The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 1

The Think Aloud and Reading Comprehension

Emma Yokules

Franciscan University of Steubenville

The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 2

Introduction

Reading is a basic skill that most people develop by the time they are about seven years

old. It is one of the most basic skills for a person to attain, especially since we might not be able

to survive without it. What happens if someone cannot read, or struggles to read? In the world of

education there are a variety of methods teachers can use to assist students to improve their

reading skills. Since being able to read is a basic skill for life, it is imperative that everyone is

able to do it, and do it well. Over the years many people have developed different ways to

properly instruct and develop students in reading. One of the methods teachers use is the Think

Aloud Method. Teachers use this method to vocally describe the story, so the students can better

understand it. The main focus of this method is to improve reading comprehension in students,

and to model what a good reader does. It begins by looking at different research conducted by

professionals in the field. It goes on to conduct a study to determine the overall effectiveness of

the Think Aloud method.

Purpose

Teachers are constantly searching for new methods to improve their students reading

skills, specifically in comprehension. A method more and more teachers are utilizing is the think

aloud method. As the teacher reads a story to the class, they will take pauses and vocalize their

thoughts about the story, hoping to provoke student’s interest and questions. Through research I

plan to answer the question: what are the benefits of using the think aloud method as opposed to
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 3

traditional reading instruction methods? Specifically, what improvements did teachers who use

the Think Aloud Method see in their students?

In order to conduct research I plan to survey several teachers who are currently or have

used the Think Aloud Method in the past. The teachers surveyed will all teach different grade

levels and subject areas. Additionally, I hope to survey a few teachers who do not use this

method and see if they have an effective method, or if they have not heard or tried the think

aloud method and think it could be effective for their students. Another question to ask teachers

who use this method is whether or not they saw this method being a positive tool for students

with learning disabilities.

After researching, hopefully the research will display how that the think aloud method is

beneficial and effective to use in the classroom. Another prediction is that this method will be a

tool teachers can use with students with a learning disability. The main goal however, is to see

that using the think aloud method, as opposed to other reading instruction methods, that students

comprehension improves.

Review of Literature

When teachers use the think aloud method it can be very helpful to the success of their

students. In a research study conducted by Brenna McClintock, Diane Pesco, and Sandra Martin-

Chang (2013) they looked into the effects of reading comprehension for both typically

developing students and students with a speech language impairment. The study tested two

groups of students, one of typically developing students and the other was of students with a

speech language impairment. This research was administered in two parts, for both parts students

were given a text to read. For the first reading students read to themselves without any
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 4

interruptions. However, for the second test, students were asked to think aloud while they were

reading. After both parts students were given a set of comprehension questions. The results

showed that comprehension improved in the think aloud section. Although, the students with the

speech language impairment’s scores were lower than the typically developing students in both

parts, they still showed an improvement in the think aloud section. Essentially, the think aloud

method is a great tool to use for students with a learning disability.

The article provided valuable information on the use of the think aloud method for

students with a learning disability, in particular a speech language impairment. The researchers

conducted a well thought experiment that was very effective. They had prior knowledge and

experience to conduct valuable research. However, one flaw of the article was the writing style.

They mentioned a lot of numbers in their findings, but do not always explain them, except in the

figures. It would have been beneficial to describe the numbers as they are listed. However, the

article did provide how the Think Aloud Method is Valuable. Plus, it provided a few practical

implications for the classroom. For further research, a study testing students with different

disabilities like autism, in order to see if this method would be the most valuable.

After further research of the think aloud procedure a new question has to be asked. How

does the think aloud method affect higher order thinking skills and reading comprehension?

Ghaith and Obeia (2004) further examined this question. They conducted a study to determine if

training students in the think aloud method would increase their ability to comprehend a text.

