Planning and Implementing Collaborative Strategy Instruction for Delayed Readers in Grades 6-10

This article describes the evolution of an innovative research project with in-service special education teachers engaged in collaborative strategy instruction with small groups of severely reading-delayed adolescents (ages 12-16). Although most strategy instruction has a common goal, we point out subtle differences among approaches that may cause confusion for teachers using strategy instruction. Our project stressed working with teachers to resolve problems of application, and in this article we emphasize how teachers' contributions resulted in a unique approach to reading strategy instruction. The characteristics of our teacher education model are described and related to findings from research on the model. 9 experimental and 7 control teachers and their students took part in the study. Experimental teachers received peer support from previously trained teachers and took part in self-evaluative workshops as they applied collaborative reading instruction with their students. An analysis of videotaped pre- and posttest reading sessions showed significant gains in favor of experimental teachers on many dimensions related to fostering strategic reading that were mirrored by related student gains. A standardized comprehension test also favored experimental students. We discuss some of the problems involved in achieving enduring effects with educational innovations and offer suggestions for future research.