Expository Text Comprehension Research Articles

The neural and cognitive basis of expository text comprehension

As science and technology rapidly progress, it becomes increasingly important to understand how individuals comprehend expository technical texts that explain these advances. This study examined differences in individual readers’ technical comprehension performance and differences among texts, using functional brain imaging to measure regional brain activity while students read passages on technical topics and then took a comprehension test. Better comprehension of the technical passages was related to higher activation in regions of the left inferior frontal gyrus, left superior parietal lobe, bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and bilateral hippocampus. These areas are associated with the construction of a mental model of the passage and with the integration of new and prior knowledge in memory. Poorer comprehension of the passages was related to greater activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus, areas involved in autobiographical and episodic memory retrieval. More comprehensible passages elicited more brain activation associated with establishing links among different types of information in the text and activation associated with establishing conceptual coherence within the text representation. These findings converge with previous behavioral research in their implications for teaching technical learners to become better comprehenders and for improving the structure of instructional texts, to facilitate scientific and technological comprehension.

Genre-Based Teaching Approach and Problem-Based Learning (GBA- PBL) Application, Reading Strategies, and Self-Regulation

This study evaluates the Genre-Based Teaching Approach and Problem-Based Learning (GBA-PBL) mode on English expository reading and learning experiences in Chinese high schools. Using a quantitative and descriptive methodology, it profiles 428 Tianjin students from grades 10 to 12, focusing on their demographic details like age, sex, school type, and grade level. The research assesses GBA-PBL's effectiveness in understanding expository texts and developing critical thinking. It identifies predominant reading strategies such as predicting, monitoring, inferring, and summarizing, and examines students' self-regulation levels, including goal-setting, progress monitoring, and self-reflection. Significant variations in responses based on age, especially in goal setting and self-reflection, were observed, while other demographics showed less impact. The study confirms a strong relationship between understanding expository text structures, reading strategies, and self-regulation. Based on these findings, it proposes a reading program to enhance high school students' reading skills. This research highlights the beneficial impacts of GBA-PBL in fostering better comprehension and critical analysis of expository texts among high school students.

Reading Comprehension on Smartphones, A Comparison with Computers

This study aims to compare the effects of smartphones and computers on reading comprehension of both narrative and expository texts among adults of differentages and educational levels. To do so, a reading task followed by multiple-choice questions was designed, and 2391 volunteers participated; their educational levels,ages, and reading devices were recorded. Of these, 1510 worked with narrative text and 881 with expository text. Our analyses included descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and simple and multiple regressions. Results indicate that while smartphones yield disadvantages with expository texts —especially among younger groups, from whom better performance on smartphones is generally expected— such disadvantages are not observed with narrative texts. Furthermore, educational level showed a significant effect under all reading conditions. In line with existing research, our results reveal a significant disadvantage associated with reading expository texts on smartphones; accordingly, we recommend employing alternative reading media whenever feasible.

Key language, cognitive and higher-order skills for L2 reading comprehension of expository texts in English as foreign language students: a systematic review

AbstractThis systematic review addressed the following question: Which are the relations between L1 and/or L2 foundational and upper-level language skills, cognitive skills, high-order cognitive and self-regulation factors and L2-English reading comprehension skills in 11-to-19 year EFL secondary school students with different L1 language profiles? Following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines, twenty-seven studies were included for a systematic synthesis of results in the light of the different grades of “family language distance” between L1 and L2-English (i.e., “close related” vs. “partially related” vs. “not related”). We found that several L1 and L2 language skills (e.g., vocabulary, morphological awareness), cognitive skills (e.g., working memory) and high-order factors as metacognitive knowledge were positively associated with L2-English reading comprehension, regardless of different language groups. Conversely, we found that several well-known predictors of text comprehension are neglected in the scientific literature on reading in L2. We discuss practical implications and key recommendations to support school and future research.

