Benefits of Academic Vocabulary Instruction for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students in After-School Settings

• In Event: 68.062 - Poster Session 15
  In Poster Session: 68.062-5 - Applied Research in School: Teaching and Learning

Abstract

In this poster session, we share findings of a year-long study aimed at exploring the benefits of an academic vocabulary instruction for culturally diverse sixth grade students in an after school setting. After 48 hours of instruction, we compared the performance of intervention students (n=33) to a comparison group of student peers (n=40). We found that intervention students read more proficiently at the end of the intervention than they did at the beginning. We further found that intervention students received higher, albeit not statistically significant, reading scores than peers. The findings support the premise that when implemented with fidelity, evidence-based vocabulary programs can be equally beneficial for underachieving, linguistically and culturally diverse students in small-group after school settings.

Authors

• Kouider Mokhtari, The University of Texas - Tyler

• Colleen R. Swain, The University of Texas at Tyler

• Justin Velten, The University of Texas - Tyler