Thirty-five learning-disabled readers (mean age 10) and 43 controls were compared on a sentence span task and on recall of everyday features, consequential events, and misleading information. Results indicated that subjects were deficient on working memory and naturalistic measures, but their naturalistic memory deficits did not appear to relate…

The article examines assessment of phonological coding skills (considered important in in acquiring early word-reading skills) in young children. Although tests of memory span for digits, words, or letters are most commonly used, a combination of tasks including naming-rate and articulation-rate tasks are suggested. (Author/DB)

Research has found similarities between specific reading disability and reading difficulty in children of low intelligence, especially in short-term memory deficits. Studies indicate that ability to acquire and use a knowledge of spelling patterns is a major problem, and efforts to teach more efficient decoding skills have met with limited…

This study with 12 2nd- and 3rd-grade students with mild disabilities compared memory for new reading words following instructional sessions in which either word meaning or phonic cues were emphasized. The phonic instruction resulted in a greater number of words remembered either within sentences or on word lists. (Author/DB)

Although reading has been studied extensively over the past few decades, its measurement and amelioration continues to be problematic. This paper explores the reasons for this within a psycho-educational perspective and offers several new alternative theoretical positions from which to view prose processing and enhancement. Implications for…

This paper discusses five language roots of reading: phonology, syntax, semantics, short-term and long-term memory, and auditory segmenting. Teachers are urged to focus early school experiences toward development of these five skills to reduce the incidence of reading difficulties. Specific teaching suggestions are offered. (Author/DB)

The booklet, fifth in a series, examines the assessment and remediation of reading difficulties in adults with learning disabilities. The section on assessment concerns touches upon reading recognition difficulties, and includes a list of questions for investigating auditory, tactile, and visual processes. Reading comprehension difficulties are…

This booklet presents strategies developed by six adult basic education (ABE) staff members for helping students with specific learning problems. The strategies were devised through reading, talking with experts in the field, attending a workshop, and experimenting with modified teaching strategies. The guide addresses 36 specific learning…

Summaries of several papers are presented to develop a working theoretical analysis of reading comprehension and an understanding of development in language comprehension based upon empirical studies. Contributions from the areas of assessment, artificial intelligence, cognition (including schema theory), instruction, linguistics, learning…

Secondary education of students with learning and behavioral disabilities is an issue of great importance. Unlike elementary schools, secondary schools require substantially more independent functioning, assume the effective use of student planning and study skills, and often lack the classes in basic skills needed by some learners. Further, new…