The Comprehension of Expository Texts In Students: A Systematic Review Study Between 2017-2022

The present study aims to systematize the scientific literature regarding the comprehension of expository texts in students. The study used the PRISMA method to identify studies in the Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), EBSCO, Scielo and ERIC databases in the period 2017-2022. A total of 1421 records were identified, which went through inclusion and exclusion criteria, where finally 14 included studies remained. These studies sought to answer the research question: What are the most used strategies for the compression of expository texts in students? The data collected based on the systematization of the studies was structured into 2 matrices based on the authors, countries according to the corresponding author, keywords, dimensions, instruments used, approaches, application strategies and the conclusions of the studies in order to find possible methodological or conclusion similarities, verifying strengths or weaknesses that have been presented by studies on the comprehension of expository texts in students. The results analyzed show that Argentina is the country with the highest frequency of publications regarding correspondence between authors. Similarly, among the keywords that stand out we have expository text, reading comprehension, oral comprehension, learning strategies, self-regulation, reading strategies, writing strategies. According to the content studied, it is concluded that, among the most frequent strategies for the compression of expository texts, is the use of paraphrasing, literalness, macro-rules, the memorization technique, paper or digital notes, organizers graphics and digital strategies. In addition, comprehension difficulties were found in the studies due to the complex structure of the expository texts. On the other hand, a strong relationship was identified between self-regulation and comprehension of expository texts, the greater the regulation of student learning, the greater the general comprehension of expository texts.

Meta-strategic Learning of Structure Strategies in Reading Comprehension of Expository Texts

Meta-strategic learning refers to a mediated construction of knowledge regarding when, why and how to apply a group of strategies for accomplishing cognitive tasks. This study examined the effect of meta-strategic learning of structure strategies on reading comprehension of expository texts by secondary school students under whole-class instruction conditions. The effect of a meta-strategic intervention program was compared to that of a strategic program, which focused on a direct (unmediated) instruction of how to apply each structure strategy separately, and to a control group. Moreover, we explored the role of students’ engagement in class discussions and tasks in meta-strategic learning. Three structure strategies using texts from three school domains were taught during 9 double lessons. Programs’ effectiveness was examined by near- and far-transference reading comprehension tasks, and a strategic knowledge questionnaire given before and after intervention. Findings indicated that both programs were similarly effective in enhancing students’ reading comprehension skills and strategic knowledge. The unique benefits of meta-strategic learning were apparent particularly for high-engaged students in far-transference tasks and for all students in overt application of strategic elements during task completion. More research is required to explore further benefits for meta-strategic learning in small groups and over the long-term.

Improving Expository Text Comprehension in Adolescent Spanish–English Bilingual Learners With Learning Disabilities Using a Graphic Organizer

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a graphic organizer for improving the expository text comprehension of adolescent Spanish–English bilingual students with learning disabilities. Students included two females and one male. Using a multiple baseline single case design, students were taught to create a funnel map graphic organizer for 10 descriptive text passages. Students’ performance was assessed on their ability to correctly create the funnel map (criterion variable) and to comprehend expository passages during baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases. Each participant learned to create an accurate funnel map within four sessions. Text comprehension scores began to increase within three sessions. Results showed the positive effect of using the funnel map for improving comprehension of expository texts. Individual TAU effect sizes (.81–.92) and overall TAU-U effect sizes (.86) and a Between Case-Standardized Mean Difference (BC-SMD) of 1.87 showed the intervention to be highly effective.

Reading comprehension strategies for expository texts: Children with and without ASD

