Abstract
Understanding expository text is more difficult than narrative. This is due to multiple text structures and increased difficulty with academic vocabulary and content. Six second grade English Learners participated in this study. Each was able to decode grade level text, but scored at the beginning or early intermediate level on the reading portion of the California English Language Development Test. The 45 minute lessons took place three days a week for seven weeks. They involved explicit instruction of the following expository text structures: description, sequencing, and compare and contrast. Each set of lessons began with a concept development activity to help students fully understand the text structures before text was introduced. In addition, they were taught vocabulary for each text structure and the use of graphic organizers to help organize the information. Moreover, the students were taught paraphrasing through think alouds. A qualitative analysis of the QRI 4, Burke’s Reading Inventory and a text structure identification assessment were used to analyze results. The outcomes for this study were favorable. Five of the six students increased their performance on the comprehension portion of the QRI. Furthermore, students’ comprehension increased when given an extra scaffold of a Venn diagram. Also noteworthy, these students still comprehended fiction text at a higher level than expository text. These findings support previous findings that students have more difficulty with expository text. The results of this study are consistent with outcomes of previous studies that explicit instruction in comprehension as early as the primary grades is beneficial.