Examining the Effects of Summarization Strategy Instruction on Summary Skills and Reading Comprehension of Fifth Graders

Author: I-Chung Lu(Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Pingtung University of Education)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 56, No. 3
Date：September 2011
Pages：91-118
DOI：10.3966/2073753X2011095603004

Abstract：

This study designed a summarization strategy instruction for elementary students and examined its effects on the summary skills and reading comprehension of fifth graders. Four fifth-grade classes from two elementary schools in Pingtung County participated in the study. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design, one class in each school was assigned to the experimental group, which received the summarization strategy instruction, while the other class in each school served as the control group, which took practice tests on language arts and received feedback from the teacher. Before, immediately after, and four weeks following the experiment, both groups were tested on summary skills and reading comprehension. The experimental group also filled out a questionnaire after the experiment on their perceptions of the instruction. The results indicated that the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group did in summary skills in both the posttest and delayed posttest and interaction effect was found between instruction and reading ability in the delayed posttest. The two instruction groups did not differ in reading comprehension after the experiment. Students in the experimental group were positive toward the strategy and the instruction.

Keywords：elementary school children, summary skills, summarization strategy instruction, reading comprehension

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