Effects of a Text-Processing Comprehension Intervention on Struggling Middle School Readers

Abstract

Purpose: We examined the effects of a text-processing reading comprehension intervention emphasizing listening comprehension and expressive language practices with middle school students with reading difficulties. Method: A total of 134 struggling readers in grades 6–8 were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 83) and control conditions (n = 51) using a 2:1 ratio (two students randomized to treatment for every one student randomized to control). Students in the treatment condition received 40 min of daily instruction in small groups of four to six students for approximately 17 hr. Results: One-way analysis of covariance models on outcome measures with the respective pretest scores as a covariate revealed significant gains on proximal measures of vocabulary and key word and main idea formulation. No significant differences were found on standardized measures of listening and reading comprehension. Discussion: Results provide preliminary support for integrating listening comprehension and expressive language practices within a text-processing reading comprehension intervention framework for middle-grade struggling readers.

Examining the Effects of Afterschool Reading Interventions for Upper Elementary Struggling Readers

“…As an alternative to reading comprehension strategy instruction, researchers have explored the effects of text-processing approaches (sometimes referred to as content approaches; for example, Barth et al, 2016; Beck & McKeown, 2006; Vaughn et al, 2013). Teachers utilizing text-processing approaches guide students to work through text to build a coherent understanding of the text.…”

“…The overall question that motivated this study was, “What are the effects of assignment to an afterschool reading intervention on upper elementary struggling readers’ reading comprehension?” Due to a previous text-processing intervention study (Barth et al, 2016) that hypothesized students with decoding and comprehension problems may need support in both areas to make substantial gains, we were interested in whether differential effects were present when we tested an intervention featuring foundational reading skills and text-processing to an intervention focused solely on text-processing. By contrasting these interventions, we were able to determine the additive effects of addressing foundational reading skills, an area of weakness for students with poor reading comprehension beyond the primary grades (e.g., Cirino et al, 2013).…”

Effects of Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Intervention on Comprehension-Related Outcomes for Ninth Graders With Low Reading Comprehension

“…The findings from this study provide evidence that reading interventions for adolescents with low reading comprehension have the potential to improve vocabulary and comprehension outcomes. Many components of this intervention, such as explicit vocabulary instruction, identifying main ideas, and structured discussion about text, have also been part of other interventions for adolescents (e.g., Barth et al, 2016;Goldman, Snow, & Vaughn, 2016;Swanson et al, 2016;Vaughn et al, 2013). For students with low reading comprehension, practitioners might consider instructional routines that have been associated with improved outcomes, including modeling, opportunities to practice with guided feedback, and independent practice with appropriate instructional scaffolds (Edmonds et al, 2009;Vaughn et al, 2010).…”

A document enrichment approach to facilitate reading comprehension

“…When people are unable to recognize and understand words, their reading efficiency and text comprehension are affected. That in turn impedes effective learning among post-secondary learners and affects their opportunities for competitive employment [Barth et al, 2016].…”