Oral recall of limited English proficient students: a textual analysis using the STEP (Subordination Technique for Evaluating Passages) procedure

Abstract

The oral recall technique provides a comprehensive and useful analysis of reading comprehension. The assessment of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students is especially important; by discovering their patterns of recall, they can be given special instruction designed to fit their academic needs. This study uses the STEP procedure to analyze the recall of LEP students in both Spanish and English. The STEP procedure consists of dividing the passages (given to the students in the recall procedure) into idea units, or semantically related concepts. These units are then hierarchically ranked according to their ability to recall these specific units. The study investigated (a) how the placement of an idea within a passage affects its recall and (b) how the language in which the recall is conducted (Spanish or English) affects recall.