The efficacy of assisted reading as a strategy for facilitating the reading success of adult disabled readers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a whole language reading strategy using two different types of texts, regular text and language experience text in teaching adults to read.

The participants were four prison inmates between the ages of twenty-six and twenty-eight. Data were collected during an eight-week period, which included thirty-two private sessions with each participant. These private sessions were composed of lessons using whole-language texts in which participants read aloud both regular (published) and language-experience texts in a single-subject Alternating Treatments Design. The dependent measures were sight words learned, miscues, and achievement in word recognition and comprehension.

The results indicated that, under the treatments, each participant achieved modest gains in general word recognition and comprehension. Sight word acquisition occurred under the treatment conditions, and miscue patterns were influenced by the type of materials used. Additionally, each participant reflected a growth in a positive attitude towards reading.