Improve Reading Comprehension among Students with Learning Disabilities

This literature review revolves around the challenge of reading comprehension among students with learning disabilities. Curriculum changes are valued as necessary means to deal with this problem, which pays particular attention to the role of these curriculum modifications in improving reading comprehension skills in this group of students. Several peer-reviewed studies covering various strategies and interventions in the area were taken into consideration in this literature review. The studies were found to be of great use for students with learning disabilities to improve reading comprehension. The main features of the literature review presentation are the use of different techniques such as strategy instruction, graphic organizers, and explicit instruction in social studies. The evidence during research highlights that the needs of those students who have learning disabilities should be met through the form of individualized interventions and accommodations. In the future, the outcomes of these findings shall necessitate further research to explore other learning techniques. Also, the need is to increase the utilization of evidence-based practices in the academic environment for more inclusive and effective educational methods to develop the skills of reading comprehension among students with learning disabilities.

The problem of reading comprehension for children with specific learning issues is a difficult problem to face in a classroom setting. These students tackle many factors that will affect their efficiency in reading and studying texts effectively. Gajria et al. (2007) explained that individuals with learning disabilities may go through many learning challenges in the areas of reading, decoding words, vocabulary, and inferences. Yet problems of comprehension can develop beyond the stage of word decoding, carrying with it other cognitive processes that are very sophisticated, like paraphrasing and making inferences (Alturki, 2017). Notably, tackling this problem is extremely important since reading comprehension skills are inseparable from academic success in many different fields of study (Jitendra & Gajria, 2011).

The impact of the reader’s education on the meaning of decoding for a student with learning disabilities cannot be underestimated. Kim et al. (2012) researched that reading comprehension is the most basic skill that determines the growth of lifetime success and academics. Furthermore, in more severe cases, readers with poor reading comprehension skills may have difficulties in accessing and making sense of complicated information, and this becomes even higher when it is applied in the educational and professional environment (Khasawneh & Al-Rub, 2020). For students with learning disabilities, the stumbling block may be very difficult to pass. Dexter (2012) has shown that reading comprehension deficits could severely impact students' management of grade-level materials and their general understanding of class activities. Consequently, the realization of these challenges should be emphasized as it is an important part of the process of providing equal access to education and supporting academic success for all students.

The purpose of this literature review is twofold: firstly, to investigate strategies and programs that could have the impact of enhancing reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities, and secondly, to see if there are emerging trends and themes in this particular research literature. This review combines the analysis of empirical research findings and scholarly articles to provide an outline of effective instructional techniques and intervention models that help in the literacy development of learning-challenged students. This review is thus focused on synthesizing results from different studies to inform educators, researchers, and policymakers about evidence-based policies for addressing the customized needs of this student segment. Another contribution to the dialogue that elicits the reading comprehension instruction approaches suited for students with learning disabilities is the identification of common trends and key themes across the literature.

Methods

A systematic search method was employed to look for study articles for a review that concentrates on the techniques and interventions to enhance reading comprehension for students with learning disorders.

Keywords and Descriptors: A set of keywords and descriptors combined was used for comprehensive database searches. These terms include: "reading comprehension, learning disabilities, intervention strategies, and curriculum adaptation. The keywords were found under the categories of specific interventions or teaching methods, such as "graphic organizers" and" explicit instruction."

Databases Utilized: The studies' literature was retrieved from different electronic databases. They include Google Scholar, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Psych-Info, JSTOR, and ProQuest, academic journals.

Article Selection Criteria

Inclusionary Criteria: For selecting only high-level articles, this criterion is defined algebraically. The articles chosen to be studied were peer-reviewed, and they had to present the findings of empirical research on reading comprehension interventions for students with learning disabilities. Hence, this criterion served as a bridge between all the authentic scientific research results that were conducted, which were, in turn, based on researchers' precise and consistent work, irrespective of the language the report was originally written in.

Exclusionary Criteria: From the review process, papers that did not obey the rules of inclusion were excluded. This list also comprised those sources such as pre-peer-reviewed papers, dissertations, and textbooks. While excluding the non-peer review process may narrow the focus toward credible and authentic scholarly research articles only, the objective was to increase the credibility and authenticity of the literature review findings.

Time Frame Consideration

Time Frame for Article Selection: To make sure our paper contained information that was current and relevant, we confined our search only to studies that were conducted over the past 10-12 years. This allowed for trends and innovations that were relevant to the study of current reading comprehension interventions for students with learning disabilities. Twelve peer-reviewed research articles were included in the literature review. The reading comprehension strategies and interventions were well explained in these articles hence they were very useful.

