To investigate the higher level comprehension strategies used by children reading basal reader stories, a study compared the results of an earlier investigation of 50 fourth grade level readers' comprehension strategies with findings gained from 30 subjects using a sixth grade basal reader. Subjects were asked to read aloud from a basal and stop after each sentence to tell what they had been thinking or doing while reading the material. Results showed that similar strategies were used at both reading levels. Inference, personal identification, reference to previous experience, image, evaluation, stated failure to understand, hypothesis, and self-correction were used in both samples, while self interrogation, back reference, and definition were found among the younger group. An analysis of the responses showed considerable variability in the strategies students chose. Strategy use appeared to vary more as a function of individual reader preference and text than of developmental stage or reader proficiency. (MM)