Comprehension-Based Silent Reading: Helping Students Read to Thrive in High-Stakes Settings

• In Event: 53.032 - The Roles of Instructional Practices and Assessment in Literacy Learning

Abstract

As students mature comprehension during independent silent reading becomes crucial, and although standards assessments as early as 3rd grade require students to read and respond to text read silently for up to two hours at a time, classroom and educational initiatives continue to focus on oral rate without assessment of comprehension. Thus, many students arrive at middle grades unprepared for silent reading with comprehension and unprepared for longer and more complex reading and assessment tasks that coincide with the fading of explicit teacher support. We examined comprehension based silent reading with 310 students in 2nd, through 4th grades. Findings help to unpack important questions about development of stamina and self-regulation of comprehension during silent reading.

Authors

• H. Emily Hayden, Iowa State University

• Guy Trainin, University of Nebraska Lincoln TLTE

• Elfrieda H. Hiebert, TextProject