Running head: THINK-ALOUDS 1

Using Think-Alouds to Increase Student Achievement

Katie Burke

Franciscan University of Steubenville

THINK-ALOUDS 2

Introduction

Over the years, student achievement has always been a goal for teachers. Teachers work

for the success of every student each day through lessons, activities, and planning. They work

hard to provide effective instruction and ensure understanding in their students. The effective

instruction is executed across all content areas with teachers focusing on different strategies to

scaffold their instruction and work towards comprehension of the content. One of the most

common and important factors of learning that content is comprehension. It is one of the many

strategies that is embedded into daily reading instruction, social studies discussions, and

occasionally math word problems. According to Ness (2016), one of the most challenging jobs as

a teacher is to prepare students to be better comprehenders. A way to increase student

comprehension is by implementing and modeling different comprehension strategies into each

lesson. A popular method to increase comprehension used among teachers is the think-aloud

method. For the purpose of this study, the think-aloud method pertains to the teacher-generated

comments and thoughts that the teacher "thinks-aloud" to help build reading comprehension. For

example, the teacher can read a passage and then say out loud, "Hmm I wonder what this word

means. I'm going to look back at my context clues to try to find the meaning”. To increase

student comprehension, teachers should implement the think-aloud method across all content

areas and in turn, model the method so students can learn to use it individually.

Purpose

While think-alouds are commonly used by the majority of teachers, there is no clear

method on how to effectively implement think-alouds into a lesson to ensure student

comprehension. The majority of teachers use think-alouds organically, however, it was found

that when teachers receive explicit instruction on the process of developing pre-planned think-
THINK-ALOUDS 3

alouds, the reading achievement scores of their students increased (Ness, 2016). The main focus

of this research will focus on how in-service teachers use the think-aloud method and its effects

on student achievement. Through this research, I plan to answer: How are think-alouds used in

the classroom across multiple content areas? Do students typically model this method, and if yes,

how? How does the think-aloud method affect student achievement, specifically comprehension?

The methodological approaches used in this study were chosen to find the answers to

these questions. The first methodological approach examined empirical and non-empirical

articles and journals to learn more about the think-aloud method and its effects in the classroom.

This information was reviewed and deemed valuable for the purpose of this study. It provides

additional resources, skills, and strategies on how to implement the think-aloud method

efficiently. The second methodological approach used was a survey that was sent out to in-

service teachers to gain information regarding think-alouds, their use in the classroom, and its

effects on student achievement. The data collected from the survey could produce similar data

seen in the other studies done on this topic, however, the data collected will aid in giving clarity

and insight on the benefits and usage of the think-aloud method.

I hypothesize that this research will reveal the many benefits of the think-aloud method

on student achievement and comprehension in the classroom. Educators most likely already use

the think-aloud method organically without much planning due to the natural tendency to stop

and ask questions during a read-aloud. I believe that the research will show how both organic

think-alouds and pre-planned think-alouds benefit student achievement.

Review of Literature

Think-alouds can have a positive effect on a student’s reading comprehension. It is

important for teachers to plan out think-alouds that are effective and a way to achieve effective
THINK-ALOUDS 4

think-alouds is the subject of this article by Ness and Kenny (2016). Ness and Kenny conducted

a research study in which a selection of K-6 teachers were encouraged to implement think-alouds

into their lessons on either narrative or non-fiction text. For each lesson, the teachers had to

record their objectives, the stopping points in which they would use the think-aloud method, and

what they would communicate as their think-aloud. To develop effective think-alouds, the

authors created a three-step process which is to peruse the text to identify stopping points, reduce

the stopping points to a manageable amount, and then write out the think-alouds that correlate to

the stopping points. Ness and Kenny aimed to give teachers an explicit and rewarding plan to use

think-alouds in their classrooms effectively. Although the findings of the study were vague, the

authors alluded to the three-step process and that when teachers are given an ample amount of

time to prepare think-alouds, they are more effective.

