Purpose Statement
The purpose of my study is to determine if decoding strategies such as Elkonin boxes, spelling focused word work, and explicit phonics instruction will increase word decoding accuracy.
Who?
All three of these strategies were implemented with one student in the third grade who is verified to receive special education instruction.
Why?
I chose to do my action research over the skill of decoding because the data I selected showed a significant need for it. The student is currently averaging a 60% on his reading tests because he's unable to decode the words to read the passage. I knew that I needed to focus on decoding because the student struggles on a daily basis to decode words to be successful in the third grade classroom. Decoding is an extremely important skill, so this is why my study is based on it. If my student is unable to decode words, he cannot apply other reading strategies or comprehend what he reads. Decoding is a skill that will always be important throughout this student’s life, as he continues to get older, he will need this skill more and more. By focusing on decoding, I feel my student will gain the most progress in an imperative area.
