The impact of word study intervention on adult English learners' spelling and reading

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to document the impact of an instructional approach, Word Study, on adults' spelling and reading. Forty-nine adults enrolled in ESL classes at a community-based site in the United States from January through May and were tested on the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System, the Elementary Spelling Inventory and the Developmental Spelling Analysis. This study employed a mixed-methodology including statistical and qualitative analyses. The results showed significant growth for the adult students on their spelling and reading scores and positive response to the intervention. Reasons for why this approach is valuable to educators are addressed in the discussion. © 2014 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.