Week Three in Action Research

I have determined the final topic for my research project, but I still feel a little uneasy about it. Each time I sit down to do more work, I start thinking of other related projects that would be equally interesting!

I will be conducting my action research at a local elementary. I chose this school out of the fourteen I currently support because there are three first grade teachers and the population is diverse. My research will focus on the first grade students who are below grade level at the beginning of the year, and what supports and strategies we can provide to help them become successful by the end of the year.

I will begin the project by meeting with the teachers and getting their support. We will then look at the beginning of the year assessments to identify the first grade students who are below grade level expectations. We will then meet to determine what specifically each of these students needs, and research strategies to assist them. I will observe the teachers and students as these strategies are implemented, and we will track progress over time. The overall purpose of this research project is to determine what can be done in the early grades to ensure reading success so that we have less intermediate students with reading difficulty.

Creating the timeline for my project was difficult. I felt like the implementation or action of the project was not happening soon enough. While the first grade struggling readers need all the time they can get to improve, I also needed time to gather data, analyze data with the teachers, and research possible solutions with the teachers. Once the project gets underway, I will do what I can to speed things up in the beginning to give the students more time.