Ness and Kenny succeeded in studying the effectiveness and implication of quality think-

alouds in the classroom. It is important to know that the authors and researchers were teachers as

well. This is beneficial because they are aware of the classroom atmosphere and knew how to

help teachers by developing a method that was effective in the classroom and benefitted students.

It was helpful to see the example think-alouds the teacher’s used as well as the blank think-aloud

chart. The teachers were able to reflect with the chart on the reading, developing a concise think-

aloud statement, and state their reasoning by naming the comprehension strategy they are

implementing through their think-aloud. It is extremely helpful to see how the teachers

embedded their think-alouds to specific passages from the reading and the comprehension

strategy met as well because it acts as a visual aid for their thinking. This article is beneficial to

my topic regarding the effectiveness of think-alouds in the classroom and the effects it has on a

student’s comprehension. It would have been helpful to see the after effects and how the
THINK-ALOUDS 5

improved think-alouds aided in the student’s comprehension and understanding of the text. In

regards to improvement, a chart or table showing the data or stats gathered from this study would

be helpful for further research on think-alouds and their implementation in the classroom. It

would be interesting to see how the teachers improved with the new method and how the

students improved regarding their comprehension skills.

According to Ness (2016), the best way to carry-out think-alouds is to give teachers time

to plan and create effective think-alouds. Ness conducted a research study with thirty one-first

and second-year teachers who were enrolled in a literacy methods course to see the effects of

planned out and implemented think-alouds. The teachers answered a questionnaire, wrote three

lesson plans including think-alouds, wrote a reflection for each lesson, and included a recording

of the think-alouds. The questionnaire served as an assessment to see what these teachers knew

about think-alouds and how they are beneficial; however, Ness concluded that due to the variety

of answers to the questions, these answers could not be used as data for this study. This was

because it had shown no commonality amongst the thirty-one teachers, thus, not adding any

valuable information for the study. For each lesson, the teachers had to select books that fit their

classroom level. Along with age-appropriate books, the teachers wrote objectives, a rationale for

the books chosen, excerpts from each book, the stopping points for the think-alouds, and the

think-alouds themselves. After the study, Ness had found that as teachers implemented think-

alouds into each lesson, the think-alouds grew more effective. In the beginning, she saw that the

teachers were using more common comprehension strategies and as the study went on, the

teachers became comfortable using difficult comprehension strategies. In the end, she concluded

that teachers needed more time to write and conduct effective think-alouds in their classroom to

be successful.
THINK-ALOUDS 6

Ness instructed teachers on how to craft and implement strong think-alouds into their

lessons effectively. It was beneficial to see the steps that were taken to develop think-alouds as

well as include a step-by-step guide for teachers to create their own think-alouds for their

students. Ness concluded that while this study was successful in helping teachers develop

effective think-alouds, it takes professional development as well as observing expert teachers

conduct think-alouds for newer teachers to truly grasp the craft of think-alouds. It would have

been beneficial to see some examples of the teachers’ lesson plans, a chart showing the

information gathered from the questionnaires, or think-alouds to see how the teachers grew and

what the process looked like. This article adds a more clear approach to my method and how it

can be developed to fit my sample’s needs in my study. For future research, it would be

interesting to see a study done on the effects of the students’ comprehension and if they too can

use their teacher’s think-alouds to help them on assessments.

According to Ness (2014), increasing the use of teacher-led think-alouds in the classroom

is essential to comprehend text. Ness conducted a study that consisted of 31 K-5 in-service

teachers. She worked to help teachers increase their confidence and the number of think-alouds

they use as well as improve the quality of their think-alouds. The teachers had to focus on

writing three lesson plans and adding think-alouds to these lessons. To start each lesson, they had

to choose age-appropriate, nonfiction or fiction books for their students. The lesson plans had to

include objectives, a rationale for the book they chose, a copy or excerpts from the book, the

stopping points where they would use think-alouds, a script of their pre-planned think-alouds,

and a reflection on the lesson. The teachers could add any number of stopping points and had no

guidelines as to what comprehension strategies to use or how many to use. Ness found that the

majority of teachers were able to choose coherent stopping points, effective think-alouds, and
THINK-ALOUDS 7

new comprehension strategies that enhanced the text. Ness also discovered that as teachers get

comfortable with using the think-aloud strategy, they grew in the variety of comprehension

strategies they implemented into their lessons.

