The Effectiveness of a Training Program Based on Active Learning Strategies and its Relationship to Reading Comprehension in both Critical and Creative Levels

This study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of a training program based on active learning strategies and its relationship to comprehension reading on critical and creative levels among first intermediate students, and to determine whether the effectiveness of the program vary according to gender and the interaction between the way of teaching and gender. To achieve the objectives of the study a test was prepared to measure students' ability to reading comprehension on critical and creative levels, its validity and reliability were verified. a training program based on active learning strategies was prepared, it included cooperative learning and brainstorming strategies, its validity and reliability were also verified. The training program has been introduced during (25) training sessions in addition to a preliminary and other closing sessions each of which lasts 45 minutes. The study sample consisted of 120 students from the first-grade intermediate students in the city of Al-Kharj, aged (14-15 years), a school for males and another for females were chosen randomly. Two sections were selected randomly from each school , then one of the two sections was chosen in each school randomly to be the experimental group and the other control. Each group consisted of 20 students. The results of the analysis revealed that mean of the students of the experimental group in reading comprehension the critical level is higher than the arithmetic mean for the students of the control group at the same level and that the arithmetic mean of the students of the experimental group in reading comprehension at creative level is higher than arithmetic mean for students of the control group at the same level. The results of multiple two-way analysis of variance showed that the average scores of male students at the experimental group in reading comprehension at the critical and creative levels is higher than the control group at the same level. and it is clear from the results of contrast multi-bilateral analysis the lack of statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α ≤ 0.05) attributed to gender variable and the interaction between the way of teaching and gender, not in the level of reading comprehension at critical level, nor in reading comprehension at the creative level. The researcher recommends further studies and research aims to design programs based on international educational programs; for the development of reading comprehension skills at critical and creative levels, and the use of this program in the development of the skills of reading comprehension at critical and creative levels. Keywords: Training Program, Active Learning Strategies, Reading Comprehensio

Relationship between comprehension levels and reading strategies used in a therapeutic program by deaf individuals who communicate through sign language

OBJETIVO: Determinar as mudanças referentes às estratégias de aprendizagem nos níveis de compreensão de leitura durante um programa de intervenção fonoaudiológica direcionado aos surdos sinalizadores. MÉTODOS: Participaram cinco estudantes surdos, com idades entre dez anos e 15 anos, cuja língua preferencial para comunicação era a Língua Brasileira de Sinais. Todos frequentaram um programa de intervenção fonoaudiológica fundamentada na técnica de scaffolding (andaime). As variáveis consistiram dos desempenhos das avaliações individuais do nível de compreensão de leitura e das estratégias utilizadas para esta compreensão, antes de iniciar o programa e ao término do mesmo. RESULTADOS: Ao término do programa de intervenção, mais estudantes surdos utilizaram estratégias de elaboração (p=0,197) e menos estudantes utilizaram estratégias de monitoramento (p=0,197). Houve mudança significativa quanto à pontuação do nível de decodificação (p=0,109) e tendência à significância no nível de compreensão literal (p=0,197), com aumento da pontuação. Verificou-se significância somente entre a utilização da estratégia de elaboração e os dois momentos da avaliação (inicial e final) (p=0,059). CONCLUSÃO: O programa de intervenção baseado na técnica de scaffolding propiciou que estudantes surdos sinalizadores utilizassem mais estratégias de elaboração e menos de monitoramento; consequentemente, uma tendência para a passagem do nível de decodificação para o nível de compreensão literal do texto.PURPOSE: To establish changes in learning strategies at reading comprehension levels during a speech-language intervention program for deaf individuals who use sign language. METHODS: Five deaf students, with ages between ten and 15 years, whose preferential modality of communication was the Brazilian Sign Language, participated in the study. All subjects were participating in a speech-language intervention program based on the scaffolding technique. The variables were both the performance of individual assessments of reading comprehension level and strategies used for this purpose, before and after the program. RESULTS: At the end of the intervention program, there were more students using elaboration strategies (p=0.197), and less students using monitoring strategies (p=0.197). There was a significant change in the score of the decoding level (p=0.109), and a tendency to literal comprehension (p=0.197), with increasing scores. Significance was found only between the use of elaboration strategy and the two assessment moments (at the beginning and at the end of the program) (p=0.059). CONCLUSION: The intervention program based on scaffolding technique, enabled deaf students who communicate through sign language to use more elaboration strategies and less monitoring strategies. Therefore, there was a tendency to change from decoding level to literal reading comprehension level.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

