The Effect of Inference Training on Children's Comprehension of Expository Text

Abstract

Abstract. Three procedures were used to help sixth-grade children increase inferential reading comprehension with expository text: a structured overview to activate background knowledge, the cloze procedure to develop an inferential thinking strategy, and a self-monitoring checklist to train the subjects to use the strategy independently. There were two treatment groups. One used the cloze procedure to integrate text and background knowledge and the checklist to maintain the strategy; the other used both the structured overview and the cloze procedure with the checklist. A control group read the same materials as the other two groups, but was not trained in any strategy. Posttests periodically measured the students' progress and ability to infer. Transfer and delayed transfer tests measured the application of inferential skills to untaught materials immediately after instruction and six weeks thereafter without further instruction. Results indicated that students in both treatment groups increased their inferential comprehension skills as measured by both the immediate and delayed transfer tests. Results also indicated that below average readers benefitted most from the instruction.Recent research in reading assumes that comprehension is a constructive process in which meaning is derived from the text and from interactions between the text and the background knowledge of the reader. In this process the reader's background knowledge fulfills a vital role in at least two respects. First, as the reader interacts with the information in the text, his/her prior knowledge affects his/her interpretation of the text and deter-1

A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Inference Generation Strategy Intervention for Adults With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Participants in the treatment group of the present study scored significantly higher on the Inference subtest of the WGCTA than the control group, which is consistent with previous research, suggesting the utility of explicit strategy instruction (Fisher et al, 2002;Lenz & Hughes, 1990;Schumaker & Deshler, 1992;Seybert, 1998). This result was consistent with several studies investigating explicit instruction in inference generation, which showed positive and significant results favoring the treatment group on reading comprehension measures (Carnine, Kameenui, & Woolfson 1982;Carr, Dewitz, & Patberg, 1983;Dewitz et al, 1987;Flores & Ganz, 2007, 2009O'Connor & Klein, 2004;Reutzel & Hollingsworth, 1988). However, no significant differences were found between the groups for generating inferences in reading on the IGIRT.…”

Examining the impact of inference instruction on the literal and inferential comprehension of skilled and less skilled readers: A meta-analytic review.

“…Some of the studies were found in multiple reports. Many of the duplicated studies were published from dissertations (e.g., Carr, Dewitz, & Patberg, 1983; Hansen, 1981; Hansen & Pearson, 1983), or were research findings summarized in teacher journals or book chapters (e.g., Holmes, 1983; Yuill & Oakhill, 1991). If two reports were found for the same experiments, the earlier report was coded.…”

Processes in Reading Comprehension and the Teaching of Comprehension

“…The basic result was that students learned to comprehend and acquire the kind of information from new stories, presented without any adjunct questions, that was required in the training stories. Carr, Dewitz, and Patberg (1983) employed three types of training with sixth graders: a structured overview to activate background knowledge, a cloze procedure designed to develop inferencing, and a self-monitoring checklist. One training group used the cloze procedure and the checklist, the second used the overview and cloze procedures.…”