Ness was successful in equipping the teachers with what they need to succeed in writing

effective think-alouds. She gave them resources on writing think-alouds and modeled how to add

them in their lessons. Supplying teachers with what they need is an important aspect of teaching

teachers how to effectively use this method because it will only be effective if it is learned and

modeled. Ness wrote the article in teacher-friendly language so that other teachers can read it,

understand it, and use it as a resource to learn. This article is beneficial for my topic because it

adds another outlook and method to effectively use the think-aloud method. This will be a great

addition to my research because it is crucial to know that the method could be used in a

multitude of ways and that the teacher can mold the method to fit their classroom needs. It would

have been more helpful if the article was more organized and that information could be clearly

found. An interesting suggestion for further research would be a follow-up study. Although this

study was successful and the teachers carried out effective think-alouds, it is important to see

how the teachers used this method in the future. Were the think-alouds still effective? Did the

teachers change the method to fit their style? Were the comprehension strategies still

implemented and learned? These are a few questions that could be used in a follow-up study with

these teachers and how they continued to use the information they learned to enhance learning.

According to Bulut and Ertem (2018), an effective way to witness cognitive activities in

the comprehension process is through think-alouds. The researchers wanted to find a comparison

between listening and comprehension strategies used by students who are successful or

unsuccessful listeners. This study focused on four middle-class fourth graders who participated
THINK-ALOUDS 8

in a case study that involved the students using the think-aloud method to help determine what

listening strategies are commonly used. Students had to participate in a “Listening Strategies

Test”, as part of the study, which involved students reading a selected text, answering

comprehension questions, and then taking one narrative and one informative listening test. The

researchers chose the selected texts according to the reading level of each student and the

comprehension questions were in line with the students’ level of question writing techniques. It

was found that the successful listeners are more likely to focus on understanding the text while

unsuccessful listeners are more likely to focus the analyzing the text. It was also found that

students are more likely to use main listening comprehension strategies such as monitoring,

inferring, and asking questions, as a result of the think-aloud method.

Bulut and Ertem were successfully able to find how students individualize the think-

aloud strategy to help them succeed in their learning. The researchers focused on how the

students used the strategy and in what ways it was beneficial. It is important that these

researchers studied the students’ use because it measures how students use this method and that

the students were able to use it successfully. An aspect that could have been better would be

using more students in the study. The researchers only focused on four students, but if more

students participated, there may have been more data that added to their study. This article would

be beneficial for my research because it is important to know how the students implement the

method into their learning. This not only shows whether or not teacher modeling was successful

but also gives teachers feedback on how the teacher can improve the method in their classroom.

For further research, it would be interesting to see the data found if more students contributed to

the study and how the student mimicked their teacher’s think-aloud model. If there were more

students and a teacher model included, the data would be more helpful for future studies.
THINK-ALOUDS 9

Methodology

To begin the study, six different empirical and non-empirical journals and articles were

used to study research done on the think-aloud method. The journals and articles ranged from

studies that sampled teachers implementing the think-aloud method and studies that sampled

students using the think-aloud method individually. All information gained from this section of

the study was viewed as valuable information to conduct research on the think-aloud method in

the classroom; specifically on how teachers embed this method into their daily lessons.

The research of this study was based on a part of the studies conducted by Ness (2014),

Ness (2016), and Ness and Kenny (2016). Although each study did not include a survey, the

researchers developed questions and interviewed in-service teachers on the think-aloud method

and their knowledge regarding the method. From these studies, I was able to construct my own

survey for research. For this study, a survey was used to collect the data because it has the ability

to describe the many different characteristics and information gained from a larger population

than an interview done in person. The participants were in-service teachers, gathered through a

Personal Learning Network (PLN) through Twitter and requesting the teachers to pass it along to

their colleagues and fellow teachers. In-service teachers were chosen for this study because of

the hands-on experience they have in using the think-aloud method frequently. This led to a

variety of content areas, grade levels, and opinions represented in the survey focused on the use

of think-alouds in their classroom and the benefits that are results of the implantation of this

method.