Additionally, they were looking to see if the think aloud method was more effective than regular

instruction. Thirty-two 8th grade students who were designated as English as a Foreign Language

were chosen for this experiment. The students were randomly split into two groups, control

group and experiment group and included four phases. First, the teachers were trained in the
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 5

application of the think aloud procedure. Over the course of four weeks the think aloud

procedure was implemented. The experimental group had a lot more practice in applying the

think aloud method than the control group. After these four weeks a post test was administered to

the students. Finally, interviews were conducted to determine student’s mastery of the think

aloud method. The conclusion of this experiment showed that mastering the think aloud method

helped to improve student’s reading comprehension.

This article presented new information and insights about the different ways the think

aloud method was used. It was interesting to read that the Think Aloud Method is a useful tool

for reading comprehension. The format of the article was clear and the research was easy to

understand. The article did not use overly-technical terms, which means anyone should be able to

read it. One negative part of the article was that it was difficult to determine the difference in

testing the experiment and control group. If the authors would have gone into more detail on this

and the different controls they used, it would have been more helpful in analyzing the research.

However, the authors did discuss using the think aloud method to improve higher level thinking

skills, which is valuable for current research on the topic. As for further research, it would be

interesting to study the effect of training teachers and students to use this method in other areas

of learning.

When teachers instruct their students on reading comprehension, they hope their students

will be able to make meaningful statements related to the text. Gillam, Fargo, and Robertson

(2009) further examined this thought. They wanted to examine students with and without

language impairments and see if they were able to sufficiently comprehend expository texts in

order to provide quality statements about the text. They tested 40 fourth grade students, some

with and some without a language impairment. The students were tested by being asked to
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 6

individually “think aloud.” Students were asked to read a passage sentence by sentence and

comment as intelligently as they could about what they had just read. The results of this study

showed two interesting facts. First, the think aloud method can be useful to both students with

and without a hearing impairment. Also, when students used the think aloud method, their

responses were more like paraphrases rather than repetition of the text. This showed that the

think aloud method can aid in improving a student’s comprehension skills.

In continuing the topic of comprehension and the think aloud method, the authors showed

how these strategies relate. It also involved testing students with language impairments. This was

a great part of the article, as it is always good to find new ways to instruct students with language

impairments. However, one drawback of the article was that the research was not presented in

everyday easy to read language. It took several readings to fully comprehend the results of the

research. Sometimes teachers do not have time to sift through research, they just want to get the

meat of it. Hence, making the structure more teacher friendly would be beneficial. For further

research, it would be interesting to study ELL students and see if the think aloud method helps

them learn English and comprehend texts in English.

As students get older the type of texts they have to read become more and more

challenging. Especially, as they move from narrative texts which are fairly simply to

comprehend to an expository text. Since students have a more difficult time comprehending texts

like these, Schellings, Aarnouste, and van Leeuwe (2006) decided to examine if using the think

aloud method would be a valuable method in improving reading comprehension. They tested 24

third grade students from six different schools; there were two good students with good

comprehension and two students with bad comprehension per school. In order to test their

hypothesis the researchers had two different measurements. First, they gave students a variety of
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 7

tests, measuring fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and a few other skills. Then, for the

second part the researchers administered two different expository texts. There were blank lines in

the texts meant to remind students to think aloud, and very little verbal prompting for students to

verbally think aloud was done. After these two measurements the researchers found that the

think aloud is valuable for reading in young students. The think aloud method is important in

reading comprehension and is a valuable instructional practice.

The final article examined a younger age group of students in terms of reading more difficult

texts, like expository texts. It was good that it examined a younger age group of students. One

negative part of this article was that it was extremely detailed. Now, detail is good, but again for

a teacher that needs a quick read it may not be beneficial. The purpose and method of the article

are excellent and provide great insights into the think aloud method, however it would be better

to see this if it was less detailed and more broken up. For instance, having more headings,

subheadings, and even graphics. The results of the article were pertinent to the research question

because they showed that the think aloud method is beneficial to reading comprehension. As an

extension to this research they could try increasing the difficulty and having students think aloud

after a paragraph, or even a chapter of a book, to determine if using the think aloud method still

helps students.

