Effectiveness of a repeated readings intervention with English Language Learners

Abstract

Repeated readings has been shown to be effective with monolingual students to improve both reading fluency and comprehension (Chard, Vaughn, & Tyler, 2002; O'Shea, Sindelar, & O'Shea, 1985; Vadasy & Sanders, 2008; Wang & Algozzine, 2008); however, evidence for the effectiveness of this technique is more scarce with English Language Learners (ELLs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a basic repeated readings intervention with ELLs for strengthening their reading fluency and comprehension. Three elementary students from a school in northern Oklahoma participated in the intervention for approximately 15 minutes each school day for approximately 6 weeks. DIBELS passages were used to assess reading fluency. AimsWeb Maze passages were administered during three baseline sessions and three return-to-baseline sessions to measure comprehension. Treatment integrity and inter-rater agreement were also assessed. Change in the trend, level, and variability in the participant's performance during the intervention were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. The students did not respond to the repeated readings intervention in reading fluency or reading comprehension. Changes were made to the intervention, such as by adding error correction, modeling, or goal setting; however no significant impact occurred. Directions for future research with ELL students include comparing the effects of a repeated readings intervention alone with a repeated readings intervention that includes other components such as error correction, modeling, or goal setting. Another important aspect for future research is to understand how students' age and amount of exposure to English impact the effect of reading interventions such as repeated readings.