Running head: INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
Learning to Read Between the Lines:
Intervention Strategies for Teaching Informational Texts
Chrissi Lewandowski
Endicott College
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
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Abstract
The scope of this qualitative action research was to improve the informational text fluency and
comprehension of two groups of grade 7 students. The researcher utilized a series of
comprehension strategies that encompassed Newsela.com, reader’s theatre, KWHHL charts,
various note-taking stratagems, and leveled news articles. She used these strategies to deliver a
targeted intervention to thirty-four grade 7 students in her humanities classes. These classes were
comprised of mixed language ability students, some of whom were classified as having mild or
medium ESL needs. Through this six-week intervention, the researcher discovered that an
assortment of carefully scaffolded comprehension strategies were necessary to foster an
improvement in reading ability and informational text understanding in her students. In addition
to an increase in overall student comprehension, students had developed a habit of active reading
when presented with informational texts, and post-surveys with students indicated that they were
now more likely to read nonfiction or informational texts than before the intervention.
Keywords: reading comprehension, note-taking strategies, informational texts
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
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Background
The problem
The problem statement that motivated this study was the following: grade 7 students were
reading below grade level expectations, especially the new population of ESL students the school
had accepted this year. Because of this influx of ESL students, grade level humanities teachers
realized that they must adjust reading instruction to meet these needs and to improve overall
reading skills. They were also in the process of trialing the Reading Workshop curriculum this
year, and being aware of the student make-up was important to achieve effective
implementation.
Work setting
The host facility was an international American curriculum school in Asia, which had a
suburban campus with facilities for pre-k through high school-age children (ages 3-18). The
population of the school was 1,222 students who hold foreign (non-national) passports. The
student body was representative of thirty-one countries, with the United States, South Korea, and
Canada composing up to 77% of the population. From kindergarten onward, students were
expected to have high functionality in the English language, but this year, students with high
difficulty in ESL had been admitted. The admissions process was especially rigorous and
selective compared to similar international schools in the same region. The teacher population
held mostly American passports, with some Canadian and Australian passports represented.
Local passports were represented in foreign language. In addition, it was a school with a strong
focus on and relationship with the national setting in which it resided.
Researcher’s role
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
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The researcher’s role was that of a grade 7 humanities teacher. She taught two sections of
language arts and social studies, which comprised the humanities course for middle school. The
main reading and writing curriculum came from Columbia University’s Reading and Writing
Workshop program. She applied the reading intervention strategies to her two classrooms.
The researcher held an Illinois teaching certificate, and she had been teaching for seven
years, with two of those years in international education. Her background was in language arts,
history, and humanities instruction. To date, the researcher had partnered with the middle school
literacy coach and other grade level teachers to address these literacy issues. She was interested
in improving the overall English reading comprehension of grade 7 students, who had
demonstrated difficulty in understanding and comprehending grade level informational texts.
The problem and evidence
An unacceptable number of grade 7 students were not reading and comprehending
informational texts at their grade level. In an average class of 20 students, some humanities class
groups had anywhere between 5-12 students who were reading below grade level, as evidenced
by a Reading Workshop assessment administered at the start of the school year. Results of the
CTP-4 tests also showed about 35% of these students scored in the lower stanines of the reading
comprehension section (stanines 1-3). In addition, grade 7 parents noted through surveys at the
beginning of the year and parent-teacher conferences that they felt their child was not reading
much nonfiction on their own and that they did not think their child was able to understand texts
such as newspaper and magazine articles and biographies. This sentiment especially related to
current events and being able to identify the main ideas and/or themes present in a nonfiction
text.
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
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In initial surverys, many grade 7 parents expressed concern that their child was not
reading much in the way of nonfiction texts. The researcher noticed several trends emerge as
parents spoke at the start of the school year. Many parents remarked that, “My son/daughter does
not read anything but fiction. They want to read stories not articles.” One parent added that, “I
can’t get my child to read newspapers. They will only read it if a teacher assigns it.” Several
more comments ran along the lines of, “They read quickly and if I try to help them study for
[science or social studies], they don’t remember what they just read.” One interesting remark
from the researcher’s homeroom was that “note-taking hasn’t been stressed much before. If I ask
my daughter to take notes, she says she doesn’t have to. The teacher didn’t want them to.” In the
researcher’s mind, this revealed that note-taking strategies had not been particularly emphasized
before in the student’s classes. Half of the parents of students in the researcher’s classes asked
her to recommend nonfiction texts to their child, as they saw a lack of it in their child’s “reading
diet,” as one parent put it. It also appeared that students were highly unlikely to pick up
nonfiction texts, newspapers and biographies being among the most commonly mentioned types
of informational genre.
