Quantitative Article Critique

Quantitative Article Critique Summary: Reading Comprehension and Fluency Levels Ranges across Diverse Classrooms: The Need for Differentiated Reading Instruction and Content
Summary
In view of insufficient current research available on the variance in students’ reading comprehension and fluency levels within the classrooms, Firmender, Reis, and Sweeny (2013) conducted a quantitative research study to review the extremes of students’ understanding in reading and their reading speed and accuracy within diverse classrooms and schools resulting in a necessity for individualized reading lessons for all students, particularly for those at the highest and lowest level of attainment. Firmender (2013) identified the following four research questions,
However, it is important to note that the five elementary schools identified in this study were originally part of a larger study focusing on the effectiveness of an individualized reading program (Firmender, 2013). Upon identification of the sample varying in demographics such as race, ethnicity, education, and socioeconomic status, the researchers traveled to the five different schools to assess students’ understanding in reading along with their speed and accuracy utilizing two regulated assessments. The research team members and teachers administered the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) reading comprehension subtest (Form A) while only the research team administered the standardized assessment of Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) pretests. Once the students’ read the ITBS material consisting of narrative, poetry, and nonfiction material from science and social studies, their comprehension was assessed through multiple-choice questions over the material. For reading fluency, the test administrators timed each student reading a passage with 250 words for 1-minute for three independent trials increasingly with difficulty. Upon completion of the tests, the researchers translated the raw scores from the ITBS reading comprehension
Across all students in all schools, the reading comprehension results demonstrated a trend that the reading perception difference widened as the GLE score and the grade levels increased. For example, in the Grade 3 classes approximately 37% had a GLE reading comprehension range of 5 or more grade levels while in Grade 4 at 67% and Grade 5 at 65% (Firmender, 2013, p. 8). In addition, the researchers also evaluated the variance of reading comprehension across all the classrooms within schools with varying results. To enumerate, the average range within Grade 3 for all classes was 4.4 grade levels, Grade 4 with an average of 6.3 grade levels, and Grade 5 with an average of 6.4 grade