The instructional features of an effective and practical intervention for significant improvements in reading comprehension

This presentation outlines the instructional features of an effective instructional program in question-answering that has empirical support for statistically significant improvement in reading comprehension. The presentation overviews the features of effective instruction in terms of both lesson presentation and lesson content. Comparisons are made between the question-answering intervention and other programs used in classrooms and commercially available reading programs. The use of these instructional features increases the likelihood of successful learning by all students, including some students with special needs, within regular classrooms. More importantly, this instructional design increases the likelihood of errorless learning by many students. The potential effects of errorless learning on students' attitudes to learning and confidence are outlined. The presentation includes a workshop involving participants in experiencing the difference between effective and ineffective instruction. The application of this instructional design will be extended to a numeracy program and a range of syllabus areas.