Effects of a paraphrasing strategy on the text comprehension of fourth-grade striving readers

Reading comprehension is a complex and multifaceted process that is often difficult for striving readers to access. Researchers have reported that an explicit and systematic approach to teaching text comprehension strategies is effective for accelerating the growth of striving readers. In this study, the Self-Regulated Strategy Development model was used to teach a paraphrasing strategy (TRAP strategy) to striving fourth-grade readers. A multiple baseline design across pairs of participants with multiple probes in baseline was used. Students were placed in pairs according to independent word recognition levels, and the intervention was enacted in pairs by the classroom teacher. Reading comprehension was measured by percentage of text recalled and number of correct explicit and implicit comprehension questions. Results indicated that learning the TRAP strategy to independent performance produced higher percentages of text recall and a greater number of correct comprehension short-answer questions. Recommendations for future research and practice are included.