Abstract
This experiment was designed to determine whether beginning readers read with fewer oral reading errors if the reading materials have content directly related to the reader's existing cognitive structure (i.e., reading based on recent concrete experiences). Fifty-four children, 18 each at basal reading levels one, two, and three, were given meaningful and nonmeaningful reading materials. Meaningfulness was manipulated by basing the reading materials on an audio-tutorial science program. Results indicated that the beginning readers read with 25 percent fewer oral reading errors (p < .001) when the content was meaningfully related to recent concrete experiences. Such results are taken as support for the hypothesis that beginning readers use semantic information.