Improving the expository reading comprehension of students with disabilities through the use of the RACE! process and class-wide peer tutoring

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have brought about changes in reading instruction in order to better prepare students for post-secondary education and productivity in all career fields. An important feature in the elementary (K-5) CCSS is the increased exposure to informational texts and the requirement for students to read expository selections during 50% of their reading instruction. Students with disabilities tend to be passive readers who either lack the ability to comprehend or fail to activate reading comprehension strategies to access information within textual material. Research has shown students with disabilities often fail to monitor and evaluate their understanding of expository texts. With the changes associated with the CCSS, the need for alternative strategies has come to a forefront. The current study was designed to examine the use of a technologically enhanced reading intervention aligned with CCSS curriculum to improve the overall expository reading comprehension of students with disabilities at the elementary level. This research examines the application of the Read, Ask Questions, Claim, and Evidence (RACE!) process in both peer-mediated and self-regulated conditions. Results suggest the intervention package improved the reading comprehension of students with and without disabilities and was equally successful during self-regulated use. Rates of improvement (ROI) suggest RACE! has the potential to close comprehension gaps in struggling readers.