The impact of brief individualized instructional components in a reading clinic geared for pre-service teachers

Four reading intervention strategies that are research validated and have demonstrated the likelihood to improve students' oral reading fluency and comprehension are: repeated readings, phonics instruction, vocabulary preview/review, and guided reading. Brief experimental analyses of oral reading fluency were conducted with seven elementary students who are experiencing difficulties in learning to read. A reading clinic model served as fieldwork experience where pre-service teachers learned how to apply a sequential application of specific reading interventions. Following a baseline condition, instructional treatments were combined with prior conditions until there was improvement in oral reading fluency in the instructional passages. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the critical features for a quality reading clinic. Pre-service teachers will determine what components of the reading clinic were beneficial and most effective in their preparation to teach reading. The results of an open-ended questionnaire and a survey given to the pre-service teachers are an important basis for interpreting the findings. DESCRIPTORS: Brief experimental analysis, oral reading fluency, comprehension, pre-service reading teacher education