Abstract
The data for this study was gathered from the researcher’s fourth grade classroom. The school where the author teaches is located in Carmichael, California, a suburb east of Sacramento. The school is a public school with an accelerated program for gifted students and an overall focus on visual and performing arts. As students identified as gifted, the participants in this study are all qualified to receive an accelerated, and compacted curriculum in the areas of language arts and mathematics to meet their needs. The researcher used written assessments, computerized assessments, and anecdotal notes as evidence of student learning. Conclusions Reached The author concludes that more research is needed to understand the impact of the increased use of informational text on overall student understanding and achievement in reading. Proficient readers transfer their reading skills to informational and content area text to help comprehend complex material. Secondary source material which discussed the primary sources and artifacts supported student understanding of the subject matter.