RAP: A READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGY FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

Students with learning disabilities frequently struggle with reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a paraphrasing cognitive strategy, RAP, on reading comprehension and the maintenance effects two months after treatment for students with learning disabilities. RAP was taught using the Strategic Intervention Model (SIM) developed by the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning (Schumaker, Deshler, & Ellis, 1986). This study utilized a multiple baseline design across participants for three fourth grade students with learning disabilities from the Midwest. In addition to a learning disability, two of the students also had speech-language impairments while the other student was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Results indicated the use of RAP had a positive effect on reading comprehension with the most substantial gains for inferential comprehension questions. Two months after intervention, all three students either maintained gains in reading comprehension from baseline or continued to improve their reading comprehension during maintenance