Reading Instruction in Heterogeneous and Multilingual Groups

Many children and young people with learning difficulties read slowly and understand little of what they read. Learners of German as a second language face additional linguistic barriers. We investigate how reading fluency and comprehension can be fostered with structured approaches that fit well into regular instruction, such as peer tutoring (PALS), story maps or self-questioning strategies.

Team: Prof. Dr. Matthias Grünke, Dr. Anne Barwasser, Dr. Janine Bracht, Dr. Susanne Hoff

Selected publications

• Grünke, M., Barwasser, A., & Hoff, S. (2026). Systematic prompt fading to foster self-questioning and reading comprehension in at-risk elementary students: A multiple-baseline single-case study. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 25(8).
• Bracht, J. I. (2025). Between languages, texts and narratives: Adaptive literacy support for diverse learning needs in second language learners in different age ranges [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cologne]. https://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/79129/