The Cloze as a technique of assessment and remediation of reading comprehension

The objective of this study has been to evaluate the effectiveness of the Cloze Technique as an instrument for assessment and development of reading comprehension. For this purpose, we had the participation of 24 students of the 5th series, consisting of 11 (45,8%) boys and 13 (54,2%) girls, from a government school of the interior of São Paulo State. Their average age was 11,8 years old (SD=0,74). Data collecting took place in a classroom environment and involved the application of pre and posttests and an intervention program with the use of Cloze's gradual technique in texts extracted from didactical books appropriate for the school level of the participants. A comparison of pre and posttests results pointed out a significant difference, yet demonstrating that Cloze's program seems adequate for the development of comprehension in reading. It is suggested that similar studies be developed in other school grades, as well as other kinds of school, so that new evidence may contribute to a generalization of the results. Keywords: reading comprehension; basic school; educacional evaluation.