Another pre-intervention theme in the surveys was the students’ inability to comprehend
articles that were written for a grade 5-7 reading level. The students’ first current event scores –
which including reading a grade level article, looking for the five themes of geography, and
summarizing/analyzing it – were very low; out of thirty-four students, half of them scored a 79%
or lower on their assignment. The other half score mostly in the 80-90% range, with only about
five students scoring higher than a 90%. Parents gave feedback at this point was reflected in their
comments of “my son/daughter had no idea how to read the article for information. They read it
and just wrote what the teacher wanted without really thinking about it.” They noted that no
6
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
highlighting or note-taking took place; one parent mentioned of their child, “he just read it. Then,
he wrote the five themes piece. I don’t think he really understood how big of an issue ISIS really
was.” Another parent added, “my child also doesn’t understand how to look for answers in her
reading. The deeper meaning is lost. She doesn’t seem ready to read some of these articles.” To
the researcher, this data from parents indicated that three things could be happening – the
students were simply reading to complete an assignment without being actively engaged, they
struggled to read assigned material written for their grade level, and they were not aware of the
strategies which could help them complete their assignment more effectively – and in less time.
Matches Template
Problem
An unacceptable number of grade 7 students
are reading and comprehending informational
texts below grade level.
Evidence
Goal
All grade 7 students will be reading and
comprehending informational texts at or
above grade level.
Outcomes
In an average grade 7 humanities class of 20
students, between 6-12 students are reading
below grade level when administered the
Reading Workshop diagnostic assessment.
All grade 7 students scored at their grade’s
reading level when administered the Reading
Workshop diagnostic assessment post
intervention.
On the pre-intervention CTP-4 test,
35% of the students scored among
the low stanines (1-3) on the reading
comprehension section, which includes
informational text reading.
Post intervention CTP-4 data showed that
grade 7 students scored in the median
stanines (4-6) or in the upper stanines
(7-9) on the reading comprehension section,
which included informational text reading.
The majority of surveyed grade 7 parents
believe that their child is reading and
comprehending informational texts below
their current grade level.
The majority of grade 7 parents will report
that their child is reading and comprehending
informational texts on or above their grade
level.
Causes
According to Caesar and Nelson (2014), one
issue of literacy development that must be
considered is the impact of the first language
learned on the learning of the new, second
language. Literacy skills from the first language
Solutions
In a study conducted by Reglin et al.
(2012), parental involvement in literacy
activities at the middle school level greatly
boosts a child’s reading comprehension
ability, which includes partnering with the
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
are often transferred into the new, emergent
language being learned.
7
teacher to support literacy learning in a
first language or bilingual home.
Palumbo and Loiacono (2009) state that a
student’s knowledge and recognition of the
words in an informational text does not
guarantee that a student will understand or fully
and accurately comprehend that particular text.
To this end, Palumbo and Loicono (2009)
propose that the use of cloze activities along
with Readers’ Theatre-style activities in any
subject area will promote valuable
informational literacy/comprehension skills.
Philbrick (2009) remarks that students who are
poor readers will not instinctively know or use
metacognitive strategies while they read. This
leads to a decreased reading comprehension
rate, especially with informative texts.
Additionally, students may not understand the
specialized reading process required, how to
process the information in context, or relate to it.
Bui and Fagan (2013) suggest that using such
culturally-responsive activities as graphic
organizers, multicultural or global texts,
cooperative learning, and story/text charts can
increase student performance on literacy tasks.
Also, using texts that allow for background
knowledge to scaffold into unfamiliar topics
allows for increased mastery.
Literature review
In an international school setting, there is most likely to be a mixture of language abilities
within a classroom. According to Caesar and Nelson (2014), one of the reasons for a language
gap in the English classroom is the impact of the student’s first language skills upon the second
language. Simply put, if a student struggled with sentence structure in their native language, they
will most likely struggle with sentence structure in their new language. This leads to a disconnect
in reading comprehension. Additionally, Palumbo and Loiacono (2009) go on to say that a
student’s recognition of words does not guarantee that s/he will fully understand or comprehend
informational texts. Thus, even if a student has mastered basic vocabulary and structures, this
does not automatically mean that comprehension will occur. Students may not have developed
the special metacognitive strategies that allow them to comprehend and analyze informational
texts, and they may find it hard to relate to the information (Philbrick, 2009; Bluestein, 2010;
McTavish, 2008). In all of this, informational reading requires specialized skills – such as
vocabulary awareness and metacognitive strategies – that must be deliberately taught and
assessed, not merely assumed that any student could read this sort of text.
