PDF Reading for Understanding

Reading for

Understanding

Toward an R&D Program

in Reading Comprehension

RAND Reading Study Group

Catherine Snow, Chair

Prepared for the

Office of Education Research

and Improvement (OERI)

Science & Technology Policy Institute

R

E D U C AT I O N

The research described in this report was prepared for the Office of Educational

Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Snow, Catherine E.

Reading for understanding : toward a research and development program in

reading comprehension / Catherine Snow.

p. cm.

¡°MR-1465.¡±

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-8330-3105-8

1. Reading comprehension¡ªResearch. 2. Reading¡ªResearch. I. Title.

LB1050.45 .S57 2002

428.4'3¡ªdc21

2001048905

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? Copyright 2002 RAND

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PREFACE

One of the most vexing problems facing middle and secondary school teachers

today is that many students come into their classrooms without the requisite

knowledge, skills, or disposition to read and comprehend the materials placed

before them. In an effort to inform the U.S. Department of Education¡¯s Office of

Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) on ways to improve the quality

and relevance of education research and development, RAND convened 14 experts with a wide range of disciplinary and methodological perspectives in the

field of reading. The RAND Reading Study Group (RRSG) was charged with

proposing strategic guidelines for a long-term research and development program supporting the improvement of reading comprehension. This report is the

product of that group¡¯s efforts and of the valuable commentary provided by

various members of the reading research and practice communities.

This report should be of interest to those involved with the planning of education research and development (R&D) programs by public and private agencies,

and it should also be of interest to researchers who study reading instruction

and practitioners who teach reading.

This report is the first in a series of three RAND reports dealing with the topic of

education R&D. The second report, scheduled for draft publication in summer

2002, will propose an R&D program for mathematics education and the third

report, scheduled for draft publication in fall 2002, will address R&D management issues.

Funding for the RRSG research was provided under a contract with OERI. The

research was carried out under the auspices of RAND Education and the

Science and Technology Policy Institute (S&TPI), a federally funded research

and development center sponsored by the National Science Foundation and

managed by RAND.

iii

iv

Reading for Understanding

Inquiries regarding RAND Education and the S&TPI may be directed to the following individuals:

Helga Rippen, Director

Science and Technology Policy Institute

RAND, 1200 South Hayes Street

Arlington, VA 22202-5050

(703) 413-1100 x5351

Email: stpi@

Dominic Brewer, Director

RAND Education

RAND, 1700 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138

(310) 393-0411 x7515

Email: education@

CONTENTS

Preface ....................................................................................................

iii

Figures .....................................................................................................

vii

Tables ......................................................................................................

ix

Executive Summary ..................................................................................

xi

Acknowledgments .................................................................................... xxiii

RAND Reading Study Group and RAND Staff .............................................

xxv

Chapter One

INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................

Study Methodology ............................................................................

Research Challenges ...........................................................................

The Issues Motivating This Study ........................................................

Much Is Already Known About Improving Comprehension ..................

The Need for a Definition of Reading Comprehension .........................

1

1

2

4

8

9

Chapter Two

DEFINING COMPREHENSION ...........................................................

The Reader .........................................................................................

The Text .............................................................................................

The Activity ........................................................................................

The Context .......................................................................................

11

13

14

15

16

Chapter Three

VARIABILITY IN READING COMPREHENSION ...................................

Variability in Readers ..........................................................................

Sociocultural Influences ..................................................................

Group Differences ...........................................................................

Inter-Individual Differences ............................................................

Intra-Individual Differences ............................................................

Variability in Text ...............................................................................

19

19

20

21

22

23

24

v

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