Shreveport, LA—Two LSUS Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) students, Latosha Grant and Jaycee Hallum, placed second in the Louisiana School Psychology Association (LSPA) Student Poster Session. Their submission, “A Fable of Fluency Rate,” focused on reading intervention research conducted during the School of R.O.C.K. (Reading and Organization for Cool Kids) summer program.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session required students to utilize a virtual presentation format whereby they recorded a 10-15-minute presentation, submitted a poster for review, and responded to inquiries from the judge panel.
Hallum started the two-year research project in 2019, and Grant took over after she graduated. Grant will graduate in the Spring 2021 class. Their research highlighted the importance of early phonics skills and the use of multisensory components in reading instruction that would increase oral reading fluency in children.
“The goal of this research study was to help participants apply an error coding strategy to differentiate between types of struggling readers,” Grant said. “This strategy would assist educators in aligning effective intervention programs to novice readers. These findings suggest that doing so could assist children in making significant gains in oral reading fluency skills. I am excited for this study to advance research by providing strategies that best fit the needs of our students. Additionally, I am grateful for the honor of earning second place in this year’s Louisiana School Psychological Association Conference.”
Dr. Kevin Jones, Director of the SSP program, mentored Grant and Hallum throughout their research process.
“This study validated a new assessment to better serve children with poor oral reading skills,” Dr. Jones said. “Through our reading clinic, we have discovered that two kids can read at the same speed and accuracy, but the types of errors are different and require different tutoring strategies. I am so proud that Jaycee and Latosha presented their findings in a way that really connected to the audience.”
