The Correlation Between Close Reading as an Instructional Strategy with Reading Comprehension in Elementary Schools
The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the effects of close reading instruction on students’ reading comprehension. Close reading is an instructional strategy that allows students to dig deep into the reading and gain a profound understanding of the vocabulary, writing structure and author’s message. The study consisted of a total of twenty-one 6th grade students who received close reading as an experimental treatment. The treatment included several components of close reading: essential questions, graphic organizers to compare short non-fiction stories, written analysis of author’s point of view/theme and weekly tests. The treatment focused on having students reread, identify evidence from the text and draw inferences to understand the purpose of the reading. The group was monitored as they engaged in reading literature stories in the Wonders-McGraw Hill Reading program over a period of 5 weeks. Results of the study were obtained through a reading comprehension test, that was part of the reading program, at the end of each week. The data was transferred into tables and graphs for analysis and discussion of the students’ performance.
close reading, reading literacy, reading comprehension, reading strategies, Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education, Education, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Educational Methods, Elementary Education
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