The structure of reading strategies for understanding expository text

Abstract

The purposes of the present study were to propose a structure that illustrates the actual use of reading strategies, to investigate the validity of that structure, and to examine differences in strategy use among different age groups. Study 1 showed that reading strategies can be classified into 7 categories: clarifying, control, grasping the points, memorizing, monitoring, noticing the text structure, and utilizing knowledge. From those 7 categories, 3 factors were extracted: local understanding strategy, learning contents strategy, and deepening understanding strategy. These factors were affected by the factor "general tendency to use strategies." In Study 2, the concurrent validity of this structure was examined, using "think-aloud" protocols. Study 3 investigated cross validity of the strategy structure and age differences in the use of strategies. The results showed that use of 3 of the strategy categories (grasping the points, noticing the text structure, and utilizing knowledge) differed among age groups. This result suggests that those strategies are developed as readers get older and/or have more experience reading.