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The study examines comprehension after oral and silent reading in elementary- and middle-school students. It investigates whether and when one mode is superior to the other for comprehension as children develop, independent of reading ability levels. One hundred and seventy three children in first through seventh grades orally and silently read grade-appropriate passages and answered comprehension questions. A clear grade-related trend was found in which oral reading was the superior mode for comprehension in first through fifth grades. In sixth grade, neither mode was superior to the other for comprehension. Finally, silent reading emerged as the better mode for comprehension in seventh grade. A Vygotskian model of the internalization of reading is discussed as well as implications of the findings for reading instruction. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

Finds that grade two students' comprehension scores did not differ significantly between oral reading and silent reading, while grade three and four students' comprehension scores were significantly higher after oral reading. Argues that these findings are consistent with a Vygotskian model of the transition from oral to silent reading. (SR)