More hands-on science tasks may lift reading and motivation
HelpedThe short version
Teachers rated students in classes with more hands-on science tasks as more motivated to read.
- 98
- Grade 3 students in four classrooms
- Trial
- groups not picked at random
- Self-rated
- people rated themselves
The study
Who took part
98 Grade 3 students in four classrooms at two schools in one mid-Atlantic state. 53% were boys.
What they did
All classes did the same 12-week reading programme, 90 minutes a day. Two classes ran many more hands-on science tasks, such as dissecting owl pellets and watching guppies. The other two ran fewer.
What happened
Students in the classes with more hands-on tasks scored higher on a reading test, and their teachers rated them as more motivated. The reading gap went away once motivation was counted, so motivation seems to carry the effect.
What the study found
- HelpedMotivation
Teachers rated students in classes with more hands-on science tasks as more motivated to read.
Small trial, groups not picked at random of 98 Grade 3 students in four classrooms · vs classes with fewer hands-on tasks · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show
- HelpedGoals
Students in classes with more hands-on tasks scored higher on a reading test, but motivation explained the gap.
Small trial, groups not picked at random of 98 Grade 3 students in four classrooms · vs classes with fewer hands-on tasks · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show
How solid is this?
- Groups not picked at random
- Small group
- People rated themselves
- Summary claims more than the results show
Source
Influences of Stimulating Tasks on Reading Motivation and Comprehension (2006)
