The purpose of this single case design study was to examine the efficacy of using double-bubble Thinking Maps to improve the reading comprehension of middle school Spanish-English bilingual middle school students with learning disabilities. Participants included three female Spanish-English bilingual middle school students with learning disabilities. In this multiple baseline across participants single case design study, we taught students to create a double-bubble map, a type of compare and contrast graphic organizer, for 12 expository compare and contrast text passages over 12 forty-five minute sessions. We assessed performance on creating the double-bubble map and on reading comprehension measures across baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases. Each participant learned to create an accurate double-bubble map for compare and contrast expository texts within two sessions. Reading comprehension scores began to increase within two intervention sessions for each participant. Results showed the positive effect of using the double-bubble Thinking Map to improve reading comprehension of compare and contrast texts. Individual (.895–.967) and overall TAU-U effect sizes (.94) showed the intervention to be highly effective. Based on the effect sizes, the double-bubble Thinking Map was effective for improving the reading comprehension of middle school Spanish-English bilingual students with learning disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a graphic organizer for improving the expository text comprehension of adolescent Spanish–English bilingual students with learning disabilities. Students included two females and one male. Using a multiple baseline single case design, students were taught to create a funnel map graphic organizer for 10 descriptive text passages. Students’ performance was assessed on their ability to correctly create the funnel map (criterion variable) and to comprehend expository passages during baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases. Each participant learned to create an accurate funnel map within four sessions. Text comprehension scores began to increase within three sessions. Results showed the positive effect of using the funnel map for improving comprehension of expository texts. Individual TAU effect sizes (.81–.92) and overall TAU-U effect sizes (.86) and a Between Case-Standardized Mean Difference (BC-SMD) of 1.87 showed the intervention to be highly effective.