Evaluation of the effects of a computerized teaching program on reading comprehension for students with learning difficulties

• Grant number: 24/08488-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Lidia Maria Marson Postalli
• Grantee: Ellen Cristina Brandão da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/50909-8 - INCT 2014: Behavior, Cognition and Teaching (INCT-ECCE): relational learning and symbolic functioning, AP.TEM

Abstract

Reading is an important skill for personal and social development. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of Module 3 - Reading Comprehension of Texts Teaching, from the Learning to Read and Write in Small Steps Program (ALEPP), on students with reading comprehension difficulties, and the effect of this teaching procedure on Portuguese Language school assessments. Fifteen students from 3rd to 5th grade with difficulties in reading comprehension will participate in the research. A reading comprehension assessment will be administered before and after the teaching. Additionally, will be used Portuguese Language school assessments and a social validity questionnaire with students and teachers. Module 3 of teaching consists of 15 stories, each containing 15 or 16 questions. Participants will read the excerpt from the story presented on the computer screen. After reading, they will click an icon that advances to a question related to the passage read. Participants can return to the text and consult the pronunciation of underlined words. The advancement criterion in Module 3 will be 90% correct answers to the questions. For each book, the total number of correct answers and the number of correct answers in different question types will be analyzed. Moreover, the number of word consultations and the amount of text re-reading will be examined. Portuguese Language assessment scores will be tracked by the researcher. Responses from the social validity questionnaire will be analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.