Understanding the impact of changing text structure on reading comprehension among third and fourth graders: from informative to narrative structure

Abstract This study examines the effect of altering text structure, the way information is organized, on reading comprehension among third- and fourth-grade students, focusing on the shift from descriptive informational to a narrative structure. Recognizing that traditional models of reading development tend to overlook text structure, this research investigates how manipulating structural patterns influences comprehension, particularly among low-achieving readers. Guided by the Construction–Integration model, we predicted that presenting the same content in different structures would affect students’ comprehension, since structure influences how easily readers can build a coherent mental representation of the text. A total of 166 third- and fourth-grade students participated in the study. Each student read four texts: two in their original descriptive informational structure and two reformatted into a narrative structure, using a controlled rotation method to balance content and minimize bias. Comprehension was assessed through multiple-choice questions targeting different levels of understanding. Results indicated that, across the entire sample, comprehension scores did not significantly differ between text structures. However, low-achieving readers demonstrated improved comprehension when reading texts reformatted into a narrative structure, whereas typical readers performed better with texts in their original descriptive informational format. These findings suggest that narrative structure may reduce cognitive load for low-achieving readers, enabling them to integrate new information more effectively. This study highlights the importance of considering individual differences in reading skills when examining comprehension of informational texts. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term effects of text structure manipulation and to develop approaches that support young readers in processing and understanding informational texts more effectively.