.- .
A VISUAL LITKi.l\.CY AND LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE APPROACH:
AN EXPERIMENT TO ATTEMPT
TO DEVELOP POSITIVE AT':'ITUDES
TO'·NARD READI h!G ITl SECOi'lD- AND TL IRD-GRl\.DE READERS
EONORS PROJECT
DR. JANlES KIRK'I'vOOD,
'
SUSAN ELAINE PERRY
IvlAY 22, 1973
BALL STATE UNIVEESITY
NITJNC IE, INDIANA
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TABLE OF COl:TENTS
Page
Introduction and rteview of
Related Literature
••••••••••• •••••••••
1
statement of Problem
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• •• •
4
••••• • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • •••••••
5
•• ••••• • •••• ••••• •••••• ••••• ••• • • • ••
7
Method
Findings
Interpretation of Findings
Sununary
••• •••• •••••••• • ••
7
•••• •••••• •••••• ••••••••••• ••••••••• •
8
Gonclusions
•••• •• • •••• •••••••••••• • • • •• •••••
Suggestions for Future Research
Appendix
Bibliography
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•••• • • • •• •• ••
9
9
./';. VISUAL LITEHACY Aim LANGUAG-E EXPERIEH0E i.PPROACh:
AN ATTEli1J?T TO DEVELOP POSITIVE ATTITLJDES
TOv'/ARD READI G IN SEC01'JD- AND 'THIRD-GRADE READERS
Introduction and Review of Related Literature
One area of primary importance in an elementary school
c-,_cademic curriculum continues to be tLe readi-lg program.
One particular program tllat is currently being investig;3.ted
in several schools is tLe language experience approach to
the teaching of re,:.ding.
Underlying the language experience
approach are four basic principles.
These are listed by
Robert Aukerman as:
"What 1 think about, I can talk about.
2. -,:hp,t 1 S~iY, I can write (or someone can write
for me).
3. ;,hat I call write, I can read ( and others can
read, too).
4. 1 C2n read what 1 have written, and I can also
read wi at other people hElve VITi tten for me to
read." (1971, p. 303)
1.
As can be deduced from the under1yin.g principles, this
appro act: to reading utilizes each individual's or8.1 language
in te'lching him to read.
The "whole-word" tec}-_nique of
reading instruction is effectively used in this type of
readiilg proGram, VJi th several advantages inherent in this
appro8_ch.
Aukerman surnrnarizes these advantdges:
2
tlMeaningfulness related to the actual experiences of chilGren, C.:-i.nd clothed in the rec.listic
language of ti.e cl~ild who is re;)dins the material
provides the optimu.m conditions for learning through
the whole-word approach.
iJonsequently the number
of repetitions necessary for wl.ole-worcl learnL.g
through the Lmguage experience approach are significantly sr:~aller, and the extent of vocabu_lary ecquired
through the l;:.nguage experience :':1.pproach is far
gre.=:tter tl,'.n the lini ted Y08abulary of the ordinary basal-re:1.der approach to beghmine reading."
(1971, p. 301)
One method of
err)Jlo~:ing
the languaGe ap"roacll involves
using pupil-written or pupil-dictated material.
This method
is necessarily a very individualized approach, incorporating
the individual's ovm vocab"'J.lary and relating directl;y to his
own experiences and needs, with the result that reading is
caught ratber than taught.
The Concept of Visual Litera.cy Applied to the
Language ~xperience Approach
Visual liter:=..:.c;y training is a technique th&t lends itself well to the languaee experie:"lce approach to reading.
Before they are able to put their eXperiences into words,
many chi.ldren can becor.le 2.dept at
.9utti-,'~g
tleir experiences
into visuals -- pictures or photographs, for example.
a short step, then,
fro~
It is
using pictures to usinG words describ-
ing what is depicted in the }Jictures, words that can be recorded:::md used in the reading progrc)m.
ThEl concept of visual literacy is one that lbs been the
subject of continFing research, much of vvhich has been done by
D:=::rley, Debes, Pc.rker,
the
L9.t~i.onal
~'ransecky,
D.nd_ others.
The r;lembers of
Conference on Visual Literacy offer the following
definition of visual literacy:
3
"Visual literacy ref'ers to a group of visioncOlTIT)etencies a huw:.n being can develop by seeing
an:l at the S!).~:le time hewing and integn-:ting other
sensory experiences. The developr.:J.e~Lt of these
conpetencies is flF:.dal'1entnl to normal htlJnan learning.
