Impact of Parent-Child Paired Reading on Reading Fluency in Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Single-Subject Study

Abstract

Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) face difficulties in reading fluency, which may hinder their overall reading development. To address this challenge, this study investigated the impact of parent-child pairing reading on reading accuracy and speed in children with intellectual disabilities. Three children with ID participated in this cross-subject multi-baseline single-subject study and their parents were trained to use paired reading strategies to engage in a six week reading activity with them. The study was divided into three stages, with participants without reading guidance during the baseline and maintenance periods. During the intervention period, parents used paired reading strategies to guide their children in reading. Data were collected and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and interviews with parents who participated in the study were conducted to assist with assessment of the intervention results. After intervention, all three children showed better reading accuracy than the baseline period, indicating the effectiveness of the intervention. The intervention had little effect on the reading speed of the three participants, but it gradually improved during the maintenance period. Each of the parents held a positive attitude toward the effectiveness and applicability of parent-child paired reading in children with intellectual disabilities. The results of this preliminary study indicate that training and guiding parents to implement paired reading strategies can effectively improve reading fluency in children with intellectual disabilities.