Disadvantaged Students in the Traditional University Reading Improvement Program

Abstract

The differential effectiveness of a traditionally-oriented college reading improvement program was assessed for culturally disadvantaged and typical students by means of the Nelson Denny Reading Test. Although the, disadvantaged group improved significantly in vocabulary and rate, no measurable gain was demonstrated in comprehension. The failure of the disadvantaged students to make as much progress as the regular enrollees appears to be partially attributable to differences in scholastic aptitude and initial reading proficiency. The findings indicate that traditional reading instruction does not meet the special educational needs and problems of disadvantaged college students.