Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
A two year study by the National Foundation for Educational Research, of the organisation of reading as a subject in infant schools, and factors influencing children's performance.
Main Topics:
Reading methods used in infant class (alphabetic, phonic, look and say sentence), whether approach tends to be formal or reading scheme or series used (e.g. 'Janet & John', 'Beacon' etc.), with reasons for use, whether this is supplemented by other readers, whether children are allowed to take home basic readers, whether reading apparatus is used for class or individual purposes, record of tests used in infant department, provision made for 'backward' readers, whether there is an infant department library and how this is organised. More general information on the school includes: age and description of physical conditions of infant school; organization of classes (i.e. junior, junior with infants); number of teachers in infant school; social class of locality. Information on child's school record includes: absenteeism; attitude towards school; intellectual ability; rate of progress; reading readiness estimate; estimates of child's development (9 groups of statements: e.g. good or adequate oral vocabulary, fluent clear speech, interested in all kinds of books, keen to read, learns quickly etc.); teacher's prediction of future reading ability at 7 years + (3 categories); percentage of pupils able to read at end of infant course; contact between teacher and parents (i.e. whether there is a parent teacher association, whether the teacher visits homes for any reason, the percentage of parents who come to see the teacher). Background information on the child includes: sex; date of birth; parents' occupation; whether child attended a nursery school. Data is also given on home background generally (e.g. does the child come from a home where there is a well ordered routine), the child's personality characteristics (14 categories: e.g. happy, lazy, polite . . . etc.). Further information recorded includes: the interest shown by parents in the child's school progress and encouragement given, and whether, in the teacher's opinion, these factors influence the child's performance (questions are designed to assess whether teachers differ in their estimates of the child when asked to assess the background of individuals instead of pupils in general). Information on the teacher includes: age; education; teaching experience etc. Attitude and personality scales are also included: e.g. indicating feelings toward parents and children, views on the role and influence of the school and tendencies towards authoritarianism in general outlook.
Simple random sample
Face-to-face interview
