Running head: LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN

Literacy Enrichment Plan

Jason Robichaud

Saint Bonaventure University

DIFF 506: Language, Literacy, and Communication for Students with Exceptionalities
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 2

Introduction

This literacy enrichment plan and project focuses on a gifted first-grade student in a local

rural school district. For confidentiality purposes, I will refer to this student as Kim throughout

the paper. Kim is a six-year-old student who lives in a middle-class family and attends a school

district where Caucasian families make up the majority and very little ethnic diversity is

prevalent. Kims literacy and language skills are above grade level and allow her to read books

two grade levels above her own, which has been determined by Fountas and Pinnell benchmark

testing. She loves to read and show her books to her parents, peers and teachers. Along with

advanced reading skills, Kim excels in all subjects, specifically math. Compared to her peers,

Kim scored in the 92nd percentile on STAR math testing. Although Kim demonstrates giftedness

in many areas, her weekly assessments during guided reading, and anecdotal records from her

teacher, show she struggles with reading comprehension.

Though Kim has excellent fluency and phonemic awareness, her ability to retell and

comprehend the full meaning of the story is limited. Her teacher has noticed that her reading

comprehension skills need to be strengthened in order to enhance her higher order thinking

skills. Kim enjoys reading new books and is very interested in reading books where the narrator

is an animal. She loves animals and learning new facts and information about them, but when she

is asked to retell something from the story or think about the animal in another context, she

struggles. Kims parents are very involved with her education and have been reading with Kim at

home from a very young age. They have also noted Kims above average reading and have

expressed concern about her understanding of the stories. Her teacher informed me that she has

been trying to find new resources and strategies to strengthen her reading comprehension skills. I
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 3

believe we can provide appropriate interventions that will enhance her literacy skills with the use

of technology in the classroom.

The literature review portion of this project will focus on using technology to increase

reading comprehension skills, specifically targeting higher order thinking skills. Research on the

importance of creativity will first be discussed. The review will then seek to answer the question

of how educators can implement strategies to increase a students ability in answering reading

comprehension questions, specifically, higher order thinking questions. Research, theory and

practice will be discussed to enrich educators in identification and facilitating students with gifts

and talents. Strategies of how to engage gifted students will be provided along with further

research highlighting the use of technology to increase comprehension of students. This study

will build on previously conducted research and will aim to increase the ability of teachers,

administrators and families to help foster gifted children in the communities.

Literature Review

In 2006, Henshon conducted an interview with Howard Gardner and Ellen Winner to

discuss thoughts and theories they have pertaining to gifted students and the creative minds of

students. Throughout the interview, Gardner stated that the words gifted and talented could be

used interchangeably. Both terms could be used to identify individuals who show strength in an

area of any subject, beyond what the majority of their typical peers could do. It is further stated

that these talents, or gifts, may be in any subject and that gifted students may not excel in all

areas of academics. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences identifies eight key areas

in which learners may excel. These areas include: nature, people, logic, word, body, music,
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 4

picture, and self. Students who could be identified as creative or gifted in an area may go

unnoticed due to the fact that they have limited opportunity to show their true talents in an area

of intelligence (Henshon, 2006). It should be the responsibility of the educator, along with other

major adults in a student's life, to help identify areas of strength. This identification of ability

could lead to the identification of true creativity from that individual in a specific area of

intelligence.

In addition to this, many schools tend to focus on rote memorization and basic recall of

information to instruct and assess students. In order to promote creativity in the classroom, it is

important and crucial that higher-order thinking skills are addressed, explored, and encouraged

(Sriraman, 2005). Without these skills, creativity does not play a vital role in the classroom and

is therefore unable to develop. Pfeiffer and Wechsler state that without the development of these

higher order thinking skills, including creating, then it is nearly impossible for individuals to

contribute or compete at the global level. To be successful in the global job market, students need

to learn to develop problem solving skills that come along with creativity, and other higher order

thinking skills. With that knowledge, it is important for educators to enhance creativity in the

classroom to increase the chance of success for students as global citizens of the society and

world.

Miller (2012) helps educators explore different theories for best practices and strategies

to increase and identify giftedness and creativity among students. He first identifies a theory

developed by the theorist Joe Renzulli. In this theory, two specific areas of giftedness are

explored. The first of these areas is known as schoolhouse giftedness. In this type of giftedness,

students are known to develop giftedness based on lessons that were taught and application of

skills that were learned. The students that fall under this classification are usually good test
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 5

takers, and are easily identified by teachers, administrators, and the students families based on

the results of academic achievement. The second area of giftedness is harder to identify in

students. It is known as creative-productive giftedness. When a student is identified as having a

creative-productive giftedness, they usually demonstrate multi-dimensional intelligence, along

with creation of original material. This form of giftedness is usually harder to identify because it

cannot typically be measured with an intelligence, aptitude or achievement test.