BackgroundReading comprehension difficulties have been widely reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study compared two comprehension strategies (main-idea extractor - MIE and visual-graphic organizer - VGO) for reading expository texts in school-age children with ASD versus those with typical development (TD). The research addressed the following: 1) Group differences (ASD/TD) for baseline expository text reading comprehension (without a strategy); 2) Improvement of reading comprehension using a given strategy, compared to baseline; 3) Within-group differences regarding the relative efficacy of the two strategies; and 4) Group differences (ASD/TD) regarding question type (open/closed). MethodTwo groups of 28 third-grade children were matched on verbal receptive language and the mother's level of education. The baseline reading comprehension test was administered first. Participants then underwent a short teaching procedure on how to use the assigned strategy (MIE/VGO) and were asked to utilize it when completing the second expository text. ResultsWithout strategy use, children with ASD demonstrated significantly greater difficulty in comprehending implicit information. After strategy use, the VGO strategy significantly surpassed the MIE strategy in facilitating both groups’ improvements in implicit knowledge, ability to answer closed questions, and general reading comprehension scores. When examining each group separately only the ASD group demonstrated significant improvements using VGO strategy (near-significance for implicit knowledge). ConclusionsStrategy use is crucial for children with ASD to advance and enhance reading comprehension. As found, VGO can facilitate expository text comprehension, yet students often need more exposure to relevant expository text strategies. Educational and theoretical implications are discussed.

Oral discourse skills: Dimensionality of comprehension and retell of narrative and expository texts, and the relations of language and cognitive skills to identified dimensions.

We examined the dimensionality of oral discourse skills (comprehension and retell of texts) and the relations of language and cognitive skills to the identified dimensions. Data were from 529 English-speaking second graders (Mage = 7.42; 46% female; 52.6% Whites, 33.8% African Americans, 4.9% Hispanics, 4.7% two or more races, .8% Asian Americans, .6% American Indians, .2% Native Hawaiians, 2.5% unknown; data from 2014-2015 to 2016-2017). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that oral discourse skills are best described as four related but dissociable dimensions of narrative comprehension, narrative retell, expository comprehension, and expository retell (rs = .59-.84). Language and cognitive skills had different patterns of relations to the identified dimensions and explained larger amounts of variance in comprehension than in retell.

Yes, they can: Developing transcription skills and oral language in tandem with SRSD instruction on close reading of science text to write informative essays at grades 1 and 2

This randomized controlled trial with first- and second-grade students is the first experimental study addressing long-running disagreements about whether primary grade students should develop transcription and oral language abilities before learning to compose. It is also the first study at these grade levels to teach close reading (using science text aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards) to plan and write a timed informative essay. Theoretically and evidence-based multi-component writing instruction was developed, termed “Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) Plus.” SRSD Plus integrates evidence-based practices for transcription (handwriting and spelling) and oral language skills (vocabulary and sentence structure) with SRSD instruction for close reading to learn and then write informative essays. A total of 93 children in Grade 1 (n = 46, 50% female) and Grade 2 (n = 47, 51% female) in a high poverty school participated in the study (50% boys; mean age = 6.68; SD = 0.48). Students were randomly assigned to either teacher-led SRSD Plus or business-as-usual (writers workshop) condition within class in each grade. SRSD Plus was implemented with small groups for 45 min, three times a week, for 10 weeks. Outcomes examined included: instructional fidelity, spelling, handwriting fluency, vocabulary, sentence proficiency, discourse knowledge, planning, writing quality, structural elements in informative essays, number of words written, use of transition words, expository text comprehension, and use of source text. Results showed moderate to large effect sizes in writing outcomes, oral language skills (vocabulary and sentence proficiency), spelling, and discourse knowledge. Differential effects due to grade, gender, and race are examined, and directions for future research are discussed.

Teaching Expository Text Management and Proficiency Skills for Comprehension for Students With Language/Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this registered report study was to determine the effects of explicit text structure instruction on the expository text comprehension of students with language and learning disabilities (LLD) using a multiple baseline design across conditions (e.g., compare–contrast and cause–effect) and participants. Participants included four children enrolled in the fifth grade with previous diagnoses of language impairment and reading comprehension deficits. Text structure instruction was provided during the intervention phases using a researcher-designed intervention program called TEXT-MAPS. The dependent variables included text structure and signal word identification and percentage of idea units recalled from expository text. All participants showed improved recall of idea units for compare–contrast and cause–effect texts with maintained performance 1-month post-intervention. The program also had notable effects on participants’ identification of signal words and text structures in compare–contrast and cause–effect texts. The magnitude of the Tau- U effect sizes was in the large, medium, and small range, and varied across participants. The results indicate that short-term, explicit text structure instruction can be effective for children with LLD with deficits in expository reading comprehension. Considerations for further research and practical implications are presented.

