Adolescent Literacy, Field Tested —
Abstract of

Chapter 4
Supporting Cumulative Knowledge Building Through Reading

Eileen Kintsch

Sally Hampton

The problem for many struggling students, it is argued here, is not faulty decoding skills, but a failure to develop the knowledge base needed to comprehend and learn from informational text in content area classes. This chapter outlines a principled, research-based approach to instruction, which targets the specific cognitive processes underlying successful comprehension. Three model programs, in which comprehension and writing instruction are embedded in subject matter learning, demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. Although broad commitment to educational reform is slow developing, we believe that classroom teachers can adapt their materials at hand to focus on in-depth content and literacy instruction.

Kintsch, E., & Hampton, S. (2009). Supporting Cumulative Knowledge Building Through Reading. In S.R. Parris, D. Fisher, & K. Headley (Eds.), Adolescent Literacy, Field Tested (pp. 47-57). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.