Abstract of

Teaching Tips
Implementing a Structured Story Web and Outline Strategy to Assist Struggling Readers

Tamara J. Arthaud

Teresa Goracke

The authors present an instructional strategy designed to assist struggling readers (with or without disabilities) in enhancing their reading comprehension and performance on reading tasks. This explicit, structured reading strategy was presented in a supportive manner in an inclusive, regular education classroom. In the case example described, a fourth-grade teacher used a structured story web and outline to teach students to organize basic information from reading passages. The strategy involved the creation of a structured web of factual details which was converted into a traditional outline format. Repeated use of this strategy throughout the school year resulted in improved performance on classroom-based reading assessments and on tests of reading comprehension by regular and special education students.

The article also includes a description of a scaffolded approach to strategy instruction in which the teacher provides a gradual reduction of direct support to allow students to become independent users of the strategy.

Abstract from Arthaud, T.J., & Goracke, T. (2006, March). Implementing a Structured Story Web and Outline Strategy to Assist Struggling Readers. The Reading Teacher, 59(6), 581–586. doi: 10.1598/RT.59.6.8