'ilhen devel0:0ed, they eneble a visu3.11y 1 iterate
person to dtscriL':inlte and interpret t:Cle visible
actions, ob ~iects, and synbols n'".tural or ffi2Jl-mE.de,
that he encounters in his environment. Through
the appreciative use of these cowpetencies, he is
,s.ble to comprehend and enjoy the masterworks of
visual conmLL"1ications. tf (Fran:3eck;y and Debes, 1972,
p. 7)
One visual literacy approach to the teaching of reading
that has been the subject of several research projects involves the use of photogrCl.phy as tLe visual f:ledium.
One
such project, a o.er:1onstrR.tion project at the Sodus (N.Y.)
School Syster:1, fOlmd": significant increase in readi g ability
as l'1easured by pre- and post-test "ide Range Achievement Test
results ar.10n8 an excierir1ental group of first:-, second-, and
tLird-grade readers wl.o used photocyapbs they had taken as
tr.e basis for co:.:struction of individual student-made readers.
~ontrol
groups of comp:Clra:)le
<•.
bili ty showed no such increase
wi th tl:l8 use of nOTe trc:,di tional reading m2terial.
(E'ransecky,
1969, p. 117.)
In a cOL1par".ble research study, Jacqueline .ltenee .iestcott
found that
"there was a significant difference between the
mean gain scores on reading tests given to an experir.1e:'lta1 group of non-readers wl:o created photovisuals and other student-made materials and a control erOllP of non-re~lders, tbe results favoring
the eXDerimental Group." (Parker, 1~-69, p. 25)
Studies w[,ic:r~ incorporate the a£fecti ve domain within
their seope Clre of 'articular concern within the focus of
this paper.
Such studies include those done b;y Strandberg
4
8.nd Griffith, and by Emvc:rd Lee, formerly of the l?ord }'oundation Funded BducationE.l Inprovement Prograf1.
documented evidence
tl~,at
Irhese studies
indicated that the use of photo-
visuals often proves t o e c' coti vc:.tine; force in GettL',g
children to
e~ress
tYemselves.
(Parker,
196~,
pp. 24-26)
Two pe.rticular chan:wteristics of a vis 1}.o.1 Ii ter8.c;y approach are of concern wi thh: the focus of this paper:
1.
There is a "useful parallel between visual and
verbal langu,ige that is helpful to explore ire. the
teaching of ••• reading.
2.
II
(Fr8.Ylsecky, 1969, p. 29)
There is a noted "turnidg on potential that
leitrner-created photovisuo.ls have ••• tI that can
ef::ectively be a· plied to the reading curriculUl!l in
the eler:lentary school.
(P.s.rker, 1969, p. 24)
statement of Problem
In any course of instll1ction, it is important not only
to evaluate progress L1 terms of ELCademic E'chievement, but
also to evaluate the effectiveness of any given method of
instrl1.ction in terms of its in-pact wi thi:Cl the afL ecti ve domai:'1; that is, to evaluate a program or met[lod in terms of
its effect:i.veness in
subject in question.
chcmgi~Lg
a student's attitude toward the
"ith this in l;lind, the problem that
is the focus of this paper is as fol'ows:
PROBLEr,,~:
to develop positive a tti t';,Qes toward reading
in second- and third-gra.de readers utilizing a visual literacy
and language experience approach.
5
Tilethod
The project began wi tl-" the adninistration of a reading
attitude inventory developed by the experimenter and Dr.
James Kirkwood.
Items taken and adapted from a variety of
primary and secondary reading attitude inventories were administered to
::~,
grouT' of 17 second- and third-grade students
in a class of first, second, and third graders at the Burris
LabratoI~
School in Muncie, Indiana.
Students were instructed
to circle five out of a total of 17 sentences which they
thought best described their feelings about reading.
Each
item on the test was weigl ted, and scores were based on
which i ter:1s \;vere marked b;y sttldents.
Scores ranged from 20.5
to 48, a high score indicating a more 'Positive attitude
toward reding, a low score indicatillg a less positive atti tude.
The lowef;t possible score
possible was 48.
VJ8.S
11.5, and the highest
A mean score of 40 was obtained, and, of those
students whose scores fell within ten points of the mean,
four were
cl~osen
randomly to be subjects of this project.
Subjects included a second- and a third-grade boy and a
second- aUG
"t
third-grade girl.
The project
-~)rogram
involved the subjects' creating
visual stories from photo[,:rD"Qhs they had taken and developed
themselves, ordering those photogra,phs in a meaninGful secluence,
and dictating the accompanying verbal story into a tape recorder.
The taped story was then transposed into a typed ac-
count, which the subjects theE used as readi{lg material.
