ERIC Number: EJ845890
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1074-2956
EISSN: N/A
Improving Reading Fluency: A Case Study Using the "Great Leaps Reading" Program
Walker, Laura L.; Jolivette, Kristine; Lingo, Amy S.
Beyond Behavior, v14 n2 p21-27 Win 2005
Oral reading fluency is defined as the combination of accuracy (i.e., words read correctly) and rate (i.e., number of words read in a specified time). One strategy that addresses oral reading fluency is repeated reading of passages. Repeated reading can improve students' reading skills by building reading fluency linked to specific performance criteria. A supplementary reading program that focuses on reading fluency using the repeated reading strategy is "Great Leaps Reading." The repeated reading strategy is the basis of the design of the program, and it has been shown to be effective in increasing reading fluency with students reading below grade level. In this article, the authors present a case study of Emmanuel, a 10-year-old boy in the third grade who has been diagnosed with a specific learning disability in reading. He has a history of displaying inappropriate behavior during reading activities in both his general education and his special education classrooms. Because the results of studies found that repeated readings improve the reading fluency of students with learning disabilities (LD) or emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), the authors thought that using the "Great Leaps Reading" program might be helpful for Emmanuel. Although the number of errors Emmanuel made with "Great Leaps Reading" did not decrease over baseline levels, the number of words he read correctly within a minute did increase, as did the total number of words that he attempted to pronounce for each session. As the passages grew in difficulty, Emmanuel continued to read more words correctly per minute, even though there was variability in the average number of words read correctly across the leaps. Given Emmanuel's poor reading history as described by his teacher, the gains made in the number of words he attempted to read, as well as his attempts at reading social studies and science passages, are positive. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Reading Fluency, Reading Skills, Reading Programs, Reading Improvement, Learning Disabilities, Reading Strategies, Grade 3, Oral Reading, Males, Elementary School Students, Behavior Problems, Reinforcement, Case Studies, Intervention
Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. Council for Exceptional Children, 1110 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201-5704. Tel: 612-276-0140; Fax: 612-276-0142; Web site: http://www.ccbd.net/beyondbehavior/index.cfm?categoryID=D646D293-C09F-1D6F-F9C4E203B21F5EB8
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 3
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A