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An intervention programme for enhancing kindergarteners' cognitive engagement and comprehension skills through reading informational texts
Author(s) -
Chlapana Elissavet
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1741-4369
pISSN - 1741-4350
DOI - 10.1111/lit.12085
Subject(s) - reading comprehension , psychology , intervention (counseling) , cognition , comprehension , reading (process) , think aloud protocol , dialogic , mathematics education , pedagogy , developmental psychology , linguistics , computer science , philosophy , usability , human–computer interaction , neuroscience , psychiatry
The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether systematic instruction of informational texts can enhance kindergarteners' cognitive involvement in text discussion and comprehension skills. The sample consisted of 15 children aged 5–6 years old in a kindergarten classroom located in a rural area in Rethymno, Crete. A four‐phase intervention programme was implemented within a 2‐month period. During the first phase, activities were carried out in order to familiarise children with the features of informational texts. During the subsequent phases, reciprocal teaching, What I know ‐ What I want to learn ‐ What I learned (KWL) practice and dialogic reading were used to help children comprehend text information, enhance their cognitive involvement in text discussion and train them in asking literal and inferential questions. The teacher's reading‐aloud sessions were recorded and transcribed. Data showed that the intervention programme helped children recognise the features of informational texts, enhanced their cognitive involvement in text discussion and motivated them to demonstrate comprehension skills that are related to information processing.