Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

Katherine Iverson
Western Oregon University

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

Introduction
Reading, Writing, Science and Math used to be viewed as separate content areas. Now
with Oregons resent adoption of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as well as the Next
Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that has changed. Students better understand the content
when they can access it in multiple contexts. Reading should not happen only in reading class
and science learning should not happen in only in the science classroom. Meaningful connections
are made when curriculum is aligned across content areas.
We know that learning gains can be made when material is taught across content areas.
To prepare students for college or a career after high school, they need to know how to read and
understand informational text as well as literature. Learning these skills will have to take place in
reading class as well as science, social studies and even math. The CCSS has set the bar high.
This will be challenging for all students but especially students that are reading below grade
level and English Language Learners. It is also a challenge for teachers because they will be
teaching reading even if that is not their content area. Science teachers will be teaching students
how to read informational text to support the learning of science. The teachers need to know how
to help all students comprehend the material as text complexity is increasing.
All teachers need to be able to teach language and literacy for students to be successful in
each content area as well as meet the rigorous demands of CCSS that will prepare students for
college or a career after high school. Unfortunately, despite long-established and ongoing
concern, middle school students continue to struggle to learn from informational text (Ramsay
& Sperling, 2015, p. 92). Teachers need to know the best ways to teach students to read and
comprehend informational text. The purpose of this literature review is to determine what is
known about teaching reading comprehension of informational text

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

Literature Review
The current literature presented several strategies that they claim are for improving
informational text comprehension. Strategies were tested in upper elementary or middle school
and in different content areas, such as reading, science and social studies. Throughout the
research of the strategies, three main themes kept reoccurring in these strategies. The three
themes are: motivating readers, metacognition and activating prior knowledge.
Strategies
CSR: Collaborative Strategic Reading
SRSD (TWA): Self-Regulated Strategy Development (Think before you read, think While you
read and think After you read)
Reading Perspective
CORI: Concept Oriented Reading Instruction
PLAN: Predict, Locate, Add and Note

Activating Prior Knowledge

Prior knowledge of the subject can greatly influence a reader comprehension of
informational text. It was no surprise that each of the research articles reviewed included some
mention of prior knowledge. Students come to class with a range of prior knowledge and that is
out of the control of the teacher. To improve reading comprehension the teacher must guide
students to activate prior knowledge as they prepare to read. The importance of activating prior
knowledge, before reading or any kind of activity, is not a new concept. Teachers widely accept
this strategy. The current research tested the using prior knowledge in a specific reading
comprehension strategy or exploring the relationship between prior knowledge and other factors.

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

In the research done by Wang & Chen (2014), they investigated the relationship between prior
knowledge and metacognition. The study was done in Taiwan with 556 participants from grades
four to eight. Students were given science reading comprehension assessment and the Inventory
of Science Reading Awareness (ISRA). This study used structural equation modeling (SEM), a
unique way to test how prior knowledge and metacognition awareness predicted reading
comprehension of science text. The results did confirm that more prior knowledge and
metacognitive awareness the better reading performance. (Wang & Chen, 2014)
The importance of prior knowledge was also supported in a study by Liebfreund.
Students in grade three to five in Southeastern US were given five assessments testing different
factors influencing the comprehension of informational text. The results do confirm that prior
knowledge as well as vocabulary knowledge and motivation influence comprehension. This
study was unique because they investigated how these factors are different for different levels of
learners. Liebfreund found that lower comprehenders needed more support decoding and higher
comprehenders needed more support building vocabulary. (Liebfreund, 2015)
Radcliffe et al. tested a relatively new strategy, PLAN, to determine how this strategy
helps students learn science. PLAN stands for: Predict, Locate, Add and Note. The first key
steps in the PLAN strategy relate the text to prior knowledge as students predict the content and
locate the known and unknown information. Science can often rely heavily on textbook reading
that is challenging for students to comprehend. The study followed two 6th grade science classes
taught by the same teacher. In one class the teacher implemented PLAN and in the other she did
not. They also monitored how the teacher changed her instruction as she was given training and
support to implement PLAN. PLAN was an effective tool for teaching science, students gained a
better understanding of the content and an appreciation for reading science text. (Radcliffe et al,

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

2008) These results were based on one classroom, so further research will be necessary to
confirm these results. Last sentence - Well stated and important to include in a lit review.
Motivating Readers with CORI
Motivation has been linked with reading achievement in a variety correlational,
longitudinal, and experimental studies (Guthrie et al, 2013, p.10). In the study by Guthrie et al,
(2013), they looked at the relationship between motivation, engagement and reading
achievement in a 7th reading/language arts class. Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI)
was used as an intervention to improve reading comprehension as compared to traditional
reading/language arts instruction. CORI provides students readable texts, choice, collaboration,
value and relevance in reading. The results indicated that CORI increased intrinsic motivation
(although it was still low), increased self-efficacy and decreased students perceived difficulty.
Interestingly, undermining motivations are an important factor in reading comprehension, but it
needs to be explored further. CORI had a substantial advantage over standard reading/language
arts instruction for increasing the multiple of informational text motivation, engagement, and
achievement (Guthrie et al, 2013, p. 24).
Guthrie et al. (2014) took this research further to investigate how using CORI impacts
reading comprehension of history in middle school. It also sought to determine if students,
perceptions of motivational support increased their motivation and engagement. Research was
done using a switching replications experiment design, so each student did participate in the
control and treatment group. Again CORI increased comprehension of informational text for
middle school students. They found that the motivational-engagement practices of CORI
(providing readable texts, choice, collaboration, value and relevance in reading) influenced
student achievement. (Guthrie et al, 2014)

