The interpretive strategies utilized by elementary students with and without learning disabilities in comprehending poemsGeorgette G. Lee

Abstract

Poetry is a genre that supports all aspects of literacy, and it is the first to which most children are exposed through motherly lullabies. Yet, while many studies have been conducted on prose comprehension, there is little empirical research on poetry comprehension, and none published on the specific strategies elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) utilize in understanding poems. The purpose of this study is to examine the interpretive strategies used by students in comprehending poetry. Participants were 16 fifth and sixth grade students with LD and 16 of their typical peers, who individually listened to poems and answered questions about them. Students with LD effectively used as many interpretive operations as their peers, adopted an aesthetic stance to reading, and performed more like experts than novices. Furthermore, the difficulty of the poems did not appear to have affected the students’ enjoyment of them.

Keywords

• Poetry Comprehension
• Learning Disabilities
• Strategies