Enhancing reading comprehension in students with special educational needs: The implementation and evaluation of a reading-strategy program

Abstract

Reading comprehension depends on variables such as decoding skills, vocabulary knowledge and reading self-efficacy. However, recent literature findings show that the mastery and use of reading- and self-regulation strategies is a major component that enhances the reading competence of the students with special educational needs. Within the present study, the effectiveness of a 29-lesson program designed according to these findings is evaluated in 147 - of a sample of 268 - students with special educational needs. A pre-post design was used and all students were assessed in read­ing comprehension, reading-strategy knowledge and reading self-efficacy. Significant gains in favour of the treatment group were observed on the reading comprehension and reading strategies knowledge tests, whereas, the differential analysis shows that students with different basic learning skills profit by the reading-strategy program.