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Several authors (McCown and Thomason, 2014; Bluestein, 2010) also report that
informational texts are more difficult to comprehend than narrative texts because of their purpose
to convey information, not to entertain. This can lead to student disinterest in lower grades that
continues on to middle and high school, making it difficult for students to regain interest and
grow in skill level as texts grow in complexity (Fordham et al., 2002). Additionally, students do
not often make deliberate choices of reading for information versus reading a narrative text;
therefore, a teacher must provide opportunities for continual practice.
There are various methods to help students who struggle with informational text
comprehension. Reglin et al. (2012) suggests that parental involvement is key, as parents can
partner with teachers to provide a dual literacy team, especially in a bilingual home. Some
activities that parents and students can engage in together are cloze reading passages, which help
promote vocabulary skills and contextualizing information (Palumbo and Loicono, 2009).
Reader’s theatre is just one of these cloze activities; others may include writing informational
poems written by synthesizing information or creating charts and maps of principal interest to the
text (Palumbo and Loicono, 2009; Bui and Fagan, 2013).
In addition, Bui and Fagan (2013) and Fordham et al. (2002) believe that culturallyresponsive and engaging activities can spur on student interest in informational texts as well as
improve their comprehension; these are some of the reasons why students enjoy narrative texts,
and the same sort of “teaser” can be applied to informational reading. Several authors (Hedin and
Conderman, 2010; McCown and Thomason, 2014; Bluestein, 2010) also advocate using
rereading strategies as well as active reading strategies modeled by the teacher to improve
comprehension skills.
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
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To this end, the use of KWL (Know/What to Know/Learned) or KWHHL (Know/Want
to Know/Head Words/Heart Words/Learned) charts to track learning over the course of a longer
informational piece will help students organize their reading, thoughts, and reactions to the text
(Szabo, 2006). This chart is easily modifiable depending on a text’s structure or length. All of
these possible strategies may be combined to suit the individual needs of a teacher and his/her
classroom, depending on the desired outcomes from using these strategies.
Action Plan
Intervention
Before the intervention began, the researcher conducted a read aloud assessment with
each student to listen for inconsistencies in understanding a grade 7 level article. She observed
the student’s comfort level in reading aloud and their reading fluency. Students had little to no
knowledge of how to read for information in a fluent manner. They had few strategies for
decoding vocabulary, locating main ideas, or syphoning out important details; there was also an
issue with remembering key details from the reading. Along with the read-aloud, the researcher
surveyed students regarding their attitude about reading for information and also if they used any
particular reading strategy to help them remember details. Over half of the students reported that
they preferred to read fiction because it has a storyline and fiction is more interesting; also, most
of them did not read actively – they did not annotate or highlight their text as they read.
Following the reading, she asked several basic questions about the 5Ws – who, what,
where, when, and why – of the article and also picked out specific vocabulary to determine the
student’s text comprehension and ability to decode unfamiliar words. She also surveyed students
regarding their attitudes about this type of reading. These short survey questions were listed in
Appendix A.
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From this survey and read-aloud assessment, along with the beginning of the year
assessments and surveys, the researcher used the data to determine what informational reading
skills most of her students lacked or had difficulty in executing. The researcher started the
intervention with modeling the process of reading for information with an all-class activity called
“Interruption.” She read the short piece aloud once first, then on the second read-aloud, she
invited the students to “interrupt” her reading with their thoughts – be it connections to other
texts, to the world, or to themselves, or even a question they had about the text. Students also had
a copy of the article. They just said “stop!”, and she stopped reading to hear the connection or
question. Using an iPad and the web tool Diigolet (an online annotation tool) displayed on the
screen, she demonstrated how to highlight information and how to annotate the text for
comments and questions about the reading.
On the second day, the researcher repeated this process to model it again. In addition, she
created a KWHHL (Know/Want to Know/Head Words/Heart Words/Learned) chart for the new
reading piece. She introduced the title and gave a short preview of the material, filled in the
“Know” and “Want to Know” sections before reading it aloud. After the reading, students
helped to fill in the last three sections on the chart. They were asked to circle unfamiliar words in
the text and then underline context clues that could help them identify their meaning. They
reported these words on the KWHHL chart.
On day three, students read an article in pairs and filled out the KWHHL chart together,
along with highlighting and annotating the article. After this time, the class gathered back in one
group and reported findings. A whole class KWHHL chart was created from the different pairs’
information. In addition, they were expected to continue the circle and underline unfamiliar
words routine from day two.
