Abstract:
This study investigated the effects of an interactive reading model instruction on grade 7 students’
reading comprehension achievement and fluency components (rate, accuracy, prosody). A quasi
experimental design with pre-test and post-test control group design was employed. The participants
were grade 7 students who enrolled in Gondar Town Azezo Primary School in 2022/2023 and
selected through lottery sampling.107 students from the two sections selected through lottery
sampling technique 71 (52 students) and 74 (55 students) participated as control and experimental
group respectively. The experimental group has been taught through the interactive model of reading
instruction and the control group has been taught through the conventional method for ten weeks.
Data were collected through reading comprehension achievement and fluency component tests from
the experimental and control groups, and through interview and writing journals from the
experimental group. The data from the tests were analyzed using One-way ANCOVA and One-way
MANCOVA through SPSS V27.The qualitative data gained from the interview and writing journals
were analyzed thematically. The finding of the study revealed that students who have learned
through interactive model of instruction outperformed in their reading comprehension achievement
and in the independent fluency components (prosody, rate, accuracy) than that of students who have
learned reading through the conventional method of teaching reading. The effect size of the
intervention was found to be high (partial η2=.355, η2=.192, η2=.279, η2=.123) for the reading
comprehension, prosody, rate and accuracy respectively. The intervention had also a significant
effect on the overall dependent variables (reading comprehension, rate, accuracy and prosody) than
that of the control group showing strong effect size (partial η2=.550). Regarding the reflection of the
students on the effect of the interactive model of reading instruction on the reading comprehension
achievement and fluency components, the study revealed that students had positive feelings towards
the intervention. Thus, it is concluded that the interactive model of reading improved the reading
comprehension achievement and fluency components of students. Based on the above findings the
study forwarded a recommendation that interactive model of reading activities should be considered
in the teaching and learning of reading to improve reading comprehension and fluency components.
