Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.
Non-UMass Amherst users, please click the view more button below to purchase a copy of this dissertation from Proquest.
(Some titles may also be available free of charge in our Open Access Dissertation Collection, so please check there first.)
The effects of culturally matched materials on the reading comprehension of African -American students
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between culturally matched and unmatched materials on the reading comprehension of African-American students in grades 3 through 5. The study also sought to explore potential relationships amongst variables such as background knowledge, academic self-concept, and comprehension. The results obtained suggest that after adjusting for background knowledge, oral reading fluency and reading comprehension scores did not vary as a function of reading culturally matched and unmatched materials. In other words, reading passage content did not facilitate fluency and reading comprehension for African-American students enrolled in grades 3 through 5. In addition, academic self-concept scores did not vary as a function of reading culturally matched and unmatched materials. Therefore, the results obtained fail to support the cultural model's hypothesis of reading achievement in the African-American community.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Elementary education|Literacy|Reading instruction|African Americans
Recommended Citation
Williams, Stacy A. S, "The effects of culturally matched materials on the reading comprehension of African -American students" (2004). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI3136793.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI3136793