Does naturally occurring comprehension strategies instruction make a difference when students read expository text?

The present study examined whether observed differences in naturally occurring classroom instruction of reading comprehension strategies were reflected in students' independent use of strategies to comprehend expository text. Based on a descriptive classroom study in 4 ninth-grade language arts classrooms, participants were divided into two groups depending on the amount of comprehension strategies instruction that had been observed in their classrooms. When working independently on an experimental reading task, students in the high strategies instruction group (n=58) performed better and seemed to make effective use of deeper-level strategies, whereas students in the low strategies instruction group (n=46) seemed to rely more on surface-level memorisation strategies. This study is unique in following up descriptive classroom data on comprehension strategies instruction with data from an experimental reading task, suggesting that not only carefully crafted comprehension strategies interventions but also naturally occurring comprehension strategies instruction may make a difference when students strive to comprehend expository text.