# Unraveling Reading Comprehension 
Behavioral, Neurobiological, and Genetic Components

edited by

**Brett Miller, Ph.D.**  
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development  
National Institutes of Health  
Bethesda, Maryland  
**Laurie E. Cutting, Ph.D.**  
Peabody College of Education and Human Development  
Vanderbilt University

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## Contents

**I Introduction**

## 1  Unraveling the Behavioral, Neurobiological, and Genetic Components of Reading Comprehension: An Introduction  
*Laurie E. Cutting and Brett Miller ... 2*

## 2  Reflections on Transitions in the Field of Dyslexia: Learning from the Past to Benefit the Future  
*Robin D. Morris ... 8*

## II What Goes Wrong When Reading Comprehension Fails?

## 3  Reading Comprehension and Reading Comprehension Problems: A Word-to-Text Integration Perspective  
*Charles Perfetti, Joseph Z. Stafura, and Suzanne M. Adlof ... 22*

## 4  How Might Comprehension Deficits Be Explained by the Constraints of Text and Multilevel Discourse Processes?  
*Art Graesser and Haiying Li ... 33*

## 5 Sources of Comprehension Problems During Reading  
*Anne Helder, Paul van den Broek, Linda Van Leijenhorst, and Katinka Beker ... 43*

## 6  Reading Comprehension Difficulties in Struggling Readers  
*Kate Cain ... 54*

## 7  Oral Language Disorders and Reading Comprehension Problems  
*Hugh W. Catts ... 66*

## III How Can Assessment and Statistical and Computational Modeling Help Us Understand Reading Comprehension?

## 9  Rationale for a New Generation of Reading Comprehension Assessments  
*John P. Sabatini and Tenaha O’Reilly ... 100*

## 10  The Development of Eye-Movement Control and Reading Skill  
*Erik D. Reichle ... 112*

## 11  Taking Models and Neuroimaging to Task: What Do We Know About How People Actually Read?  
*Jason D. Zevin and Jianfeng Yang ... 123*

## 12  What Can Be Learned About the Reading Comprehension of Poor Readers Through the Use of Advanced Statistical Modeling Techniques?  
*Donald L. Compton, Amanda C. Miller, Jennifer K. Gilbert, and Laura M. Steacy ... 135*

## IV The Neurobiology and Genetics of Reading and Reading Comprehension

## 13  From Words to Text: Neurobiology and Behavioral Bases of Reading Comprehension  
*Laurie E. Cutting, Sabrina L. Benedict, Allison Broadwater ...*

## 14  Neuroimaging Studies of Reading Disabilities: Toward Brain-Based Learning Models  
*Kenneth R. Pugh, Stephen J. Frost, Nicole Landi, Jonathan L. Preston, W. Einar Mencl, and Jay G. Rueckl ... 164*

## 15  The Proactive Comprehender: What Event-Related Potentials Tell Us About the Dynamics of Reading Comprehension  
*Gina R. Kuperberg ... 176*

## 16  Relating Reading Comprehension to Language and Broader Reading Skills: A Behavioral Genetics Approach  
*Stephen A. Petrill ... 193*

## 17  What We Know (or Do Not Know) About the Genetics of Reading Comprehension and Other Reading-Related Processes  
*Elena L. Grigorenko ... 203*

## V Intervention: Addressing the Needs of Learners

## 18  Intervening to Support Reading Comprehension Development with Diverse Learners  
*Carol McDonald Connor ... 222*

## 19  Why Intensive Interventions Are Necessary for Adolescents with Dyslexia: Findings from 3-Year Intervention and Future Research  
*Sharon Vaughn and Michael Solis ... 233*

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### CHAPTER 6  
# Reading Comprehension Difficulties in Struggling Readers  
#### Kate Cain

Reading is a widespread and varied activity. We read different types of text for different purposes. This chapter focuses on comprehension and why some children struggle to understand what they read.

### What Is Involved in Reading Comprehension?  
Before we can examine and determine the reasons for reading comprehension failure, we must first identify what is involved in the act of comprehending.

Skilled comprehenders recognize the individual words on the page and access their meanings. In the example, cohesive cues signal links: "she" and "her" refer back to Ruby, the main protagonist. Good memory aids the integration process. In fiction, readers want to understand motivations and actions. Comprehension is a dynamic process informed by context and general knowledge.

### Who Has Reading Comprehension Difficulties?  
Reading is a complex cognitive activity requiring coordination of various knowledge bases and skills. Skilled reading has been likened to a symphony orchestra. Proficiency in each component is seen on a continuum. The simple view of reading describes comprehension as a product of knowledge and skills related to word reading and comprehension.

- **Cognitive Resources**: Cognitive resources that support language processing, such as the working memory system, are important for reading. Children with poor word reading often have weak short-term memory, affecting their retention and processing of verbal stimuli.

- **Developmental Context**: Understanding reading comprehension within a developmental context reveals both the drivers of development and the underlying weaknesses that cause comprehension failures.

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This structured breakdown focuses on the significant headings and core content emphasizing reading comprehension and its challenges.