Multipass Strategy

Category: Reading
Grade level: Grade 7 to 12
1. What is the purpose of the Multipass
Strategy?
The Multipass Strategy was developed to
improve the student's ability to get
information from a text. It is a modified
version of SQ3R, designed for students
whose reading skills are two or more years
below their grade level. It was specifically
developed for adolescents with learning
disabilities.
2. With whom can it be used?
This strategy is best suited for students who
must read texts to gain specific information,
likely those in the junior and senior grades
and beyond.
3. What teaching procedures should be
used with the Multipass Strategy?
This strategy is divided into three parts:
survey, size-up and sort-out. Each part
involves skimming the text at some level and
paraphrasing the information gained. Other
than the teacher perhaps developing a sheet
with prompts to remind the student what is to
be done, this is an independent study
technique.
The following are the steps that should be
followed:
(a) Survey
Read chapter title and introductory
paragraph.
Scan table of contents to check current
chapter's relationship to others.
Read subtitles, noting chapters
organization.
Look at illustrations, read captions.
Read summary.
Paraphrase all information gained.

(b) Size-Up
Read questions at the end of the chapter
and check those known.
Look for a textual cue (e.g., bold or italic
print).
Make the cue into a question.
Skim text for answer.
Paraphrase answer without looking at
text.
Paraphrase all the facts and ideas
remembered about the chapter.
(c) Sort-Out
Test self.
If any unanswered questions remain, go to
the most relevant sections sequentially
until answered.
Direct instruction is used to teach the three
passes. The procedures are first taught using
text book chapters written at the students
reading level. Then, the students practice
using materials that they need to study for
their classroom work.
4. In what types of settings should the
Multipass Strategy be used?
This strategy can be taught in small groups of
up to 8 students. It is normally taught in
special education resource room settings or
learning strategies courses.
5. To what extent has research shown the
Multipass Strategy to be useful?
Research has shown that most adolescents
with learning disabilities learn this strategy
when it is taught to them using direct
instructional procedures in groups of 6 to 8
students. Most students, however, need

considerable prompting to generalize the

strategy to their own studying.

References
1. Clark, F., Deshler, D., Schumaker, J.B.,
Alley, G. & Warner, M. (1984). Visual
imagery and self-questioning: Strategies
to improve comprehension of written
materials. Journal of Learning
Disabilities, 17, 145-149.
2. Deshler, D., Alley, G., Warner, M. &
Schumaker, J.B. (1981). Instructional
practices for promoting skill acquisition
and generalization in severely learning
disabled adolescents. Learning Disability
Quarterly, 4, 421-415
3. Deshler, D., Schumaker, J.B., Lenz, K.
and Ellis, E. (1984). Academic and
cognitive interventions for learning
disabled adolescents: Part 1. Journal of
Learning Disabilities, 17, 108-115.
4. Deshler, D., Schumaker, J.B., Lenz, E. &
Ellis, E. (1984). Academic and cognitive
interventions for learning disabled
adolescents: Part II. Journal of Learning
Disabilities, 12, 170-179.
5. Schumaker, J.B., Deshler, D., Alley, G.,
Warner, M. & Denton, P. (1982).
Multipass: A learning strategy for
improving reading comprehension.
Learning Disability Quarterly, 5, 295304.
6. Schumaker, J.B., Deshler, D., Alley, C. &
Warner, M. (1983). Toward the
development of an intervention model for
learning disabled adolescents: The
university of Kansas institute.
Exceptional Education Quarterly, 4, 4574.
7. Wong, B.Y. (1980). Activating the
inactive learner: Use of
questions/prompts to enhance
comprehension and retention of implied

information in learning disabled children.

Learning Disability Quarterly, 3, 29-37.
8. Wong, B.Y. (1985). Self-questioning
instructional research: A review. Review
of Educational Research, 55, 227-268.