Reading and Learning from Conceptually Connected Reading

Research suggests that both the comprehension processes readers use and their background knowledge about a text’s topic influence reading comprehension. It is less clear whether and how building knowledge through reading shapes readers’ use of comprehension processes. In this study, fourth-grade students were randomly assigned to read and respond to a set of informational texts that cohere around concepts about the ocean or a set that addresses a range of science concepts. We assessed students’ (a) knowledge of ocean vocabulary and concepts, (b) reading processes revealed through think-alouds while reading new ocean texts, and (c) retelling of the new tests. Results indicated that the students who read the ocean texts acquired more knowledge about the ocean, used a higher proportion of higher-level processes in their think-alouds, and offered stronger retellings. These findings suggest that building knowledge through reading may fuel students’ use of higher-level comprehension processes and their reading comprehension.