Supporting Reading Comprehension of At-Risk Adolescent Readers Through the Use of Text-to-Speech Technology Paired with Strategic Instruction

ABSTRACT This research highlighted the use of text-to-speech technology and current shifts in strategy-based reading instruction in order to address the comprehension needs of struggling pre-adolescent readers. The following questions were posed: (a) Does reading comprehension of preadolescent struggling readers improve as the direct result of using text-to-speech technology to circumvent weaknesses in word decoding? and (b) What is the additive effect in the reading comprehension when question generation and use of topic sentences are paired with text-to-speech technology? This single-case research was an ABC design with multiple baselines. The project's dependent variables were (a) pre- post- standardized testing using WIAT (1992) subtests, (b) reading probes using curricular content, and (c) intervention data computed from the summarization of main ideas. Results demonstrated that using text-to-speech alone increased comprehension in all 5 participants and when combined with specific reading strategies, there was an additive treatment effect in 4 out of 5 participants.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Anderson, Susan Diane

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Smith, Sean J
• Hock, Michael

• Education, Reading
• Education, Technology
• Education, Special
• adolescent
• comprehension
• reading
• strategy
• technology
• text-to-speech

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright held by the author.

Language dc:language.iso

EN

Dc Identifier Other

http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:10420

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/37083