University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Testing and Refining the Direct and Inferential Mediation Model of Reading Comprehension

Cromley, J.G.; Azevedo, R.

Content Files
Cromley and Azevedo 2007 in Word.docx

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/96252

Description

Title
Testing and Refining the Direct and Inferential Mediation Model of Reading Comprehension
Author(s)
  • Cromley, J.G.
  • Azevedo, R.
Issue Date
2007
Keyword(s)
  • reading comprehension
  • knowledge level
  • inference
  • strategies
  • vocabulary
Date of Ingest
2017-06-13T15:50:33Z
Abstract
A significant proportion of American high school students struggle with reading comprehension. Theoretical models of reading comprehension might help researchers understand these difficulties, because they can point to variables that make the largest contributions to comprehension. On the basis of an extensive review of the literature, we created a new model of reading comprehension, the direct and inferential mediation (DIME) model. The model hypothesizes relationships among background knowledge, inferences, reading comprehension strategies, vocabulary, and word reading and addresses the direct and mediated effects of these 5 predictors on comprehension. The authors tested the fit of the model and 3 variations of the model to data from 175 students in 9th grade. The DIME model explained 66% of the variance in comprehension. Vocabulary and background knowledge made the largest contributions to comprehension, followed by inference, word reading, and strategies. Analyses of participants scoring below the 30th percentile on comprehension showed these students to have low scores on all of the measures. The authors suggest that vocabulary and background knowledge interventions might be the best way to begin improving the academic reading comprehension of students like those in the sample.
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Type of Resource
text
Genre of Resource
Article
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/96252
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.2.311
Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)
AERA/Spencer Pre-Dissertation Fellowship; Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship; National Science Foundation (REC#0133346).
Copyright and License Information
Text (c) by the authors, 2007

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Research and Presentations - Education PRIMARY