Does concept-oriented reading instruction increase strategy use and conceptual learning from text?

Abstract

The authors define reading engagement as the mutual support of motivations, strategies, and conceptual knowledge during reading. To increase reading engagement, a collaborative team designed a year-long integration of reading/language arts and science instruction (Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction, CORI). The authors compared students who received this instruction to similar students who received traditionally organized instruction aimed toward the same objectives. A path analysis showed that CORI had a positive effect on strategy use and text comprehension for students at Grades 3 and 5 when accounting for past achievement and prior knowledge. CORI also had a positive, indirect effect on conceptual knowledge mediated by strategy use, and this instruction facilitated conceptual transfer indirectly through several paths simultaneously. The findings are discussed in relation to a growing literature on instructional contexts for motivated strategy use and conceptual learning from text. The term engagement in reading refers to the motivated use of strategies and conceptual knowledge during reading. These processes operate dynamically, increasing over time. The engaged reader is in a continual process of activating and extending his or her conceptual understanding. As the individual reads, he or she acquires core knowledge that lies at the heart of the domain (Alexander, Schallert, & Hare, 1991; Chi, DeLeeuw, Chiu, & Lavancher, 1994). For example, conceptual knowledge of a topic such as adaptation includes information about species, habitats, life cycles, and evolutionary change. Particular propositions about a species and its habitat are related to each other, and broad principles form a network of understanding (Alexander, Jetton, & Kulikowich, 1996; Chi et al., 1994). From our perspective, conceptual transfer occurs when the student uses conceptual knowledge to address a new question or to solve a problem. Engaged readers use and regulate strategies to enhance their conceptual understanding. Using prior knowledge (Anderson & Pearson, 1984), and posing questions as they explore their environment, engaged readers are involved in a process of searching (Singer & Donlan, 1982). They read multiple texts, examine a variety of documents, and extract critical details (Guthrie, Weber, & Kimmerly, 1993). As engaged readers succeed in searching, they use strategies for integrating information (Dole, Duffy, Roehler, & Pearson, 1991) from expository and narrative texts (Graesser, Gold

Výuka čtenářských strategií v zahraničí – teorie, trendy, programy a metody

“…Vidíme tu kombinaci experimentů, pozorování a četby široké škály textů, ze kterých si mohou žáci vybrat. Samozřejmostí je bohatě vybavená knihovnička (Guthrie et al, 1998).…”

“…Hodnocení programu CORI ukázala, že tento způsob výuky pomáhá žákům použí-vat škálu různých strategií pro porozumění textu a zlepšuje porozumění odborným pojmům i jejich aplikaci v praxi (Guthrie et al, 1998). Žáci 3. a 5. ročníku, na kterých výzkumníci ověřovali účinek CORI, vykázali v porovnání s kontrolní skupinou lepší výsledky v oblasti používání čtenářských strategií (velikost účinku 1,71).…”

Leitura compreensiva e utilização de estratégias de aprendizagem em alunos de Psicologia

“…Todavia, de acordo com Gurthrie, Meter, Hancock, Alao, Anderson e McCann (1998), a diferença entre bons e maus leitores parece não se resumir apenas à quantia disponível de conhecimento, mas também à forma como tais conhecimentos são utilizados para facilitar a compreensão de um texto. Quando os estudantes trazem seus conhecimentos pessoais para o contexto escolar, interessam-se mais pelos textos acadêmicos e passam a construir e a manter uma relação mais significativa com a tarefa de leitura.…”

Learning to read scientific text: Do elementary school commercial reading programs help?

“…The foremost argument in this challenge points to the ubiquity of informational text in society, necessitating early exposure to build background knowledge, vocabulary, awareness of different text structures and features, and other types of knowledge essential for full access to literacy. Affective and motivational reasons also have been advanced for a greater emphasis on nonliterary texts (Doiron, 1994) as well as reasons relating to increased reading achievement (Guthrie et al, 1998). Gender concerns reinforce the need for more informational text, because evidence that boys are less enthusiastic about reading (particularly fiction) presents yet another serious challenge to the extensive use of fiction (Millard, 1997).…”