The Effectiveness of Repeat Reading in Improving Reading Fluency and Comprehension Among Elementary School Students: A Single-Case Study

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze changes in reading ability following a "repeated reading" intervention for an elementary school student whose reading difficulties were impacting academic performance. A single-case study design was employed, incorporating pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up measurements. Initial assessments included observations, interviews, an analysis of academic records, the WISC, and informal tests of reading and comprehension. Assessment results revealed deficits in reading fluency, accuracy, prosody, and comprehension, alongside task-avoidance behaviors and poor reading habits at home. The intervention spanned 12 sessions and combined psychoeducation, repeated reading, parental guidance, and teacher psychoeducation. Descriptively, the mean reading speed increased from 41.64 to 57.96 words per minute (+39.2%), while mean accuracy rose from 93.10% to 97.51% (+4.41 percentage points). Mean comprehension improved from 33.33% to 90.00% (+56.67 percentage points). At the follow-up stage, most improvements were sustained, with a mean speed of 66.36 words per minute and 98.32% accuracy across five reported texts. These results align with current research evidence indicating that structured, explicit, and repetitive reading fluency interventions can enhance reading performance. However, as the study involved only a single case without a control group, the findings cannot be used to draw general conclusions regarding causal relationships.