A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Reading Comprehension Interventions on the Reading Comprehension Outcomes of Struggling Readers in Third Through 12th Grades

Informed by theories of reading comprehension and prior reviews of reading comprehension intervention, this meta-analysis uniquely contributes to the literature because it describes the relative effects of various approaches to comprehension intervention for struggling readers in Grades 3 through 12. Findings from 64 studies demonstrate significant positive effects of reading comprehension intervention on comprehension outcomes ( g = .59, p < .001, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.47, 0.74], τ2 = .31). A metaregression model indicated significantly higher effects associated with researcher-developed measures, background knowledge instruction, and strategy instruction, and significantly lower effects associated with instructional enhancements. Grade level, metacognitive approaches, and study quality did not moderate effects. Findings support the use of background knowledge instruction and strategy instruction to support comprehension of struggling readers in upper elementary and beyond.

Student Engagement Within Adolescent Reading Comprehension Interventions: A Systematic Literature Review

The purpose of this study was to complete a systematic review of the adolescent comprehension intervention research published between 2000 and 2020 to examine the presence of instructional practices to promote student engagement. Ninety-five studies were coded and indicated that 93% of the studies included at least one instructional practice and only 15% of studies actually measured engagement. Few studies (6%) examined the relationship between engagement and outcomes; studies that incorporated instructional practices to promote engagement demonstrated a statistically significant relation to engagement. Although student engagement is accepted as important in reading, it is rarely assessed within intervention efforts.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RECIPROCAL TEACHING AS READING COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background and Purpose: This paper presents a comprehensive review of the research on reading comprehension interventions for ESL learners. Although numerous reviews have reported the effectiveness of reciprocal teaching in improving reading outcomes, only few reviews focused on the use of these strategies in ESL contexts. Hence, this review identified, evaluated and synthesized relevant literature in search of the effectiveness of reciprocal teaching and the features that are associated with improved reading comprehension outcomes. Methodology: Guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), a thorough search was performed on five major databases using the search terms “reciprocal teaching” or “reciprocal reading” and “reading comprehension” or “text comprehension”. Findings: The comprehensive search resulted in a total of 18 articles. The analysis coded these articles into eight main themes with four main themes concentrated on the features of the reciprocal teaching interventions: (a) purposes, (b) learning environment, (c) comprehension-monitoring, and (d) scaffolding, and another four main themes on the outcomes of the interventions: (e) results, (f) comprehension outcome measures, (g) reading strategies, and (h) conceptual change. Contributions: Conclusively, reciprocal teaching fulfilled the key features of effective intervention as significant gains were mostly observed in the research using reciprocal teaching as intervention. The versatility of reciprocal teaching makes the technique adaptable to learners of varying backgrounds, ages and levels of education. Keywords: reciprocal teaching, reading strategies, interventions, ESL learners, comprehension. Cite as: Dew, T. P., Swanto, S., & Pang, V. (2021). The effectiveness of reciprocal teaching as reading comprehension intervention: A systematic review. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(2), 156-184. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp156-184

Intervention in teaching reading in a foreign language:

Aim. The paper presents partial results of research aimed at the development of foreign language reading comprehension using the specially developed intervention programme. Concept. The English Reading Comprehension Intervention Program has been developed within the research project Support for reading literacy in the mother tongue and foreign language. It consists of 10 intervention units and is based on 10 identified predictors, the conscious development of which contributes to students’ success in reading comprehension. Methodology. Assumptions presented in the paper are based on the cognitive theory of learning, identifying which cognitive processes precede the predictors with the greatest share of influence, and which higher cognitive processes follow them. Based on these scientific hypotheses and research results, we have determined the predictors positively influencing reading comprehension and worth intervening in the process of development of reading comprehension.Results and conclusions. In the paper, the English Reading Comprehension Intervention Program for B1 level of language proficiency is introduced, with both the content and methodology of its class application described. The predictors of divergent thinking and ambiguity tolerance are discussed in detail as the presented example of the intervention unit is focused on their development. Originality. While intervention programmes are not a new phenomenon, the recently developed reading comprehension intervention programmes for foreign languages are a valuable contribution to teaching foreign language reading comprehension in primary and secondary schools. They provide foreign language teachers with ready-made materials, which can be immediately used in their classes and will contribute to better learning results of their students.