Will Intensive One-to-One Tutoring in Reading on a Regular Long-Term Basis Significantly Increase Growth in Reading?

Abstract

Reading is a complex process that an individual needs to accomplish in order to be a successful student. Students with limited reading skills do more poorly in other subject areas, are more likely to act out in class, and have lower self-esteem than strong readers. Therefore, it is necessary to seek alternative educational options when regular classroom work is not enough. This paper asks whether intensive one-to-one tutoring in reading thirty minutes a day, five days a week, for a five-month period will increase the growth in reading experienced by the participants. The study was conducted in a large suburban district in Western New York with two elementary students who had been classified as Learning Disable in the areas of reading and writing. Daily assessments, observations, recordings, and informal talks with their respective teachers were analyzed. Reading attitude surveys were also completed by the students and their parents. The author found that while each participant had similar academic profiles, their growth in reading ability varied. For one participant, the tutoring worked exceptionally well, with both reading comprehension and writing ability. The other experienced moderate growth in reading, but failed to translate that growth into their writing. The combination of individualized tutoring and the relationship between both participants and researcher prior to the program helped each student experience growth, particularly in regards to self-confidence.