Differences between Social and Literacy Behaviors of First, Second, and Third Graders in Social Cooperative Literacy Settings.

A study determined the impact of a literacy program including social cooperative literacy experiences on literacy achievement of first-, second-, and third-grade children. Treatment in the experimental groups, which consisted of 204 children from 3 first-, 3 second-, and 3 third-grade urban classrooms included designing classroom literacy centers, teacher-modeled literacy activities, and modeled cooperative strategies to use during periods of independent reading and writing. These periods provided a setting for social cooperative literacy activities. The control group consisted of 70 children in one first, one second, and one third grade. Observational data were collected to determine the nature of the literacy and social activities that occurred. Results indicated that children in the experimental groups scored significantly better on tests of comprehension, story retelling and rewriting. Results also indicated differences between grades, with third graders doing significantly better than second graders, and second graders better than first. Observational data revealed literacy activities that occurred such as oral reading, silent reading, and writing. Social behaviors included peer tutoring, peer collaboration, and conflicts. Differences occurred between the grades in the amount of literacy activity and the ability to collaborate and cooperate, with the third graders involved in more literacy activities than the other two grades as well as more peer tutoring and collaboration. (Contains 30 references and 5 tables of data.) (Author/RS)