Abstract
Students with learning disabilities (LD) often have difficulty comprehending what they read. Although reading comprehension problems frequently are associated with inadequate word recognition, students also have difficulties related to comprehension itself—a passive approach to the reading task, insensitivity to text structure, and poor metacognitive skills. The reading and language arts curricula that have emerged from today’s constructivist paradigm can pose problems for these students. Whereas the new curricula emphasize personal interpretations of text and relatively unstructured teaching strategies, students with LD do well with explicit, highly structured instruction. This paper introduces an instructional program designed to teach students with serious learning disabilities how to identify a story theme, and how to relate it to their own real-life experiences. The program focused on understanding a text as a whole, and integrating text meaning with concepts and experiences that are personally meaningful, goals shared by a constructivist approach. At the same time, the program incorporates the explicit, structured instruction that these students also need. A study to evaluate the program’s effectiveness is described, as are current efforts to refine the program to promote transfer of comprehension strategies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allington, R. L., and McGill-Franzen, A. 1989. School response to reading failure: Chapter I and special education students in grades 2, 4, and 8. Elementary School Journal 89:529–42.
Anderson, R. C., and Pearson, P. D. 1984. A schema-theoretic view of basic processes in reading comprehension. In P. D. Pearson, R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, and P. Mosenthal, eds., Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. I. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Au, K. H., and Carroll, J. H. 1997. Improving literacy achievement through a constructivist approach: The KEEP Demonstration Classroom Project. Elementary School Journal 97:203–21.
Beach, R. 1993. A Teachers’ Introduction to Reader Response Theories. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Brown, L. G., and Williams, J. P. 1991. A developmental study of theme comprehension. Paper read at the 41st Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference, December 1991, Palm Springs.
Brown, A. L., and Palincsar, A. M. 1989. Guided, cooperative learning and individual knowledge acquisition. In L.B. Resnick, ed., Knowing and Learning: Essays in Honor of Robert Glaser. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Cain, K. 1996. Story knowledge and comprehension skill. In C. Cornoldi and J. Oakhill, eds., Reading Comprehension Difficulties: Processes and Intervention. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Dole, J. A., Williams, J. P., Osborn, J., Bourassa, J., Bartisias, K., Greene, S. and Terry, D. 1998. Reading Comprehension Instruction. Washington, DC: American Federation of Teachers.
Dorfman, M. H. 1989. Understanding the Points of Fables: A Developmental Study. Unpublished manuscript.
Dorfman, M. H., and Brewer, W. F. 1994. Understanding the Points of Fables. Discourse Procedures 17:105–29.
Dyer, M. G. 1983. In-depth Understanding: A Computer Model of Integrated Processing for Narrative Comprehension. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Gersten, R., and Carnine, D. 1986. Direct instruction in reading comprehension. Educational Leadership 43:70–78.
Lehr, S. 1991. The Child’s Developing Sense of Theme. New York: Teachers College.
Leung, C. C., and Williams, J. P. 1997. Aspects of Moral Theme Comprehension. In J. P. Williams, ed., Interpretation of Theme in Narrative. Final Report to U.S. Department of Education.
Lukens, R. 1988. A Critical Handbook of Children’s Literature. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.
New York City Board of Education. 1991. Educational Services for Students with Handicapping Conditions. Joseph A. Fernandez, Chancellor.
Oakhill, J., and Yuill, N. 1996. Higher order factors in comprehension disability: Processes and remediation. In C. Cornoldi and J. Oakhill, eds., Reading Comprehension Difficulties: Processes and Intervention. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Pearson, P. D., and Fielding, L. 1991. Comprehension instruction. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, and P. D. Pearson, eds., Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. II. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Pressley, M., and McCormick, C. 1995. Advanced Educational Psychology. New York: Harcourt Brace.
Rogers, T. 1990. A point, counterpoint response strategy for complex short stories. Journal of Reading 34:278–82.
Seifert, C. M., Dyer, M. G., and Black, J. B. 1986. Thematic knowledge in story understanding. Text 6:393–425.
Simmons, D. C., Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Mathes, P. G., and Hodge, J. P. 1995. Effects of explicit teaching and peer tutoring on the reading achievement of learning-disabled and low-performing students in regular classrooms. The Elementary School Journal 95:387–408.
Singer, H., and Donlan, D. 1982. Active comprehension: Problem-solving schema with question generation for comprehension of complex short stories. Reading Research Quarterly 17:166–86.
Swanson, H. L., and McMahon, C. M. 1996. Synthesis of intervention research for students with learning disabilities. Preliminary Report, U.S. Department of Education Grant H023E40014.
Tompkins, J. P. (Ed.). 1980. Reader-response Criticism. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Wilder, A. A., and Williams, J. P. 1997. Promoting transfer in an instructional program in the comprehension of narrative themes. In J. P. Williams, ed., Interpretation of Theme in Narrative. Final report to U.S. Department of Education.
Williams, J. P. 1993. Comprehension of students with and without learning disabilities: Identification of narrative themes and idiosyncratic text representations. Journal of Educational Psychology 85:631–41.
