How to “TRAP” Information: A Reading Comprehension Strategy for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

The intertwined academic and behavior deficits, often referred to as the failure cycle, of students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) negatively impact learning and skill acquisition. Reading comprehension is one academic area where students with and at risk for EBD display significant deficits. The self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach is one method that accounts for students’ metacognitive skills and learning behaviors, making it a promising approach for use with students with and at risk for EBD, including students served in more restrictive settings. This article provides an overview of SRSD, a reading comprehension strategy taught using the SRSD instructional approach, and describes how to integrate low-intensity behavior strategies into SRSD reading instruction to further support the needs of students with and at risk for EBD.