Use of Elaboration Strategies by Students in Grades Two, Four, and Six

Abstract

We examined elaboration strategy use as a function of prior knowledge with students in grades 2, 4, and 6. In this study, 134 Canadian students in 4 schools were assigned randomly to either a verbal elaboration (answer why each fact was true), imagery (create a mental picture), or keyword condition (create a mental picture using provided keywords) and presented with 4 familiar and 4 unfamiliar animal story sets. They were then tested for memory of the information. Second graders were not able to benefit from the imagery strategy unless given support. In contrast, verbal elaboration's benefits were not dependent on grade level. Imagery appeared to be a potent strategy for grade 6 students, as it is for adults, even when they had access to limited background knowledge. Introducing strategies as early as possible in the educational curriculum is vital if teachers are to encourage children to become self-regulated learners.