Comprehension Strategy Instruction Research Articles

Reevaluating and Restructuring Comprehension Strategy Instruction

AbstractIn the face of arguments that knowledge is the key to reading comprehension, we examined the evidence for comprehension strategies instruction. Since the National Reading Panel Report, a number of researchers have reaffirmed the value of including comprehension strategy instruction in the elementary and middle school curriculum. The latest reviews and meta‐analyses indicate that teaching comprehension strategies improves children's and adolescents’ reading comprehension. We outline what strategies should be taught, when, how, and how much. Differentiation of instruction is vital because students who struggle to comprehend benefit more from comprehension strategy instruction than students who are already expert readers.

Supplemental intervention for third-grade English learners with significant problem-solving challenges

This study examined the effect of comprehension strategy instruction on third-grade English Learners’ word-problem-solving performance. The supplemental intervention included modeling how to read the word problem to identify and restate the question, distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information, and collaborating with peers on applying the steps of the strategy to solve word problems. Sixty-six students demonstrating math learning difficulties (MLD) participated in the intervention for 30 min twice a week for 10 weeks (20 total sessions). Trained tutors delivered scripted lessons and checked students’ understanding by asking them questions orally and providing feedback on their answers. Students in the control group ( n = 73) received only general instruction. Results of multilevel regression indicated a significant effect favoring the treatment, suggesting that the approach may facilitate the development of problem-solving skills among students with MLD. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Think-Aloud: Effect on Adolescent Deaf Students' Use of Reading Comprehension Strategies.

This study examined the effect of explicit instruction of reading comprehension strategies, such as identification of unknown vocabulary and relating text to background knowledge, on four deaf and hard of hearing students' use of strategies and reading comprehension performance pre- and post-intervention. Explicit instruction of strategies consisted of discussion of targeted strategies and think-aloud (verbalizing one's thought processes while reading) to model strategies. The data presented is from a more in-depth study completed during the 2017-2018 academic year. Few studies have implemented think-aloud in evaluating deaf adolescents' reading challenges and the efficacy of strategy use. This study provided insight into both of these issues. Results show an increase in the variety of strategies used by students and frequency of strategy use post-intervention. Results also indicate improved comprehension scores for two students. Close examination of the data, however, reveals ongoing metacognitive challenges (such as lack of consistent identification of key unknown words and lack of awareness of comprehension breakdowns) and inconsistency in the efficacious use of strategies. Findings indicate a need for ongoing assessment of the depth and efficacy of strategy use and individualized instruction.

Intervention combining cooperative learning and instruction in reading comprehension strategies in heterogeneous classrooms

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of intervention, combining instruction in cooperative learning and reading comprehension strategies on students’ reading comprehension in grade 5. The teachers in the experiment group implemented the intervention while the teachers in the control group received training in reading comprehension strategies and taught as usual. Students in the experiment group and control group participated in tests of reading comprehension before and after the intervention. The results showed that being a part of the experiment group did not lead to greater gains in reading comprehension above the control group. Students of teachers who did not fully implement the intervention attained higher scores on reading comprehension than students in the control group. Students of teachers who fully implemented the intervention, on the other hand, received lower scores. The results are discussed with regard to research on teachers’ integration of intervention into their instructional routines.

Practices for comprehension strategy instruction: Helping kindergarteners improve their listening comprehension

Helping young children improve their listening comprehension throughout the preschool years is significant for their literacy and academic achievement in the subsequent school years. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of a comprehesnion strategy intervention program on kindergarteners’ listening comprehension skills improvement. The sample consisted of 14 children aged 4 to 6 years enrolled in a classroom of a public kindergarten school located in a rural area of Crete. The children participated in appropriate practices to develop strategies which are significant for listening comprehension. For that purpose, the classroom teacher was trained to: (a) implement dialogic reading with an emphasis in applying direct instruction techniques which foster vocabulary learning and text comprehension and (b) conduct post reading activities which aimed at helping young children improve their questioning skills and retelling abilities as well as their knowledge of the story structure elements. Children’s parents were also trained to read the selected stories by using appropriate materials to guide children in the text comprehension process. Story reading sessions were recorded, transcribed and analyzed through content analysis to describe any possible development in their comprehenasion skills. The results provide indications about children’s response to the implemented program regarding as well as the difficulties they faced in deriving text meaning and improving the targeted comprehension skills.

