The purpose of this investigation was to examine the efficacy of various strategies for improving the reading comprehension of readers with deficits in decoding and vocabulary skills. Ninety-six subjects (48 deficit readers and 48 average readers) of approximately the same age and intelligence were selected from a lower socioeconomic middle school. Average and deficit poor readers were compared for performance on a comprehension task under three instructional-treatment conditions and two input modalities. The treatments included imagery, incentive, and control under both reading and listening modalities. Contrary to expectations, instructions to image did not facilitate comprehension for the average readers (under reading or listening) or for the deficit readers (under listening conditions). The deficit readers did improve significantly in comprehension when they moved from a reading to a listening modality. (MKM)