Reading Comprehension Instruction in Grades 4, 5, and 6: Program Characteristics; Teacher Perceptions; Teacher Behaviors; and Student Performance.

MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. Academic Achievement; *Basal Reading; Classroom Research; Comparative Analysis; Content Analysis; Intermediate Grades; Reading Achievement; *Reading Comprehension; *Reading Instruction; *Reading Materials; Reading Research; Teacher Attitudes; *Teacher Behavior; *Teacher Effectiveness; Teaching Methods; Textbooks A three-part study was conducted to present an indep, look at reading comprehension instruction in the'middle g4des. In the first part of the study, four basal series for grades 41\5, and 6, were analyzed for clarity of communication, adequacy of skill practice provided, and a number of other comprehension related dimensions. In the second part, 17 teachers were videotaped as they tau0ht two comprehension topic areas and were interviewed to get their perceptions of the texts, they used and of their students' mastery of the material taught. These results were compared with those obtained from a larger sample of teachers who completed questionnaires. The third part of the study examined student achievement for the observed teachers on criterionreferenced tests designed to assess what was taught. Overall results indicated that (1) the text presentations were inadequate in terms of their instructional design features, (2) the teachers ,did not improve upon the texts, (3) teacher perceptions of how well they taught and how much their students learned were inaccurate, and (4) only 55% of the students learned 50% of the comprehension skills presented. (FL) *************************************************************:t********* * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************,. * U.E. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMA r4oN his docum CENTER (ERIC) Tent has been reproduced as received from thdperson or organization originating it. Minor changes have been mado to improve renroduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this docu . ment do not necessarily ropresant official NW position or policy. Lm Reading Comprehension Instruction g) in Lm Grides 4, 5, and 6: Program Characteristics; Teacher Perceptions; Teacher Behaviors; UJ and Student Performance Siegfried E. Engelmann University of Oregon Linda A. Meyer Center for the Study of Reading University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign A complete description of this study can be found in The Final Repara. Implementation of Basal Reading in Grades 4-6, Engelmann and Steely; Project Directors, Engelmann-Becker Corporation, Eugene, Oregon. *This study was designed and carried out by Siegfried Engelmann and Donald Steeley. Fran Goode, Joe Kuhn, Sarah Norris, Randy Sprick, and Paul Williams were assistants in the study. Donald Steeley coordinated the project and Wesley Becker helped with the experimental design. Jean Osboin and Adrienne Allen interviewed the teachers. We acknowledge and appreciate the many helpful comments made by Jean Osborn and Wesley Becker on an earlier draft of this paper. This research was supported in part by a grant to the Engelmann-Becker Corporation by Science Research Associates, and in part by the National Institute of Education under Contract No. NIE-400-81-0030. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Linda A. Meyer TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). "