Abstract
This article reports on the reading comprehension crisis of older students in the middle and high school grades in our nation. Its goal is to establish a common foundation for intervention by educators and clinicians alike, by providing a brief description of the state of the field in comprehension theory. In particular, the Kintsch construction-integration theory of comprehension is described in the context of its place in the history of memory and learning research. Finally, promising practical classroom applications that result from this model are presented.