehension Strategies

“There is nothing more powerful than a literacy teacher sharing her passion for reading, writing and thinking” (Harvey & Goudvis, p. 12).

Meta-cognition Expanded through Poetry Study

“Poetry reading might be considered a particularly relevant comprehension activity for prompting more deliberate and meaningful engagement with both cognitive and affective responses (Eva-Wood, 2008, p. 565).

Moving from the Literal… “Evidence from this

interdisciplinary study suggests that young adolescents’ difficulties with imaginative symbolic interpretation of poetry seem to be less a result of cognitive developmental constraints than deficits in domain specific knowledge” (Peskin & Wells-Joplin, 2012, p. 21).

…to the Symbolic “The mystery was

taken out of studying poetry, without taking away the magic” (Peskin, 2010, p. 507).

Starting Point: Comprehension

When approaching a literary text it is crucial to always start with comprehension. You must be able to understand what is actually on the page.

Comprehension Materials

Analysis Materials

Reflection

All of the student’s work during this study went into a portfolio which we reviewed at the end together. I used his work along with his pre-assessment survey and quiz and final writing and quiz as the basis of his assessment and my own. We also both wrote reflections and added them to the portfolio.

Applying Innovations The most gratifying part of this project was that I can

begin teaching in 2 weeks and immediately institute these innovations for my students. I can take what I have learned on a small scale and apply to the larger scale of the classroom. I am confident that all of my students will benefit from my reflective practice.

Works Cited Eva-Wood, A.L. (2008). “Does feeling come first? How poetry can help

readers broaden their understanding of metacognition”. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(7), 564-576.

Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement. Portland, Me: Stenhouse Publishers.

Peskin, J. & Well-Jopling, R. (2012). “Fostering symbolic interpretation during adolescence”. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 33, 13-23.

Peskin, J., Allen, G., Wells-Jopling, R. (2010). “ ‘The Educated Imagination’: Applying instructional research to the teaching of symbolic interpretation of poetry”. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(6), 498-507.