The current study examined the reading strategies of 19 bilingual undergraduate students who varied in reading proficiency (good or average) and language background (Chinese or Spanish). Using the think-aloud method, students’ reading strategies were measured and compared to determine whether strategy use differed as a function of reading proficiency, language background, and/or text level. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to corroborate the findings obtained from the think-aloud protocols. Results from this study suggest that reading proficiency affects strategy use at the syntactic level, whereas language background affects strategy use at the vocabulary level. These findings have significant implications in education, particularly in the area of English language teaching. Students should be encouraged to use their first language reading skills when reading English text, as it facilitates their comprehension and improves their English literacy development.

The current study examined the reading strategies of 19 bilingual undergraduate students who varied in reading proficiency (good or average) and language background (Chinese or Spanish). Using the think-aloud method, students’ reading strategies were measured and compared to determine whether strategy use differed as a function of reading proficiency, language background, and/or text level. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to corroborate the findings obtained from the think-aloud protocols. Results from this study suggest that reading proficiency affects strategy use at the syntactic level, whereas language background affects strategy use at the vocabulary level. These findings have significant implications in education, particularly in the area of English language teaching. Students should be encouraged to use their first language reading skills when reading English text, as it facilitates their comprehension and improves their English literacy development.

This qualitative study focuses on finding out how middle school teachers work with the reading strategy “to predict” to develop students into good readers. The starting point was to find out how they work and how they help students become better readers through scaffolding. In addition, the study focuses on teachers' different experiences regarding the reading strategy. The results are analyzed based on Duke & Pearson's reading teaching model, Vygotsky's theory about scaffolding as well as a phenomenographic approach.  The results show that teachers work differently with the reading strategy. Their main reason for using the strategy is to arouse students' interest and thus get them to read more. This will make students good readers. The results also show that they are working with the strategy when reading a new book or text. Students will have the opportunity to explain, motivate and argue. The teachers support the students by being there as the competent second and through guidance that provides students with enough knowledge to cope with a task on their own. Finally, the results can be summarized in such way that teachers have different experiences and knowledge regarding the strategy “to predict” and therefore interpret the curriculum differently. The teaching therefore does not look the same in all classrooms and the use of the strategy becomes visible in different teachers.

Syftet med denna systematiska litteraturstudie är att undersöka vilka lässtrategier som tidigare forskning anser främjar mellanstadieelevers läsförståelse, samt om det finns lässtrategier som gynnar goda respektive svaga läsare. Studiens resultat bygger på 16 publikationer som har tagits fram genom databassökningar och manuella sökningar. Publikationerna har analyserats och kategoriserats in i olika scheman för att underlätta arbetsprocessen och möjliggöra ett så transparent resultat som möjligt. I resultatet framkommer ett flertal lässtrategier som visar god effekt för elevers läsförståelse. En stor del av forskningen baseras på lässtrategiprogram där enskilda lässtrategier är sammansatta och analyserade i en helhet. Forskning visar att såväl svaga som goda läsare är i behov av lässtrategiundervisning, samt att sådan undervisning bör bedrivas kontinuerligt under en längre tid. Många forskare betonar även vikten av att lärare bör modellera lässtrategier i undervisningen för att skapa en gynnsam undervisning samt att en god kännedom om sina elever är till stor fördel för både lärare och elever.