Improved Reading Scores: Does Gender Matter?

Student Author(s)

Michael Wurster

Faculty Mentor(s)

Drs. Jane Finn, Vicki-Lynn Holmes and Libbey Horton

Document Type

Poster

Event Date

4-21-2017

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that females score higher than males in reading achievement tests. Girls tend to have a more positive attitude towards reading as well as being more active readers than boys (Coles & Hall, 2002; Sainsbury & Schagen, 2004; Logan & Johnston, 2009; Hall & Coles, 1999; Logan & Johnston, 2009). To see if this pattern held true for the students attending the Children’s After School Achievement, or CASA, the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills (CIBS II) was conducted. CASA students were given the CIBS II pretest subtests of word recognition, oral reading, and reading comprehension in Fall 2015 and the CIBS II posttest subtests were administered in Spring 2016. Descriptive statistics, paired and independent t-tests, and an ANOVA were conducted to determine which gender performed better in the subtests along with which gender showed greater improvement in reading. Results showed that overall all students had significant improvement in all subtests. For males, there was significant improvement in word recognition and reading comprehension; while for females, there was significant improvement in word recognition and oral reading. When subtest scores between the male and female students were compared using an ANOVA there was a significant difference between the scores of the males and females in word recognition and reading comprehension, but there was no significant difference in oral reading scores. These results will be discussed and possible theories will be given during this presentation.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS