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The present study examined the correlation between academic performance in reading and academic performance in mathematics at the primary level. The data included 95 student performances from grades two, three, four, and five. The reading performance was based on three assessment components which included comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. The mathematics performance was based on summative assessments conducted at intervals during the 2011-2012 academic year as well as the results from the STAR test. Results indicated that a correlation did exist between reading and mathematics performance at the early elementary level when including grades two through five. Examining each grade level individually yielded similar results. A correlation did not exist at second grade between reading and mathematics performance; however, a correlation was found at grades three, four, and five. The correlation also appeared to grow in strength at higher grade levels. READING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 7 Introduction School systems are often challenged to meet the needs of students who are not performing at grade level expectations and provide support services to help those students to close the achievement gap. One program that has been adopted in the hopes of achieving that goal is Response to Intervention (RtI) which promotes early intervention for students who are only slightly behind their peers; however, state funding isn't available to operate this type of program. If schools cannot independently fund an RtI program, students must struggle until they fall far enough below benchmark to qualify for special education services, which are state funded. Logically, as the achievement gap grows larger, the odds of students closing it become increasingly less likely. Schools must take action early, but a full scale RtI program that can target students' needs in multiple subject areas is expensive. For school sites where funding is limited, such as the one involved in this study, it is possible that the limited resources available for early intervention programs can be allocated towards a single subject area which can improve student performance in other areas. Since reading is a skill utilized in every academic subject area, it is a logical domain to examine for a correlational relationship with other subject areas. In this study, data was collected on student reading performance and math performance at the school site of study. The data was then assigned to performance levels and an average performance level was determined for each student in reading and mathematics. Finally, the performance levels for each student were analyzed to determine if a correlation existed between student reading performance and mathematics performance in individual grade levels and overall in grades two through five. READING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 8 Background and Need The ability to read is an essential skill for students to master because information is presented in text throughout the world. Web sites, books, magazines, and newspapers, while sometimes including pictures for visual reference, utilize print to share information with the reader. Educational systems also rely more heavily upon text as students reach higher grade levels. In early elementary grades, students do not typically have textbooks at home and they primarily work with decodable readers and short stories borrowed from the library. However, beginning around third grade, textbooks are introduced to the home environment and students’ abilities to pull and process information from textbooks becomes increasingly necessary for student achievement. By the time students reach high school, many history teachers expect students to build their background knowledge by reading at home and then demonstrate their understanding during in-class discussions. The textbooks that students utilize in science, math, and history are typically several hundred pages in length, featuring diagrams, pictures, and, primarily, text to transmit knowledge about the subject to the reader. English teachers also assign novels and stories for reading at home. Unfortunately, textbooks are challenging for students to access. Textbooks use advanced vocabulary, cover a vast number of topics, use direct language that doesn’t engage the reader, and lack the structure that promotes reading comprehension (Bryce, 2011). In primary school, students are still building their reading competence, but at the secondary level they are expected to have the necessary skills. Additionally, the battery of standardized tests that students take to demonstrate competence in each of the tested subject areas, such as language arts, math, science, and social READING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 9 studies, requires them to be able to read at increasingly higher levels. For example, in second grade the mathematics portion of the STAR test in California is read orally to all of the students, but at higher grade levels only the initial instructions are read aloud. The students in higher grade levels are responsible for reading and comprehending all of the directions, passages, and other printed information within the test. California schools are evaluated based on student performance on these standardized tests and approximately forty percent of students going to public school are attending schools undergoing “program improvement” for failing to achieve the goals of No Child Left Behind (Crane, Huang, Derby, Makkonen, & Goel, 2008). Students are not performing well on their tests; it could be because they are struggling to read and comprehend the test questions that they are being confronted with. Students need practice reading in order to develop their phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The mastery of these skills will grant them access to increasingly complex knowledge in other academic subject areas. Statement of Problem It is important to understand the correlation between reading performance and academic performance in other subject areas at the elementary grade level and to determine if there are key years where the correlation is strong enough to consider utilizing a reading intervention program as the primary intervention for low student performance in other academic areas. For this study, reading performance includes fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary abilities as compared to grade level norms. Academic performance encompasses student performance on summative assessments in mathematics. In most math coursework, students are required to read and interpret written equations, graphs, and other documents, which have similar properties to text. READING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 10 For example, students read text left to right and math equations are also read left to right. Additionally, students are expected to read and interpret math equations in order to solve them, which is a similar process to reading and interpreting text. Purpose Statement The purpose of this study is to extend the current research linking reading performance to academic performance by examining the relationship between reading and mathematics at the elementary level. Research Question What is the strength of correlation between reading performance and mathematical performance at the elementary level? Additionally, does the correlation grow stronger as children advance through each grade level? Theoretical Rationale This study assumes that reading performance is related to academic performance at the secondary level. If a correlation exists at earlier grade levels, it may suggest that early reading intervention programs will benefit all other academic disciplines. This study also assumes that the summative mathematics assessments produced by Pearson as part of their enVisionMATH program are accurate measures of student mathematical knowledge at each grade level. This study also assumes that the McLeod Assessment of Reading Comprehension, the WoodcockJohnson III Test of Achievement, and the End of Year Oral Fluency Assessments produced by McGraw-Hill are accurate measures of student reading comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, and reading fluency. The math assessments have been adopted by the school site where this study is being conducted. The reading assessments are part of the screening process used by the school READING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 11 site for its reading intervention program. The availability of data and resources make these logical choices for this study. READING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 12 Literature Review The literature reviewed in this section focuses on the central theme of reading performance to provide an understanding of the complexities and influences involved in the development of reading skills and how they relate to other factors. The literature also includes correlational studies on reading performance and the development of other academic skills. Additionally, some studies included examined the impact on reading from other outside influences, such as parental employment, genetic traits, and early childhood education programs. Review of the Previous Research The connection between reading and other academic subject areas or skill sets has been explored by several researchers who have approached the concept from various perspectives. Researchers whose work is included in this review have performed correlational studies relating reading with another academic subject area utilizing data on student performance. Some have examined behavioral factors; others explored genetic factors through the use of twin studies; some have examined the socio-economic factors; and still others have examined the relationship from the perspective of disabilities and special education. Current research highlights the importance of reading in the success of students and citizens in industrialized nations. Reading and Academic Performance The relationship between reading ability and academic performance seems like a logical connecti

Impact of Reading Ability on Academic Performance at the Primary Level