The Effects of Reading Strategies in Comprehension for Elementary Age Learners

Increasing reading comprehension is a vital skill to improving general reading skills. Teachers can incorporate the specific reading comprehension strategies of 5 finger retell and fluency checks. We worked with elementary aged students from average 4th grade and kindergarten classrooms and a center-based classroom for students with Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD). Data were collected to determine the effectiveness of both the 5 finger retell and fluency check strategies that were implemented during our six-week study to improve reading comprehension. Following the six week study period, data analysis indicated that student reading comprehension increased in all study groups. As a result of the findings of this Action Research Project, we will continue to implement both the 5 finger retell and fluency check strategies in ou