----------- ---
----------------,----,--,---
6
To introduce the necessary skills for the cre8tion of
the photo-stories, the subjects beGan by ordering comic strips
so th.:t
3.
logical seCluence portrayed a visual story.
tLen explained to them
a series of 1iictures
just as someone else had made
th;~'.t,
th~';t
It was
told a stor;y, they could take pic-
tures of their ovm that wOll.1d tell a story.
Possible themes
for tLeir stories 'Nere discussed to Generate idees, and they
were instructed in the use of the sit':ple
given,
;~'.11c1
car::el~as
they were
supplied vIi th black-and-white film and flash cubes.
For the first of t1:VO rolls of film, each subject created
two photo-stories, [,'lade
of four to six pictures each.
lip
'l'lley developed the film themselves, an activity designed to
pla.ce eri"lphasis on the v:.:.lue of involver:lent and a feeling of
persons.l achievement on the part of the students, and to
develop skill in
t~;ey
creati~15
rhoto-visua.ls of their ovm.
':ehen
ordered the y:,ictures in sequence, and recorded tlleir
stories on tane.
'J1he stories were thell typed
l..l.p
and used
as readi'1g material, which the stFdents read and, if they so
chose, exchanged and read.
tr~8
sec~lD.d
'.2his procedure VIlas repeated
wi·tl~
roll, (except that, because of a time ltmi tation,
only one story was
rec:"~lired
from this roll.
.i3y the con-
clusion of the project, each subject hE;.d created, developed,
and read three photo-stories.
c.t the
conclusion~)f
the project, the four subjects were
agai':'. aclLlinistered the readinG attitude inventory with which
tl-.ley had been pre-tested, to determi11e if the project had
aided in develoT.JLt[; a L'lOre
~osi ti ve
attitude tOv'Jard reading.
7
Findings
Pre-test Score
Subject
Post-test Score
male
second grade
39.5
38.5
male
third grade
39.5
38.5
female
second grade
39.0
39.0
female
third grade
43.5
46.5
Interpretation of Findings
Test results slww that, of the four subjects, two
received lQ1.\er scores on the attitude inventory at the close
of the project, one received the
score.
s~me
score, 2nd one a higher
No statistical analysis wa.s made clue to the small
nuuber of sub jects.
Assu;ninf, th'.t the atti t'.lc1e inventory given
was a valid test, the results 'Nonld indicate that the project
vvas sucCeSSfl1.1 in developing a rjore Dosi tive attitude toward
readilg in only O::le subject.
However, since all scores re-
flected only an apparently minor change, res'.llts must be interpreted with caution.
the subjects with
:1.0
It mayor nay not be significant that
ch2nge in score and a positive change in
score, respectively, were both female.
J-).
factor Wllicll f1a:y'" 118.ve
il1V~~11id(:tted
the test results of
one of the IT,ale suo jects VlO'l.S the fact tb-lt he co::;ied the
3.11SWerS given by
t~le
other male subject until he could be pre-
vailed upon to express his ovm opinion, with the result th::::.t
....
__.__......_...•...
_
_.. _..__._. __ .. ......•........ ... _....__.- _-,
•.
8
three of his five responses must be open to question.
One problem th',t occurred near the end of the project,
and which seeMed to have
h:~)c1 co,.
ne[Etj_ve effect on the subjectsl
attitudes at the time, VIas the fact that four rolJ.s of film
did not turn out, either because of' r-:listake s made in the
process of develop;nent, mistakes made in the operation of the
cameL:s, or tempor:lry mi.:;.lfunction of the cameras.
case, each subject vvas required to shoot 3.nd
In any
deve~_op
roll of film in order to complete the project.
another
The additional
work required and the limited time available in which to
finish that vwrk may have had some beariag on the resulting
test scores.
It must be noted, too, that all subjects came from
fa);'.ilies of high socio-economic status and that their
teacher is one who is noted anong her peers as an excellent
reading instructor, so that the possibility that the subjects were
motivated readers to begin with is not one that can be excluded.
Summc:~ry
In a project designed to develop a positive attitude
tmvard reading in second- and third-graders, a visual literacy
approach was combined with a language experience approach.
A group of 17 second- and third-greders were administered
reading atti t'o.de inventory,
O~(l_
B-
the basis of which four sub-
jects were chosen to participate in the project.
In a period
of eie;h t weeks, the fo'JY s'J.b j ects, consisti:'lg of a male
a~d
a
9
,-. .
female second-grader and a male and a female third-grader,
took nictures of subjects of their choice which were made
into a story.
