Improving reading comprehension in Spanish using iSTART-E: A pilot study

ISTART-E is a web-based intelligent tutor developed for Spanish-speaking students to improve their reading comprehension through self-explanation strategy training. This study examined the effects of a blended comprehension strategy intervention on students' reading comprehension skill. Chilean high school students (N = 22) completed nine iSTART-E sessions and a face-to-face classroom lesson that included integrative video and additional examples of self-explanation. Survey data indicated that students thought that iSTART-E was useful and that they had improved their reading skills. Critically, this was supported by objective assessment-students' standardized reading comprehension test (Lectum) performance improved from pre-training to post-training. These findings demonstrate promise for the use of iSTART-E as a computer-supported learning environment for Spanish readers.