The Interpretive Strategies Utilized by Elementary Students with and without Learning Disabilities in Comprehending Poems

Poetry is a genre that supports all aspects of literacy, and it is the first to which most children areexposed through motherly lullabies. Yet, while many studies have been conducted on prosecomprehension, there is little empirical research on poetry comprehension, and none published onthe specific strategies elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) utilize in understandingpoems. The purpose of this study is to examine the interpretive strategies used by students incomprehending poetry. Participants were 16 fifth and sixth grade students with LD and 16 of theirtypical peers, who individually listened to poems and answered questions about them. Students withLD effectively used as many interpretive operations as their peers, adopted an aesthetic stance toreading, and performed more like experts than novices. Furthermore, the difficulty of the poems didnot appear to have affected the students’ enjoyment of them.