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
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To continue scaffolding on days four and five, students read a transcript of an interview
from PBS titled “Commanding Heights: Up for Debate – Globalization and Poverty,” which tied
in to their current social studies unit on globalization. Since this is an interview format, the
researcher used a Reader’s Theatre-style technique to have students role play the various
government officials and interviewers who participated. The researcher paused students after
each main section to check for understanding. A KWHHL chart was compiled as they read, and
it was displayed in the classroom to further drive home the active reading skills needed to
process informational texts. They continued to circle unfamiliar words and underline context
clues.
After that initial week of in-class practice and active reading modeling, students were
directed to the Newsela site to continue building their informational text reading comprehension
and understanding. Levels of texts, which increased in difficulty as students mastered each level,
were used from the Newsela site. The informational text readings related, in some part, to the
students’ social studies unit on China’s history since 1900 and to their bi-monthly current event
assignments. The informational texts were geared as much as possible toward students’ interests
to promote ownership of their reading skills.
For the next few weeks of the intervention, the researcher used Newsela.com. Students
read and collaborated on articles together first. They were placed in similar reading level groups.
Students took short comprehension quizzes on the articles after they read them. Their progress in
reading comprehension was tracked online by the students themselves, parents, and the
researcher.
Since Newsela was available in any location, the researcher enlisted the help of parents to
carry on the in-class comprehension work while students were at home. Part of their weekly
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
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work was completing one quiz over a Newsela source. By using this resource at school and at
home, the dual purpose was to allow for as much access to and contact with material that
improved informational reading comprehension.
While the students were working through the Newsela articles, the researcher introduced
several note-taking strategies to help students focus in on main ideas and important details in
their reading. The first strategy was Cornell/two-column note-taking, the second was three
column note-taking, and the third was mind-mapping. In addition to the use of KWHHL charts,
students now had four different note-taking strategies in their repertoire to help when reading any
sort of text, and they applied these skills to their partner presentation over a current event article.
Their social studies text China Since 1900 (Brooman, 1990) was used in order to model effective
note-taking strategies in-class, with the expectation that students would continue to use these
strategies on their individual Newsela work.
During the final week, the researcher required pairs of students to choose an article of
interest to them and prepare it for a short group teaching session, where each pair was an
“expert” on their topic. Their goal was to teach the article’s content to the class using one of the
modeled strategies. They could do a reader’s theatre piece, create a KWHHL chart, make a
diagram using a note-taking strategy, or present any other reading strategy as approved by the
researcher. Students were given one week, along with in-class time, to prepare the presentation
of their article. For two days, students presented their expert informational material and engaged
the class in active reading activities. Their peers filled out specific feedback forms for the
presenters. A sample feedback form was included in Appendix B.
Throughout the intervention, the researcher gathered observation data regarding each
student’s progress through the various levels of the intervention. She was looking for the
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
13
following items: student engagement with text, student use of modeled strategies in small group
or individual readings, and student attitudes regarding their own reading and comprehension
abilities. She compiled this data on a weekly basis in order to adjust in-class strategies if needed.
Also, the researcher conducted a post read-aloud assessment with each student, along
with a follow-up survey about informational text strategies and their attitudes regarding
informational text reading. During this time, the researcher observed how students used active
reading strategies to help them comprehend the text. She sought articulate responses to her
questions about main ideas and the five themes of geography as contained in the article.
Intervention timeline
Time Frame
Late October 2014
Plan of Action
Intervention discussed with literacy coach and humanities team
members; approval obtained from middle school principal
Early November
Start of intervention
Read-aloud assessment
Pre-intervention student survey and observations conducted
Early November –
Mid-December
Week 1 – In-class practice – Interruption reading, KWHHL charts
strategy introduced and practiced; Reader’s Theatre
Week 2 – first Newsela article assigned; Cornell note-taking strategy
introduced and practiced this week
Week 3 – second and third article assigned; 3 column note-taking
strategy introduced and practiced this week
Week 4 – fourth article assigned; mind-mapping note-taking strategy
introduced and practiced this week
Week 5 – fifth article assigned; use any note-taking strategy
Week 6 – sixth article assigned; use any note-taking strategy
Mid-December (PreChristmas)
Second read-aloud assessment given
Post-intervention survey & observations with students conducted
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
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Post-intervention Reading Workshop Assessment given
Mid-December –
Early January 2015
Mid-January
Christmas break
Second parent survey conducted
Data analyzed and reported
Intervention participants
In grade 7, there were 101 students in total who had diverse cultural and linguistic
backgrounds. For this study, the researcher considered the two humanities classes that she taught.
