Reading aloud and its effect on the comprehension of second-grade students

Includes bibliographical references (pages [79]-88).This study investigated if reading aloud to children on a regular basis had a positive effect on their reading comprehension. The subjects (N = 75) were second graders at a Crystal Lake, Illinois, school. The children were randomly selected, classified, and assigned to one of three groups of academic performance: low, average, or high ability. They were placed in accordance to their performance on the Terra Nova Basic Multiple Assessments Plus Test-Reading Comprehension NCE score. Eight reading lessons were taught to the children. Four were lessons involving two exposures to silent reading. The other four lessons involved one silent reading time and one reading aloud time by the teacher. The hypothesis was that those children who were read aloud to would have higher levels of comprehension, based on four comprehension questions administered after each story, as compared to those children who read silently. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences in comprehension when students were read aloud to or when they read silently. However, students of higher ability indicated higher levels of comprehension than did students of lower ability, regardless of whether they were read to or read silently. Comprehension was measured as being comprised of subscores representing literal, inferential, critical, and strategic questioning. There were no statistically significant differences between student subscores for literal, critical, or strategic questions. Students in silent-reading conditions scored statistically significantly higher on inferential questions. Students with higher levels of ability scored significantly higher on all subscores.Ed.D. (Doctor of Education