The:? then developed the pictures , ";nd ta-re-
recorded a final total of three stories, which were transposed from tape into typed stories.
used as readi:Clg material.
tested with
8.
The stories were then
The subjects were then post-
reading attitude inventory.
A comparison of
pre- and post-test results did not indicate that the project
had been effective in developing more positive attitudes
tov'iard
in the subjects.
readi,~g
l:ionclusions
Because of methodological limitations, such as lack of
a control group, possible invalidation of at least one of
the test scores, and the small nUJTIber of SD.bjects participating
in the project, and conc1usio·".s that can be drawn are, at
best, open to question.
However, from the test results, it
r:mst be tentatively concluded
thi~.t
the project was ineffective
in developing more posi ti ve attitudes
towi~;.rd
reading in
three of the four seco:l.d- and third-grade subjects
p;~~rticipating
in the project.
Suggestions for J!luture Research
In order th1.t any futLrre research atter:1pt based on this
report not be rendered invalid by nethodological limitations,
the following measures are suggested:
10
1.
Sanple 8ize should include at least 15 subjects.
2.
The
1~8.wtLol.':le
the use 01
for the
S~.L1e
ShO~11d
be
c02'~tro1led
by
E;clJ..8.1-sized coep;::.rison group, which
C":lE
will engage
ef:fect
i~
SODe specified reading-related activity
ctClOmlt of tir::e given to readLlg-related
activity on the "JiJ.rt of the eX}Jerimental group.
3.
:\. control group Llust be used.
4.
The attitude inve:::tory used shoeld be validated,
and the
It
testi~'1g
sho~. lld
situation sllould be carefully monitored.
be IClade cle::r to each individual that he or
she is to indicate hovl he or she feels about reading,
.mel that
5.
tl:~ere
are no wrong answers.
J!'or primary readers, it is suggested th:=lt an
attitude ir:.ventory of no r:lOre
si~ce
tha~l
10-12 items be used,
their reEding level prohibits use of a longer
inventory.
6.
There
reL1ai~s
the possibility that different
results will be obtD. L:ced if both experimental and
control grou:9s
.J. re
rcade up of l..UIDoti v:!.ted readers.
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APPENDIX
APPENDIX
READING A.TTITUDE IHVEl~TORY
Hame
Boy
------------------------Girl
Grade
(Circle one)
1.
I dislike reading very much.
2.
I like reading very nuch.
3.
I hate reading.
4.
I dislike reading.
5.
Reading is fun.
6.
I love readin3.
7.
Sometimes I dislike reading.
8.
I don't know whether I like or dislike reading.
9.
I like reading.
10.
I don't care for reading.
11.
Sometimes I like reading.
12.
I am a fast reader.
13.
SometiI:les I can't remember what I have read.
14.
I am a slow reader.
15.
I often lose my place.
16.
ReadLlg bothers my e;yes.
17.
Sometimes I get so interested in what I'm
reading that I forget where I am.
, ,
BIBLIOG.RA.PHY
Aukerman, Robert C. AJWro8.ches.!£ Beginning Reading.
l~ew York:
John VhIey and Sons, Inc., 1971.
Barley, S.D. "Photography and the Visible Arts."
Eastman Kodak Company,-OCtober 1969. ---•
liThe Visual Literacy Approach to
and Remedial Reading." Eastman
ompany, June 1969.
---D~e-v-e'="l-o-Bmental
Kodak
• n·'ivhy Visual Sequences vome First. t!
---Ea:"'-s""l'tma--n Kodak Company, April 1969.
Debes, J.L. "The Loom of Visual Literacy." Audiovisual Instruction, 14:8, October 1969, 25-27.
Fr8.nsecky, R.B. and Debes, J .L. Elements of Visual
Literacy. Eastnan Kodak Company, Marcn 1968.
Fr8~nsecky,
R.B. "Visual Literacy and Teaching the
Disadve.ntaged." Audiovisual Instruction,
14:8, October 1969, 25-31.
Jacoby, S. "Capture Kids on Cameras." Audiovisual
Instnlction, 14:8, October 1969, 37-39.
POYlell, D.J. "An Experiment in Visual Literacy."
Audiovisual Instruction, 14:8, October 1969,
32-33.
Parker, J .E. "Visual Literacy for Minority Youth."
Audiovisual Inst:rn.ction, 14:10, December 1969,
24-26.
Tovatt, Anthony L., and Thuller, Ebert I.. "OralAural-Visual Stimuli Approach to Teaching
Written Composition to 9th Grade Students.tI
Project done in contract with ·U.S. Department
of' Healtil, Education, aM Yielfare; Ball State
University, IVluncie, Indiana, 1967.