The Effects of Language Processing Strategies Upon Reading Comprehension

In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed providing educational services for children with exceptionalities. Learning disabilities was one of those exceptionalities whose definition used a language disorder as its major criteria for the identification and classification of a specific learning disabilities. The inclusion of language disorders within its definition brought about greater interest in language and the understanding of language development, acquisition and processing and how these aspects related with academic learning, particularly with reading. The purpose of this study was to address the issue of language processing strategies in the remediating of language deficits and to see if this remediation would have a direct effect upon language ability and/or reading comprehension. The population consisted of 18 children from rural east central Illinois whose ages ranges from 7 years, 2 months to 12 years, 10 months. Their education needs ranged from learning disabilities, educable mentally handicapped, remedial reading to tutorial help. The design of the study was pre-test/post-test control group experimental design. The two dependent variables were the reading comprehension scores and the language processing scores. The independent variable was a teacher-made language processing strategy program. The subjects were assigned to either the control or experimental group by using matched scaled scores from the reading comprehension pre-test. The experimental subjects were exposed to the intervention for 15-minute periods for a total of sixteen days by trained university students from a special education practicum class. The control subjects were given instruction in various academic areas at the same time. At the end of the 3 week program, all subjects were post-tested in both reading comprehension and language processing and a t-test for related measures was performed using the gain scores between the pre- and post-test scores from the reading comprehension test and language processing test. Utilizing an alpha level of .05 with 8 df, no significance was found in either the reading comprehension (t=. 217) or the language processing ability (t=1.381). The results of the study indicate a need for further research in the area of language processing and its relationship with academic learning. No conclusive results were derived from this particular study

The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study: Findings from the Second Year of Implementation

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a majority of ninth-graders in low-performing high schools begin their freshman year with significant reading difficulties. Poor reading ability is a key predictor of academic disengagement and, ultimately, dropping out. This report presents findings from the second year of the Enhanced Reading Opportunities (ERO) study, a demonstration and random assignment evaluation of two supplemental literacy programs -- Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy and Xtreme Reading -- that aim to improve the reading comprehension skills and school performance of struggling ninth-grade readers

The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study: Early Impact and Implementation Findings

This report presents early findings from a demonstration and random assignment evaluation of two supplemental literacy programs that aim to improve the reading comprehension skills and school performance of struggling ninth-grade readers. On average, the programs produced a positive, statistically significant impact on reading comprehension among students

Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report

This report, written by Abt Associates and MDRC and published by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, finds that Reading First increased the amount of time that teachers spent on the five essential components of reading instruction, as defined by the National Reading Panel. While Reading First did not improve students' reading comprehension on average, there are some indications that some sites had impacts on both instruction and reading comprehension. An overview puts these interim findings in context

Dual Language and ENL Comprehension: A First Grade Study for Students at Risk for Delayed English Language Development

This research began by asking how dual language programming impacts English comprehension for ENL students. Research was conducted within one first grade dual language cohort with five bilingual students. The data was collected by interviewing teachers and students, utilizing historical comprehension data, observing read alouds, and assessing student comprehension. Findings revealed that comprehension in a participant’s first language was positively related to English comprehension. However, individual student differences impacted the extent of the correlation. Furthermore, dual language teachers implemented common instructional practices to scaffold ENL student comprehension. Therefore, the data implied that native language instruction is integral, student backgrounds and differences need to be analyzed, and dual language educators need adequate professional development to best aid ENL comprehension

Summer Snapshot: Exploring the Impact of Higher Achievement's Year-Round Out-of-School-Time Program on Summer Learning

Assesses the impact of a multiyear, intensive, academically focused OST program for motivated but underserved middle school students on test scores, summer program participation, and summer learning loss. Examines contributing factors and implications