Sharon S. Lacy
EDLS 543; February 1, 2010
Summary and Reflection; Article Critique 1
“Intensive Word Study and Repeated Reading Improves
Reading Skills for Two Students with Learning Disabilities”

Summary

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), repeated oral reading improves comprehension, as well as reading fluency and word recognition when used in a reading program. The National Reading Panel also reports that these three factors; comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary are important factors for making meaning. The article focuses on the use of word study to help build vocabulary and fluency. The author, reading specialist; Deborah Staudt, describes how she improved the reading skills of her learning disabled students in a south- central school in Pennsylvania by integrating word study with timed repeated reading. Since her students struggled with fluency, fluency was the main goal in addition to comprehension and word recognition. Students were encouraged to set goals for themselves when tracking their reading time. This practice was used to help motivate students and build their automaticity. The author states that students are more likely to forget words more so if they are unable to automatically recognize and read words on their instructional level. Staudt describes how she began her program with the introduction of weekly poems. She recorded the time it took her students to read their poem each day. She also used previously learned poems for practice and to build their fluency. The poems were used as a tool for teaching language skills and comprehension strategies. The word study portion focused on the spelling, rhyme, or rime pattern. She integrated the teaching of words with multiple meanings and literal and figurative meanings to help with her comprehension instruction. She encouraged her students to look for the words that they learned when reading independently or when learning a new poem. Staudt’s research showed an increase in her student’s fluency, word recognition, and comprehension by the end of the school year. She reported however, that her students still needed additional time when given comprehension assessments. While her students demonstrated growth in these areas, it was still below their present grade level. The greatest impact that Staudt noticed was in her students’ attitude toward reading. Her students encountered reading success that they had never known in their classrooms before. Their increased fluency and word recognition made reading enjoyable and worthwhile.

Reflection

I’ve recently began to use Readers Theater with my small groups, especially in the lower grades to help build their fluency and vocabulary. However, time restrains and an increase in student needs makes it difficult to determine what is more important. What should come first in reading development; fluency, word recognition, or comprehension. According to this article, these three factors are tied together. While implementing fluency instruction, students can also be instructed on word recognition and comprehension development. I highlighted some really good ideas from this article that I planned to implement with my first grade group during the third nine weeks.

Reference
Staudt, D., (2009). Intensive Word Study and Repeated Reading Improves Reading Skills for Two Students With Learning Disabilities. The Reading Teacher, 63, (2), 142-151.