Teaching students with reading difficulties to be close readers: a feasibility study.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Applied Linguistics
• Reading Science

Background:

• Many middle-to-upper elementary students face challenges with independent reading and textual analysis.
• The Close Reading program was developed to address mild-to-moderate language and/or reading difficulties.

Observation:

• A 12-week feasibility study involved three fourth-grade girls with reading difficulties.
• The program integrated morphological-analysis and context-analysis strategies with guided reading practice.

Findings:

• All participants demonstrated improvements in word reading and reading comprehension.
• Effect sizes ranged from small to large on both standardized and experimental measures.
• Individual progress aligned with students' initial language and reading skill profiles.

Implications:

• The findings support further experimental research into the Close Reading program's effectiveness.
• Instruction in morphological analysis, coupled with guided reading, shows promise for enhancing reading skills in struggling elementary readers.
• This approach may offer a valuable intervention for students experiencing difficulties in word recognition and comprehension.