The Function of Explicit Discourse Knowledge in the Development of Text Representations and Composing Strategies

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Abstract
In Study 1, instruction was used with students in Grades 4 and 6 to investigate effects of availability of explicit versus implicit knowledge of discourse structure. Providing labels for the structural components of opinion essays permitted the expression of implicit knowledge, but instruction in analyzing the structural function of text contents was required before discourse structure knowledge yielded more mature performance (including identifying text contents by function, addressing contrary sides of arguments, and avoiding nonfunctional digressions). As predicted, instruction led neither to superior recall of structural plans for own texts nor to higher ratings of text quality. Study 2 replicated with Grade 6, and extended to Grade 10 and adults, the portions of Study 1 that dealt with recall of structural plans. Accuracy of recall increased significantly with grade. Study 2 additionally used thinking-aloud-during-recall tasks to identify mature and immature uses of structural representations. As pre...

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