The collaborative strategic reading strategy to improve students' reading comprehension in Arabic. (c2008)

Abstract

A great number of students find reading comprehension challenging and even frustrating in Arabic. By and large, Arabic teachers continue to use the traditional approach at the intermediate level that relies on direct instruction, without giving students the chance to think for themselves or develop metacognitive strategies for comprehension. Hence, students cannot find meaning to what they read without the immediate feedback of the Arabic teacher, and end up developing an aversion to reading grade-level Arabic books for leisure. The purpose of this study was to implement a group-based reading comprehension strategy, that help students become active and effective readers. When applied systematically and consistently, the new method yielded considerable improvement in reading comprehension scores in an experimental group of seventh graders compared to the control group. Recommendations included using this strategy at the intermediate level, even expanding its use to younger readers at the elementary level in an attempt to make them more effective readers.