Examining the Impact of Think-Aloud Intervention on Sixth-Grade Multilingual Learners’ Comprehension of Science Multimodal Texts

This research extends established visual literacy strategies by developing a think-aloud intervention targeting four key strategies to enhance multilingual learners’ (MLs) comprehension of science multimodal texts. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we implemented an exploratory single-subject AB design to investigate the intervention’s impact on the comprehension of three 6th grade MLs with intermediate language proficiency. Additionally, think-aloud transcripts from baseline and intervention sessions were analyzed to understand students’ reading processes. Our findings indicate a low to moderate improvement in reading comprehension among two MLs. Moreover, we identified challenges faced by students, such as limited interpretations of multimodal texts, difficulties with discipline-specific vocabulary, and struggles with reading sequences. This study underscores the effectiveness of integrating think-aloud interventions with visual literacy strategies, providing practical implications for classroom instruction and suggesting areas for future research to support diverse literacy skills among MLs. Ultimately, it emphasizes the necessity of tailored instructional approaches to address the unique challenges faced by MLs in comprehending complex science multimodal texts.