Results

The following themes emerged in this literature review which focused on strategy instruction to improve reading comprehension among students with learning disabilities.

Theme 1: Strategy Instruction for Reading Comprehension

This theme discusses strategies for teaching this type of students, for boosting reading comprehension. Several research analyses identified how strategy instruction affects reading comprehension for students with learning difficulties. Antoniou and Souvignier (2007) conducted a strategy-based intervention to evaluate its effect on students with learning disabilities' reading comprehension. It was recorded that an explicit teaching of strategies in comprehension, including summary writing and question generation, led to significant gains in students' comprehension skills. Similarly, Jitendra and Gajria (2011), examined comprehension instruction for children with learning disabilities, establishing the fact that strategy instruction should be integrated into classroom work.

In strategy instruction, common methods and interventions implemented include graphic organizers' utilization, text structure analysis, and metacognitive strategies. Graphic organizers, like story maps and concept maps, are commonly used to aid learning difficulties that arise in students. As such, they facilitate their comprehension or understanding of the information concerned (Dexter, 2012). Moreover, rigorous explicit direct instruction on synthesizing text structures includes training students how to identify and understand the organizational patterns in different text types, hence enhancing comprehension (Ciullo et al. 2015). Metacognitive skills, such as self-monitoring and self-questioning, increase students' ability to recognize and modify their comprehension skills if needed (Kim et al., 2012).

Research shows that the use of strategy in purposeful teaching of strategy helps the students with their reading comprehension. As a result of the research, the outcomes were absolutely better in comprehension when the comprehension instruction strategies were used explicitly than in the case of a traditional instruction pattern (Alturki, 2017). Moreover, teaching students to use comprehension strategies is related to the long-term maintenance of the reading abilities of students, which means that this is a skill that can be useful not only in the short perspective.

Overall, the strategic teaching of learning disabilities students' reading comprehension slights the importance of systematic and successful training of one of the essential instruments that students could utilize in reaching higher scores. Through the use of multiple tools and strategies that will help students reach their reading goals using functional literacy skills, which include graphic organizers and metacognitive strategies, students can be able to use textbooks. The title theme gives a new approach that is aimed at providing teachers with options for implementing strategic instruction into their instructional practices; specifically, these options address the needs of students with learning disabilities and improve academic performance.

Theme 2: Use of Graphic Organizers

Reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities through the use of graphic organizers emphasizes the evidence-based research that exists, indicating that the use of visual tools expedites comprehension outcomes (Watson et al.,2012). Several studies focused on the effect of graphic organizers on the understanding of reading by students who have a learning disability. As such, Pang (2012) conducted research on the use of graphic organizers to teach content area material to students with learning disabilities. The data showed that students who used graphic organizers gained better results than those who did not.

Studies indicate that presenting the different kinds of graphic organizers helped students’ reading comprehension in the targeted classroom environment. Many of these types provide different graphic organizers, for example, story maps, concept maps, and Venn diagrams. The designs are, in a way, the guiding lights for students to see how the mental map of the text is organized, where the main ideas are, how organically the concepts are related, and what the important details are (Pang,2013). The process of a learner’s comprehension of a narrative text, namely, the characters, the setting, the plot, and the theme, is usually facilitated by the guide maps that aid them in getting a clear picture in their minds. Thanks to the Tactile and Vestibular Aspects, they can comprehend the story in a better way (Ciullo et al., 2015).

From the research, we know that the use of graphic organizers is an external resource applicable in ensuring the internalization of the information from the text (Mede, 2010). Visual layouts of graphic organizers that assist both students with learning disorders and those without learning disorders help them to understand the concept of complex ideas and not only to show the connection of pieces of information. Moreover, graphic organizers contribute to the development of metacognitive awareness as students can comprehend the information and be conscience about their thinking process (Gajria et al., 2007).

In conclusion, the theme of visual organizers confirms the point that visual tools are of great importance for the overall improvement of reading comprehension for students with specific learning disabilities. Tools like webs, concept maps, and lists or charts help students gain the importance of structure, main ideas, and relations between the concepts of the text. The benefits of the outlined theme refer to the necessity of using graphic organizers in pedagogical activities to accommodate the varying demands of students with learning disabilities and enhance their success rates. On the contrary, many researchers found that graphic organizers can improve students’ comprehension skills, which resulted in viewing these materials as beneficial in comprehension skill development.

