Using eye tracking to observe differential effects of repeated readings for low- and high-performing readers

Repeated Readings (RR) is an evidence-based fluency intervention in which students read the same text multiple times. Currently, it remains unknown whether readers of different skill levels benefit in different ways from RR. Eye tracking provides a means to examine intervention effects more closely because it permits measurement of subtle changes that occur during RR. The current study measured changes in underlying reading behavior of low-performing (n=22) and high-performing 2nd graders (n=22). Participants read a grade-level passage 4 times in a single session while their eye movements were recorded. Findings replicated previous research, suggesting that both groups benefited from RR. Additionally, results implied that effects were greater for low-performing readers, although they were typically unable to match levels of eye movement efficiency exhibited in the high-performing readers' first reading. Findings have implications for improving future eye tracking reading research with children and the efficiency of RR in the classroom.