In addition, the study classified moderate-level ESL needs as performing on grade level, English
as the second language in the home, having a foundation of English, but he/she needed minimum
support. Medium-level ESL needs were classified as having attended English- speaking school,
performing within 2 years of grade level for literacy, needing small group instruction.
One humanities class had 20 students, with a population of seven moderate-level ESL
students and three medium ESL-level students. These ten students, or 50% of the classes’ makeup, struggled with reading and comprehending informational texts at grade level. Eight of these
students were currently reading below grade level.
The second class had 14 students, with a population of four moderate-level ESL students
and two medium-level ESL students. These six students, or approximately 43% of the classes’
make-up, struggled with reading and comprehending informational texts at grade level. Five of
these students were currently reading below grade level.
Data collection
The active reading strategies modeled in class and Newsela.com’s leveled articles were
geared toward improvement of reading comprehension on informational texts, and Newsela’s
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
15
many articles provided additional practice for students who continually struggled with
comprehension. Also, there were multiple chances for students to perform on small quizzes that
tested their reading comprehension of leveled news articles. The work students did on the
Newsela.com site was later evaluated through the Reader’s Workshop assessment.
A secondary read-aloud assessment was given as well as a student post-survey. The
researcher was looking for changes in attitude toward informational reading along with a change
in the confidence level of students when it came to comprehension. The researcher also wanted
to see if a student’s use of active reading strategies had changed now that s/he had been given
multiple strategies to use. Basic questions about the article were once again asked to see if
students could now easily identify the main ideas and five themes of geography based on their
new repertoire of reading strategies.
The CPT-4 results, which formed part of the data representing an issue of reading
comprehension among the grade 7 students, would not be re-administered, according to the
school-wide plan, until the middle of May. Therefore, read-aloud surveys, the Reader’s
Workshop Assessment, and student surveys and observations informed the researcher of early
issues in comprehension and then any gains made by the student by the end of the intervention.
Additional data would be gathered from the CPT-4 test once the results were released, which
would not be until early June 2015.
Analyzing data
A second read-aloud test was administered to each student. During this test, the student
read the passage aloud in a quiet room, and the researcher gathered observation data over the
following a second time: student’s ability to read through fluently, to define text-specific
vocabulary, and to show a level of comfort when presented with the informational article. This
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
16
data was looked at against the pre-intervention read-aloud test to determine any significant
fluency or comprehension changes. Also, the researcher looked for any student use of the reading
strategies from the intervention, which they were able to demonstrate as they read.
The student survey data from pre- and post-intervention was gathered and examined for
any particular themes or noticeable similarities, especially among students classified as reading
and comprehending below grade level before the intervention. This data regarding habits of and
attitudes toward informational text reading was critical to the researcher in designing a multistep
and scaffolded intervention plan. It was also important to learn how the intervention strategies
helped build confidence in students who struggled to read and understand these texts.
Also, the researcher administered the Reader’s Workshop assessment again at the end of
the intervention to determine if a change was seen from pre- to post-assessment. This was to look
for any improve in the student’s reading level from the beginning of the year to the postintervention and to determine any change in text comprehension level.
To validate the results of the survey, the researcher asked the two members of her seventh
grade team and the middle school literacy coach to read over and analyze her report for accuracy
and meaningfulness to the study. In addition, the results of the study were shared with the
individual parents post-intervention in order to show the need for the intervention itself. Since
many parents felt that their child was not reading and understanding informational texts at their
grade level, understanding how their own attitudes and beliefs had influenced that is important,
as is seeing how their perceptions had or had not changed after seeing their child working to
improve this.
Results
17
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
Following the intensive six-week intervention, students were reevaluated using the
Reader’s Workshop Reader’s Assessment. Comprehension levels are rated from 1-5, with 1-2
being below grade level (grade 5-6 reading level), 3-4 being on-grade level (3 – low grade 7, 4high grade seven), and 5 being above grade level (grade 8).
