Enhancing comprehension skill and self-efficacy with strategy value information

Two experiments investigated how providing remedial readers with information that strategy use improves performance influenced their self-efficacy and compre-hension skill. In both studies, children were given training on finding main ideas. Children in Experiment 1 received specific strategy value information, general strategy value information, specific plus general (combined) information, or no strategy value information. In Experiment 2, children received strategy effective-ness feedback, specific strategy value information, or feedback plus specific (combined) information. In each study, the combined treatment enhanced self-efficacy and skill better than the other conditions, which did not differ. These results suggest that remedial readers may not benefit much from minimal information on how strategy use can improve performance. Multiple sources of strategy value information may be necessary to enhance self-efficacy and comprehension skill. Children's use of cognitive strategies, or systematic plans oriented toward improving performance, typically increases with age and task experience (Brown