Effects of Explicit Timing on the Reading Fluency of Third Graders with Learning Challenges

Matthias Grünke,Jennifer Karnes,Susanne Hisgen

doi:10.11114/jets.v7i7.4014

Abstract

In this study, we examined the impact of a simple explicit-timing intervention on low-achieving third-grade students’ ability to read more rapidly and accurately. We implemented an ABAB design with four struggling readers to establish experimental control and to evaluate the effects of the treatment in terms of the target variable. The results indicated that explicit timing was very helpful in increasing the participants’ reading rates. That is, each of the four students demonstrated better mean results in the B phases than in the A phases. The article closes with a discussion of the practical implications and applications of the findings, including limitations to be addressed in future studies.

Highlights

Reading is crucial for success in school, vocational training, and professional life (Aaron, Joshi, & Quatroche, 2008)
If reading problems are not remedied during elementary education, they usually remain until adulthood (Zentall, 2014)
According to Logan’s (1988) instance theory of automatization, once students have mastered the letter–sound correspondence rules, they need to learn to read text quickly, accurately, and with little effort so that they can focus on meaning

Summary

Introduction

Reading is crucial for success in school, vocational training, and professional life (Aaron, Joshi, & Quatroche, 2008). Students who do not master basic reading-related skills by the end of their elementary education have a lower chance of performing effectively in today’s society (Wegner, 2017). Many children struggle greatly with the cognitive processes that are involved in decoding letter symbols to determine meaning and, being able to read fluently. If reading problems are not remedied during elementary education, they usually remain until adulthood (Zentall, 2014). According to Logan’s (1988) instance theory of automatization, once students have mastered the letter–sound correspondence rules, they need to learn to read text quickly, accurately, and with little effort so that they can focus on meaning. The ultimate goal of this process is to decipher words and to understand the content of age-appropriate reading materials. As a prerequisite for determining the meaning of a text, students must demonstrate adequate fluency (Vellutino, Tunmer, Jaccard, & Chen, 2007)

Methods

Results

Conclusion