Competent middle school teachers must both extend students' abilities in the decoding and comprehending skills and stimulate their applications of these reading skills in content area texts. In considering this differentiation of instruction, teachers should be aware of an aptitude by treatment interaction (ATI)--no one technique will produce the…

Described are four techniques for improving student reading skills, particularly comprehension and vocabulary expansion, in ethnic studies classes. The techniques involve the use of oral research reports, diagrams, cartoons, and multisensory demonstrations. (Author/DB)