Differential Competencies Contributing to Children's Comprehension of Narrative and Expository Texts

TLDR

This study examined how reading decoding skills and world knowledge influence third graders' comprehension of narrative versus expository texts. Third graders read one narrative and one expository text, and comprehension was measured via free recall, cued recall, and multiple-choice questions, while decoding skills and world knowledge were assessed using Woodcock–Johnson III Tests. Narrative comprehension surpassed expository comprehension, with decoding skills driving narrative understanding and world knowledge driving expository understanding.

Abstract

This study examined the influences of reading decoding skills and world knowledge on third graders' comprehension of narrative and expository texts. Children read a narrative text and an expository text. Comprehension of each text was assessed with a free recall prompt, three cued recall prompts, and 12 multiple-choice questions. Tests from the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001 Woodcock, R. W., McGrew, K. S. and Mather, N. 2001. Woodcock–Johnson III, Itasca, IL: Riverside. [Google Scholar]) were used to assess reading decoding skills and world knowledge. Comprehension was better for the narrative text than the expository text, and the effects of reader competencies depended on text genre. Comprehension of the narrative text was most influenced by reading decoding skills. In contrast, expository text comprehension was most influenced by world knowledge.