Understanding the Early Literacy Development of RTI Students through the Application of Miscue Analysis

Abstract

This is a qualitative, single case study of primary-grade students receiving reading intervention and primary-grade teachers who have Response to Intervention (RTI) students in their classrooms. This study examined how RTI students in Grades 1–3 developed and reflected on their literacy knowledge and strategies. This study also explored how the RTI students experienced and conceptualized reading through Retrospective Miscue Analysis (RMA). In addition, this study looked at how Miscue Analysis impacted primary-grade teachers’ understanding of the literacy development of their RTI students. Using purposive sampling, seven RTI students and six primary-grade teachers participated in this study to explore the following research questions:

1. How do primary-grade students who are receiving Response to Intervention (RTI) services develop and reflect on their literacy knowledge and reading process? (a) How do primary-grade RTI students experience and conceptualize reading through Retrospective Miscue Analysis? (b) How does Miscue Analysis impact teachers’ understanding of the literacy development of their students who are receiving RTI services? I used multiple data sources to learn about my participants and examine their literacy learning, understandings related to the reading process, and literacy development. Miscue analysis allowed me to explore and observe the RTI students’ conceptualizations of reading, literacy knowledge, and development, as well as teachers’ understanding of their students and their literacy instruction. This study provided empirical evidence of how students and teachers experienced reading and developed literacy knowledge through miscue analysis and RMA. Miscue analysis and RMA helped bring focus to meaning for both RTI students and teachers, while proving to be a powerful tool for learning, teaching, professional development, and literacy research.