Schema and purpose in reading comprehension and learning vocabulary from context

Abstract

The model of verbal comprehension acquisition proposed by Sternberg suggests that vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension tap the same basic processes in learning from context. If this is true, then good readers should acquire more new words from context than poor readers. This research was designed to examine Sternberg's position as well as consider the interactions among vocabulary acquisition and other important components of the reading process, such as purpose and schemata. Eighth grade good and poor readers were taught relevant and irrelevant schemata. They were randomly assigned to either a purpose for reading group or a nonpurpose group. Subjects then read a passage with embedded nonsense words and were asked to define those words. The effects of comprehension ability and purpose were found to be significant but the effect of schemata was not significant. However these effects must be interpreted in light of the significant three‐way interaction.