The extent to which pictorial presentation would facilitate the comprehension of text-like passages among two populations of fourth-grade students was investigated. Subjects were 64 students each in high-socioeconomic status (SES) white and low-SES black groups. Simple passages amenable to pictorial presentation were read over a programed tape to the subjects. At the same time slides giving a cumulative presentation were projected. In the verbal conditions they were made from photographs of hand drawings. Subjects were tested individually following each passage. Three main effects were significant: population, presentation mode (text versus pictorial), and question type (1 attribute span question versus 2 to 4 attribute span questions). The data also indicated that visual elaboration was significantly more effective in the low-SES black population. It was the researcher's belief that the question-type effect in the low-SES black population indicated the subjects' attempt to transform the passages by processing them conceptually and that equal performance in the memory and inspection conditions in the pictorial mode confirmed that the pictures aided in this conceptual activity. Tables, figures, and references are included. (AW)