The survey included nine questions (Appendix A) beginning with how think-alouds are

used in the classroom and if teachers are familiar with the method. The survey then moved on to

questions that focused on modeling and how they have seen student achievement when the think-
THINK-ALOUDS 10

aloud method is used. The data gathered from this survey was analyzed to find the usage of the

think-aloud method and the overall benefits that are observed by the teachers surveyed. This data

will aid in the study and either support the hypothesis made and support the previous research

done or be in opposition to the hypothesis.

Findings

The findings from this study are based on the data collected from the survey sent out to

in-service teachers. At the conclusion of the study, 22 teachers responded with their experience

on the think-aloud method. The individual teacher responses varied in explanation, elaboration,

and participation. When reviewing the data, all grade levels and content areas are represented at

least once in the survey. Of the 22 responses, grade levels Pre-Kindergarten (PK) to twelfth

grade, including special education, and teachers of English language arts, mathematics, social

studies, science, and specials (e.g. music, art, etc.) were represented in this survey. Of those

grade levels, PK-fifth grade had the highest representation at nine participants (40.9%),

following with ninth through twelfth grade which also had nine participants (40.9%), then sixth

through eighth grade at six participants (27.3%), and ending with special education at four

participants (18.2%). Additionally, social studies had the highest representation at ten

participants (45.5%), following with English language arts at eight participants (36.4%), math

with seven participants (31.8%), science at three participants (13.6%), and specials (e.g. music,
 THINK-ALOUDS 11

art, etc.) with only one participant (4.5%). Overall, the survey had a wide variety of teachers

Figure 1 Content areas and grade levels taught

participating which adds diversity to how think-alouds are used in the classroom.

In terms of data from the survey, the first two questions served as baseline data to be

aware of the familiarity with the method and its usage in the classroom. To begin, it was

concluded that 81.8% of teachers have heard of the think-aloud method, as seen in Figure 2. It is

not surprising to see the majority of participants are familiar with the method due to it being

common for the teacher to do naturally and possibly not aware it is a researched method.

Figure 2 Participants who are familiar with the method Figure 3 Usage in the classroom
THINK-ALOUDS 12

Interestingly enough, only 72.7% of responses have used this method in the classroom despite

the effectiveness in the classroom and awareness of the method, as seen in Figure 3. In addition

to the lack of usage, there was no clear rationale regarding why this method is not used in their

classroom. The question preceding the first two focused on how the participants use the method

in their classroom and their rationale for the amount of usage.

The third question of the survey proposed a question to participants on what ways they

use the think-aloud method in their classroom or daily lessons. This question was designed to see

the diversity of ways to use this method across multiple content areas that are taught by the

participants. One participant answered, “I’ve used it to help students think through social studies

terms” and another participant responded with, “During read alouds- modeling, predicting,

questioning, inferencing, making connections, etc.”. The variety of ways to use this method are

endless because it can be tailored to multiple different classroom settings and lessons. According

to Ness (2016), when teachers use the think-aloud method, there is a significant growth in the

number of reading comprehension strategies used such as inferencing, predicting, and making

connections. This reins true according to the participant who mentioned that when the think-

aloud is used during a read-aloud, those multiple comprehension strategies are strengthened.

Interestingly, one participant answered, “I using it during reading, math problems (especially

instructions), and just about in every subject”. What is interesting about this specific use is this

teacher uses it in math lessons. Majority of the research done on this method focuses on its use in

English language arts, however, this teacher has seen it be beneficial in her math lessons and her

other content areas as well. The data collected from this question gave me the answer to my

question of: How are think-alouds used in the classroom across multiple content areas? I was

able to see how teachers use think-alouds in multiple different content areas from the responses
THINK-ALOUDS 13

given to this question. It was found that think-alouds are beneficial to implement across all

content-areas because the method can be tailored to the specific needs of the student as well as

the specific needs that each content area contains. Along with the successful results on using the

think-aloud method, there is discussion regarding the benefits of think-alouds used organically or

pre-planned in a lesson.

