Increasing Reading Comprehension in Struggling Second Grade Students using Targeted Strategies

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to increase reading comprehension of struggling second grade students using a selected targeted strategy. This study used a pre-and post-assessment taken from the Fountas and Pinnell (F and P) reading assessment toolkit to determine the growth made based on the intervention implemented. The students were selected based on teacher observation, formative assessments, and students Lexile levels. The intervention group received 2-30 min blocks of small group intervention time each week for a total of 3 weeks. Students used a cooperative learning approach to reading strategies, where they worked as partners and in small groups. The students participated in making predictions, discussing and analyzing text, and learning summarizing techniques. This included turn and talk opportunities, paired reading, think-pair-share, discussion groups, jigsaws, and inquiry circles. The students read both fiction and nonfiction books throughout the intervention. The post assessment showed significant differences in students comprehension scores based on the F and P assessment tool. Even though there were significant difference in scores, many factors can alter the validity of this study. Educational insights and classroom propositions for future research are discussed.