Improving the Reading Comprehension Skills of Systems-Involved Youth: A Preliminary Investigation of an Underserved Population

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach on the reading comprehension of systems-involved youth served in a secure juvenile justice setting. Using a cluster randomized controlled trial (CRT) pretest/posttest design, youth in the treatment group were taught the TRAP mnemonic (Think before reading, Read the paragraph, Ask yourself what the paragraph is mostly about and what is the most important information, and Paraphrase the paragraph). Results indicate modest improvement within the treatment group as compared to the control group, along with high treatment fidelity and social validity. Implications for practitioners, limitations, and suggestions for future research are presented.