title: Do levels of interest have an effect on children's comprehension monitoring performance?
abstract: This study examines the effect of interest levels on the comprehension monitoring ability of 8- and 9-year-old children. Two groups participated in the study; they were matched for single-word reading and vocabulary skills, but differed in comprehension skill. Two tests were carried out which required the children to read a number of brief passages, some of which contained embedded problems. The children's task was to identify the problems. Test 2 was game-like in nature and the children reported finding it more interesting than Test 1. Interest level was found to affect test performance in the poor comprehenders' comprehension monitoring: a significant improvement in their performance was found at high interest levels (Test 2). However, the performance of the good comprehenders was independent of interest level. This study suggests that the comprehension-monitoring deficit in the poor comprehenders is not irreversible, and is likely to be related to poor motivation and low levels of interest. The implications for remedial education are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oakhill
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011932:Reading; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012647:Self-Assessment