Comprehension strategy instruction in the intermediate grades

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an experimental set of reading lessons focusing on strategies applied to social studies textbook material. Students received weekly lessons in comprehension monitoring, reciprocal teaching, and independent self‐questioning and summarizing. Procedures were carried out for four months by classroom teachers with fifth‐ and sixth‐grade students of average or above average reading ability. In three of four comparisons students receiving the weekly strategy lessons became better at summarizing social studies material than control subjects. However, no differences were found between groups in terms of students’ ability to generate questions on the social studies material they read. Results pertaining to students’ scores on short‐answer questions were mixed. Recommendations for further research are presented.