In text comprehension, what do poor readers struggle to differentiate that hinders their understanding?

In text comprehension, poor readers often struggle to differentiate text structure, which significantly hinders their understanding of what they are reading. Text structure refers to the way a text is organized and includes various formats such as narrative, chronological, problem-solution, cause and effect, and compare and contrast.

When readers are unable to identify or understand the structure of a text, they may find it challenging to follow the progression of ideas, recognize the relationships between different pieces of information, or anticipate what comes next. This lack of awareness can lead to confusion and a fragmented understanding of the material, making it difficult for them to grasp the overall message or theme the author intends to convey.

By contrast, while word meanings, spelling patterns, and text conventions are also important components of reading comprehension, they do not directly relate to how the text is organized. Difficulty in these areas may lead to misunderstandings of individual words or sentences, but recognizing the overarching structure is crucial for synthesizing information and making meaning from the text as a whole.