The results were as followed for the Reader’s Workshop Reading Assessment:
Table 1.1
Class A: 20 mixed-language ability students
Student
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Pre-Intervention
Comprehension
Level
2
4
2
2
1
2
2
4
3
3
2
4
3
2
2
3
3
4
4
1
Post-Intervention
Comprehension
Level
3
4
4
4
3
2
3
5
5
4
3
4
4
3
4
5
5
4
5
3
Level Change
1
0
2
2
2
0
1
1
2
1
1
0
1
1
2
1
2
0
1
2
Below, At, or
Above Grade
Level
At – low 7th
At – high 7th
At – high 7th
At – high 7th
At – low 7th
Below – no change
At – low 7th
Above
Above
At – high 7th
At – low 7th
At – high 7th
At – high 7th
At – low 7th
At – high 7th
Above
Above
At – high 7th
Above
At – low 7th
18
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
Table 1.2
Class B: 14 mixed-language ability students
Student
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Pre-Intervention
Comprehension
Level
1
2
3
3
2
2
3
3
4
4
3
3
4
3
Post-Intervention
Comprehension
Level
3
2
4
4
3
4
4
5
5
4
4
5
5
3
Level Change
2
0
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
0
1
2
1
0
Below, At, or
Above Grade
Level
At – low 7th
Below
At – high 7th
At – high 7th
At – low 7th
At – high 7th
At – high 7th
Above
Above
At – high 7th
At – high 7th
Above
Above
At – low 7th
After the intervention, the Reader’s Workshop Assessment showed a marked
improvement in reading comprehension levels. Only two students out of thirty-four remained
below grade level, while eight students were at grade level at low-7th, fourteen students were at
grade level at high-7th, and nine students were now above grade level. For students who
remained below grade level, the researcher planned to continue the intervention strategies with
them, and she enlisted the support of parents and other grade level content teachers to help
reinforce these habits and skills, which were begun during this intervention.
Pre-intervention surveys and the read-aloud fluency assessment conducted with students
revealed details regarding their attitudes and habits when it came to informational text reading.
Nearly half of the students commented that, “I don’t like to read things like articles. I like
stories.” Already, they were demonstrating an unfavorable attitude regarding the reading of
informational texts. In addition, several comments were made that, “I just read to get homework
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
19
done. Like science class. Or social studies.” This indicated to the researcher that these students
were unlikely to read other informational texts unless assigned as homework from a teacher.
Of all thirty-four students surveyed, only three of them indicated that they would
highlight as they read something (provided that they were allowed to highlight text) or make
short notes about it. Another pattern that the researcher noted was students skipping over words
they did not know in a text instead of looking them up or using context clues to figure out the
meaning. They continued to read, and the survey responses also indicated this. Twenty-two
students said that they “did not look up words or try to figure out meaning.” They just skipped it
and considered it not important to their reading. The other students said they occasionally use
context clues to help them, with looking words up in a dictionary – electronic or paperback –
being something that even fewer did. Overall, most students did not engage in any active reading
strategies, and of the possibilities, taking down of notes with no definable organizational pattern
was common only if assigned by a teacher.
During the pre-intervention read-aloud, the researcher observed only 15% of students
using any kind of active reading strategy – highlighting being the most common strategy – to
help them identify important content such as main ideas and details, or even bold-faced
vocabulary words. After the read-aloud, the researcher asked basic questions about the reading
material, and about 70% of students could not identify main ideas and details, even if given the
chance to look back at the text. Some answered after a very long time, as the researcher observed
them rereading the same material they had just read to find those answers. This showed that
students had not read for information and understanding the first time; they had just read to
complete the task.
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
20
However, after the second read-aloud assessment and survey post-intervention, the
researcher noted a significant change in students’ attitudes and habits. When coming to the readaloud sessions, students showed up with a highlighter and pencil or pen without the researcher’s
prompting to do so. This demonstrated a fairly well-formed habit from the weeks of the
intervention when students were expected to show up daily with their ‘weapons of reading
instruction’ – a highlighter(s) and writing utensils. Several of them also brought a sheet of
notebook paper.
In addition, as they read aloud, 80% of the students paused to highlight and annotate in
the margins of the piece. About 55% of them also made small note charts on the notebook paper
following their reading aloud. The researcher then asked them the same questions as in the preintervention read-aloud, and this time, 85% of students were able to correctly identify main ideas
and details. Also, as they were reading, the researcher observed many students using context
clues to figure out word meanings. These active readers circled unfamiliar words and then
underlined context clues which could help them identify its meaning. This was a skill
demonstrated during the intervention, which students now used effectively.
Post-intervention, parents were also more positive in how they saw their child/children
interacting with their informational readings. Many parents liked the Newsela.com website, as
they could read the articles along with their child and talk with them about it. About one quarter
of the parents mentioned that they were watching the news with their child, and as one parent put
it, “I’m watching the news and talking with my son about these big world events. He’s
appreciating how fortunate he is to live here and wants to know more about China’s role in the
world.” Another parent remarked, “We talk about current events at dinner. I’m happy with how
my son is able to tell me about things he’s read.”
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
21
Another common theme among parent surveys was that their child was now taking notes
or at least highlighting articles and making comments. “My daughter is looking up words now.
