Comprehension in disciplinary learning: An examination of elementary readers' processing and recall

ABSTRACT

The authors explored elementary students' comprehension of informational text in disciplinary learning. Forty on-grade-level readers in Grades 2–5 participated. A priori and emergent coding was used to analyze 120 verbal protocols and 120 oral recalls. Analyses of variance and correlations showed students' processing and recall of procedural text contrasted with their processing and recall of biography or persuasive text. Also, second-grade students did not process informational text as actively or recall informational text as well as third- through fifth-grade students did. An expanded focus on students' comprehension of informational text in disciplinary learning and further study of the relationships among students' text use, text processing and recall, and development are warranted.

KEYWORDS:

• Comprehension
• disciplinary learning
• informational text

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Nell K. Duke, Douglas K. Hartman, Carol Sue Englert, Cheryl Rosaen, Janine Certo, and Tanya Christ for their feedback during the preparation of this manuscript and the original dissertation manuscript. Thank you for your invaluable guidance.

Additional information

Funding

This study has been funded in part by an internal Michigan State University grant.