Based on these two forms of giftedness, Miller (2012) discusses the Renzulli Three-Ring

Model which was developed as a guide for identification of gifted students in the creative-

productive area. This model encourages educators to look at three areas of intelligence to

determine giftedness. These areas of intelligence include: above-average ability, creativity, and

task commitment. While examining this model, educators must focus on developing an

environment that provides gifted students with opportunities to use creativity. It is also important

to recognize that giftedness may need to be identified as a situation-specific state, rather than a

stable trait in students (Lupu, 2013). This means that giftedness, paired with creativity, may not

be evident in all areas of instruction. It is important to identify the situations in which students

have a chance to demonstrate their abilities.

Along with the exploration of Renzulli's theory of giftedness, Miller (2012) also explores

Teresa Amabile's Creative Intersection Model of giftedness. This model closely resembles

Renzulli's model and is also composed of three parts. These parts include: domain skills, creative

thinking and working skills, and intrinsic motivation. Similar to Renzulli's model, this model

encourages the movement away from extrinsic motivation, and encourages the use of intrinsic

reward, identifying oneself as a leader and being responsible for one's own advancement. Again,

giftedness is identified as being situation-dependent. This model does however focus on an

LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 6

appropriate development of background knowledge, coming from content-domain skills, to

increase giftedness and creativity. These skills and knowledge would need to come from

educators or family.

Lastly, Miller (2012) identifies one more model to assist with the understanding of

giftedness and creativity. This is a model created by the theorist Ellis Paul Torrance, who is also

known as the "Father of Creativity". The tests created from this model are relatively widely used

because they require the examinee to simply reflect on their own life experiences. The model and

tests build on four areas of knowledge. These include fluency, flexibility, originality, and

elaboration. The tests are assessed based on the examinees ability to create drawings, title their

drawings, write questions, reasons, consequences, and explain different uses for objects.

It is important to recognize that in order to successfully identify, enhance, and encourage

the creative minds of students, particularly those in gifted education, there must be a joint effort

among educators, families, administrators, and the community to get the best results from the

students (Pfeiffer & Wechsler, 2013). In order to enhance creativity, it is crucial that educators,

along with families and administrators, think above and beyond typical practice. This can begin

with a focus on higher order thinking skills. One strategy proven to strengthen creativity is to

develop an interpersonal atmosphere that allows students to feel in control of their learning.

Often, students do not engage in activities that they do not feel are beneficial for them (Petrovic

Trifunovic, & Milovanovic, 2013). If a student does not find value in what is being taught to

them, then they are less likely to engage in the instruction. As a result of this lack of engagement,

creativity is suppressed. It is important for the administration and educators to structure their

curriculum in a way that allows students to have a voice in their education. This could lead to a
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 7

spark of interest and increased creativity, leading to further problem solving skills and

developments.

As well as restructuring curriculum to develop an interpersonal atmosphere, students

need to be encouraged to develop a sense of self-assessment (Pfeiffer & Wechsler, 2013). This

means that students need to learn to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, and use this

knowledge to help them learn. Identifying areas of strength can allow a student to embrace the

areas that they can advance in. This can be done with simple guidance from their families and

teachers. While developing a sense of self and building creativity, students can be encouraged to

explore ideas, investigate instruction, take risks in their learning, and challenge themselves (Kim,

Kaufman, Baer, & Sriraman, 2013). This can be done while making choice in content areas they

are interested in. This allows students to have a choice in their learning, which encourages

creativity.

Some researchers who also share the belief that students need to use their own self-

awareness to develop higher order thinking skills were Coleman, King, Ruth, and Stary (2001).

These researchers sought to identify the effectiveness of using technology to increase higher

order thinking skills. Although the research was teacher-guided, the students were encouraged to

explore areas of their own interest using the World Wide Web to find answers to their own

questions. The researchers believed that the students in the study would naturally develop higher

order thinking skills using technology because they were researching their own interests. Results

from the study indicated that students did, in fact, show greater abilities in higher order thinking

skills.
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 8

There were also multiple studies conducted in which the development of higher order

thinking skills among elementary-aged students was more teacher-led through teacher-made

resources. These resources were used to guide students to develop appropriate answers to higher

order thinking questions. These studies, including Fairgrieve and Walton (1996) and Housholter

and Schrock (1997), identified a need for more guidance in order for students to develop the

basic skills they needed to move on to higher order thinking skills. Results from both of studies

indicate an increase in students abilities when answering higher order thinking skills.

