Training inference making skills using a situation model approach improves reading comprehension

Lisanne T Bos, Bjorn de Koning, Stephanie I Wassenburg, Menno van der Schoot

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study aimed to enhance third and fourth graders’ text comprehension at the
situation model level. Therefore, we tested a reading strategy training developed
to target inference making skills, which are widely considered to be pivotal to
situation model construction. The training was grounded in contemporary literature on
situation model-based inference making and addressed the source (text-based versus
knowledge-based), type (necessary versus unnecessary for (re-)establishing coherence),
and depth of an inference (making single lexical inferences versus combining multiple
lexical inferences), as well as the type of searching strategy (forward versus backward).
Results indicated that, compared to a control group (n = 51), children who followed
the experimental training (n = 67) improved their inference making skills supportive to
situation model construction. Importantly, our training also resulted in increased levels
of general reading comprehension and motivation. In sum, this study showed that a
‘level of text representation’-approach can provide a useful framework to teach inference
making skills to third and fourth graders.
Original languageEnglish
Article number116
Number of pages13
JournalFrontiers in Psychology
Volume7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Feb 2016

Research programs

  • ESSB PSY

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