The Effects of Direct Vocabulary Instruction on Reading Comprehension Skills on a First Grade Student with Autism

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2015-07

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Abstract

The purpose of this pre-experimental design case study was to examine the effectiveness of direct vocabulary instruction on reading comprehension skills of a 1st grade student with autism. The measurement tool for this study was comprehension quick checks from Reading A-Z (http://www.reading a-z.com). The student in this study functioned as his own control under alternating patterns of fiction and nonfiction. The conditions were alternated weekly in an ABABABAB design. During the first condition, the student received direct comprehension strategy instruction. In the second condition, the student had direct vocabulary instruction in addition to comprehension strategy instruction. Dependent variable data was collected during the spring 2015 semester. The total quick check scores from the two conditions were compared; however, the scores were not subjected to statistical analysis due to a sample size of one. The data indicates a trend in which the subject performed better when receiving direct vocabulary instruction. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.