Williams, J. P., Taylor, M. B., and deCani, J. S. 1984. Constructing macrostructure for expository text. Journal of Educational Psychology 76:1065–75.
Williams, J. P., Brown, L. G., Silverstein, A. K., and deCani, J. S. 1994. An instructional program for adolescents with learning disabilities in the comprehension of narrative themes. Learning Disability Quarterly 17:205–21.
Williams, J. P., Leung, C. C., Wilder, A. A., and deCani, J. S. 1997. Comprehension profiles of adolescents as a function of age and learning-disability status. In J. P. Williams, ed., Interpretation of Theme in Narrative. Final Report to U.S. Department of Education.
Wixson, K. K., and Lipson, M. Y. 1991. Perspectives on reading disability research. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, and P. D. Pearson, eds., Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. II. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Wolman, C., van den Broek, P., and Lorch, R. F. 1997. Effects of causal structure on immediate and delayed story recall by children with mild mental retardation, children with learning disabilities, and children without disabilities. Journal of Special Education 30:439–55.
Wong, B. Y. L. 1984. Metacognition and learning disabilities. In T. Waller, D. Forrest, and E. MacKinnon, eds., Metacognition, Cognition, and Human Performance. New York: Academic Press.
References for Stories
Bealer, A. 1985. Sequoyah and the talking leaves. In Z. Sutherland, ed., Close to the Sun (pp. 160–64). LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing Company. Reprinted from A. Bealer. 1972. Sequoyah and the Talking Leaves. Only the Names Remain. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. (LESSON 5)
Bunting, E. 1985. A fish for Finn. In Z. Sutherland, ed., Close to the Sun (pp. 255–62). LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing Co. (PRETEST)
Clyne, P. E. 1985. Well done, Sybil Ludington. In Z. Sutherland, ed., Close to the Sun (pp. 107–12). LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing Company. Reprinted from P. E. Clyne. 1976. Well Done, Sybil Ludington. Patriots in Petticoats. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co. (LESSON 2)
Freedman, F. B. 1985. Two tickets to freedom. In Z. Sutherland, ed., Close to the Sun (pp. 113–21). LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing Co. Adapted by F.B. Freedman. 1971. Two Tickets to Freedom. New York: Simon and Schuster. (LESSON 11)
Grail, G. 1985. The second voyage of Sinbad. In Z. Sutherland, ed., Close to the Sun (pp. 429–32). LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing Co. (LESSON 8)
Hurwitz, L. 1989. Ali Baba Bernstein. In P. D. Pearson, D. D. Johnson, T. Clymer, et al., eds., On the Horizon (pp. 42–54). Needham, MA: Silver Burdett and Ginn. Reprinted from L. Hurwitz, The Adventures of Ali Baba Bernstein. (LESSON 9)
LeGrand, H. 1986. How baseball began in Brooklyn. In Z. Sutherland, ed., Close to the Sun (pp. 381–88). LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing Co. Reprinted from H. LeGrand. 1958. How Baseball Began in Brooklyn. New York: McIntosh and Otis. (LESSON 7)
Pinkwater, D. M. 1989. The big orange splot. In P. D. Pearson, D. D. Johnson, T. Clymer, et al., eds., On the Horizon (pp. 14–19). Needham, MA: Silver Burdett and Ginn. (LESSON 4)
Rosenbaum, J. 1989. King Midas and the gold touch. In P. D. Pearson, D. D. Johnson, T. Clymer, et al., eds., On the Horizon (pp. 130–36). Needham, MA: Silver, Burdett and Ginn. (LESSON 1)
Semyonov, S. T. 1979. The servant. In C. G. Spiegler and R. B. Goodman, eds., A Matter of Judgment (pp. 80–85). New York: Globe Book Co. Reprinted from Seltzer (ed.), Best Russian Short Stories. New York: Random House. (POSTTEST)
Wagner, E. 1970. The night a sitter stood tall. In W. J. Halliburton, D. Minor, and M. E. Pelkonia, eds., New Worlds of Literature (pp. 92–94). New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc. (LESSON 10)
Waters, J. 1985. Kate Shelley and the Midnight Limited. In Z. Sutherland, ed., Close to the Sun (pp. 396–401). LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing Co. Reprinted from J. Waters. 1978. Kate Shelley and the Midnight Limited. Cricket Magazine. (LESSON 3)
Webb, B. O. 1978. Jump for center. In I. E. Aaron, G. W. Gray, A. Johns et al., eds., Batter Up! (pp. 224–28). Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Co. Reprinted from B. O. Webb. 1976. Jump for Center. Instructor. (LESSON 12)
Wiesner, W. 1985. The tower of Babel. In Z. Sutherland, ed., Close to the Sun (pp. 170–73). LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing Co. Reprinted from W. Wiesner. 1968. The Tower of Babel. New York: Viking, Penguin, Inc. (LESSON 6)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Williams, J.P. Improving the comprehension of disabled readers. Ann. of Dyslexia 48, 213–238 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-998-0010-9
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-998-0010-9