In an experimental study (N = 209), the authors compared the effects of exposure to typical middleschool written science content when presented in the context of the scientific discovery narrative and when presented in a more traditional nonnarrative format on 7th and 8th grade students in the United States. The development of texts was controlled so as to isolate the presence of the discovery narrative structure as the independent variable; outcome measures were developed according to the BEAR Assessment framework to be sensitive to a range of levels of understanding of presented information and to focus only on the conceptual material presented in the texts. Students exposed to the scientific discovery narrative performed significantly better on both immediate and delayed outcome measures. These findings are discussed in the context of a larger argument for the inclusion of the scientific discovery narrative in science instruction.

Our purpose in this study was to more deeply understand the ways in which text‐based, sociohistorically situated narratives can be optimally used for promoting reading comprehension. In particular, we sought to understand the experiences and perspectives of young readers from diverse backgrounds (N = 24) as they engaged with science discovery narratives (i.e., stories by or about scientists engaged in the process of discovery), which have been shown to have advantages over traditional expository texts (i.e., those that present information without attending to the discovery process) in fostering comprehension of targeted conceptual information. Interviews were conducted and analyzed using a sociocognitive framework that positioned participants as reviewers of text quality. Findings suggest that the personal and sociohistorical elements of science discovery narratives were effective in engaging readers’ interest and helped highlight the culturally situated nature of knowledge and the nature and processes of scientific inquiry. We conclude by arguing that in the development and instructional use of texts, educators would do well to consider the ways in which foregrounding sociohistorical considerations can foster engagement and, hence, greater comprehension in readers from diverse backgrounds.

Abstract:It is well known that the home environment is a major factor in a child's literacy development. Exactly how different home-environmental factors play out across different national contexts is not as well understood. Using data from the 2011 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS), we tested for structural invariance in the relationship between early childhood home literacy practices and later fourth-grade achievement among students across 52 countries or regions within countries (N = 106,297-109,582), while controlling for background characteristics. Findings indicate that the effect of many aspects of the home environment prior to school age, including adult-child interactions and parental values and beliefs about reading, may interact with national factors, particularly factors relating to government-subsidised preschool programmes. Implications include that any 2 D.J. Arya et al.early home reading intervention efforts should include thoughtful consideration of the national policies and funding for preschool learning.

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K–12 intervention studies often include fidelity of implementation (FOI) as a mediating variable, though most do not report the validity of fidelity measures. This article discusses the critical need for validated FOI scales. To illustrate our point, we describe the development and validation of the Implementation Validity Checklist (IVC-R), an observation tool for measuring FOI of a research-based instructional reading approach, Collaborative Strategic Reading. Following Kane (2006), Wilson (2004), and the guidelines of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (Standards: AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014), findings suggest the IVC-R is a valid instrument for measuring fidelity to CSR. We hope this process will provide an informative model for the validation of FOI observation tools in future classroom-based efficacy studies.