Methodology

After completing research on the Think Aloud Method, a research question needed to be

asked. This question was, what are the benefits to using the think aloud method as opposed to

other reading instruction methods? In order to answer this question, a survey was created. The

survey included six questions, 1 question about the grade level and subject each teacher taught, 2
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 8

yes or no response questions, and the rest short answer questions. Due to the circumstances, the

researcher chose a convenience sampling for the participants. Choosing the teachers most

accessible to the researcher to distribute the survey to was the way to perform research on the

Think Aloud Method for this particular study. The participants of the survey were a group of

eleven teachers. Ten of the teachers taught in a middle school, therefore they taught grades 6-8.

The subjects they taught ranged from Social Studies, Science, and English Language Arts, and

Art. The eleventh participant was a kindergarten teacher, who taught all subjects.

Then, the surveys were administered to the teachers. Ten of the teachers received a copy

of the survey electronically. The format the survey was administered was on Google Forms. By

using the online format it was convenient for the teachers to complete the survey. Additionally,

Google Forms compiled all the responses into one document. Besides the Google Forms survey,

it was also administered as a traditional paper copy to the eleventh teacher. The paper copy was

the most convenient form for this teacher to complete the survey. Therefore, this was the method

chosen for this particular teacher to complete the survey. Once the surveys were distributed,

teachers had one week to complete the survey. Time was given so teachers could thoughtfully

reflect on the Think Aloud method.

Only a few of the teachers who were selected for this survey had used the think aloud

method prior to taking the survey. Therefore, a brief summary of the research behind this survey

and a description of the Think Aloud Method was included with every survey. This introduction

was meant to give the teachers, even the ones utilizing the method, a background to the research,

so they would be able to identify the purpose of the surveys they were given.
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 9

Findings

The findings presented are the answers the participants gave to the survey questions about

the Think Aloud Method. Each participant completed a survey with six questions on it. The first

question asked teachers what grade and subject level they teach. Although, there was prior

knowledge about the grade level each teacher taught, the subject level was unknown prior to the

survey. This was important to know since not all teachers taught English. Subject areas included

English, History, Art, Science, and the kindergarten teacher taught all subjects. The next two

questions were yes/no questions. First, have you heard of the Think Aloud Method before? Then,

have you used the think aloud method in your classroom. The results for each of these questions

were in correspondence. Five of the eleven participants answered no to the first two questions,

and the remaining 6 answered yes to the first two questions. For the remainder of the survey was

the short answer questions.

For the first short answer question teachers were asked if, when they use the think aloud

method they have seen an improvement in their students reading comprehension. The

overwhelming response was teachers have seen the ways the Think Aloud method improves their

student’s reading comprehension. Vocabulary was one area teachers have seen improvement in.

Specifically, one teacher mentioned, “the students talk about what is being read and then they

clarify challenging vocabulary.” Discovering this result, enhanced the initial research done for

the topic. In a study conducted by Ebner and Ehri (2013), they tested a group of college students

to determine if the Think Aloud method improves the student’s understanding of vocabulary in a

text. They found that when using the Think Aloud method, the participants showed a greater

comprehension and recognition of vocabulary. Also, another teacher mentioned the Think Aloud
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 10

method improves builds reading comprehension and uses higher order thinking skills. These

skills and abilities are important for students to have in terms of reading abilities.

However, the main response to the first short answer response was that the Think Aloud

method was a benefit for struggling readers. For instance, one teacher mentioned that, “the Think

Aloud Method can help struggling readers comprehend a text as opposed to having them read it

on their own.” The teacher mentioned pausing at different times while reading the text, and

discussing main concepts and vocabulary words helps to clarify difficulties for these struggling

readers. Additionally this teacher mentioned that at times they allow students to read the text out

loud, to model the behavior of reading for others. Good reading strategies in the Think Aloud

Method are primarily modeled by the teacher. However, the response this teacher gave is another

way to practice the Think Aloud Method. This correlated to another response which was, “it

models behaviors for good readers, and students begin to actively participate in reading.” The

modeling behavior relates to a piece of research done by Gillam, Fargo, and Robertson (2009).

