Teaching Struggling Middle School Readers to Comprehend Informational Text

Abstract

This project involves developing a reading comprehension curriculum based on the Construction-Integration model (Kintsch, 1998) and implementing a pilot efficacy study in middle-school classrooms. The curriculum (BRAVO) explicitly defines the cognitive processes involved in skilled reading, teaching students how to establish local and global text coherence and use background knowledge to create a mental model the prerequisite to deep, meaningful learning. A crucial and unique component is the use of sequenced texts related to a single over-arching topic, enabling students to use their expanding prior knowledge while reading complex expository texts. BRAVO, consistent with Common Core State Standards, bridges the divide between grade-school narratives and secondary-level textbooks.