Forty 4th and 5th grade remedial reading students from two schools participated in a study that investigated whether providing remedial readers with information on the value of using a particular strategy would influence their self-efficacy and comprehension. In addition, the study explored the effects of emphasizing the general or the task-specific usefulness of the strategy. As part of a training program on main ideas, students in one condition received information that strategy use would benefit them on that task, students in a second condition were told that the strategy was useful on various reading tasks, and those in a third condition were given both types of information. Students in the controlled condition received the training, but no information about the importance of the strategy. Comparison of pretest and posttest data gathered by comprehension and self-efficacy measures revealed that providing students with both types of information resulted in the highest self-efficacy and skill, but that the treatments did not differentially affect achievement outcomes on a generalized task. Five pages of references conclude the document. (FL)