Paired reading : a structured technique for enhancing the reading level of grade two children

Laite, Linda Margaret (Button) (1990) Paired reading : a structured technique for enhancing the reading level of grade two children. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This sixteen week study compared the gains made in word identification, reading comprehension, and meaning vocabulary of two groups (control and experimental) of grade two children. The purpose of the study was to instruct parents in an easy but effective procedure known as paired reading which could result in increased reading levels in their children. The impact of the paired reading procedure on reading achievement was estimated by an ordinary least squares regression method. The outcome variables were reading comprehension, word identification and meaning vocabulary. -- To control for the possible confounding effects of age and sex, these variables were added to the equations as covariates. Thus, the impact of the treatment (paired reading between parent and child) on word identification, reading comprehension and meaning vocabulary were estimated while controlling for age and sex. -- Both groups of children continued to receive regular classroom instruction in reading. The paired reading procedure was used only with the experimental group; therefore, paired reading is referred to as the treatment. It was found that the impact of paired reading on reading comprehension and meaning vocabulary was negligible; however, the relationship was in the expected direction. The impact of treatment on word identification was statistically significant at the 0.1 level. -- In sum, in this study the paired reading technique seemed to be a viable and easily learned method by which parents could be taught to enhance the reading levels of their children, especially in the area of word identification. These findings may have important implications for teachers who are concerned about continued reading failure in children and who seek the help of parents in remediating such failures.

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