Socio-Constructivist and Political Views on Teachers' Implementation of Two Types of Reading Comprehension Approaches in Low-Income Schools.

Researchers have reported that two types of instructional approaches-strategy instruction and high-level talk about text-lead to reading comprehension improvement in elementary-age students. One hypothesis is that both approaches have similar student outcomes because they develop high-level thinking about text. This article examines the literature on the two instructional approaches (cognitive strategy instruction and responsive engagement instruction), presents socio-constructivist views of teaching and learning, and explains what can happen when a socio-constructivist perspective guides teachers' implementation of either approach in low-income schools. The authors discuss three implementation challenges beyond the frameworks of either instructional approach-the impact of district/school initiatives, movement of teachers from teacher-directed to student-directed instruction, and the selection and use of appropriate texts-and how teachers have met such challenges. They conclude with recommendations for improved classroom practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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