These researchers found that student’s responses to a text are more thoughtful when they think

aloud, than if they read it by themselves. Seeing that another teacher found that the skills a good

reader should have are enhanced through the Think Aloud method was interesting to discover.

Other teachers mentioned that they use this method to check students reading progress and to

improve any gaps they have in reading.

An additional question asked in the survey was, would you use the Think Aloud method in

your classroom if you do not already? The overwhelming answer to this question, among the five

teachers who indicated they have neither heard of nor used this method before, was yes. One

teacher even mentioned that if they were taught how to use it they would. This point was one for

reflection. In researching, one of the articles, by Ghaith and Obeia (2004), actually trained the
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 11

teachers in using the method before they used it with their students. The study did show that

reading comprehension was improved. Instructing more teachers in this method can be beneficial

to reading instruction. Therefore, teachers were very open to utilizing this method, and

mentioned how reading the excerpt provided was helpful.

Finally, the last short answer question asked teachers to describe any other reading

instruction methods they have used. It was meant to attempt to discover if the Think Aloud

method was the best way to improve reading comprehension, or if teachers knew of other

methods they have found that work better. Additionally, it would be beneficial to become aware

of more than method of reading instruction, especially since every student learns differently.

Several of the methods the teachers explained they use are, four corners, partner reading, think-

pair-share, reciprocal reading, annotating text, and 3-level guides. The teachers explained how

these methods are beneficial, and some even described the ways they integrate some of them into

the Think Aloud method. One other interesting resource a teacher mentioned, was Newsela,

which is a website that offers different reading levels of the same content. All of these

suggestions are able to be integrated into the Think Aloud method in order to enhance students

reading comprehension.

Recommendations

While the research conducted in this study presented valuable findings and conclusions,

there still is the need for improvements. However, first, examine the conclusions to be drawn

from the current study. After completing research, an answer was discovered to the question,

what are the benefits of using the think aloud method as opposed to traditional reading
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 12

instruction methods? The answer being that the Think Aloud method is an important reading

instruction method. It improves a student’s reading comprehension, helps with vocabulary, and is

an excellent tool for struggling readers. Nevertheless, there are still other reading instruction

methods out there. Some of them work well, while others do not. Each group of students a

teacher has will be different, so teachers should remain open to any method to improve their

reading instruction. Still, after examining research from this study, the Think Aloud does show

significant benefits as a reading instruction method.

As for an improvement to this study, the first step would be to actually test a group of

students. The data received from the teachers, although beneficial, was not as specific as it would

have been from the students themselves. By testing the students individually, the specific areas

students benefit by using the Think Aloud method can be clearly observed. Also, the test could

be done to students with a learning disability, in order to see the improvement they may have

while using the Think Aloud method. It is true that the teachers did provide responses to aid the

study, it would have been an excellent addition to see the results of the students. The only reason

teachers were tested for this survey was due to convenience. The original idea for test subjects

was students, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, teachers needed to be surveyed.

Nonetheless, if, due to accessibility, teachers are the only participants available, there are

improvements to be done in that regard also. First, more teachers need to be surveyed. Only

eleven teachers were able to be surveyed in this study. Although they were able to provide useful

data to the research, a larger sampling would have provided a vaster amount of data. Since there

would be variance in a larger sampling the results could be more conclusive, since they represent

a larger number of teachers. Also, the selection of the teacher should be more intentional. Each

teacher who completed the survey was random. Seeing the diverse amount of subjects was an
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 13

unforeseen, yet useful aspect of the survey. Surveying teachers who are directly teaching

students how to read, would have been a more specific group to test. One final improvement for

the teacher survey would be to improve the survey questions. The questions should have been

more specific, especially since some teachers did not go into too much detail.

