An intervention program in the area of sixth grade social studies was implemented for the purpose of increasing reading comprehension levels of average ability students in a large, urban school district. Five metacognitive strategies were employed to improve understanding of the adopted textbook. The strategies included outlining, sentence summaries, self-interrogation, the KWL strategy (derived from the phrases: "What we Know,""What we Want to find out," and "What we Learned"), and discourse as a mode of inquiry. Success was measured by comparing pretest and posttest scores. Results indicated improvement in reading comprehension skills as measured by the Qualitative Reading Inventory. Efficient use of metacognitive skills was demonstrated and measured by the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test. Increased social studies grades were determined by an average score of three unit tests from the social studies text. It was concluded that instruction in the five metacognitive strategies improved the target group's reading comprehension abilities. (Four tables of data are included; 20 references and a proposed timeline for the practicum are attached.) (Author/RS)