A Computer-Assisted Reading Intervention for High School Students with Reading Difficulties

Abstract

Various approaches have been introduced and tested to try to help struggling high school students catch up on their reading achievement. The current research study investigated how to support high school students with reading difficulties in increasing their reading abilities, engagement, and perception of their school as a supportive and structured environment to help them progress toward high school graduation. Struggling readers within a Southern Arizona charter high school participated in the computer-assisted reading intervention, MindPlay Virtual Reading Coach (MVRC) as part of a remedial reading class. Reading, student engagement, and authoritative school climate measures were collected with the high school students (in the intervention and comparison groups) at the beginning and end of the academic year to gauge intervention effectiveness. The intervention group showed improvements in basic reading skills but did not increase in cognitive and affective engagement. Authoritative school climate and student engagement were positively correlated. These findings show that positive school climate characterized by student support and school disciplinary structure are critical for student engagement among high school students who are reading below grade level. The study also demonstrated that basic reading skills curriculum can be successfully taught through the computer and supported by an in-person teacher. An important consideration of the study is how to increase reading intervention fidelity for high school students. School psychologists fulfill an important role as advocates for at-risk high school student populations who encounter reading difficulty and specific learning disabilities.