Effects of Strategy Training on the Identification of the Main Idea of Expository Passages

Robert J. Stevens

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study we tested the relative effectiveness of four methods for teaching remedial reading students how to identify the main idea of expository paragraphs. Through strategy training, students learned strategies for identifying the topic and main idea of paragraphs and metacognitive strategies for checking their main idea hypotheses. Classification training provided students with instruction and practice in classifying words, phrases, and sentences under appropriate topics. These treatments were compared with a condition that combined both classification and strategy training with a practice-only control. The results indicated significant effects of strategy training on students' ability to identify the main idea in paragraphs about training content and in paragraphs about new content. Classification training showed positive effects on paragraphs about training content, but the effect did not transfer to new content. These results suggest that comprehension strategies and metacognitive strategies can effectively improve remedial readers' ability to identify the main idea of expository paragraphs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)21-26
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Educational Psychology
Volume80
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1988

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Effects of Strategy Training on the Identification of the Main Idea of Expository Passages'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this