The participant then moved on to the next question regarding how teachers implement

think-alouds either using organic teachable-moments, pre-determined stopping points to use

think think-aloud, or both ways of implementation. Surprisingly, the majority of participants use

think-alouds organically rather than pre-planned. As seen in Figure 4, 44.4% of participating

teachers use the think-aloud method as a teachable moment. Unlike the results of the study done

by Ness and Kenny (2016) where teachers were shown to be more effective with pre-planned

think-alouds, the participants of this survey used organic think-alouds rather than pre-planned

which was only at 22.2%. It was also found that many teachers surveyed used both organic

Figure 4 Implementation of think-alouds

think-alouds and pre-planned think-alouds to build comprehension within each individual

content area. It seems that when both ways of implementation are used, it is more beneficial due
THINK-ALOUDS 14

to the organization of a pre-planned think-aloud and the natural, teachable moment aspect of

using a think-aloud organically.

The next two questions focused on the second research question which was, do students

typically model this method, if yes, how? The first of the two questions focused on the

participant modeling this method in their classroom and if they have seen their students use this

method individually without prompting. Although the results were close, the majority of

participants (55.6%) responded “yes”, they have seen their students model this method. Of that

55.6%, participants were able to explain how they have seen the students use this method in the

next question. The answers given were diverse and varied from students using it to read through

different questions, to working in small groups. One participant wrote, “When they read, they

will pause and start to ask for definitions, but pause a second time and ask if their idea of

meaning is correct”. This response focuses on how the students use the think-aloud method to

find definitions of unfamiliar vocabulary within the text. Using a think-aloud in this way is a

more popular approach and is an effective way for students to use context clues and each other to

find the correct answer. Another participant wrote, “They will try to ‘get in the head’ of

whichever historical figure we are discussing. And they provide their own thoughts regarding the

situation”. This response was an interesting and different way to use the think-aloud method by

having the students “get in the head” of the person being study and think-aloud in that sense. Not

only does this have the students using think-alouds to learn more about the person, but also

builds comprehension on the topic being studied.

The second to last question in the survey focused on the last research question which is,

how does the think-aloud method affect student achievement, specifically comprehension? This

specific question received multiple different answers on how the participants have seen the
THINK-ALOUDS 15

benefits of using the think-aloud method in the classroom. According to Bulut and Ertem (2018),

when think-alouds are used in the classroom, students are more likely to use multiple different

comprehension strategies to interpret the text. Each answer given to this question was

highlighting the benefits of the think-aloud method seen in his or her classroom. One participant

responded that they have seen, “Higher understanding and comprehension, improved ease of

reading, and confidence when reading.” Teachers wish to have their students comprehend what

they are reading and have confidence in their abilities. When students comprehend, can make

connections, and gain that confidence teachers want to see, learning becomes exciting and

students want to dig deeper. Think-alouds are seen as beneficial in the majority of the responses

and majority of classrooms. Another participant wrote, “I’ve seen students spend more time

reading. They go back and reread to check for understanding and annotate their think-alouds.”

Each participant continued to write similar responses and share their experiences on how

beneficial the think-aloud method is for their students. The students comprehend what they are

learning and reading and as a result, achieve in the classroom. The think-aloud method provides

an opportunity for students to learn how to think while they are learning and to use that new

thinking to read more, learn more, and achieve more. One participant highlighted that the

students comprehend the information better when a think-aloud is used and that they can apply

those think-alouds to make connections to other concepts and personal experiences. Each

participant emphasized that student comprehension greatly increases when think-alouds are used,

modeled, and then individualized by students for them to use in their learning.

