Reading and comprehending content area texts is important for academic and professional success as well as life skills necessary to maintain good health and quality lifestyle. Spanish speaking English language learners have shown poor performance on high-stakes assessments in reading comprehension. The number of Spanish speaking English learners…

Reading and comprehending content area texts is important for academic and professional success as well as life skills necessary to maintain good health and quality lifestyle. Spanish speaking English language learners have shown poor performance on high-stakes assessments in reading comprehension. The number of Spanish speaking English learners…

Content area reading comprehension and writing have been a challenge for children in the U.S. schools for many years as evidenced by state and national assessments. One promising solution to the problem is text structure based instruction that promotes strategic selection, encoding, retrieval, and use of information for myriads of activities…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of comprehension training embedded in a program that taught science content to 2nd graders. The program included instruction about the structure of compare-contrast expository text, emphasizing clue words, generic questions, graphic organizers, and the close analysis of well-structured text exemplars. This…

Comprehensive, authoritative, and designed for practical utility, this handbook presents evidence-based approaches for helping struggling readers and those at risk for literacy difficulties or delays. Leading experts explain how current research on all aspects of literacy translates into innovative classroom practices. Chapters include clear…

Notes that teachers and students with and without disabilities often struggle to use history textbooks effectively. Explores current concerns (e.g. text structure, readability) regarding history textbooks and provides recommendations for modifying instruction to improve students' acquisition of history knowledge. Reports adaptations in content and…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a comprehension program integrated with social studies instruction designed for at-risk second graders. The program included instruction in cause-effect text structure, emphasizing clue words, generic questions, graphic organizers, and the close analysis of specially constructed cause-effect target…

Examines the postsecondary research base for content area reading strategies. Compares findings to earlier studies of secondary schools. Finds semantic mapping and graphic organizers were more effective for secondary than postsecondary students, although most secondary students were not given instructions for the strategies used. Calls for further…

One way that teachers can assist students to learn from their textbooks is through the use of verbal-spatial representations of text structure. This report offers teachers and teacher educators information about learning to make idea maps for instructional use with elementary science texts. Idea maps, which are verbal-spatial representations of…

This article summarizes the literature on effective textbook instruction and offers suggestions for special educators and content instructors to work together to maximize effective instruction with students who have reading difficulties. Specific techniques for activating prior knowledge, helping students become more active thinkers, and…

Today, English language learners (ELLs) represent an increasing proportion of U.S. middle and high school enrollment. As a result, mainstream content-area teachers are more likely than ever to have ELLs in their classrooms. At the same time, education policymakers and researchers are increasingly calling for improved academic literacy development…