Effective Reading Practices for Inclusive Classrooms

This paper examined research on what are best practices for teaching reading comprehension to students in an inclusive classroom. This topic is explored through research findings from multiple quantitative and qualitative studies which examined the effectiveness of structured reading instruction, explicitly taught reading strategies, student autonomy, and discussion and collaboration as best practices for improving reading comprehension skills. While research showed a variety of effective practices and strategies to increase reading comprehension among all students, the research also suggested the need for content area teachers to receive on-going professional development to consistently implement evidence-based practices throughout the course of the school year. Further research is needed to determine best practices for providing professional development, the impact of teacher efficacy on implementation of evidence-based reading instruction and strategies, and the effectiveness of long-term reading instruction in general education classrooms