Increasing Fluency in Disabled Middle School Readers: Repeated Reading Utilizing Above Grade Level Reading Passages

This study examined the effects of repeated reading using above grade level narrative passages on: (a) reading rate as measured in words per minute (wpm) and (b) reading miscues. A single group, pretest-post-test design was used to measure the treatment effects. The study group consisted of 11, sixth grade African-American students with learning disabilities who received language arts instruction in a self-contained special education setting. A pretest- post-test measurement was conducted using the Flynt-Cooter Reading Inventory for the Classroom to measure reading level and reading rate. The study results suggest that for the classroom teacher, daily, extended use of a repeated reading intervention with above grade level passages may have two positive effects on students with reading disabilities. First, reading rate may increase, meaning that a greater volume of text can be read, enabling a student to read more productively. Secondly, a decrease in reading miscues may also occur, resulting in greater decoding accuracy and aiding comprehension. These two factors may improve overall reading efficiency