Research - Reading Phonetically Regular Words

Kindergarten 2009-10

Name of Project:  Preliminary Statistical Analysis of Pre- and Post-Test Raw Scores for Reading Phonetically Regular Words on a Criterion-Referenced Test of Reading Skills. 

Population: Random sample of 81 kindergarten students in a public school. 

Service Delivery Model: Twelve kindergarten teachers who previously had received intensive training in the DuBard Association Method® were asked to provide reading and spelling instruction using the DuBard Association Method® for a total of one hour daily for one school year.

Assessment Instrument: Decoding Skills Test (DST), Subtest II – The DST was developed to serve two specific research purposes:

1. To accurately measure levels of decoding (i.e., word recognition) in subject populations involved in the study of developmental dyslexia, and
2. To measure various aspects of decoding and decoding skills development that may be useful in the study of reading disorders.

DST Subtest II is designed to test recognition of phonetically regular words that conform to three common orthographic patterns of vowel pronunciation (Short Vowel, Long Vowel signaled by silent e, and Vowel Digraph).  Each vowel pattern is tested in conjunction with two consonant arrangements (Single and Multiple), two syllabic forms (Monosyllabic and Polysyllabic) and in both Real Word and Nonsense Word Conditions.

The Real and Nonsense Word conditions enable the evaluator to derive the Phonic Transfer Index (PTI) that yields information regarding the rate of application of known phonic patterns to the decoding of unknown words. The PTIms score is the Phonic Transfer Index score for monosyllabic real and nonsense words.

Range of Scores for Instrument: 

• DST Subtest II raw scores range from 0 to 120.  
• DST Subtest II PTIms scores range from 0.00 to 1.00.

Length of time between pre- and post-test:  Approximately eight months (August – April)

Statistical Analyses:  Paired sample t-tests.

Results:

Students enrolled in public school kindergarten with one hour of reading and spelling instruction daily using the DuBard Association Method® made statistically significant progress on raw scores when reading phonetically regular words, t(80) = -10.00, p < 0.001.

Students enrolled in public school kindergarten with one hour of reading and spelling instruction daily using the DuBard Association Method® made statistically significant progress on PTIms scores when reading phonetically regular words, t(80) = -14.03, p < 0.001.

Interpretation:

Kindergarten students’ raw scores and PTIms scores on a test of decoding ability increased significantly in classes where a modified version of the DuBard Association Method® was used for reading and spelling instruction for one hour daily.

 

Reference:

Richardson, E., and DiBenedetto, B. (1985). Decoding Skills Test. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.