A Dutch teacher presents reading, film viewing, and writing activities for "Empire of the Sun," J. G. Ballard's autobiographical account of life as a boy in Shanghai and in a Japanese internment camp during World War II (the subject of Steven Spielberg's film of the same name). Includes objectives, procedures, and several literature,…

Study strategies used to assist mildly handicapped students become more actively engaged and successful in gaining and responding to information in content area classes are described. They include using advance organizers, summarizing/paraphrasing what is read, enhancing listening skills, and improving the organization, appearance, and accuracy of…

The author makes a case for replacing the traditional English term paper with short repeatable research assignments as a better way of developing students' reading comprehension and self-management skills in the writing process. He appends a sequential task outline for the stages of a research assignment. (SJL)

High school students were tested on their ability to follow directions written by content area teachers. Poor readers understood the directions only about half the time, which probably confounds their performance on classroom tests and assignments. Ways that teachers can make their instructions easier to read are suggested. (SJL)

Suggests that content reading teachers set goals for their reading assignments as a method of helping students learn from textbooks and read the assigned material critically.

Three reading comprehension strategies are presented to assist learning-disabled students: an advance organizer technique called "TELLS Fact or Fiction" used before reading a passage, a schema-based technique called "Story Mapping" used while reading, and a postreading method of categorizing questions called…

After an informal study of 589 college freshmen enrolled in reading courses at Bishop State Junior College (Alabama) revealed that most students read out-of-class assignments only sometimes because of the degree of difficulty of the reading tasks, a series of directed and structured activities was developed to promote reading comprehension. The…

Most students enjoy reading interesting selections about unusual plants, animals, insects, spiders, and other creatures. This book attempts to capitalize on the natural curiosity of students by introducing them to some of nature's most intriguing forms of life. The document is designed to provide students with background information, including…

Intended specifically for tutors who want to use proven teaching techniques but who have limited time and resources, this book offers dozens of teaching ideas as well as useful information on curriculum development, instruction, and appropriate reading materials. The teaching strategies in the book were adapted from articles published in the…

By providing definitions of key concepts, outlines of major models, and practical suggestions for classroom implementation, this pamphlet gives teachers access to current research on the interactive model of reading. The topics covered include: Vygotsky's learning theory, metacomprehension, prior knowledge, chapter mapping, cooperative learning,…

An experiment sought to determine the effectiveness of a program for improving achievement among black seventh and eighth grade social studies students. The aim was to develop a media center service program that would support school district efforts to provide educational and support services for the black male. An audiovisual tutoring program…

A study examined classroom practices in English, social studies, and science classrooms, seeking information on the purposes for which teachers assign reading within their specific disciplines, the reading activities that might be associated with such assignments, and the assistance or guidance that teachers might give their students to help them…

Reports findings of a survey, asking 1000 secondary social studies teachers to rate 36 specialist-designed reading practices. Shows teachers value and employ these techniques: (1) provide suitable materials; (2) offer instruction and guidance; (3) develop readiness through prereading; (4) encourage recitation, discussion, and comparative reading.…

This report examines the readiness of Latino (Hispanic descent) high school students for college-level academic work based on their reading comprehension and verbal reasoning skills. Pertinent college admissions test data and educational survey data are reviewed, and findings are discussed from a variety of research fields that sharpen the…

Literacy strategies useful in the adult education classroom were presented at a faculty professional development workshop. Literacy was described as a two-part process that included receptive (involving listening and reading) and expressive (involving speaking and writing). Content area was described as the focus of adult education literacy with…