Do EFL Teachers Reduce the Reading Gap in Qatar? A Study of Strategy Instruction in Government Schools

Teachers’ instructional practices are crucial to students’ achievement in reading comprehension. Students’ low English reading competence in Qatar’s government schools raises concerns about not only reading comprehension strategy instruction, but also, subsequently, learning as a natural outcome of teachers’ praxis. This quantitative survey investigated English as a foreign language (EFL) reading comprehension strategy instruction of a broad cross-sectional sample of (1-12) EFL teachers (n=754) of government schools in Qatar. The study examines teachers’ most frequently used strategies and explicit strategy instruction. To relate the findings of an exploratory data analysis, descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and frequencies, were calculated for each 5-point Likert scale questionnaire item using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-Version 24) statistics software. Results revealed that participant teachers reported a generally moderate and high frequency of using comprehension strategies (lowest mean 3.56 and highest mean 4.52). The seven most used strategies (mean score ≥4) were: Identify main ideas, set purpose for reading, predictions, preview text, monitor comprehension, prior knowledge activation, and handle unfamiliar words. Conversely, the five strategies reported a comparatively lower use frequency (mean score ˂4) were: Text structure, questioning, visualizing, summarizing, and think aloud. The major findings on explicit strategy instruction indicated that teachers ignored the gradual release of responsibility to students. The implications of these findings suggest that EFL teachers demonstrate moderate use of reading comprehension strategy instruction. Further recommendations for the Ministry of Education, school principals, and teachers are offered.

The Influence of Sustained, School-Based Professional Development on Explicit Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction

This study sought to examine sustained, school-based professional development (PD) on explicit reading comprehension strategy instruction (ERCSI) and its influence on teacher knowledge and practice and on student outcomes. Eight teachers participated - four first-grade and two teachers each from second and third grade. At the beginning of the school year, the teachers in this study scored less than 50% on an assessment of the declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge of the strategies they were to teach. Through sustained PD that provided a six-lesson framework for explicitly teaching reading comprehension strategies and observations with feedback, the teachers scored higher with regards to knowledge about the comprehension strategies they were teaching. Teachers felt the PD changed their teaching, and they noted changes in their students’ reading behaviors.

The Effect of Reading Comprehension Strategies Instruction on EFL Learners’ Reading Anxiety Level

This experimental study, using pretest-intervention-posttest design, investigated whether or not teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to use comprehension strategies when they read English passages, decreases their English reading anxiety. The participants were 55 EFL learners in Turkey who were at lower-intermediate level based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test. Data were collected via Saito, Garza, and Horwitz’s (1999)Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS). The whole treatment/control period lasted for 11 weeks during a reading course. The experimental group (n = 28) received instruction in reading comprehension strategies (i.e., previewing, scanning for details, skimming, identifying the topic and main idea, finding supporting details, making inferences, understanding the author’s purpose, making predictions, dealing with unfamiliar words, using context clues, and summarizing). The control group (n = 27) received instruction by traditional teaching methods (i.e., reading, paraphrasing, translating, and answering the exercises).The results of the Mann-Whitney U Test indicated that instruction in English reading comprehension strategies had a positive effect on EFL learners in terms of reducing their English reading anxiety.

Instructing Reading Comprehension Strategies: Effects on EFL Learners’ Self-Efficacy in Reading

This experimental study, using pretest-intervention-posttest design, investigated whether or not teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to use comprehension strategies when they read English passages, increases their self-efficacy in reading. The participants were 55 EFL learners in Turkey who were at lower-intermediate level based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test. Data were gathered via a Reading Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The whole treatment/control period lasted for 11 weeks during a reading course. The experimental group (n = 28) received instruction in reading comprehension strategies (i.e., previewing, scanning for details, skimming, identifying the topic and main idea, finding supporting details, making inferences, understanding the author’s purpose, making predictions, dealing with unfamiliar words, using context clues, and summarizing). The control group (n = 27) received instruction by traditional teaching methods (i.e., reading, paraphrasing, translating, and answering the exercises).The results of the Mann-Whitney U Test indicated that instruction in English reading comprehension strategies had a positive effect on EFL learners in terms of increasing their self-efficacy in reading.

Books like me: An investigation of urban elementary teachers’ journey towards more culturally relevant pedagogy

ABSTRACT The single-site case study described herein is part of a two-year professional development (PD) initiative aimed at helping teachers from an urban elementary (K-8) school learn how to implement explicit, transactional comprehension strategy instruction across grades using culturally relevant books. This paper describes the urban elementary teachers’ successes and challenges in their first-year implementation of providing culturally relevant literacy instruction. Three types of qualitative data were collected: (a) researchers’ anecdotal notes during the professional learning sessions; (b) teacher focus groups; (c) teachers’ blog reflection entries. The findings revealed that the professional development for culturally relevant literacy instruction resulted in teachers’ heightened awareness of how identities and social subjectivities are negotiated in and through culturally relevant discourse, the implicit and explicit bias in the school curriculum. Finally, professional development served as a catalyst for facilitating students’ and teachers’ racial and cultural identity development.

