Influence- of Topic interest on Elack Children. and.

*Center-or the Study cf Beading (Illinois) To assess whether black- children comprehend more cif high- than. low- interest reading materiale-vhethen the performance discrepancy between white ' and black children is reduced- unAer high-interest conditions, and to determine the degree of similarity of the interests of uhite and black children, a study invciving 33 black and 33. white fifth- gradersiras conducted. Twenty-five color slides covering a vide range of topics mere used to assess interest. The reading comprehension phase of the experiment involved the use of ai set of encyclopedia passages, half of which 'corresponded to the child's least preferred topits. Results indicated that black children comprehended more of high than 1ov-interest material. Hhite children's performance was similarly influenced by the interest level of material; the gap between white and tlack.Childret's performanCe as not reduced under the high-interest cordition..Analysis o