Elementary Informational Text Instruction: A Research Review

By Barbara A. Marinak and Linda B. Gambrell.

Published by The Learning Collection

Format	Price
Article: Print	$US10.00
Article: Electronic	$US5.00

The case for choosing and using more informational text at all grade levels has been made a number of researchers (Duke, 2000; Duke & Pearson, 2002; Hall, Sabey & McClellan, 2005; Williams, Hall, & Lauer, 2004). Hall, Sabey, and McClellan (2005) and Williams (2005) found that text structure instruction was effective for promoting informational text comprehension. Text structure awareness has also been linked to more accurate recall, retelling and identification of relationships between ideas (Richgels, McGee, Lomax & Sheard, 1987). However, Donovan (2001) found teachers reluctant to include more non-fiction because they were not sure how to support comprehension using informational text and lacked methods to productively teach specific structures. This review will discuss the research related to informational text instruction. Specifically, investigations will be reviewed that offer recommendations for (a) why teach about informational text, (b) what to teach about informational text, and (c) how to teach about informational text.

Keywords:	Informational Text Structures, Elementary Reading Instruction

The International Journal of Learning, Volume 15, Issue 9, pp.75-84. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 611.918KB).

Dr. Barbara A. Marinak

Assistant Professor, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, Harrisburg, PA, USA

Barbara A. Marinak is Assistant Professor of Education and Graduate Program Coordinator for Literacy at Penn State Harrisburg. Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State, Dr. Marinak spent over twenty years as a public school educator. Her positions included reading consultant, reading supervisor, elementary curriculum supervisor, and acting superintendent. Dr. Marinak’s research interests include informational text, reading motivation, and the observation and supervision of literacy instruction. She has published in numerous journals including The Reading Teacher, Literacy Research and Instruction, and the Yearbook of the College Reading Association. Her dissertation received the College Reading Association’s Dissertation Award in 2005.

Linda B. Gambrell

Distinguished Professor, Eugene T. Moore School of Education, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA

Dr. Linda B. Gambrell is Distinguished Professor of Education in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University. She is also the Past Oresident of International Reading Association.

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