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Talking Things Through: Roles of Instructional Discourse in Children's Processing of Expository Texts

Academic success depends heavily on students’ ability to acquire information, but expository texts are difficult to process and comprehend, particularly for students with language difficulties. Support can be provided through instructional discourse, the interactive adult–student conversations that scaffold comprehension and content learning. This article suggests ways in which teachers and speech–language pathologists (SLPs) can collaborate in using instructional discourse to guide students in the processes of attending to text, relating implied to stated information, connecting text content to background knowledge, and applying text content to students’ own experiences. SLPs and teachers can promote comprehension within discourse as they modify text demands and apply strategies pertaining to questioning, responding, commenting, and extending discussions. This article reviews the literature in the area of instructional discourse and illustrates strategies that can be implemented to facilitate students’ ability to participate in class discussions and process expository texts.