A study examined the effects of teachers' use of explicit explanation on students' levels of metacognitive awareness of the reading process and on their reading achievement as measured by a standardized test. Subjects, 22 fifth grade teachers from 13 different elementary schools, were observed by researchers who had been trained in using a management observation form. After rating the teachers as high, medium, or low classroom managers, the researchers then randomly assigned each to a treatment or control condition. Teachers in the treatment condition were trained to use explicit explanation during reading instruction, and those in the control condition were trained in classroom management techniques. All teachers were asked to incorporate what they had learned into their classroom lessons with low reading students. The students in all classes were tested previous to instruction using a standardized reading test and again following it. Results showed that the students of treatment condition teachers were more aware of what they had been taught than were students of control condition teachers. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between teachers' explicit explanation and students' metacognitive awareness. (The criteria for evaluating teacher commmunication, a copy of the conventions for data analysis, and tables of data are appended.) (FL)