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

Metacognition
Metacognition is an important aspect of learning that is frequently overlooked in
traditional models of learning and instruction; its use is recommended to enhance effective
learning (Wang and Chen, 2013, p.177). Metacognition is essentially thinking about your
thinking process while it is happening or in reflection. Certainly a challenge for middle school
students. The following strategies aim at supporting the development if metacognition: CSR,
reading perspective and TWA.
McCown and Thomason (2014) investigated the impact of CSR on informational text
comprehension. They found a significant increase in informational text comprehension using
Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR). The four components of CSR are: Preview, Click and
Clunk, Get the Gist, and Wrap it Up. Previewing the text supports the need for students to
activate their prior knowledge. Students practice self-monitoring by identifying clicks (the
information that they understand) and the clunks (the information that they do not understand).
They write a gist statement to identify the main idea of the reading and wrap it up with
discussion of self-generated questions. Although the assessment indicated an increase in
informational text comprehension, it did not correlate to significant increase in performance on
the Common Core State Test. Most of the strategy practice in class was collaborative and the
state test is solely an individual assessment. Students were unable to transfer the skills of CSR
given the time they had been practicing.
Another strategy researched was the use of a reading perspective to try to help students
focus on important information as they read. This strategy has been useful for adults, but not
tested on younger readers. In the study by Ramsay and Sperling (2015) students were given a
perspective before reading, but unfortunately it did not impact comprehension. Middle school

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

readers did make learning gains from the pre-test to the post-test, but the perspective given did
not make a difference. Researchers concluded that it may be too much cognitive load for middle
school students to hold onto a perspective while they read. More research could be done to
determine how to help students maintain the perspective as they read.
Students who struggle with reading comprehension often do not have the metacognitive
skills needed to support the multiple processes required to understand what is read (Mason et al,
2013, p.70). Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) can be used as an intervention to
promote metacognitive awareness and improve reading comprehension. In the study by (Mason
et al, (2013) the SRSD strategy TWA (Think before reading, think While reading and think After
reading) was evaluated. Just as with previously mentioned strategies, it begins by activating
prior knowledge. Students were taught self-regulation skills that they could then apply while
reading. It was difficult to measure and monitor the self-regulation of individual students, but
the students felt positive about the process and they made learning gains.
Conclusion
Reading comprehension is an inquiry process that requires metacognition to set purpose,
access prior knowledge, select strategies, monitor progress, and regulate actions to construct new
understandings that are integrated into existing knowledge networks or reorganizes the networks
to accommodate discrepant ideas (Wang and Chen, 2013, p.176). The relationship between
prior knowledge and metacognitive awareness along with student motivation has been explored
through current research. Strategies such as CSR, TWA, CORI and PLAN have shown to
improve student comprehension of informational text because they draw on prior knowledge,
motivate readers and teach necessary metacognitive skills. Strategies could be tested in different
settings to confirm their effectiveness. The next steps would also include exploring the teacher

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

education programs that can prepare and support teachers as they implement these programs.
The teachers that will most likely need the most support are content area teachers (Science,
Social Studies, etc.) that are using informational text to teach their subject. Any new strategy
takes time to learn, practice and effectively implement in the classroom. Even if teachers know
that the strategies are effective, they need support especially if they have limited experience
teaching reading. It would also be beneficial to explore how strategies benefit different levels
and types of learners. Mason et al. (2013) used TWA with low-achieving students and
Liebfreund (2015) considered factors that impact students with higher and lower levels of
comprehension, however most of the research was for the general population of students. Given
the necessary training and information what strategies are best for different learners, content
teachers could use CSR, TWA, CORI or PLAN to improve comprehension of informational text
for middle school students.

Strategies for Improving Informational Text Comprehension

Citations
Guthrie, J. J., & Klauda, S. S. (2014). Effects of classroom practices on reading comprehension,
engagement, and motivations for adolescents. Reading Research Quarterly, 49(4), 387416.
Guthrie, J. T., Klauda, S. L., & Ho, A. N. (2013). Modeling the relationships among reading
instruction, motivation, engagement, and achievement for adolescents. Reading Research
Quarterly, 48(1), 9-26.
Liebfreund, M. m. (2015, October). Success with informational text comprehension: an
examination of underlying factors. Reading Research Quarterly. pp. 387-392.
Mason, L. H., Meadan-Kaplansky, H., Hedin, L., & Taft, R. (2013). Self-regulating
informational text reading comprehension: perceptions of low-achieving students.
Exceptionality, 21(2), 69-86.
McCown, M. A., & Thomason, G. B. (2014). Informational text comprehension: its challenges
and how collaborative strategic reading can help. Reading Improvement, 51(2), 237-253.
Ramsay, C. M., & Sperling, R. A. (2015). Reading perspective: can it improve middle school
students' comprehension of informational text?. Journal Of Educational Research,
108(2), 81-94.
Radcliffe, R. r., Caverly, D., Hand, J., & Franke, D. (2008). Improving reading in a middle
school science classroom. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(5), 398-408.
Wang, J., & Chen, S. (2014). Exploring mediating effect of metacognitive awareness on
comprehension of science texts through structural equation modeling analysis. Journal Of
Research In Science Teaching, 51(2), 175-191.