The role of executive functions in the comprehension of expository and narrative texts by high school students

Introduction: Reading comprehension is a complex skill that involves several linguistic and cognitive processes. While the evidence indicates that expository texts are more difficult and cognitively demanding than narrative texts, the contribution of core executive functions to comprehension has seldom been compared between these genres, particularly in adolescents. The present study examined the association of executive functions with expository and narrative text comprehension in Argentinean high school students, while controlling for their verbal skills. Method: One hundred and twenty-one 12 to15-year-old high school students participated in our study (75.2% of them were girls). Participants completed pencil and paper tests in reading comprehension (TLC-II), vocabulary (BAIRES) and reading efficacy (TECLE), as well as computerised tests in shifting, inhibition and verbal and visuospatial working memory from the Cognitive Self-Regulation Test Battery (TAC). Results: We found lower comprehension scores in the expository text. Shifting and verbal working memory were predictors of reading comprehension beyond verbal skills, but we did not observe significant differences between text types. Comprehension in general was lower for third-year students. Conclusion: In accord with the literature, we observed greater difficulties for expository text comprehension, and a general contribution of shifting and working memory to both types of text. We found no conclusive evidence of differences in this association between text types. Third-year students’ comprehension might have been affected by the impact of the pandemic on their schooling trajectory.

Executive Functions and English Reading Comprehension among Filipino Students

Recent studies have proposed developments to the Simple View of Reading to reflect reading development across age groups and differences among learner profiles and account for additional factors that explain reading comprehension performance beyond word recognition and language comprehension. One of these proposals is the inclusion of cognitive processes such as executive functions in the model. In the current study, the generalizability of SVR and the role of executive functions in reading comprehension are evaluated through the participation of a less researched population, bilingual Filipino learners ages 9 to 14 who have learned Filipino and English at home and in school. The study utilized behavior ratings to measure executive functions and standardized tests to assess word recognition, language comprehension, and reading comprehension. It also included a researcher-made tool to evaluate comprehension of expository texts specifically. Partial correlation analyses reveal that only language comprehension is significantly associated with reading comprehension as measured by the standardized tool. Regression analyses show that while executive functions shared variance with word recognition and language comprehension in predicting reading comprehension, they were not found to have a significant direct effect on reading comprehension beyond the two traditional measures of reading. The results highlight the role of language throughout late childhood and early adolescence among skilled readers and suggest that integration of executive functions in classroom instruction may not be as advantageous as desired for learners with no issues with the cognitive control processes.

Comparing Reading Comprehension of Narrative and Expository Texts Based on the Direct and Inferential Mediation Model

Reading comprehension is an essential skill for learning in general and in science classes. Problems with reading comprehension might hinder students’ participation in learning science. Text in science includes specific language features that distinguishes it from narrative text, so should reading instruction be part of teaching science? The direct and inferential mediation (DIME) model of reading comprehension subsumes factors that influence reading comprehension. It was tested separately regarding narrative text as well as expository text in English; however, both have not been tested by directly comparing them to each other. In this study, we investigated to what degree general reading comprehension of narrative text is directly comparable to topic-specific reading comprehension of science text. Hence, first the applicability of the DIME model of reading comprehension in another language (i.e. German) was tested. Second, a general reading comprehension model was directly compared to a topic-specific model for reading comprehension of science text. Participants across the two studies were 704 German Grade 8 students who completed measures of comprehension and the DIME predictor variables. Results of two path analyses indicate the general applicability of the model for another language and additionally for both genres. However, some differences are highlighted that may be of importance in future science-specific studies as well as for teaching science.

