Graduation Year

2019

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Education

Program Director

Elizabeth Truesdell, PhD

First Reader

Lynn Zimmerman

Second Reader

Elizabeth Truesdell, PhD

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the effects of close reading instruction on students’ reading comprehension. Close reading is an instructional strategy that allows students to dig deep into the reading and gain a profound understanding of the vocabulary, writing structure and author’s message. The study consisted of a total of twenty-one 6th grade students who received close reading as an experimental treatment. The treatment included several components of close reading: essential questions, graphic organizers to compare short non-fiction stories, written analysis of author’s point of view/theme and weekly tests. The treatment focused on having students reread, identify evidence from the text and draw inferences to understand the purpose of the reading. The group was monitored as they engaged in reading literature stories in the Wonders-McGraw Hill Reading program over a period of 5 weeks. Results of the study were obtained through a reading comprehension test, that was part of the reading program, at the end of each week. The data was transferred into tables and graphs for analysis and discussion of the students’ performance.

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