Repeated Readings: Process Benefits for Good and Poor Readers

Repeated reading of the same passage has been advocated as a remedial technique for children with reading problems. The present study explored changes in the underlying processes as fluency improved across readings. The experiment used an error-detection paradigm to examine changes in how thoroughly the print and the message were analyzed as reading became more rapid across repeated readings. Good and poor readers in Grades 3, 4, and 5 read stories four times in succession, crossing out misspelled words as they read. The misspellings changed on each reading encounter. The reading times of both good and poor readers, at all grade levels, decreased across repeated readings. The gains were particularly impressive for poor readers. Despite the improved reading rates, errors were detected better on later readings, suggesting that the print was being thoroughly read. Comprehension also improved. These results are inconsistent with models of fluency which suggest that knowledge acquired through repetition facilitates reading by allowing the reader to sample the print, filling in missing information from prior memorial representations (e.g., Goodman, 1970). Word recognition and comprehension processes became more efficient, not attenuated, as knowledge was accrued.