Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-92).

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This study was undertaken to gain a greater understanding of what readers do to comprehend expository and narrative text. Specifically, 24 randomly selected good tenth grade readers used various strategies to comprehend both an expository and narrative selection. The selections assigned to them were from a group of 12 earth science and 12 short story selections, both groups randomly selected, presented in units of the following sequence and length: 400-, 250-, 100-words, and 10-sentence lengths. Students read silently and their "thinking aloud" in regard to their silent reading provided the basis for strategy identification and for the development of a strategy classification system which included four major categories of print-oriented, explicit and implicit message-oriented, and integrative-evaluative strategies. Descriptive and statistical comparisons among strategies were analyzed in terms of these four major categories. These comparisons offered strong evidence that readers used a variety of strategies within and across text types, since strategy use was investigated in relation to multiple texts. Differences were noted, however, in the frequency and proportion of strategies used between the two text types. For instance, readers used a greater frequency and proportion of strategies in reading narrative compared to expository text. Statistical significance at the .01 level was also shown for frequency and proportion of implicit message-oriented strategies used in reading narrative compared to expository text. Differences were detected in frequency and proportion of strategies used in relation to the length of unit read. Predominant patterns of individual reader's strategy use were noted for each of the text types and for the text types combined. Results of this study suggest several implications for further research. First, a study of the effect of other differing types of text on readers' strategy use is needed to clarify and specify readers' strategy use in comprehension. Secondly, a comparison of strategy use of good with poor readers in regard to differing types of text is required to identify strategies used by different types of readers. Thirdly, an investigation into the developmental aspects of readers' strategy use in regard to differing types of text needed to provide insights into the ways in which strategy use is acquired and modified. Fourthly, a comparison of readers' strategy use in regard to text presented in varying lengths is needed to better explain the relationship between reader comprehension and length of text read.

This study investigates the reading strategies selected junior high school students employ when reading social studies, science, and literature materials in school and a self-selected passage in a non-school setting. In addition interrelationships among their reading strategies and the subjects' purposes for reading, the students' personal models of the reading process, and the readers' attitudes toward reading, as well as the subject areas of social studies, science, and English are also examined. Six subjects from a seventh grade class are administered the Estes Attitude Scales, the Burke Reading Interview, and are questioned concerning their purposes for reading the selected passages. Miscue analysis identifies the reading strategies these subjects employ in their natural environments. Retrospective responses are examined to investigate the subjects' awareness of their reading strategies. The major findings indicate that each of these subjects sample syntactic, semantic, and graphophonic cues when reading. The more efficient readers produce more sentences which are syntactically and semantically acceptable, and result in no change to the intended meaning. The subjects' patterns of self-correction vary depending on the different materials. The students' sampling of graphophonic cues appears not to reflect reader proficiency but varies with different curricular materials. The retelling scores are not always predictable based on the readability formula ratings for the same passage. Other measures do not relate simply to proficiency of reading. These findings indicate a complex interaction between the subjects' reading strategies and their attitudes toward reading or a specific discipline, reading in different settings, the selection of reading materials, and reading for different purposes. The findings support a conclusion that these junior high school students employ recognition, prediction, confirmation, correction, and termination reading strategies when reading for diverse purposes teacher assigned, and self-selected materials in different settings. The subjects vary in their ability to adjust their reading strategies to meet the specific demands of different curricular materials. The subjects have differing perceptions of reading in different settings and among various materials. Students and teachers have different purposes for reading the same passages. The students do not seem to be having as much difficulty reading in terms of using the process as much as they have with flexible use of the process in relation to different materials and settings.

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