The Effects of a Directed Reading-Thinking Approach in the Teaching of Reading on the General Reading Comprehension Scores and Inferential Comprehension Scores of Third Grade Students

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of a directed reading-thinking approach in the teaching of reading on the general and inferential comprehension scores of third grade students of average reading ability. The subjects consisted of 32 third grade students, 17 males and 15 females, of average reading ability. The subjects were divided into two comparable average reading groups. One group was assigned as the control group and followed a regular basal reading program. The other group was designated as the experimental group and was taught by this investigator using a directed reading-thinking approach in the teaching of reading. The experimental group received directed reading-thinking activities to help foster higher-order levels of thinking. General comprehension and inferential comprehension scores for both groups were obtained from the comprehension section of The Stanford Achievement Test. The mean raw scores for both groups in regard to general and inferential comprehension were tested for significance at the .05 level using an independent t-test of correlated means. The data failed to reject both null hypotheses. A directed reading-thinking approach did not significantly augment general and inferential comprehension. Despite the fact no significant difference were achieved between the two groups, the experimental group did perform better than the control group. The findings suggest that perhaps under optimal testing conditions a directed reading-thinking approach could significantly help to increase general and inferential comprehension.