Comprensión oral y escrita: efectos de la estructura textual

Reading comprehension is the ability to create a mental representation of a written text. It constitutes the main mechanism through children incorporate new knowledge at school age. Reading comprehension achievement has been systematically associated with oral comprehension and reading rate. Furthermore, both oral and reading comprehension has been related to inferences generation and different linguistic abilities, like vocabulary and syntax processing. In the case of text comprehension, also orthographic recognition of written words plays a fundamental role and, for that reason, reading comprehension would be a greater challenge than oral comprehension for early readers. Indeed, word recognition during reading is essential for text meaning construction. It is well known that a slow and laborious reading mechanism would overload cognitive processing and that reading automaticity is essential to carry out text processing. Longitudinal studies realized in different orthographies indicated that reading rate was the variable that had greatest impact on reading comprehension in early readers. In studies carried out in shallow orthographies, it was also observed that reading performance have an important impact on reading comprehension measure after 3 to 5 years of instruction. However, although impact of reading skills and oral comprehension mechanisms on reading comprehension has been reported in several studies, there is another important factor to consider: text structure. Studies propose that children tend to understand “narrative schemas” more easily since they are exposed to this type of text from a very early age. Likewise, all narrative texts present, in general, the same type of structure, respect temporal sequence of events and focus on story characters, their actions and motivations. In contrast, expository texts present new information to children, are oriented to a specific topic, contain less familiar and more technical vocabulary and a higher level of abstraction. This type of structure presents numerous cohesive connections and greater propositional density than narrative texts. The present study aims to compare listening and reading comprehension of narrative and expository text. For this, a group of 32 4th graders was evaluated in oral and reading comprehension of narrative and expository texts. In reading comprehension test, children read narrative and expository texts and then orally answered a series of questions. In oral comprehension, both narrative and expository texts were read aloud to children and then they answered questions about the texts orally. Vocabulary and reading rate were also measured. Data analysis shows correlations between oral comprehension and vocabulary. Reading comprehension were associated to vocabulary, oral comprehension and reading rate. Results suggest that oral and reading comprehension are associated with different linguistic skills and to each support access skills. In comprehension test, measures show higher performance in narrative oral comprehension texts when compared to reading comprehension. This result could be related to children reading rate. In fact, reading performance shows that children were “slow readers” according to the reading tests scales used in this study. Difference between oral and written comprehension in narrative texts, was not transferred to expository. In this type of texts children had low scores, without significant differences, in oral and reading comprehension. Results suggested that expository structures challenge children comprehension in both, oral and written modality. It is suggested that different types of expository texts difficult hierarchization of information that allows, in turn, the construction of text mental representation. Data of this study suggest the importance of establish interventions that allow children to improv text processing for access higher levels of comprehension in different textual structures. Furthermore, it is necessary in educational practices to expose children to expository structures from an early age. On the other hand, it is necessary to rethink reading instruction methods that originate low reading performance. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2022.39.3.8

The effect of lexical coverage on L2 learners’ reading comprehension of narrative and expository genres

Understanding the relationship between lexical coverage (i.e., the number of words known in a text) and second language (L2) reading comprehension is pivotal to L2 instruction as it helps teachers set sensible vocabulary learning goals and select suitable reading materials. This study examined the unique contribution of 7 lexical coverage figures (i.e., 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, and 100%) to the comprehension of narrative and expository texts read by Chinese EFL undergraduate students (N = 234). Participants completed the Vocabulary Size Test, a L2 reading ability test, a background knowledge test, reading comprehension tests, and topic familiarity ratings. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that after accounting for L2 vocabulary size and L2 reading ability, lexical coverage remained a steady, though weak, predictor of narrative and expository comprehension scores. No indication of a lexical threshold for reading comprehension was found. Instead, lexical coverage was found to be a stronger predictor of expository comprehension scores than narrative. While findings suggested 98% lexical coverage was reasonable for satisfactory comprehension of L2 narrative texts, 100% lexical coverage may be needed for satisfactory comprehension of L2 expository texts without the support of background knowledge. Pedagogical implications were discussed in relation to the findings.

