Cooperative Learning Can Twice the Comprehension of SPED Students

For language arts teachers, finding effective ways to improve the understanding of students with intellectual disabilities can often be frustrating or seem out of place. There are many resources out there with requests for the best learning strategies for students with intellectual disabilities, and many teachers are at their wits end about which strategies to use. However, recent research offers a promising option for educators discussing this topic.

Cooperative learning is an effective strategy for students with disabilities.

Recent findings indicate that shared text reading can improve the listening comprehension skills of students with intellectual disabilities. This process transforms ordinary learning time into a dynamic experience by engaging students in a variety of interactive ways such as questioning, vocabulary building, and supportive understanding.

What is collaborative learning?

Collaborative reading is a teaching strategy where the teacher and students read a text together aloud, with the teacher actively involving the students in the learning process. Here’s what makes shared text reading different:

• Interactive collaboration. Forget just listening. Collaborative learning is about guided discussions, questions, and activities. Students engage with the story as it unfolds, which helps them grasp and retain more.
• Modification of documents. By adapting texts to match students’ abilities—simplifying language, shortening passages, or adding visuals—you make them easier to understand without losing their meaning.
• Systematic appreciation. Instead of giving all the answers, teachers guide students through structured messages. It starts with gentle nudges and increases support only when needed, encouraging independence.
• Clear instruction. Students don’t have to guess how to get the main idea or understand tricky vocabulary. Teachers model these skills directly and provide students with many opportunities to practice.
• Engaging with text. Students are active participants. They may answer questions, predict what will happen next, or relate the story to their own lives.

A key finding from Dessemontet et al. (2024):

• Practical practice: Editing text content makes reading accessible without losing its value.
• Systematic information: A “less to more” approach helps students approach challenges step by step.
• Clear instructions: Teaching students how to understand “wh-words” (who, what, where) is especially impactful.
• Technical integration: Tools like e-books can add interactive elements that keep readers engaged.

Can we trust this research?

Not all research has the same value! Here’s what our We Are Teachers “Malarkey Meter” says about this book, based on four key factors.

• Peer reviewed? Yes! This study may undergo several rounds of peer review.
• Sample size: The sample size of this meta-analysis includes data from 19 studies, which is small in scale but acceptable for statistical power.
• Reliable sources: The research team (Rachel Sermier Dessemontet, Megan Geyer, Anne-Laure Linder, Myrto Atzemian, Catherine Martinet, Natalina Meuli, Catherine Audrin, and Anne-Francoise de Chambrier) may may not have all the Google Scholar profiles but have probably accumulated more than 3,500 citations. Also, they publish in Educational Research Review, and publishing with them is very competitive!
• How to do it: The researchers used a multilevel meta-analysis (a study of the results of many studies) to examine their topic in depth. They completed each rigorous step of the meta-analysis, and their methodology makes sense.

What does this mean for teachers?

This study is a call for teachers to use and promote collaborative text reading practices. By incorporating targeted texts and informing strategies into learning sessions, teachers can significantly increase the comprehension of students with intellectual disabilities. Our students with intellectual disabilities need more than just access to information, and collaborative learning can be a way to help increase their quality of life through literacy.

Embracing shared learning isn’t just about improving test scores—it’s about opening doors for our students with disabilities to connect more deeply with the world around them. These collaborative learning strategies are game-changing, making our classrooms places where all students can succeed. Let’s apply these findings and see how much our students can grow. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and turn every learning moment into an opportunity for real engagement. Ready to get started?

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