The current study will further examine use of technology to increase higher order

thinking skills to establish higher order thinking skills among students with gifted abilities. There

was an abundance of research regarding ways to improve higher order thinking skills, but much

of it was outdated, including that pertaining to the use of technology. Since technology has

increasingly become more important not only in schools, but the world, I find this strategy the

most important and relevant to the study. My own theory of teaching also includes discovery

learning as a component to success among students, particularly those with gifted abilities who

may otherwise become bored with learning. With that information, the study that will be

conducted will be a modified version of the research conducted by Coleman, King, Ruth, &

Stary (2001).

Intervention

The question that will be answered in this research study is guided by the same question

that Coleman, King, Ruth, and Stary (2001) sought to answer: Will technology have an impact

on the higher order thinking skills of elementary aged students? The data collected in 2001 is

slightly outdated now, and the technology that is now available to students is more advanced,
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 9

including the introduction of the iPad in 2010. The school in which this study was conducted has

1:1 iPad distribution to students across the district. This technology will be used throughout the

study.

The main goal for this study was to find a way to increase the reading comprehension

skills, particularly in higher-order thinking, of a first-grade student identified as gifted in multiple

areas. Using the information and techniques from the previous study conducted by Coleman,

King, Ruth, and Stary (2001), the intervention presented in this study included technology and

student choice, paired together. Unlike the previous study, the technology in this study was

limited to iPads, and one application on the iPad was used. The application is called Kids A-Z

and was used because it was supported by the schools web browser.

Prior to the introduction of the application, student data was collected using weekly

reading comprehension tests, referred to as fresh-reads. These weekly tests are short reading

passages with six multiple choice questions and two short answer responses. Six questions are

structured as lower-level skills, while two questions are structured as higher-order thinking

questions. These weekly assessments are differentiated based on the students independent

reading levels, which have been determined through benchmarking and continuous running

records throughout the school year. Post-intervention data was collected using the same fresh-

read weekly assessments. Each fresh-read was a new story and there was a mix of fiction and

non-fiction texts.

Following collection of baseline data, Kim was introduced to the iPad app Kids A-Z. This

application allows students to choose books to listen, read, and take quizzes on various books at

their specific reading levels. All students in the class were taught how to use the listen, read, and
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 10

quiz sections of the application. Because Kim is a gifted reader, but struggles with reading

comprehension, she used the reading and quiz parts of the application throughout the

intervention. The current expected reading level for first-graders during this time of year is a

level H. The texts that Kims Kids A-Z application was set at was her reading level M, which is

at a beginning-third grade level. Kim, along with other students in the class, were taught to use

the application during their guided reading lessons throughout the week. They would first log

into the application, and choose a book of their choice to read. When answering the quiz

questions, Kim was taught and encouraged to look back into the text she read to find the

evidence to support her answers. As she was completing her books, which were often animal

related, I or the teacher, would listen to her read. When she took the quizzes that went along with

the books that were read, we would encourage her to find the answers in the text and provide

guidance when needed, before she picked her answer. When taking quizzes using the Kids A-Z

application, Kim typically scored at the mastery level, which was 80% accuracy or above.

Following the intervention, data was collected on three different fresh-reads. These fresh-

reads were again given to Kim at her independent reading level and completed independently.

The fresh reads were again a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts. One of these fresh-reads related

to her interest in animals.

Findings

Results from the study indicate that Kims comprehension skills increased following the

intervention. Her average score collected from baseline pre-intervention data was an average of

67%. Following intervention, Kims average reading comprehension score increased to an 88%.

This indicates a 21% increase in her score following the use of the Kids A-Z application on her
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 11

iPad during guided reading sessions. Based on this data, it would appear the intervention and use

of Kids A-Z as enrichment had a positive impact on Kims ability to answer reading

comprehension questions at her reading level.

Fresh Read Comprehension Scores

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
FR #1 FR #2 FR #3 FR #4 FR #5 FR #6

Discussion

The first-grade teacher of the student and myself agreed that this enrichment intervention

was beneficial for the student in the study, and the other students in the class. Not only did it

have positive impacts on the reading comprehension of Kim, but it was also easy to use and

could be used independently by the students. The first-grade teacher plans to continue using this

application as enrichment during her guided reading groups, and also as enrichment during

independent work sessions.

Although it appears that the use of technology had a positive impact on the students

learning, it could be argued that her increase in reading comprehension scores could be a result
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 12

of the natural progression of learning or some other variable. As this study took place in a school,

it cannot be dismissed that something took place at home that could have also resulted in the

increase of scores. Regardless of the dispute that could be had pertaining to the scores, there was

in fact an increase in reading comprehension ability. Along with this, the teacher and student

both stated they liked the use of the application on the Ipad, and the student was engaged in her

learning. Positive results should be noted in scores with teacher and student feedback.