As for an area future researchers can discover is, comparing the Think Aloud Method

with other reading instruction methods. The goal would be to determine which method would be

the best for students to use. Researchers can test each method on the same group of students.

This test would be more detailed than the research conducted here. However, it would be

advantageous to this field of study. Teachers are always trying to find what works best for their

students, thus conducting this test teachers would be able to determine a method teachers can use

to best instruct students in reading. Many teachers already do this in their classrooms every year,

so an actually research study would benefit many teachers. If nothing else, it would outline each

method and the pros and cons of each method. This study would be especially helpful for

beginning teachers, who have not yet had too much experience with students.

Since there are a variety of reading instruction methods out there, it is difficult for

teachers to keep up with them all. One of the teachers in the survey mentioned that if they were

given more information about the Think Aloud method, then they would be interested in using it.

Teachers need to be given instruction and resources in these methods in order to use them.

Additionally if they were able to see more research surrounding this topic, so they know this

method works for students it would be a great help for teachers. Teachers always want to find

new methods to help their students, and this method would be very beneficial to teachers in any

subject area.
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 14

Finally, a subject for future researches to test related to this topic is to see if English

Language Learners show improvement by using this method. The studies researched prior to

completing research looked at mainly struggling readers using this method. Plus, the teachers

surveyed did not have experience with English Language Learners, just struggling readers.

Therefore, testing this group of students may provide a method for assisting English Language

Learners. Any new method to help teachers work with English Language Learners always seems

to be needed.

Overall, the study conducted in the paper was able to provide valuable ways the Think

Aloud Method benefits students. The Think Aloud Method does improve students reading

comprehension, along with other necessary reading skills. The study was conclusive and was

able to answer the research question adequately. However, more research can always be done.

As the overall goal of research is to improve the knowledge on a topic. The Think Aloud Method

is a valuable tool for education, and, therefore should be examined in more detail. However, the

information gained from this study provide an excellent foundation for further studies.
The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 15

References

Ebner, R., & Ehri, L. (2013). Vocabulary learning on the internet: Using a structured think aloud

procedure. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 56(6), 480-489.

Fisher, D., Frey, N., Lapp, D., (2011). Coaching middle-level teachers to think aloud improves

comprehension instruction and student reading achievement. The Teacher Educator, 46,

231-243.

Ghaith, G., Obeia, H. (2004). Effect of think alouds on literal and higher-order reading

comprehension. Educational Research Quarterly, 27(3), 49-57.

Gillam, S., Fargo, J., Robertson, K. Comprehension of expository text: Insights gained from

think-aloud data. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 18, 82-94.

McClintock, B., Pesco, D., Martin-Chang, S. (2013). Thinking aloud: Effects on text

comprehension by children with specific language impairment and their peers.

International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 49(6), 637-648.

Schellings, G., Aarnouste, C., van Leeuwe, J. 2006. Third-graders think aloud protocols: Types

of reading activities in reading an expository text. Elsevier Ltd, 16, 549-568.

The Think Aloud Method and Reading Comprehension 16

Appendix A

Think Aloud Survey

What are the benefits of using the Think Aloud Method as opposed to other instructional
methods? The Think Aloud Method is when the teacher reads a story to the class they pause to
vocalize their thoughts, ask students questions, and clarify vocabulary words. It is meant to
increase a student's comprehension of a text. The survey is being conducted to see if this method
is effective in the classroom, according to the teachers.
Thank you for taking the time to complete my survey!

What grade and subject do you teach?

Have you heard of the Think Aloud Method before?

Yes No

Have you used the Think Aloud Method in your classroom before?

Yes No

If you use the Think Aloud Method, have you noticed it improves student's reading
comprehension? Please explain how you use this method in your classroom.

Are there any other methods you have used that help student's reading comprehension? Please
explain.

Would you use the Think Aloud Method in your classroom if you do not already?