Traditionally, reading educators' alternatives for improving students' reading comprehension have been to (a) modify the text, (b) augment the text with aids, or (c) modify the students' reading behavior. The first involves limiting the average number of words per sentence and substituting short, easy words and structures. Results with this modification are not encouraging because comprehensibility relies on more complex factors, and text changes are costly and do not necessarily help students cope with real life reading tasks. The second technique can be effective by involving the student as a creative participant. The third technique shifts the emphasis from teacher directed to student directed activities such as paraphrasing or outlining, but does not enable the student to perceive the text's organizational structure. What is needed is a technique that would consider the background abilities and needs of the reader, the expectations of the teacher, resources, text characteristics, and the implications of current research on reading comprehension. Glossing, an experimental technique that uses marginal and intratext notations to direct the readers' attention while they read, may be one such technique, as it would not merely improve comprehension but would also improve the readers' ability to comprehend. (HTH)