This technical report, published by the Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1983, reviews research on reading comprehension instruction. It categorizes studies into four main types: existential descriptions, existential proofs, pedagogical experiments, and program evaluations. The report highlights the importance of understanding the real-world application of reading comprehension instruction and the need for research that evaluates the effectiveness of instructional practices. Existential descriptions focus on describing current classroom practices and materials, while existential proofs aim to determine whether certain variables influence comprehension. Pedagogical experiments test the effectiveness of specific instructional interventions, and program evaluations assess the long-term impact of instructional variables in real classroom settings. The report emphasizes the need for research that links findings to theoretical constructs and highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between comprehension instruction and the development of comprehension skills. It also discusses the role of prior knowledge, vocabulary, and schema activation in comprehension. The report concludes that effective instruction involves explicit teaching of comprehension strategies, monitoring of comprehension, and the integration of these elements into a coherent instructional framework. It suggests that students can be taught to independently apply reading strategies through careful definition, modeling, guided practice, and independent application. The report also notes that the effectiveness of instruction depends on the integration of these components into a comprehensive instructional framework.This technical report, published by the Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1983, reviews research on reading comprehension instruction. It categorizes studies into four main types: existential descriptions, existential proofs, pedagogical experiments, and program evaluations. The report highlights the importance of understanding the real-world application of reading comprehension instruction and the need for research that evaluates the effectiveness of instructional practices. Existential descriptions focus on describing current classroom practices and materials, while existential proofs aim to determine whether certain variables influence comprehension. Pedagogical experiments test the effectiveness of specific instructional interventions, and program evaluations assess the long-term impact of instructional variables in real classroom settings. The report emphasizes the need for research that links findings to theoretical constructs and highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between comprehension instruction and the development of comprehension skills. It also discusses the role of prior knowledge, vocabulary, and schema activation in comprehension. The report concludes that effective instruction involves explicit teaching of comprehension strategies, monitoring of comprehension, and the integration of these elements into a coherent instructional framework. It suggests that students can be taught to independently apply reading strategies through careful definition, modeling, guided practice, and independent application. The report also notes that the effectiveness of instruction depends on the integration of these components into a comprehensive instructional framework.