This article describes research on the use of focus-type materials (organizers) to improve reading comprehension of junior college freshmen. The use and placement of the organizer with unfamiliar reading materials were examined, with attention also given to possible interactions between the experiment and the variables of intelligence and prior reading ability of subjects. Data presented indicated that use of the organizer significantly increased comprehension test scores, and that placement of the organizer after the reading materials produced the greatest gain. No interaction was found with other variables. Implications of the results for facilitating reading comprehension are included.
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