The Setting

I teach in a self contained first grade classroom at Z Elementary, a public school in Fayette County. Approximately 715 students attend Z Elementary. Of those students, 49% are Caucasian, 34% are African American, 9% are Hispanic, 5% of the students are listed as other, and 2% are Asian. This year, 39% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

The 24 students in my classroom reflect the diverse culture of our school. There are nine Caucasian students, eleven African American students, one Hispanic student, one Asian student, and two students listed as other in my classroom.  I have 10 boys and 14 girls.  Of my 24 students, 10 are reading below grade level according to the MAP, (Measures for Academic Progress) assessment. These same 10 students also tested below grade level according to the DRA, (Developmental Reading Assessment). Providing small group time and independent work time will be important in my classroom to reach the varying needs of each student. I need to ensure all students, especially those reading below grade level, are productive during their independent time as well as small group time. I also want to foster positive habits and ideas about literacy. I hope to find a plan that will be successful in my classroom for student’s independent work time.

To complete my action research I will be using a group of focal students as described in Pappas Raymond-Tucker (2011). I will focus on one of my four reading groups. My focus group is a group of six students reading slightly below or right at first grade level. This group of students is representative of the general population in my classroom. There are two boys and four girls in this reading group. There is one Hispanic student, two Caucasian students, and three African American students. Throughout the project I will focus on this specific group of students to collect and analyze my data.

Pappas, C.C &Tucker-Raymond, E. (2011). Becoming a teacher researcher in literacy teaching and learning: Strategies and tools for the inquiry process. New York: Routledge.