The last portion of the survey gave the participants an opportunity to share any advice on

how to implement think-alouds in lesson plans and in the classroom. Each participant had a

unique perspective and way to utilize this method and change it to fit their students’ needs. The
THINK-ALOUDS 16

responses to this section of the survey were encouraging and insightful pieces of advice to pre-

service or in-service teachers on the think-aloud method. After reviewing all of the responses, the

most common piece of advice was to model this method for the students and to let it occur

naturally. One participant suggested, “Let it occur naturally. Don’t force it because students may

be able to tell that it is scripted or preplanned. They may see through it as not being an actual

thought process but rather a pre-conceived sequence of steps. This could make it even more

difficult to relate it to their own thinking and understanding.” When implanting think-alouds, it is

important to have an idea of where think-alouds should be embedded and what comprehension

strategies need to be emphasized. In addition to those pre-planned think-alouds, it is important to

leave room for think-alouds that are organic and create a meaningful learning experience for the

students. Another participant encouraged to “start small” when using think-alouds and after it

becomes more natural, add in more to model the comprehension strategies that need to be taught.

The responses included unique perspectives including the usage of think-alouds in a math lesson

to explain problems and another mentioned how beneficial think-alouds are for students in

special education. The participant added that the students in special education benefit from the

explicit modeling used with think-alouds because it teaches them how to think through the

content which results in strengthened student comprehension and confidence. Overall, the

participants encouraged the use of think-alouds in the classroom and stressed the importance of

modeling. The participants stressed that modeling is the key to successful think-alouds because

when students see how concepts should be thought out, they can then use that model and

individualize it to fit their needs.

Recommendations
THINK-ALOUDS 17

After reviewing the different journal articles and studies done on the think-aloud method,

there is still much to be researched about the method and its effects in the classroom. There are

some recommendations for future studies that arise after reading about the method and then

reviewing the data collected from the survey. One major recommendation to consider for the

future is to do more studies involving the students. It is significant for teachers to know how to

use, model, and implement the think-aloud method into daily lessons, however, it is even more

important to study the benefits it has on students. Although the participants in this study

encouraged other educators to use this method because it is beneficial, it is important to take that

valuable opinion a step further and study the effects on increased student comprehension and

achievement more closely. It would be interesting to see the data collected from a study where

students use the think-aloud method after their teachers modeled it. Would the students mimic

the teacher’s model or would the students use that model as an example and instead individualize

it to what makes sense to them? Teachers would greatly benefit from a study such as this because

they can then learn from the study and use the data to modify their think-alouds to fit the

students’ needs efficiently. If more studies are done like this, it would be easier for teachers to

implement the think-aloud method in a way that the students will grasp and use independently.

Another recommendation to consider is conducting a follow-up study on the teachers

used in previous studies on the think-aloud method. It would be interesting to see how the

method has evolved in these teachers’ classrooms and what they did to modify this method after

learning how to correctly implement it into the classroom. This type of study could bring

multiple new implications and information regarding the think-aloud method. It could be found

that the method works more effectively when done organically or it could be found that teachers

who implement think-alouds see student achievement in subjects other than reading. For
THINK-ALOUDS 18

example, if the teachers from Ness and Kenny (2016) were studied again, it could result in

teachers using the three-step process used in the study, but in a way that works for them. It could

also be found that the three-step process did not work for that specific classroom. Overall, this

addition to correct studies could bring forth multiple different implications and new results

regarding the usage of think-alouds in the classroom.

Although there were positive results to this study, there are some limitations that were

found after reviewing the data and content overall. The first limitation is that, despite the 22

participants, not all the questions were answered by each participant. This made analyzing the

data difficult because it limited the sample size to either 14 or 18 responses. It did not help with

the success of the study because it limited the consistency of results to each question. Along with

not having consistent responses, the study only reached 22 participants. Although 22 is a fairly

large group to study, it does not speak for the majority. If more participants were able to

participate in the study, there could have been a wider range of responses and data collected that

aided in the overall conclusions of the study. However, the results given by the 22 participants

were able to portray the clear benefits of think-alouds in the classroom.

Another limitation that was found while analyzing the data was that more demographic

questions should have been asked. Including one demographic question that focused on the

content area and grade level taught was okay, but not enough to give a sufficient amount of

information regarding the participant background. Demographic questions that should have been

added include, “How many years have you been teaching” or “What is your level of degree?”

