Journal of Behavioral Education, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1998, pp. 63-79
Corrective Feedback in Oral Reading
Joanne D. Heubusch, Ph.D.,1,3 and John Wills Lloyd, Ph.D. 2
We examined 24 studies to determine the effects on word recognition and
reading comprehension of correcting errors during oral reading. Corrective
feedback improved students' word reading accuracy on words in lists, and
accuracy in reading words in passages. Some correction procedures had greater
benefits than others. Successful error correction procedures share common
characteristics, leading to recommendations about instruction: Teachers should
(a) correct errors immediately; (b) require students to repeat the correct
response; and (c) match correction procedure to the instructional situation and
the learner. Several research recommendations are outlined.
Reading problems are one of the most common characteristics of stu-
dents with learning disabilities (Bryan, Bay, Lopez-Reyna, & Donahue,
1991). Although estimates vary, prevalence studies of reading problems in-
dicate that at least 6.2% (Lewis, Hitch, & Walker, 1994) and perhaps as
many as 7.5% (Shaywitz, Escobar, Shaywitz, & Fletcher, 1992) of students
in schools have reading scores that are substantially discrepant from their
IQs. Because most students with learning disabilities have problems with
reading (Lewis et al., 1994), it is safe to assume that many of the nation's
2.44 million students with learning disabilities (U. S. Department of Edu-
cation, 1995) require reading instruction. Given the magnitude of these
problems, it is understandable that teachers of students with learningdis-
1Research Associate, Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education, Curry
School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
2Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education, Curry
School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
3Correspondence should be directed to Joanne D. Heubusch, Department of Curriculum,
Instruction, and Special Education, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903.
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1053-0819/98/0300-0063$15.00/0 © 1998 Human Sciences Press, Inc.
KEY WORDS: oral reading; correction; instruction; feedback.