Enriching comprehension: A schema altered basal reading lesson

Abstract

This study examined whether altering the sequence of the traditional basal reading lesson would increase comprehension of text read. Enrichment activities, usually presented last, were moved to the initial position in the lesson sequence so that schema germane to the central concept of the text were elicited, or built, prior to reading. Forty‐five subjects, grades one through five, were matched by reading level, age, and sex. Within each reading level, one group was taught three stories using the traditional format while the other group was taught the same three stories using the altered format. After reading a story, subjects responded to comprehension questions taken directly from the basal manuals. Altered format subjects correctly answered 71% of the comprehension questions whereas traditional format subjects correctly answered only 58%. Analysis of variance showed this difference to be statistically significant at the .01 level. Data supports the validity of schema theory and the practicality of altering basal materials to increase comprehen‐sion.