This study evaluated the effectiveness of comprehension training embedded in a program that taught science content to 2nd graders. The program included instruction about the structure of compare-contrast expository text, emphasizing clue words, generic questions, graphic organizers, and the close analysis of well-structured text exemplars. This…

This study investigates the effectiveness of an instructional program designed to teach 2nd graders how to comprehend compare-contrast expository text. Along with introducing new content (animal classification), the program emphasizes text structure via clue words, a sequence of questions, and a graphic organizer, and via the close analysis of…

An instructional program focused on story theme was administered to 2nd and 3rd graders in a high-poverty school. Compared with traditional instruction, the program improved theme comprehension and identification of instructed themes in new stories. However, the program did not help students apply a theme to real-life situations or identify and…

An instructional program designed to help middle school students with severe learning disabilities learn about story themes, and focused on enhancing ability to generalize to themes not included in the instruction, was evaluated. Findings indicate students with learning disabilities can profit from instruction geared toward abstract higher order…

Study examines interaction between ninth-grade readers' (N=72) social desirability concerns and comprehension of text that does or does not violate social values. Results reveal that comprehension scores increased with reading level, and were lower on paragraphs that violated social values. Students with higher social desirability concerns had…

Third, fifth, and seventh graders and adults read short expository paragraphs and performed three tasks requiring the generation of macrostructure: (1) choose the best title; (2) writing a summary sentence; and (3) writing an additional sentence. Performance improved with age. (Author/BS)

The ABDs of Reading program provides explicit training in phoneme analysis and phoneme blending, letter-sound correspondences, and decoding to learning disabled children. No extensive teacher-training, teacher-aids, or other unusual classroom support is required. (Author/CP)

An inductive concept-identification model of expository text processing, consonant with current theories of macrostructure development, is proposed as part of a reading comprehension instruction model. An evaluation study with fourth and sixth graders is described. Results are interpreted as supporting the model. (Author/BS)

Two studies investigated (1) the ability of learning disabled children to perform tasks that specifically demand the recognition and production of main-idea statements, and (2) their ability to detect an inappropriate sentence in a paragraph. (PN)

In two experiments, fourth, fifth, and sixth-graders and an adult set chose titles and wrote summary sentences for expository paragraphs. All groups were better at detecting sentences that conformed neither to the paragraphs general nor specific topic than sentences conforming only to the general. (CE)

Ten learning-disabled adolescents (LDs) performed a reading comprehension task below the level of same-age nondisabled students (NLDs) but at the same level as younger NLDs (YNDs). On a measure of incipient awareness of theme, LDs scored below YNDs. Why LDs have difficulty getting the point is discussed. (SLD)