A Proposed Method for Learning from Textbooks in the Primary Grades: Use of Text Structure to Guide Self-Questioning

A questioning strategy is proposed for teaching primary-level children about text organization or structure, such as cause-effect, comparison-contrast, and problem-solution. Once students can reliably identify different types of organization, they are taught to ask questions appropriate to each type to guide their learning. A cognitive-strategy instruction model is used as the vehicle for teaching children through modeling by a teacher, interactive discussion, and practice with corrective feedback. In addition, students are taught how to monitor the process, so responsibility is transferred from teacher to student. Some questions demand searching for answers in the text. Others are more complex, demanding integration of textual elements and use of personal knowledge for answering questions.