The Effect of Risk Level and Group Size on Student Phonemic Awareness Achievement

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine if small group phonemic awareness intervention results in equal or greater phonemic awareness achievement than one-to-one tutoring dependent on a students risk level for reading failure. The study involved 100 kindergarten students who were divided into two types of instructional groupings: one-to-one and one-to-four. Pre-test scores were used to classify the students by initial risk level: low risk, some risk, and at risk. Data analysis indicated that there was a statistical difference between the achievement of students who were assigned to the one-to-one and one-to-four groups. Analysis of data examining the effect of initial risk level on student achievement in phonemic awareness revealed that though the ability gap was not closed between the at risk students and the low risk students, the majority of the students initially considered at risk concluded the study above the at risk category.