Scaffolding+Struggling+Readers+from+Disadvantaged+Communities+as+They+Construct+Meaning+In+Internet+Inquiry

**[[image:Bernadette'sGraphic.png width="444" height="438" align="center"]] Bernadette Dwyer, St. Patrick’s College, Ireland** **bernadette.dwyer@spd.dcu.ie**
The purpose of this longitudinal study was to scaffold the development of effective Internet reading comprehension and information-seeking skills and strategies with struggling readers. It was conducted in a disadvantaged school in Ireland with 3rd and 5th grade classes. The study employed a Formative and Design Experimental methodology to iteratively refine the study intervention across three interlinked phases. A range of essentially qualitative data sources were analyzed, using inductive and deductive methodologies, to extract themes from the data. Findings from the study suggested that (a) the development of an integrated curriculum engaged and motivated the pupils to develop online reading skills; (b) new literacies were acquired through explicit instruction, adaptive scaffolding and peer-to-peer collaboration; (c) developmental differences between children indicated the importance of nurturing self-regulatory reading processes online.