Teacher reflection and responsive instruction: Enhancing students' reading through an action research study

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between fluency and comprehension in a first grade dual language where the target language was Spanish. The students participating in this case study had different degrees of fluency and comprehension. This research explored the relationship between repeated readings, fluency and comprehension. Specifically this research investigated how a teacher’s reflections helped to drive reading instruction. The qualitative comparative case studies of the four participants provided insight in the particular context of repeated reading in fluency and comprehension. I collected data over the course of a school year. Data sources included field notes, informal interviews, and permanent records as they related to reading development. Several researchers (Allington, 1983; Dowhower, 1987; Herman, 1985; and Rasinski, 1990) implemented repeated reading with English speaking students and found that developing reading fluency and comprehension is an important element in reading instruction and is supported thru repeated readings. After conducting my own research in a bilingual classroom I found out that repeated reading also worked with bilingual students.