Cognitive and metacognitive strategy use in poor comprehenders: an exploratory study

Abstract

Empirical research has shown that poor comprehenders use reading strategies less frequently than good comprehenders. Moreover, poor comprehenders tend to use simple strategies (e.g. slowing down reading when the text is hard to understand) instead of using more complex strategies (e.g. choosing between main and trivial information). The present study aimed to analyse the reading strategies used by poor (n = 37) and good comprehenders n = 141) in a sample of fifth grade Portuguese students. Results from multivariate analysis of covariance showed statistically significant differences in the use of reading strategies between the two subgroups of students, after controlling for the vocabulary. Specifically, good comprehenders reported to use significantly more strategies such as selecting relevant ideas, reviewing the text, evaluating comprehension after reading, forming pictures in mind and rereading parts of the text that are difficult to understand. Thus, the results suggested that good and poor comprehenders differed mainly in the use of more sophisticated cognitive and metacognitive strategies.