thesis statement

Abstract Example 1

This study examined the instructional behaviors of 12 inner-city kindergarten teachers. The analysis focused on the teachers’ use of instructional time and how it related to the achievement of students. High-performing teachers were identified by classroom scores on three DIBELS subtests (LNF, PSF, and NWF), the 6-Trait Developmental Writing Continuum, and a Letter/Sound ID test. The results revealed that the teachers with the highest test scores in literacy spent much more of their instructional time teaching through independent writing, spelling by a sound-it-out method, decoding by a sound-it-out method, and fluency. Teacher experience and certification did not make a difference in student test scores. Implications for staff development within the context of all-day kindergarten initiatives are also discussed.