The Effectiveness of the Scaffolding Interrogative Method (SIM) for Teaching Children with Reading Comprehension Deficits

Abstract

This is a study on the effectiveness of the Scaffolding Interrogative Method (SIM) (Chia, 2002; Chia & Kee, 2013) for severe reading comprehension problems in children with no word recognition issues. Such traits are associated with hyperlexia, which is an advanced word recognition ability in children with language disorders (Aaron, 1989). Challenges for affected children have been found in the formation and organization of schemata for processing information (Healy, 1982). The strengths of the SIM in these aspects form the basis for this study so that children can overcome such challenges in transiting from “learning to read” to the next developmental stage of “reading to learn” in Chall’s (1983) stages of reading.

Keywords: Scaffolding Interrogative Method, schemata, reading comprehension, hyperlexia, children, developmental stage