SOME LONG TERM EFFECTS OF THE REMEDIAL TEACHING OF READING

Abstract

Abstract A sample of 75 second year secondary school pupils, all of whom had received remedial teaching in reading for a minimum of twenty months whilst attending junior schools in socially disadvantaged areas, was compared in terms of reading attainments and attitude to reading with a sample of 75 pupils for whom no junior school remedial provision had been made. Using a three way ANOVA model, the dependent variables of pupils’ reading attainments and attitudes were analysed in relation to the independent variables of Treatment #opi.e having experienced remedial teaching of reading in primary schools or not#cp, Sex and Type of Secondary School #opCatholic or Secular#cp at the age 13‐14 years. The short‐term effects of the remedial teaching of reading in the primary school were assessed at the time of transfer to secondary school. The findings indicated that #opi#cp pupils in the treatment group had significantly higher word recognition reading ages than pupils in the control group at the time of transfer to secondary schools; #opit#cp at follow‐up, using tests of word recognition and reading comprehension, significant first and second order interactions appeared; #opiii#cp using an attitude to reading scale a significant Treatment x Sex x Type of Secondary School interaction was again evident. These findings suggest that the quality of remedial provision in secondary schools is a factor which has largely been ignored in the evaluation of the long‐term effects of the remedial teaching of reading and future studies should take greater account of this variable.