Improving Text Comprehension of Fifth-Grade Students With Learning Disabilities: A Single-Case Study Examining the TWA Strategy

Abstract

Reading comprehension is a fundamental and indispensable skill for academic achievement and daily functioning. Sadly, a significant number of children and youth, particularly those diagnosed with learning disabilities (LD), encounter difficulties in acquiring this vital capability. Thankfully, several well-established approaches exist to offer effective support. In this single-case study, we investigated the effects of the TWA (Think Before Reading, While Reading, and After Reading) strategy on enhancing text comprehension among three fifth-grade students with LD. Despite displaying proficient fluency skills, participants struggled significantly with comprehending informative science and social studies passages. TWA empowers learners to actively engage in self-monitoring and self-evaluation during the reading process. Study findings were encouraging, demonstrating that the TWA strategy significantly augmented the students’ ability to comprehend the provided informative texts. Moreover, data on social validity indicated that the participants enjoyed the lessons and perceived them as helpful. The discussion includes study limitations and directions for future research in this area.