Abstract
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to validate improved comprehension through teacher intervention of critical thinking strategies. Participants were seven grade-4 students with average reading fluency, attending an urban school in southeastern Massachusetts. Comprehension growth was measured by the Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation, Developmental Reading Assessment, and teacher documentations. These fluent readers struggled with both literal and inferential comprehension skills. A logical sequence of teacher-posed discussion questions enabled participants in this study to think about and respond critically to text as they examined author style and intent through a variety of genres. At the conclusion of this study, students individually demonstrated improved comprehension and began to independently implement critical thinking strategies by questioning the author.