EFFECTIVENESS OF A TUTOR-STUDENT METHOD OF TEACHING READING TO FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE INMATES AT THE ILLINOIS STATE PENITENTIARY

• NCJ Number: 27486
• Author(s): R F DINGES
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 26 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: American Bar Assoc.
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: CORRECTIONAL EDUCATORS MONOGRAPH SERIES, NO. 1

Annotation

THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE WHETHER ADULT PRISON INMATES READING BELOW THE THIRD-GRADE CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THEIR READING LEVEL BY USING A ONE-TO-ONE TEACHING METHOD SUPPLEMENTED BY A FLASH-CARD TECHNIQUE.

Abstract

THE SUBJECTS IN THIS STUDY WERE TEN FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE ADULT PRISON INMATES BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 43 WHO WERE SELECTED ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS. THEY WERE PRE- AND POST-TESTED, AND WERE TUTORED ON AN INDIVIDUALIZED BASIS FOR 50 ONE-HOUR SESSIONS BY SIX INMATES AND THE INVESTIGATOR. THE TESTING INSTRUMENTS USED WERE THE VOCABULARY SECTION OF THE 'WIDE RANGE ACHIEVEMENT TEST' AND THE 'GRAY ORAL READING TEST'. STUDY DATA COLLECTED OVER A FIVE-MONTH PERIOD SHOWED A MEDIAN NET GRADE LEVEL INCREASE OF 1.2 ON THE VOCABULARY POST-TEST RESULTS AND A 1.8 MEDIAN NET GRADE LEVEL INCREASE ON THE ORAL READING POST-TEST RESULTS. AFTER A MEDIAN OF 25 ADDITIONAL HOURS OF INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION WITH FLASH-CARDS, THE MEDIAN GRADE LEVEL INCREASE WAS 0.7 FOR THE VOCABULARY AND 0.9 FOR THE ORAL READING. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE DATA INDICATED THE RELEVANCE AND NEED FOR A TUTOR-STUDENT (ONE-TO-ONE) TEACHING METHOD IN THE INSTRUCTION OF ADULT PRISON INMATES WHO READ BELOW THE THIRD-GRADE LEVEL. THE INVESTIGATION OF POSITIVE ATTITUDINAL CHANGES WHICH OCCUR WHILE USING AN INDIVIDUALIZED OR ONE-TO-ONE TEACHING METHOD IS RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER STUDY.