The effect of inference training on children's comprehension of expository text

Abstract

Three procedures were used to help sixth-grade children increase inferential reading comprehension with expository text: a structured overview to activate background knowledge, the cloze procedure to develop an inferential thinking strategy, and a self-monitoring checklist to train the subjects to use the strategy independently. There were two treatment groups. One used the cloze procedure to integrate text and background knowledge and the checklist to maintain the strategy; the other used both the structured overview and the cloze procedure with the checklist. A control group read the same materials as the other two groups, but was not trained in any strategy. Posttests periodically measured the students’ progress and ability to infer. Transfer and delayed transfer tests measured the application of inferential skills to untaught materials immediately after instruction and six weeks thereafter without further instruction. Results indicated that students in both treatment groups increased their inferential comprehension skills as measured by both the immediate and delayed transfer tests. Results also indicated that below average readers benefitted most from the instruction. © 1983, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.