Examining Middle School String Students\u27 Sight Reading Processes

The purpose of this study was to document, analyze the strategies and techniques being used, and explore the feelings and perceptions often sixth-grade string students while individually sight-reading over the course of 11 weeks. The students were presented with a five lesson unit on sight-reading that focused on different musical elements and presented the students with strategies and techniques to be used as a class and during individual tests. Each student took the Watkins-Famum Performance Test, form A as a pretest and posttest to the unit. Between lessons, each student took an individual sight-reading test which reflected the musical element covered in the previous lesson. Before each test, the students were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the process and how they planned to approach the sight-reading test. Data was collected through field notes, interviews, tests, and video observations. The results show a significant difference in test scores from the pretest to the posttest. The qualitative data show each student\u27s progression throughout the unit in musical language, strategies and techniques used, and the overall change in perceptions regarding sight-reading