Hattie's research findings on repeated reading programs

By Melissa Benitez, The Teacher Tutor

June 18, 2024

John Hattie is a prominent educational researcher known for his comprehensive meta-analyses of various educational influences, which he compiled in his book "Visible Learning".  Hattie's research focuses on identifying the factors that most significantly impact student learning outcomes. 

In "Visible Learning," Hattie reports on repeated reading programs as part of his broader analysis of strategies to improve student achievement.  Here are the key points regarding what Hattie found about repeated reading strategies: 

Effect Size and Impact

Hattie's meta-analysis found that repeated reading interventions have an effect size of 0.75.  In the context of Hattie's work, an effect size above 0.40 is considered to have a significant impact on student learning.  Therefore, an effect size of 0.75 suggests that repeated reading is a highly effective strategy for improving reading skills. 

Hattie's analysis highlights that repeated reading primarily boosts reading fluency.  Improved fluency is crucial because it enables students to read more smoothly and quickly, reducing the cognitive load associated with decoding words and allowing them to focus more on comprehension.  

While repeated reading directly targets fluency, its benefits extend to reading comprehension.  By reading texts multiple times, students become more familiar with the content, vocabulary, and structure, which enhances their overall understanding of the text.  Hattie finds that the effects on both near and far transfer (immediate influence on fluency and comprehension vs. future influence on fluency and comprehension) are substantial, although near transfer was greater with an effect size of 0.76, compared to far transfer with an effect size of 0.50 on Hattie's Barometer of Influence.

key findings and recommendations

• Fluency and Comprehension Connection: Hattie emphasizes the connection between fluency and comprehension.  As students become more fluent readers through repeated reading, their ability to understand and engage with texts improves significantly. 

• Struggling Readers: Repeated reading is particularly beneficial for struggling readers.  Hattie's findings suggest that these students experience notable gains in both fluency and comprehension when they engage in repeated reading practices. 

• Implementation: For repeated reading interventions to be most effective, Hattie recommends that they be well-structured and include guidance from teachers.  This includes selecting appropriate texts, providing modeling and feedback, and ensuring regular practice. 

in summary

John Hattie's research confirms the efficacy of repeated reading interventions, with an effect size of 0.75, indicating strong positive impacts on reading fluency and comprehension.  These interventions are especially beneficial for struggling readers, helping them to improve their reading skills and overall academic performance.  Implementing repeated reading with proper support and structure can be a highly effective strategy in literacy education. 

references

1. Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. 

2. Hattie, J. (2012). Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning.