Repeated Reading and Its Effect on Third Graders

Abstract

Fluency, accuracy, comprehension and enjoyment are the goals of most teachers when teaching reading. For some readers, the learning process can be an arduous and discouraging task. Allowing students to reread material reduces students’ anxiety about answering comprehension questions as it reduces the need for decoding and increases the capacity for comprehension. This study examines the effect of mixed assisted repeated reading on the comprehension of third grade children. Students were divided into two groups with one group conducting one reading and the other conducting repeated reading of a selected text. The next week, the two groups read a different text, with the former now conducting repeated reading and the other reading only once. After each session, the students were tested. The author found that students in the repeated reading group scored higher on comprehension questions in both sessions. Therefore, repeated reading should be used to assist children with reading comprehension. However, the practice should be monitored at a student-by-student level, as the method may not be necessary for readers at a higher comprehension level and may lead to boredom.