ABE adults' knowledge about reading, or their meta-comprehension, is more like that of children who are beginning readers. They are less aware than good readers of strategies that can be used to monitor comprehension, view reading as decoding as opposed to comprehending text, and are less aware of the general structure of paragraphs and stories. They are aware of the influence of motivation, interest, and prior knowledge on reading.

Study: **Gambrel & Heathington, 1981

Research Summary: Experimental results from one study in which ABE learners and skilled college readers were interviewed about their knowledge of reading comprehension suggest that ABE readers' metacomprehension ability is more like that of beginning readers described in the literature (Gambrel & Heathington, 1981). Interview results suggest that both groups are aware of the influence of motivation, interest, and prior knowledge on comprehension. ABE readers, however, are less aware of text structure, or how paragraphs and stories are organized, and strategies that can be used to resolve comprehension failure. Like younger beginning readers, they are more likely to associate reading with decoding as opposed to comprehending text.