Scaffolding Learning Activities for Reading Comprehension Skills Development of Reading-at-Risk Students at the Primary Level
Abstract
The study investigated the use of scaffolding learning activities to support selected primary school students identified as reading-at-risk. There were three objectives: (1) to investigate the reading skills of primary school students in Darunaratchaburi Witaed Suksa School identified as having difficulty in comprehending English texts, (2) to use a scaffolding approach to develop reading comprehension lessons, and (3) to assess reading skills achievements of the participating students after using the scaffolding approach. The subjects of this case-study-based research were six students at the Primary 3 level. The eight research tools were (1) a vocabulary pre- and post-test , (2) a comprehension pre- and post-test, (3) five scaffolding vocabulary lessons, (4) five scaffolding comprehension lessons, (5) a teacher-student interaction observation tool, (6) a student-student interaction observation tool, (7) a scaffolding approach observation tool, and (8) a questionnaire on the teacher’s and students’ opinions toward the scaffolding approach. The research results were (1) all students’ vocabulary knowledge improved after completing 5 of the vocabulary scaffolding lessons; (2) all students’ reading comprehension improved after completing 5 of the reading comprehension scaffolding lessons. It should be noted that the subjects were able to achieve the target performance on vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension after 1-4 repeated practices via the scaffolding approach. The results of classroom observation on teacherstudent interactions and student-student interactions were positive (Mean = 4.68, S.D. = 0.40; Mean = 4.57, S.D. = 0.50, respectively). The teacher’s and the students’ opinion of the scaffolding approach
was correspondingly positive (Mean = 4.80, S.D. = 0.22; Mean = 4.72, S.D. = 0.39, respectively). These results promisingly support the use of the scaffolding approach with reading-at-risk learners at the primary level.
