Research has shown a strong positive relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension (Elleman, Lindo, Morphy, & Compton, 2009; Crosson & Lesaux, 2013; Lubliner & Smetana, 2005). Vocabulary acquisition is possible for all learners through explicit vocabulary instruction and incidental word learning (Cunningham,…

The primary purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a close reading instructional routine (also known as analytical reading decades ago) that has been described in the literature and promoted as a process to help students reading complex text independently and proficiently. A single subject alternating treatments design…

The hypothesis of the study was explicit gradual release of responsibility comprehension instruction (GRR) (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983; Fisher & Frey, 2008) with the researcher-created Story Grammar Code (SGC) strategy would significantly increase third graders' comprehension of narrative fiction and nonfiction text. SGC comprehension…

The goal of this descriptive study was to investigate the use of decoding strategies, specifically phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, accuracy and fluency, and vocabulary, to determine if applying the identified decoding strategies would have an effect on the students at-risk for reading failure. The purpose was to determine if these…

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate improving the reading performance of fifth-grade students through an afterschool reading program to determine whether it was effective in teaching Native American and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). This study compared the reading performance of fifth-grade students who struggle…