A Comparison of the Effects of Two Methods on the Reading Vocabulary, Comprehension, Accuracy and Rate of Selected Students at the George Washington University.

The major purpose of this investigation was to determine the relative efficacy of two methods of teaching reading in a college learning-improvement project. Seventy students from undergraduate psychology classes were divided into two instructional groups and one control group. It was hypothesized that subjects receiving modified paperback scanning instruction would score significantly higher on reading vocabulary, comprehension, accuracy, and rate tests than subjects receiving vocabulary expansion instruction. The results of this study showed that in regard to reading accuracy after compensation for initial differences in verbal ability, the modified paperback scanning method was superior to the vocabulary expansion method. In regard to reading vocabulary, comprehension, and rate, the hypothesized superiority of the modified paperback scanning method over the vocabulary expansion method did not materialize. Recommendations for further research are as follows: increase the number of instructional sessions, determine the point at which a significant loss in reading accuracy occurs, and study within-individual changes in reading achievement. (Author/MKM)