The Effect of the CAFE Framework on Reading Comprehension Skills among EFL Sixth Grade Students in Saudi Arabia

The study aimed to investigate the effects of the CAFÉ framework (comprehension, accuracy, fluency, expanding vocabulary), strategy-based instructional model on developing reading comprehension skills for 6th grade students learning English as a foreign language in Saudi Arabia. To achieve this goal, two classes (n = 60) of an intermediate school in the south region of SA were chosen. One class represented the experimental group who was taught using the CAFE framework, whereas the other one formed the control group. Both groups were given pre-test at the very beginning; the closing of the intervention was accompanied by a parallel post-test that would evaluate the increase in comprehension capabilities. Results revealed that the experimental group has shown a significant increase in the level of reading comprehension compared to the control. The above results indicated that the CAFÉ framework can significantly improve the comprehension skills. Thus, it is recommended that teachers are encouraged to use CAFE into their teaching.