She’s happy to see new vocabulary,” one parent said. “She uses a lot of colors for her reading,
and she makes a key to help her remember what they mean.” The researcher has observed an
overall constructive change in student reading at home through some of these parents’
comments.
Lastly, as students worked on Newsela.com and employed reading strategies to other
subjects, parents expressed their interest in seeing their child’s grades improve because they were
more actively engaged with their reading. “My son reads science now and takes good notes. He
can use them to study, and his tests are better,” one parent said. “I think he understands the big
ideas now.” Another positive review from a parent stated, “he doesn’t struggle to read articles for
social studies. He gets the article picked out right away, prints it, and he uses his room’s
whiteboard to make a chart of what he wants to know and what he learns.” To the researcher,
these affirmative comments from parents, who are the caretakers of a child’s reading habits at
home, show a marked improvement in informational text reading ability, a student’s confidence
level, and their use of sound comprehension strategies.
Summation
Limitations and implications
The researcher was initially be limited by time. In order to obtain the best results of the
intervention, all intervention steps and post-assessments were completed before the two and a
half week Christmas holiday, except for the post-intervention parent surveys.
Parents’ beliefs about their child’s comprehension ability showed especially after the first
current event activity. Many of them felt or believed that their child was not able to understand
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
22
and comprehend informational texts at a beginning grade 7 level. To the researcher’s knowledge,
the initial results of the Reading Workshop assessment were not shared with students or parents.
However, at the intervention’s conclusion, this was excellent data to share to show that their
student had increased their reading level at least one grade.
Also, not all students were reading at grade level following the intervention, and some of
them made no gain in comprehension level with all of the strategies presented. The researcher
would expect this to be the norm in most classrooms. Not all strategies will work for every
student, and outside influences – including the English language fluency of the child’s parents
and language used primarily at home – could influence the results of the intervention. In this
case, it was important to the researcher to continue searching for alternate strategies to help these
particular students. Additional research and trialing of strategies in the classroom would not only
benefit high-performing students, but it would also reveal what strategies might help those who
still struggle. Ultimately, the success of the reading intervention came down to the researcher
finding the needs of her students, knowing the children’s work in the classroom, and being
willing to adjust instruction as needed for them. This would be up to the consideration of the
other classroom teachers who would look to replicate this intervention.
Meaning and significance
With the researcher’s school looking to include more ESL/ELL students and eventually
bring full inclusion to the classroom, it was predicted that a wider variety of reading levels would
be found in the humanities classroom in the future. Finding well-researched and effective reading
comprehension interventions was critical to the success of students at this school. Since this
study succeeded in improving informational text comprehension in grade 7, the use of
Newsela.com should be implemented in other grade level humanities classes, as well as other
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
23
grades’ humanities class as well, with the expectation of success. In addition to Newsela.com,
teachers had a variety of note-taking and scaffolded comprehension strategies made available to
them through this intervention study, and they could use these effective tools in their own
classrooms to improve comprehension.
Future action and studies
The researcher found that a variety of reading interventions were needed to help students
who were not able to comprehend at-grade level informational texts. Just as there was a variety
of student reading levels, attitudes toward nonfiction texts, and strategies used, so should there
be a variety of intervention steps taken to ensure success in improving comprehension. Newsela
built confidence in students’ abilities to interpret their current event articles (due every two
weeks) and in their ability to analyze and demonstrate critical thinking skills. They were able to
read comfortably at their grade level and grow in skill level each article they practiced. While
using Newsela.com alone might have helped students to some degree, the researcher firmly
believes that, after seeing the results of the scaffolded intervention and reading several peerreviewed articles about comprehension strategies, the combination of all of them made this a
truly effective endeavor.
Overall, the improvement of comprehension skills is a long-term, on-going process that
must be supported throughout the school year (in all subject areas) with opportunities to build
one’s confidence and ability at school, home, and outside the comfort zone of the student. Some
students found that certain note-taking strategies suited them, and others found that informational
texts such as biographies and news articles could also be interesting reads. They formed life-long
habits that could be built upon, which would serve them well in their current classrooms, as well
as those in their future. With these strategies supported by all of those involved in a child’s
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
24
education, students would continue to make strong strides in comprehension and would have
many successful years of reading and learning ahead of them.
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
25
References
Bluestein, N. A. (2010). Unlocking text features for determining importance in expository
text: A strategy for struggling readers. Reading Teacher, 63(7), 597-600.
Bui, Y. N., & Fagan, Y. M. (2013). The effects of an integrated reading comprehension
strategy: A culturally responsive teaching approach for fifth-grade students’ reading
comprehension. Preventing School Failure, 57(2), 59-69.
