Effects of Sight Words Teaching on English Reading Development of EFL Elementary School Students

• Main Authors: Lien-chih Wang, 王蓮枝
• Other Authors: Ye-ling Chang
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/93263963227187046276

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 100 === ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of sight word instruction on English reading development for EFL elementary school students. The subjects in the present study included 62 fourth graders from Rhuey-Tarng Elementary School in Yangmei. The subjects in the study received sight word instruction for 16 weeks. During the 16-week study, first, the fourth graders were required to learn the 100 sight words, with ten sight words each week. Before the implementation of sight word instruction, the subjects were invited to take the pretest and then they were asked to answer the pre-study questionnaire of their responses to English sight word performance and English reading. After the whole instruction, the subjects took the post-test and were invited to answer the post-study questionnaire on their responses to sight word instruction. Through the pretest, the post-test, the pre-study questionnaire, and the post-study questionnaire, then the collected data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively by paired samples t-test, and the Pearsons’s Correlation Coefficient. According to the data analysis, the major findings are summarized as follows: 1. There is a significant difference between the pretest and post-test of English sight words and English reading. From the subjects’ increased mean scores of the post-test, the students made progress in English reading. Therefore, it is positive to say that sight word instruction is effective in English reading development for EFL elementary school students. 2. There are three significant differences in the student responses to English sight word reading before and after the study. The increase in mean scores in the post-study remarks that sight word teaching is beneficial for the students to build up their confidence in word acquisition. Sight word teaching can also encourage students to get access to reading literacy. 3. There is one significant difference in the student responses to English reading performance before and after the study. The increased mean score in the post-study indicated that the students considered that sight word reading was important. 4. There is a significantly positive correlation between the students’ English sight word performance and English reading performance. The study finding indicated that sight vocabulary learning improved reading, and reading facilitated the growth of vocabulary knowledge for the students. Furthermore, the acquisition of sight words makes the students’ English reading more smooth and fluent. 5. Most of the students held the positive responses to sight word instruction, so their perceptions of English reading were affirmative. Specifically, the students reported their gains, including the increase of English vocabulary, the improvement of English reading comprehension, and the broadening of English knowledge. Based on the study findings, sight word instruction helped enhance students’ English reading comprehension. It is suggested that EFL teachers in elementary school integrate sight word instruction into English lessons to help their students to increase their English vocabulary and to improve their English reading comprehension. To be specific, a minimum of 100 English sight words could be taught in regular English lessons. Second, English teachers may help students accelerate their reading fluency and comprehension by teaching sight words in class. Third, English teachers may use a variety of teaching methods and activities to teach sight words. By doing so, the students would be encouraged to read more and better.