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The impact of language ability and text variables on sixth-grade students' comprehension

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Marge J. Penning  and
Taffy E. Raphael
Marge J. Penning*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Consultation Services
Taffy E. Raphael
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
*
Marge J. Penning, 3688 Lake Drive, S.E., Kentwood, MI 49546
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Abstract

This study examined differences between normally achieving students and learning-disabled students with specific problems in reading comprehension (i.e., poor comprehenders) on measures of language ability, including overall ability, auditory processing, receptive and expressive language, and syntactic ability related to text retellings. Differences were related to performance on free and probed comprehension of expository passages varying in syntactic structure and discourse type. Poor comprehending students differed from normally achieving students on all language measures and in the manner in which reader-related and text-related variables predicted comprehension. Results support the positive role of syntactic ability in text comprehension, differences in free and probed recall responses, and the facilitating effect of structured text on recall.

Type
Articles
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , December 1991 , pp. 397 - 417
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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