A Study of the Relationship between the Theoretical and Empirical Research of the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity and the Specific Comprehension Strategy

Theoreticians and empiricists have stressed the importance of organization in the learning process and, therefore, the importance of instructional strategies that help develop a child's ability to organize information. Theoreticians have also stressed the importance of the student's active...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Lederer, Debra Yuhas
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published 1977
Subjects
Advance Organizers
Cognitive Development
Critical Reading
Critical Thinking
Directed Reading Activity
Directed Reading Thinking Activity
Educational Strategies
Elementary Secondary Education
Learning Processes
Learning Theories
Reading Comprehension
Reading Instruction
Reading Research
Reading Strategies
Research Needs
Specific Comprehension Strategy
Student Centered Curriculum
Student Interests
Teacher Role
Teaching Methods
Theory Practice Relationship
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Summary:Theoreticians and empiricists have stressed the importance of organization in the learning process and, therefore, the importance of instructional strategies that help develop a child's ability to organize information. Theoreticians have also stressed the importance of the student's active participation in the learning process. The Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) strategy differs from the traditional Directed Reading Activity in that it is student-centered, stressing critical reading and student interest more than right or wrong answers. This does not mean, however, that the teacher's role is unimportant. Little empirical research has been done to compare the two methods, but it seems that teachers ask more inferring, interpreting, and evaluating questions when using the DRTA strategy, which in turn generates more hypothesizing, predicting, and theorizing from their students. The Specific Comprehension Strategy (SCS) also has received much support from both reading and psychological fields. While stressing students' active involvement in the reading-thinking process, SCS also provides an external structure by which children can critically examine what they hear, see, read, and think. Research on SCS indicates that it may be a viable alternative for developing reading comprehension. (JL)