EFFECTS OF CONCEPT MAPPING STRATEGY ON IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION OF CHILDREN WITH READING DIFFICULTIES IN OTANA INTEGRATED SCHOOL JOS, PLATEAU STATE

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of concept mapping strategy on improving reading comprehension of children with reading difficulties in Otana Integrated School Jos, Plateau State. The aim of the study is to help children with reading difficulties enhance their capabilities of reading and comprehending written text through this strategy. Two (2) research questions and two (2) hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The research design was Quasi Experimental Research Design. The study consists of two groups which are not composed on the basis of randomization. The population consists of 25 students in primary three (3). A sample size of 10 students with reading difficulties, ages between 10-15 years for the intervention were selected from the population. A purposive sampling technique was used for selection of the children with reading difficulties. Two instruments for data collection which includes: cloze test and concept mapping were used in the study. The method for data analysis was standard deviation, and t-test. The hypotheses were tested using t-test, at 0.05 level of significant. The finding of this study reveals that there was significant improvement in children ability to make inferences or predictions after the exposure to concept mapping. The study shows that to a great extent the use of concept mapping improved children ability to answer direct recall questions after their exposure to concept mapping. Others are concept mapping strategy would help students with reading difficulties improve on their reading comprehension as an input to design reading comprehension based on planning, monitoring and evaluation for better comprehension according to the need of the students. The study recommended that the use of concept mapping for teaching students with reading difficulties should be encouraged in all schools, there should be early introduction of concept mapping to children in their elementary classes so that they can develop reading skills for subsequent development of aptitude for their use in reading. Government should put into action policies that will uphold concept mapping strategy and reading laboratories should be established and equipped in schools for children with reading disabilities so that resource teachers can adapt these materials for use for better teaching and learning of children with reading difficulties.