Theme 3: Social Studies Instruction and Reading Comprehension

The theme of social studies instruction and reading comprehension for students with disabilities brings the importance of adding content-rich topics to literacy learning, which is known to lead to great improvement in reading. The issue of learning disabilities has been examined closely in this field through different studies on this matter including those conducted by educators and scientists. Ciullo et al. (2015) played the researcher role in the study of explicit directions and graphic organizers for social studies reading comprehension improvement of upper elementary students with learning disabilities. The studies done by them proved that the result of putting social studies in the form of clear teaching and graphic organizers is the success of students in the understanding of skills.

The possibility for the multilevel teaching and mastering of literacy for students who have learning disability is provided utilizing the concourse of social studies content and reading comprehension. History education with reading materials increases the accessibility of historical, geographical, and social problem content. This integration helps students to use the reading comprehension strategies while the subject matters are being learned (Ko & Tejero, 2015). However, social studies education provides children with different literature types and opinions, which support learners in becoming more critical and, thereby, help them broaden the framework of their knowledge.

Peer-reviewed studies indicate the positive outcome of teaching social studies subjects in helping the learning process among students with disabilities. Explicit language is transmitted by giving straight and direct explanations, showing certain strategies, and setting model examples (Jitendra & Gajria, 2011). Researches show that professional teaching of factual information in social studies by facts links to a better understanding of complex texts, students make connections between historical events, geographical features, and social facts (Khasawneh & Al-Rub, 2020). Teachers can also teach comprehension strategies like visualization, determination of the point of the text, and inference by teaching and applying comprehension strategies in social studies content.

In conclusion, the theme of reading comprehension in the subject of social studies highlights the moral of teaching valuable literacy content to adapt to the wide range of special education students with learning disability. Students can have both a breadth of knowledge about society, as well as the skills in comprehending the texts, which are created through the instruction of social studies content and the use of instructional techniques such as creating a graphical organizer. The results of this theme emphasize the critical nature of including social studies instruction in the literacy curricula to promote the academic success of students and to help students engage with the text. As a result, the research also points out that among students with learning disabilities, explicit instruction in social studies was found to enhance reading comprehension outcomes which strengthens the notion of interdisciplinary instruction in teaching literacy.

Discussion

Conclusion

In conclusion, this literature review presents the main findings and key themes of strategies that can enhance reading comprehension in students with specific learning disabilities. Across the reviewed studies, three main themes emerged: strategy teaching, line usage, and reading integration with social studies teaching. All these themes collectively lead and emphasize the importance of using evidence-based teaching methods to cater to the specific needs of learning-disabled students. Using the direct teaching of comprehension strategies, the utilization of graphic organizers, and the inclusion of disciplines containing different subjects like social studies into literacy class creates the premise in which students attain reading comprehension levels and have academic success.

The findings discussed are far-reaching and impactful. Educators are provided with information from this review to improve their teaching techniques and create specific remedies for learning-disabled students. Through the employment of tools like direct teaching and the effective use of graphic organizers, teachers can provide an inclusive learning environment that is meaningful for every student. Also, incorporating social studies material into literacy teaching offers students real-world opportunities to handle text while developing their reasoning abilities and increasing their general knowledge.

Limitations

Nevertheless, bearing in mind the limitations of the empirical studies reviewed. One area for improvement is the disparity in the methods applied from different research studies, which may compromise the generalizability of the results. Moreover, other research might contain small sample sizes or need more control groups. Hence, their outcomes need to be more robust. In addition, the emphasis on the linguistic and cultural settings of the English-speaking population in many of the reviewed studies can make it difficult to apply the findings in linguistically and culturally diverse contexts.

Additionally, the literature review process has drawbacks, which should be taken into account. The search criteria utilized to identify relevant studies left out some important research, too. Moreover, the time frame that was utilized for article selection could have resulted in missing some older studies that might provide the decision-makers with valuable information on the topic. To add to that, the reliance on published research reports could be that there is important information that could have been excluded from practitioner-oriented sources or unpublished studies.

Future Implications

Moving into the future, future research should focus the addressing these limitations and the enhancement and deepening of our understanding of the role of successful strategies in the teaching of reading comprehension to students with learning disabilities. Another possible area of research for the future could be trials that investigate the possibility of digital tools and technology facilitating comprehension support for learning disabilities students while reading. On the other hand, longitudinal studies can help to cast light on the long-term effects of diverse instruction methods on students` ability to understand information. Lastly, the researchers should strive to implement the inclusion of diverse populations to ensure that the findings are applicable in many cultural and linguistic contexts.