Investigating reading comprehension strategies used by teachers during English First Additional Language reading instruction

Since the purpose of reading is comprehension, the major goal of reading comprehension instruction is to help learners develop knowledge, skills, and strategies so that they become strategic readers who read for comprehension. Language teachers use reading comprehension strategies as an instruction tool to assist learners to develop into strategic readers. However, the range of strategies used by teachers is crucial. This paper presents classroom observations of reading comprehension strategy instruction used by four purposively selected English First Additional Language (FAL) teachers. The study was qualitative in nature and a case study design was chosen. The findings of the study reveal that teachers did not provide opportunity to support learners’ independent comprehension strategy use. Furthermore, the study has disclosed that the teachers’ inability to engage learners in reading comprehension strategies might signify the teachers’ lack of knowledge of how to incorporate reading comprehension strategies as an instructional tool during reading comprehension lessons. The authors recommend that the Department of Basic Education institute interventions to empower teachers on how to teach reading comprehension strategies.

Books like me: an investigation of urban elementary teachers’ journey toward more culturally relevant pedagogy

PurposeThe single-site case study described herein is part of a two-year professional development (PD) initiative aimed at helping teachers from an urban elementary (K-8) school learn how to implement explicit, transactional comprehension strategy instruction across grades using culturally relevant books. This paper aims to describe the urban elementary teachers’ successes and challenges in their first-year implementation of providing culturally relevant literacy instruction.Design/methodology/approachThree types of qualitative data were collected: researchers’ anecdotal notes during the professional learning sessions; teacher focus groups; and teachers’ blog reflection entries.FindingsThe findings revealed that the PD for culturally relevant literacy instruction resulted in teachers’ heightened awareness of how identities and social subjectivities are negotiated in and through culturally relevant discourse, the implicit and explicit bias in the school curriculum. Finally, PD served as a catalyst for facilitating students’ and teachers’ racial and cultural identity development.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study suggest that culturally relevant books which incorporate the students’ background may aid in student engagement because students are able to draw upon their culturally acquired background knowledge to better comprehend texts. Thus, to engage, motivate, affirm and promote students’ literacy success, teachers need to possess knowledge of their students’ race and culture, as well as their background, language and life experiences.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study suggest that culturally relevant books which incorporate the students’ background may aid in student engagement because students are able to draw upon their culturally acquired background knowledge to better comprehend texts. Thus, to engage, motivate, affirm and promote students’ literacy success, teachers need to possess knowledge of their students’ race and culture, as well as their background, language and life experiences.Social implicationsTeachers and teacher educators must reflect on, question and critique their own work in preparing teachers to enter today’s schools as critical, reflective educators. The types of children’s literature that are selected and introduced to students play an important role in dismantling technocratic approaches to literacy instruction and strengthen one’s understanding of one another. Teachers must select books that challenge assumptions and speak of possibilities for change.Originality/valueCulturally relevant pedagogy that includes culturally relevant children’s literature holds promise for improving literacy instructional and assessment practices and school experiences for culturally and linguistically diverse students, especially in environments where high-stakes testing is emphasized. It is one way to imagine a better schooling experience for students that affirms identities and honors and sustains diversity. For culturally relevant pedagogy to be a reality in education, stakeholders must be on board, including students, parents, teachers, administrators and policymakers.

Inclusive Comprehension Strategy Instruction: Reciprocal Teaching and Adolescents With Intellectual Disability

Inclusive Comprehension Strategy Instruction: Reciprocal Teaching and Adolescents With Intellectual Disability

The Impact of Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction on First- and Second-Grade At-Risk Students

This study examined the impact of explicit comprehension strategy instruction supported by guided reading and partner reading on at-risk students’ strategy knowledge and reading comprehension. Participants were 47 first graders (25 in the treatment group; 22 in the control group) and 44 second graders (19 in the treatment group; 25 in the control group). Treatment group participants developed more specific knowledge of strategies, were more likely to apply those strategies during reading, and demonstrated statistically significant growth in reading comprehension. Strong correlations appeared between students’ strategic knowledge and overall comprehension. Implications are addressed at length following the discussion of results.

An Article Review on “Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction in a First-Year Course: An Instructor’s Self-Study”

This study aims to provide insight for others who wish to do a self-study, discussing emerging themes related to student learning and strategy instruction at the post-secondary level. This study reviews a research article written by Parr & Woloshyn (2013), entitled “Reading Comprehension Strategies Instruction in a First-Year Course: An Instructor's Self-Study.” Results of the review include observations on how the related article doesn't adequately deliver objectives but is excellent at analyzing the previous literature, and the design of the research will make readers understand generally. The contents of this article are valid with all references used accurately. It concisely discussed reading comprehension and strategy instruction. Also, it used a robust theoretical framework that provides an opportunity to reflect the challenges and limitations associated with the application of explicit strategy instruction. Ultimately, this present study looks at independent learning instruction as a strategy in delivering a repertoire of evidence-based understanding strategies designed to introduce students to the conventions of reading and writing academics. This study especially entices educators, because this study can be a benchmark for lecturers to provide reading comprehension strategy in a first years course, especially reading skill.

