Seeds Of Science Roots Of Reading PDF Download

This evaluation focuses on the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading: Effective Tools for Developing Literacy through Science in the Early Grades ("Seeds/Roots") model of science-literacy integration. The evaluation is based on a cluster randomized design of 100 teachers, half of which were in the treatment group. Multi-level models are employed to account for the clustering of students within teachers and teachers within schools. Four primary outcomes of interest are examined: science content, vocabulary, reading and writing. Additional analyses focus on the impact of teacher and student background, instructional methods, and teacher-self efficacy. Quantitative results indicate that the "Seeds/Roots" intervention resulted in statistically and substantively higher student performance in science content, vocabulary, and writing. Teacher background and self-efficacy are generally unrelated to student performance. Inquiry-based teachers enhanced treatment effects. Despite "Seeds/Roots" designed integration, teachers tended to focus on the science aspect when considering time requirements to be longer than a standard unit. Qualitative results indicate that teachers overwhelmingly found the "Seeds/Roots" unit usable, effective, and engaging. Two appendices are included. (Contains 33 tables and 16 footnotes.).