Text Structure Strategies for Improving Expository Reading Comprehension

Abstract

Comprehending expository reading material is a challenge for many students. Research has shown that students’ expository reading comprehension can improve with the help of text structure instruction. The purpose of this article is to present teachers with a framework for effectively implementing text structure instruction in their classrooms. Within this framework, the authors suggest four possible learning objectives for text structure instruction. They then describe instructional strategies related to each objective and ways to assess whether the objectives were met. Finally, the authors discuss some issues to consider when choosing expository reading material for students and present text structure unit plans for grades 2 and 5 as examples of how teachers might construct a unit.

Improving Reading Comprehension of Informational Text: Text Structure Instruction for Students With or At Risk for Learning Disabilities

“…In text structure instruction, authentic texts can be contrasted with controlled exemplar texts, which are carefully crafted to exemplify particular text structures and their elements (e.g., Williams et al, 2016). Teachers use single-structure exemplar texts in the initial phases of text structure instruction (Jones, Clark, & Reutzel, 2016) and teach students strategies for analyzing particular structures, such as using a note frame to organize important information (e.g., Roehling, Hebert, Nelson, & Bohaty, 2017). Explicit instruction and practice with controlled exemplar texts may serve as a form of scaffolding to strengthen students’ mental representations of text structures (Meyer & Ray, 2011).…”

“…Before learning to identify and analyze the author’s use of multiple structural elements in an authentic text, students must be able to identify single text structures (Jones et al, 2016). This initial phase of text structure instruction is often implemented with controlled exemplar texts (e.g., Roehling et al, 2017). After mastering single structures, students are ready to apply their cumulative knowledge to a more authentic and complex text.…”

Why Children With Dyslexia Struggle With Writing and How to Help Them

“…Text structure instruction has been identified as an effective strategy for improving the expository reading and writing skills of students, especially those with learning disabilities (Duke & Pearson, 2002;Gersten, Fuchs, Williams, & Baker, 2001;Roehling, Hebert, Nelson, & Bohaty, 2017). Hebert, Bohaty, Nelson, and Brown (2016) found that these strategies were particularly effective when writing was involved and also found larger effect sizes for students with learning disabilities.…”

Emotional Intelligence of Elementary Scholar: Instructional Strategy and Personality Tendency

“…Students listened and understood the material delivered by teachers. Introvert personality type tended to learn on their own rather than collaborating, thus, providing learning with individual work methods making introvert students comfortable and easy to understand (Howorth et al, 2016;Mills et al, 2019;Roehling et al, 2017;Sugiharta, 2019;Syarofah, Wiryokusumo, & Sugito, 2019). In expository learning, the teacher explained the objectives and material to be discussed in learning.…”