How to “TRAP” Information: A Reading Comprehension Strategy for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

The intertwined academic and behavior deficits, often referred to as the failure cycle, of students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) negatively impact learning and skill acquisition. Reading comprehension is one academic area where students with and at risk for EBD display significant deficits. The self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach is one method that accounts for students’ metacognitive skills and learning behaviors, making it a promising approach for use with students with and at risk for EBD, including students served in more restrictive settings. This article provides an overview of SRSD, a reading comprehension strategy taught using the SRSD instructional approach, and describes how to integrate low-intensity behavior strategies into SRSD reading instruction to further support the needs of students with and at risk for EBD.

Language and self-regulation: Interrelated sources of disparities in reading achievement and opportunities for reducing inequity.

“…Jozwik et al (2019) observed that TRACK improved the reading comprehension of emergent bilingual students with learning disabilities. TRAP (Think before you read–Read a paragraph–Ask yourself what was this paragraph mostly about–Put into my own words) is another approach that incorporates SRSD with reading comprehension strategies that have been shown to have positive effects on reading comprehension for adolescents with reading or behavior difficulties (Hagaman et al, 2016; Sanders et al, 2021).…”

Speaking Up: Infusing Self-Determination Within Writing Instruction to Amplify the Voice of Students With EBD

“…Furthermore, the teacher can adapt lesson plans to make them trauma sensitive. For instance, the teacher can provide choice within the lessons, giving students voice in the process (Sanders, Jolivette, et al, 2021). There are a number of ways to incorporate choice including: (a) where (e.g., at a table, at the desk); (b) within, or the materials used for the task (e.g., pencil, pen); (c) between/among, or choices within the writing task (e.g., which writing prompt to answer today); or (d) future (e.g., what to do when the task is complete; Jolivette et al, 2002).…”