| Summary: | Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1998. Education Bibliography: leaves 110-126 This study investigated the relationships among reader self-perceptions, early reading ability and gender of 77 grade-one children. The purposes of this study were to determine the relationships among self-perceptions of reading ability (social feedback, observational comparisons, physiological states, and progress), reading ability (knowledge of the alphabet, construction of meaning, and conventions of print) and gender. Differing aspects of self-concept include perceptions of oneself which include attitudes, feelings and knowledge about one's abilities that tend to be influenced by significant others. -- The instruments used in this investigation were a modified version of Henk and Melnick's (1995) Reader Self-perception Scale f RSPS^ and a test of early reading ability, Test of Early Reading Ability (TERA-2) Form A developed by Reid, Hresko, and Hammill (1989). -- The study was carried out with 77 grade-one children from a rural area. Forty- two girls and 35 boys participated in the study. They and their parents/guardians were the participants of a pilot project called Significant Others as Reading Teachers, (SORT), for approximately one year. The project was initiated by Joan Oldford- Matchim of Memorial University's Education Faculty. The project advocates the importance of significant others sharing reading and demonstrating reading practices in children's early reading development. -- Results from the tests were given in mean scores and percentages. Aspects of the children's self-perceptions toward reading were mostly positive based on the results from the Reader Self-perception Scale. The children's scores on the TERA-2 test were average according to the TERA-2 manual. An overall normal curve equivalent (NCE) score was computed from the raw scores on the TERA-2 test. The overall normal curve equivalency score revealed average performance in reading ability for this group of grade-one children. The children's alphabet knowledge mean scores were the highest of the three categories, followed by construction of meaning scores, then convention scores. -- The Pearson-Product-Moment Method was used to determine if relationships existed among reader self-perception, early reading and gender. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of the Reader Self-perception Scale and the TERA-2. -- Statistically significant relationships for this group of grade-one children were found between aspects of early reading ability (alphabet awareness, construction of meaning, and conventions of print) and aspects of reader self-perceptions (social feedback, observational comparisons, physiological states, and progress). For this group of grade-one children, the relationship between gender and reader self- perceptions was found to be statistically significant. Gender and early reading ability was not found to be statistically significant. -- The positive relationship between early reading ability and reader self- perceptions indicates that it is important for parents and teachers to promote and practice positive attitudes and perceptions of reading at this early stage of reading development. The findings of this study will provide parents and teachers with a basis for developing information about early reading ability and insight into how young children perceive their reading abilities.
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