From the Editors

From the Editors

Reading Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities in Grades 4 and 5: An Observation Study

Researchers conducted an observation study to explore the instructional practices of special education teachers ( N = 20) responsible for teaching reading to students with learning disabilities in Grades 4 and 5. With this study, researchers addressed gaps in previous related literature and improved understanding of how teachers spend their time teaching reading. Researchers observed 80 lessons and found that special educators addressed a wide range of instructional skills. The majority of teachers provided targeted phonics instruction, and overall, minimal instructional time was lost due to off-task behavior. Consistent with previous studies, teachers predominantly monitored reading comprehension by asking questions after reading, while reading comprehension strategy instruction accounted for a smaller proportion of instructional time. Researchers conducted focus groups to explore teachers’ perceptions of professional development and determine needs for future teacher training and research.

Middle School Teachers’ Knowledge and Use of Comprehension Strategies in Discipline Instruction

This mixed method study investigated the total minutes 6 Social Studies and 6 English-Language Arts seventh grade-teachers taught and used comprehension strategies in their discipline area teaching. Three 45-minute observations of each teachers were used to determine reading comprehension strategies taught by individual teachers. Measures of teachers acquired reading comprehension strategy knowledge were compiled through focused interviews and a questionnaire. Reported practices and knowledge were compared to the observations of their classroom instruction. Interview and questionnaire data were analyzed using coding to identify patterns, themes, and repetition of words or key words, and use of phrases or sentences that reveal similarities of participants’ strategy instruction. Data revealed all 12 teachers spent only 89 minutes on comprehension strategy instruction, representing 5.5% of their total instructional time. Forty-two percent of the teachers indicated that they received training from a State Region Education Service Center, college and university courses, and district initiatives. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.17.10.1

To What Extent and How Are Reading Comprehension Strategies Part of Language Arts Instruction? A Study of Lower Secondary Classrooms

AbstractThe authors examined naturally occurring reading comprehension strategies instruction (RCSI) across four consecutive lessons in 47 Norwegian language arts classrooms at the lower secondary level via video observations (n = 178). Although numerous studies have examined the effectiveness of RCSI for improving reading outcomes, few studies have focused on descriptions of real‐world classroom instruction. This study thus provides additional insights into the extent to which and how language arts teachers in lower secondary schools provide RCSI. Further, the study sheds light on additional aspects of reading comprehension instruction to obtain a broader picture of what this instruction encompasses. The authors address these issues by providing an overview of the amount of RCSI used in language arts classrooms, a characterization of provided RCSI, the frequency of salient features of reading comprehension instruction, and an examination of the possible connections between strategy instruction and students’ gains on national reading tests. The authors used the Protocol for Language Arts Teacher Observation manual to guide the first step of the analytic process, followed by qualitative content analyses of the provided RCSI and inductive coding of the reading comprehension instruction. The findings revealed limited evidence of explicit RCSI. When provided, the explicit instruction varied as either contextual or decontextual instruction. Several teachers demonstrated strategy knowledge, but in many cases, instruction seemed oriented more toward nontransferable activities than explicit strategy teaching. Mainly, the teachers focused their instruction on text‐based discussions and text structure. The authors discuss various reading instructional practices, teachers’ repertoire of strategies, and different approaches to explicit strategies instruction.

Exploration of Social Studies Teachers’ Experiences of Reading Practices: A Phenomenological Study

In this phenomenological study, I aimed to describe the perceptions of social studies teachers’ lived experiences about their reading practices that may have influence on the development of students’ reading comprehension. Data were collected from interviews and handwritten interview notes were analyzed by using qualitative data analysis. Sixteen middle school social studies teachers were recruited in different schools in a city in Turkey for this study. Three themes emerged from the data analysis in the study: reading comprehension skills and strategies, teaching practices and instructional practices. The results of this study yielded two findings: first, the majority of the teachers did not benefit from best practices, reflecting the highly interactive nature of the reading comprehension process; instead they often used the reading tasks or practices in traditional sense in-class. In addition, these teachers found feelings of inadequacy in terms of providing students with instruction in reading comprehension strategies due to their lack of training of content area reading instruction. Second, a few teachers believed that providing instructional scaffolding to support the development of students’ reading comprehension was of primary importance in terms of building understandings and skills for social studies reading achievement.