Critical Factors in Reading Comprehension

Instruction for Students with Learning

Disabilities: A Research Synthesis
By: Woori Kim, Radhika Misquitta, and Sylvia Linan-Thompson

Teaching Group: Ashley Blackwell and

Erica Shelley

Why did we choose this

article?

Most studies on comprehension are done at

the elementary age. Less is known about
effective instruction for middle and high
school and students with learning disabilities.
This research article took the road less
traveled and studied middle school students
with learning disabilities.
The article also offers practical ways to
implement best practices in reference to the
specifics of the article.

Critical factors based on

review of relevant literature
1.Instructional Methods
2.Self Monitoring
3.Components of Reading Incorporated
4.Fidelity of Instruction
5.Group Size

Two types of Instructional

Methods
1.Instructional Modifications
Interventions that modify content for
the student to make it more
accessible
2.Strategy Instruction Provides
students with tools to decode text
themselves

Examples of instructional modifications:

Supplemental readings
Video Materials
Semantic mapping
Cognitive Mapping
Graphic Organizers
Examples of strategy instructions:
Teaching students strategies to find main idea, summarizing, and questioning the text
Note-taking strategy
**When implementing both strategies, IM and SI, studies have shown to result in improved
reading comprehension in students with LD.**

Cognitive Mapping

Semantic Mapping

Graphic Organizers

Summarizing

Main Idea

Note Taking Strategy

Self-Monitoring
Definition from the article:
Self monitoring involves the
active participation of
students in learning and
continuous engagement in
activities.
Self Monitoring along with
other reading strategies is
found to be very effective.

Reading Components
Incorporated
5 Essential components:
1. Phonemic Awareness
2. Phonics
3. Fluency
4. Vocabulary
5. Comprehension

When providing balanced instruction, the students showed higher results

when it came to comprehension. By combining the 5 essential
components, the students receive a balanced reading instruction.

Fidelity of Instruction

.refers to whether or not the

instruction was delivered or not.
2 factors:
If instruction is scripted
Whether or not it was delivered by a

researcher or a teacher.

Group Size

This study examined 4 group sizes in

students with learning disabilities.

Whole group (12 or more students)

Instruction in groups of 6-12 students
Instruction in pairs
One-on-one instruction

** results showed that individual, one-on-one

instruction was most effective when
analyzing post test scores.

Wrap Up

Both Strategy Instruction and Instructional

Modifications show positive results, but SI seemed
more effective (especially when paired with self
monitoring)
Focused instruction paired with balanced instruction
is the most beneficial.
Whole group instruction is still effective for students
with LD, but smaller groups, pairs or individual
instruction results in higher comprehension
Reflect, reflect, reflect! Remember to understand
why you are developing an intervention in
comprehension.

Works Cited
Kim, W., Linan-Thompson, S., & Misquitta, R. (2012).
Critical Factors in Reading Comprehension
Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: A
Research Synthesis.Learning Disabilities Research
& Practice,27(2), 66-78.