Variability in Reading Comprehension

In this chapter, we elaborate on our definition of reading comprehension by giving examples of variations in the three reading comprehension elements— reader, text, and activity—and variations in the context in which they occur. Of course, none of these elements operates independently of the others in any authentic act of comprehension. However, we consider each in turn because each has an internal structure that deserves further consideration and that may clarify how we conceptualize these elements of reading comprehension and the interface among them.