These two questions are examples of what could have been asked to give a closer scope of what

teachers participated. Including the question regarding the number of years in the field could

have given an idea of how many years the participant has been implementing the think-aloud
THINK-ALOUDS 19

method and how it has evolved over the years in his or her classroom. Including the question

regarding the level of degree the participant has could have provided information on how much

he or she has learned about the think-aloud method and what he or she learned about

implementing the think-aloud method in the classroom.

Regarding the field of literacy, there is always more to learn and adjust when teaching

students how to read. A part of learning how to read is comprehending the text or concept being

taught. To aid in increasing student comprehension, teachers can use the think-aloud method to

model how to think when learning to comprehend. Although research as concluded that pre-

planned think-alouds are beneficial to the success of the student, it was concluded from this

study that organic think-alouds work just as well. When using organic think-alouds, it opens up

the opportunity for a teachable moment and increases the chances of a meaningful learning

experience for the students. However, whether pre-planned or organic think-alouds are used, it is

crucial that the teacher models effectively for the think-aloud method to be beneficial. When the

method is modeled correctly, then the students are able to take that model and use it in their own

learning. Whether the student takes the teacher model and mimics it or uses the teacher model as

a foundation for his or her own, individualized think-aloud, it is important that the model is

correct. When using the think-aloud method, the teacher must model how he or she wants the

students to think through what they are learning. With this in mind, the think-aloud method is

beneficial when used, however, it is only successful when modeled effectively.

Although the study did not produce concrete evidence towards the think-aloud method,

the information gained from this study as well as the journal articles reviewed are beneficial for

pre-service and in-service teachers to learn from and implement in the classroom to increase

student comprehension and achievement. The variety of responses given in the survey provides
THINK-ALOUDS 20

encouraging, insightful, and “teacher-friendly” information on how to use and implement the

think-aloud method into the classroom. It is important to internalize the information gained from

this study and reflect on how it affects the classroom and literacy as a whole. Along with the

wide variety of responses from the survey, the journal articles and empirical studies added a

deeper understanding of the think-aloud method from multiple perspectives. Ness and Kenny

(2016), Ness (2014), and Ness (2016) provided detailed studies on the benefits of the think-aloud

method how teachers can implement think-alouds into the classroom. Each study involved a

different way to implement this method successfully and how to then improve the method to

increase the chances of successful student comprehension. On the other hand, the studies

conducted by Bulut and Ertem (2018), Gillan, Fargo, and Robertson (2009), and Kelley,

Capobianco, and Kaluf (2014) focused on how students use the teacher model to individualize

their own think-aloud method. The studies each gave a different insight and perspective on the

students’ usage of the think-aloud method. The information learned from the survey and the

different journal articles and empirical studies highlighted in this study show the multiple

benefits that the think-aloud method has for not only student comprehension but also student

achievement in the classroom. Although there is multiple different studies and research regarding

the think-aloud method, education continues to evolve and improve rapidly. In response to this

rapid evolution of education, research regarding the think-aloud method must continue and keep

up with the ever-changing classroom dynamic.

THINK-ALOUDS 21

References

Bulut, B. & Ertem, I. S. (2018). A think-aloud study: Listening comprehension strategies used by

primary school students. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6(5), 135-142.

Gillam, S. L., Fargo, J. D., & Robertson, K. C. (2009). Comprehension of expository text:

Insights gained from think-aloud data. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology,

18, 82-94.

Kelley , T. R., Capobianco, B. M., & Kaluf, K. J. (2014). Concurrent think-aloud protocols to

assess elementary design students. Springer Science+Business Media, 25, 521-540.

Ness, M. (2014). Helping elementary teachers to think aloud. Reading Horizons, 53(2), 1-21.

Ness, M. (2016). Learning from K-5 teachers who think-aloud. Journal of Research in

Childhood Education, 30(3), 282-292.

Ness, M., & Kenny, M. (2016). Improving the quality of think-alouds. The Reading Teacher,

69(4), 453-460.
THINK-ALOUDS 22

Appendix A
THINK-ALOUDS 23
THINK-ALOUDS 24
THINK-ALOUDS 25

Appendix B