The Effects of the Paraphrasing Strategy on the Reading Comprehension of Middle School Students at Risk for Failure in Reading

Abstract

Reading is an important component of academic success and a skill required for many adult responsibilities. Many strategies exist that claim to increase reading comprehension. However, in contrast to foundational reading skills (e.g., vocabulary, fluency, decoding), there is relatively little research that has been done on reading comprehension strategies. This study investigated the use of self-regulated strategy development paired with the “RAP” paraphrasing strategy as a way to increase reading comprehension. Participants were three sixth-grade students from a midwestern state. Results indicate that use of the RAP paraphrasing strategy increased reading comprehension.