| Comprehension of text is a strong focus of instruction in general education. Likewise, comprehension of text should be a strong focus of instruction for students with moderate intellectual disability even though they may not be independent readers. Shared story reading is a practice used to access grade-level literature for non-readers. This study used a multiple probe single case design to evaluate the effects of a peer-delivered system of least prompts intervention package and grade-level adapted academic read-alouds on listening comprehension for three participants with moderate intellectual disability. Fifth grade peer tutors delivered the intervention during second literacy block. The intervention included read-alouds of an adapted version of The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 (Curtis, 1995), a novel currently read by fifth graders without disabilities in the district. The system of least prompts intervention package included rules for answering wh- word questions, opportunities to hear selected text again, and self-monitoring. Participants with disabilities directed the amount of help they received from peer tutors. Results indicated that (a) all participants improved the number of correct listening comprehension responses after text only prompts, (b) the effect of the intervention package on independent unprompted correct listening comprehension responses was mixed, and (c) stakeholders rated the study's procedures, outcomes, and goals as important. |
