An Intervention Program to Increase Reading Fluency

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of a self-modeling/ self-monitoring intervention to increase oral reading fluency in 5 elementary school students. Initially, students were videotaped reading from grade-appropriate text. The videotape was then edited to create a self-modeling intervention tape of approximately 5-minutes in duration, depicting the students reading in a fluent manner. The edited videotape was shown back to the students on two occasions in order to initiate the self-modeling intervention. Following this, students were videotaped reading 1-minute reading passage probes and these videotapes, without editing, were then shown back to the students during each subsequent session. The videotapes were viewed by the students twice weekly for a period of 4 weeks. To promote self-monitoring, after each passage reading session students were provided with performance feedback in the form of words correct per minute (WCPM) and progress toward their long-term goal. Results indicated increases in growth of oral reading rate overtime with concomitant advances in instructional placement criteria.