This document summarizes a study that evaluated the effectiveness of a supplemental reading curriculum on improving reading fluency for 5th and 6th grade students. The study involved 12 students split into two groups who used stories and word sorts in lessons for 30 minutes per day, 4 days a week. Results showed significant increases in reading rate and accuracy for each story and overall for both groups, indicating that repeated reading through the supplemental curriculum improved fluency. The author concluded the curriculum was effective but noted limitations in the small sample size and number of practice reads required per story.

2. “Success for Students with
Diverse Reading Abilities through
the Use of Supplemental
Reading Curriculum”
by Kevin Zugel
A CRITICAL REVIEW:

3. 1. The author:
Kevin Zugel
 An elementary ESL teacher with 6
years of experience
 Hold a master‟s degree in
education
 A literacy doctoral student at the
university of Nevada, Reno, USA

4. 2. Hypothesis
 Valencia et al (2010) argues that
supplemental reading curriculum gives
students the opportunity to practice and
improve reading fluency.
 Rasinski & Hoffman (2003) and Rupley
& Nichols (2008) point out that students
can improve fluency through repeated
reading method.

5. Hypothesis
• The author‟s hypothesis:
Using supplemental reading
materials will improve fluency
components of reading rate and
accuracy through reread strategies.

6. Hypothesis
5 research questions:
1. What is the effect of the curriculum on reading rate
for specific stories?
2. What is the effect of the curriculum on reading
accuracy for specific stories?
3. What is the effect of the curriculum on overall
reading rate?
4. What is the effect of the curriculum on overall
reading accuracy?
5. Does the pacing of the curriculum give students
below grade level the opportunity to catch up to
grade – level proficiency in reading rate and

7. 3. Purpose of the research
To analyze the effect of the
supplemental reading curriculum
as a component of the complete
reading program in improving
reading fluency – reading rate
and accuracy.

8. 4. Procedure
Participants
12 students of the 5th and 6th grade at an
elementary school in the western United
States during 2008-2009 school year.
=> Two ESL intervention groups (6
students for each).

9. Procedure
Material: Words Their Way: Word Sorts
for Within Word Pattern Spellers and
stories
Teaching method
 30 minutes a day and 4 days a week
 1 story was delivered through a 4-day
lesson plan
 Students are to complete 24 story
lessons.

10. Procedure
 10 – 15 mins: instruction using the
Words Their Way
 5 mins: reading practice using stories
 10 mins: additional language
instruction

11. Procedure
 Pre- and post-reading times and
number of errors were noted down at
the top page
 The number of practice reads for each
story was recorded by filling in a box at
the page bottom.
A

12. 5. Result
 Word per minute (wpm): analyze
reading rate
 Holm-Bonferroni correction method:
adjust the p-values
=> There were significant increases in
reading speed and accuracy for each
story for both groups
=> Answer all 5 questions

13. 6. Evaluation
STRENGTHS:
 Logically justified with sound and
research-based arguments.
 Well-organized teaching method
 Satisfying result
 The „reread teaching strategies‟ 
smart choices
 Short stories  appropriate for young
learners

14. Evaluation
WEAKNESSES:
• 12 practice reads / story  a highly
subjective point of view, not convincing
• Small-sized sample of only 12 participants