Title: A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION ACTIVITY, THE SELF-CONCEPT AND READING ACHIEVEMENT OF SELECTED FOURTH GRADE

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the Human Development Program (HDP) and reading achievement and between HDP and the self-concept of selected fourth grade students attending a public school. A further purpose was to investigate the relationship between fourth grade students ' measured feelings of responsibility for the consequences of their academic behaviors (internality) and reading achievement and between internality and self-concept. The subjects were randomly placed into treatment and control groups on the basis of the students ' feelings of internality and the students ' sex. The 3Z treatment subjects were exposed to 19 twenty-five minute sessions of HDP activities within a ten week period. The 32 control subjects received no attention other than the pre- and post-testing that all subjects received. Reading achievement was measured with the Informal Reading Inventory (IRI). Self-concept was measured with the Self-Concept and Motivation Inventory (SCAMIN