An exploration of the reading strategies used by sixth grade students of varying reading abilities when reading Internet sources to answer questions

• Main Author: Schilling, Heather Anne
• Other Authors: Ford, Karen
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Reading comprehension > Case studies.; Sixth grade (Education) > Case studies.; Web sites > Case studies.; Internet in education > Case studies.
• Online Access: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/123456789/194719; http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1639726

This current study explored the reading strategies that emerged through the case studies of five sixth-grade students as they read Internet websites. Data was collected from student surveys, field notes, and transcripts of three separate Internet sessions that required participants to think aloud about the reading process as they explored web sites to answer questions. Despite the varying reading abilities of the subjects, upper elementary children use traditional as well as additional reading strategies when they read online articles. Using grounded theory, four reading strategy themes emerged consistently from three different reading sessions: determining importance (DI), matching skills (MS), monitoring understanding (MU), and navigating (N). Through this study, the researcher hoped to provide another snapshot of how the typical students in the upper elementary might read Internet resources which would ultimately allow classroom teachers to focus on the development of those strategies. === Department of Elementary Education