Caesar, L., & Nelson, N. (2014). Parental involvement in language and literacy acquisition: A
bilingual journaling approach. Child Language Teaching & Therapy, 30(3), 317-336.
Fordham, N. W., Wellman, D., & Sandmann, A. (2002). Taming the text: engaging and
supporting students in social studies readings. Social Studies, 93(4), 149.
Hedin, L. R., & Conderman, G. (2010). Teaching students to comprehend informational text
through rereading. Reading Teacher, 63(7), 556-565.
McCown, M. A., & Thomason, G. B. (2014). Information text comprehension: Its
challenges and how collaborative strategic reading can help. Reading
Improvement, 51(2), 237-253.
McTavish, M. (2008). “What were you thinking?”: The use of metacognitive strategy during
engagement with reading narrative and informational genres. Canadian Journal Of
Education, 31(2), 415-430.
Palumbo, A., & Loiacono, V. (2009). Understanding the causes of intermediate and middle
school comprehension problems. International Journal Of Special Education, 24(1), 75-81.
Philbrick, A. (2009). Metacognitive strategy instruction and social studies content: A winning
combination. Journal Of Content Area Reading, 855-85.
Reglin, G., Cameron, H., & Losike-Sedimo, N. (2012). Effects of a parent support reading
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
26
intervention on seventh-grade at-risk students’ reading comprehension scores. Reading
Improvement, 49(1), 17-27.
Szabo, S. (2006). KWHHL: A student-driven evolution of the KWL. American Secondary
Education, 34(3), 57-67.
27
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
Appendix A
Student survey questions
1) I often read information texts like newspaper/online articles, biographies, or a
nonfiction book about a certain subject.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
2) I read a lot more fiction than I do nonfiction on a regular basis.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
3) I use highlighting and/or note-taking strategies while I read.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
4) I will read nonfiction texts even if a teacher does not require it.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
5) I will use either a dictionary and/or context clues to figure out words I don’t know.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
6) I am very comfortable reading nonfiction texts.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
6) I am very comfortable understanding nonfiction texts.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
5 – highly comfortable 4 – somewhat comfortable 3 – neutral 2 – somewhat
uncomfortable 1 – highly uncomfortable
Below, please tell the researcher more detail about your nonfiction reading and use of
reading strategies. Why do you or don’t you read nonfiction? Why do you or don’t you use
reading strategies?
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
28
Read-aloud text: Chapter 6 of A Wicked History: Cixi – Evil Empress of China? (Price, 2009)
5W’s questions for read-aloud check:
1) Who was really in charge of China at the time?
2) What did the silk curtain symbolize?
3) Where did the most action take place in the chapter?
4) When did the reforms occur?
5) Why did foreigners hold so much power in China at this time?
29
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
Appendix B
Parent Survey Questions - Post
1) My child often reads nonfiction texts such as newspapers, online articles,
magazines, biographies, or other informational books.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
2) My child often reads nonfiction texts without a teacher requiring it.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
3) I regularly talk with my child about current events.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
4) My child regularly highlights and/or takes notes over reading material.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
5) My child is reading fluently at grade level informational texts such as news articles,
magazines, informational books, and/or classroom textbooks.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
6) My child is understanding at grade level informational texts such as news articles,
magazines, informational books, and/or classroom textbooks.
5 – strongly agree
4 – agree
3 – neutral
2 – disagree
1 - strongly disagree
Below, please tell the researcher more detail about your child’s nonfiction reading habits or
attitudes. In particular, please comment on the above questions.
30
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
Appendix C
Student Feedback Form
Peer Presentation of Informational Article
Observation
Score
(1 = did not understand; 5 =
understood very well)
Feedback
Two main ideas are …
I understood the main ideas of
the article.
1
2
3
4
5
2 or 3 key details were …
I understood the key details
such as who, what, where,
when, and why.
1
I understood what reading
strategy I was asked to
complete and how I should
complete it.
I understood the article well
enough to explain it to
someone else.
2
3
4
5
The reading strategy was …
1
2
3
4
5
One thing I learned from the
article is …
1
2
3
4
5
INFORMATIONAL TEXT COMPREHENSION INTERVENTION
31
Appendix D
Articles and Resources for Intervention
Brooman, J. (1990). 20th century history series: China since 1900. New York: Longman.
CNN.com – various articles
“Commanding Heights: Up for Debate – Globalization and Poverty, Episode Three.” Retrieved
from PBS.org. Website:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitext/tr_show03.html#11
Newsela.com – various articles
Price, S. S. (2009). A wicked history: Cixi – evil empress of china? New York: Scholastic.
YahooNews.com (Kids) – various articles