Conclusion

Based on the findings from the study, it can be concluded that technology can have a

positive impact on the reading comprehension skills of first-grade students identified as gifted.

To further examine the effects of this intervention, this study could be conducted with older

students in different settings. The intervention itself was effective, and had positive feedback

from the teacher and student. As Kim continues her educational journey through school, she will

continue to use technology in the technological-advanced world we live in. Hopefully, this

enrichment will have taught her to use technology as a tool for learning and advancement.

References

Coleman, C., King, J., Ruth, M. H., & Stary, E. (2001, December 1). Developing Higher-Order

Thinking Skills through the Use of Technology. ERIC, EBSCOhost

Fairgrieve, S., & Walton, N. (1996, May 1). Improving Higher Order Thinking Skills in

Language Arts. ERIC, Ipswich, MA

Henshon, S. E. (2006). The Evolution of Creativity, Giftedness, and Multiple Intelligences: An

Interview with Ellen Winner and Howard Gardner. Roeper Review, 28(4), 191-194.

Householter, I., & Schrock, G. (1997, May 1). Improving Higher Order Thinking Skills of
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 13

Students.

Kim, K. H., Kaufman, J. C., Baer, J., & Sriraman, B. (2013). Introduction to Creatively Gifted

Students are not like Other Gifted Students. Creatively Gifted Students Are Not like

Other Gifted Students. doi:10.1007/978-94-6209-149-8_1

Lupu, V. (2013). Effect OF Academically giftedness on creativity. Buletin Stiintific, 18(2), 148-

155.

Miller, A. L. (2012). Conceptualizations of Creativity: Comparing Theories and Models of

Giftedness. Roeper Review, 34(2), 94-103.

Petrovic, R., Trifunovic, V., & Milovanovic, R. (2013). Giftedness and Creativity of Students and

Teachers in the Process of Education. International Education Studies, 6(7), 111-118.

Pfeiffer, S. I., & Wechsler, S. M. (2013). Youth leadership: A proposal for identifying and

developing creativity and giftedness. Estudos De Psicologia, 30(2), 219-229.

doi:10.1590/S0103-166X2013000200008

Sriraman, B. (2005). Are Giftedness and Creativity Synonyms in Mathematics?. Journal

Of Secondary Gifted Education, 17(1), 20-36.

Appendices

Lesson Plan

Lesson plan 1:

Lesson Objective:

I can answer questions about the text that I read, using evidence from the text.

Common Core or other appropriate standard:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 14

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as
the basis for the answers.

Lesson objective: Assessment:

Students will read short texts and answer Fresh Read differentiated passages (80%
questions with 80% accuracy. accuracy for mastery)
Students will read books and answer quiz Kids A-Z quizzes at differentiated levels (80%
questions with 80% accuracy. accuracy for mastery)

Opening:

Explain how readers use information from the text to answer questions. Readers can look
for answers within the pages of a book to make sure they are accurate with their answers
on tests or quizzes. Answering questions about a text makes sure that readers understand
what they are reading about.

Procedure:

Students will be split into leveled groups based on their abilities.

Students will rotate through 20-minute center rotations including:
1 Work with the Teacher
2 Work on Daily 5 Centers
At the Work with Teacher station:
o Teacher will share iPad application Kids A-Z with groups.
Students will each have their own library of books within the application
that are leveled independently based on students independent reading
levels.
o Students and teachers will work through choosing books and working on the
listen, read, and quiz sections of the application.
As students choose their own books, teacher will listen to students read to
monitor accuracy, and provide as-needed individualized instruction.
o Teacher will model how to go back into the book to find answers to questions,
using key words from the questions to find within the text.
Students who are working above level will read books at levels at least
one grade level above current grade level, and will complete questions
with limited teacher interaction.
o Students will receive a paper fresh-read to complete independently at their seats to
show comprehension of independent reading.

Tiered by challenge: 3 different tiers

LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 15

Below-Level group: Students will work with teacher on one book at a lower-leveled book.
Answers to book will be completed as a team as teacher models how to use book to answer
questions.
On-Level group: Students will choose their own book from the application based on their reading
level. Teacher will model how to find answers and will provide guidance and instruction as
students work.
Above-Level group: Students will choose their own book from the application based on their
reading level (at least-end second grade level). They will independently work through questions
and show teacher how to use book to find answers. Will annotate books and questions on a white
board, indicating key words to look for with in text for each question.

Closure:

Students will be asked to identify the key words in one question that the teach provides, before
returning to their seats to complete a fresh-read independently.

Materials:

iPads
fresh reads
white boards
markers

Data

Fresh Read Comprehension Scores

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
FR #1 FR #2 FR #3 FR #4 FR #5 FR #6
LITERACY ENRICHMENT PLAN 16

Student Interest Inventory