Children’s Comprehension of Narrative and Expository Texts: The Contributions of Word Decoding and Knowledge Integration Skills Vary Within and Between Text Types

This study examined the concurrent (mean age: 5.96 years) and longitudinal (mean age: 5.96 years) contributions that multiple component skills of reading made to 155 beginning readers’ comprehension scores for narrative and expository texts. The component skills included: word decoding, text memory, knowledge integration, and working memory. For narrative texts, word decoding was one of the best predictors of comprehension scores both concurrently and longitudinally; although longitudinally, the predictive strength of word decoding was equivalent to knowledge integration. In contrast, for expository texts, knowledge integration was a much better predictor of comprehension scores than any other component skill, including word decoding. When the contributions of the component skills were considered between text types, word decoding was a better predictor of comprehension scores for narrative texts than expository texts, whereas knowledge integration was a better predictor of comprehension scores for expository texts than narrative texts. Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that the contributions that component skills make to the comprehension scores of beginning readers vary as a function of text type, and that the common assumption that word decoding is the most important skill for beginning readers may be limited to just the comprehension scores of narrative texts.

Exploring the relation between the structure strategy and source attention in single expository text comprehension: a cross-sectional study in secondary education

Organisational signals and sources can be considered metatextual cues that guide the processing of the discourse. Organisational signals encourage readers to use the structure strategy, while source information reveals the epistemic and formal properties of texts. This study addressed three gaps in prior research about these topics: (1) whether organisational signals were useful for 12–14/14–16-year-old students reading causal and sequential texts, (2) the role of sources in single-text understanding, and (3) the relationship between sensitivity to organisational signals (rhetorical competence) and attention to sources. Participants read causal and sequential texts with or without these metatextual cues and wrote a summary. Summary quality was considered an indicator of understanding and using the structure strategy. The number of sources translated into the summaries was considered an indicator of source attention. The results indicated that (1) organisational signals had an effect on summary quality in both age groups and texts; (2) sources did not affect summary quality, but when participants read signalled texts, the number of sources mentioned made a unique contribution to summary quality beyond decoding, general reading comprehension and rhetorical competence; and (3) the number of sources mentioned correlated with rhetorical competence among participants who read the signalled texts. These results suggest that 12–16-year-old students need the aid of organisational signals to launch the structure strategy with causal and sequential texts and that sources may be more useful in combination with organisational signals, but only for students with some level of rhetorical competence, illustrating the intricacy of literacy development.

The Effects of Lexical Coverage and Topic Familiarity on the Comprehension of L2 Expository Texts

The Effects of Lexical Coverage and Topic Familiarity on the Comprehension of L2 Expository Texts

Investigating comprehension measures of Reading Adventure Time! For improving reading skills

Reading Adventure Time! was designed to support braille reading skills. The education technology tool operates on an Apple iPad using a refreshable braille display and was developed under a United States Federal grant, the Stepping Up Technology program (H327S120007). Forty-nine student/teacher pairs used the app. Students read passages on their braille displays and responded to comprehension questions. Data included reading comprehension scores, accuracy, and reading miscues for each passage read using the app. Students read orally and silently, and passages consisted of both literary and expository literature. Results indicated that comprehension of literary and expository texts was highly positively correlated r(48) = .79, p < .000. Student-participants in the apprentice category answered more questions correctly when reading silently. For students who used rereading as a comprehension strategy, a positive correlation was found between the number of rereads and comprehension. Variables impacting reading comprehension included the level of vision, socioeconomic status, and a preference for print as a reading medium. Overall results indicated that, in general, students’ reading comprehension was a strength. Students’ comprehension at lower grade levels was slightly higher than that in upper grade levels, and comprehension scores were similar for both literary and expository passages at all ages. Students’ comprehension was slightly better when reading orally versus silently. Students used rereading as a strategy to assist with comprehension, although not extensively. The study provides evidence supporting Reading Adventure Time! as a high-tech digital tool supporting literacy skills development in conjunction with literacy instruction.