Reading Comprehension Strategies for Students With Learning Disabilities

Overview of Reading Comprehension Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities

Jitendra, A. K. (April 2011). Reading comprehension instruction for students with learning disabilities. Focus on Exceptional Children, Vol. 43, Issue 8, p. 1–16.

Students with learning disabilities require unique strategies for accessing knowledge. This article addresses text enhancement strategies available to teachers, such as graphic organizers, story maps, mnemonic illustrators, story guides, and computer-aided instruction. Assistance with main idea development, questioning, and summarization can also help students. The article serves as guidance for remedial reading comprehension instruction.

Kathleen, K. M. (2001). A primary subject goes secondary. Education Week, 20(31), 13–17.

This article examines the methods used in a Florida high school to incorporate reading into the broader curriculum. Conclusions drawn from assessments of student academic competencies show that some students were ill-prepared for complex reading tasks after the fourth grade. The most successful schools shared the following characteristics: varied lesson plans and academic content, test preparation embedded into instruction, teachers focused beyond the classroom and active across the school community and within students' lives, instruction focused on processes for finding correct answers, and high levels of pupil-to-pupil conversation and engagement.

McCray, A. D. (2001). Middle school students with reading disabilities. Reading Teacher, 55(3), 298–300.

Graphic Organizers and Visual Learning Tools

This is a candid look at middle school students with reading disabilities and their views on reading in general and the instruction they receive. The article explores the full reading experience for students with learning disabilities and provides insight into their own perceptions of their reading ability and the instruction they receive from teachers. Student suggestions for improvements are also included.

Dexter, D. D., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Graphic organizers and students with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis. Learning Disability Quarterly, 34(1), 51–72.

This article explores past and current research on the use of graphic organizers (GOs) with students who have learning disabilities. It includes a meta-analysis of GO research to assess the overall effects on posttest performance and whether those effects persist over time. The study also examines the differential effects by type of measure, type of GO, subject area, and stage of attending to verbal material. The authors conclude that, compared to other strategies, GOs are more effective on posttest, maintenance, and transfer measures.

Questioning Strategies and Student Awareness

Hutchins, E. J., & Mesmer, H. A. E. (2002). Using QARs with charts and graphs. The Reading Teacher, 56(1), 21+.

This article expounds on question-and-answer relationships (QARs) that aid students in better understanding multiple-choice questions. The author describes how fifth-grade students use the QAR framework to approach charts, tables, figures, and other graphics. Exact methods and documented successes using QARs are explored throughout.

Raphael, T. E., & Pearson, P. D. (1985). Increasing students' awareness of sources of information for answering questions. American Educational Research Journal, 22(2), 217–235. doi:10.3102/00028312022002217

An in-depth training study of 59 sixth-grade students of high, average, and low reading ability examines how well students can answer comprehension-promoting or assessment-oriented questions. The study demonstrates that prior knowledge in locating sources of information is fundamental to a student's ability to access the information required for answering comprehensive questions. Training was found to be most effective for lower-level learners.