This study traces the controversy over the classification of children according to their ability from its origins in the development of the mental testing movement after 1916. The campaign to organize the schools largely on the basis of standardized tests of intelligence drew substantial support after 1920 from the development of research bureaus…

In order to investigate the factors that affect the ability of children to decode and elaborate television information, a study was conducted in which verbal ability, spatial ability, and amount of home television viewing were examined, along with viewer attention and three levels of instruction, for their direct and interactive effects on…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were statistically significant correlations among standardized test scores due to general reading ability and whether these correlations were affected by the factors of sex, race, and I.Q. Scores were collected for three different tests (Nelson-Denny Reading Test, Lorge-Thorndike I.Q. Test,…

The thesis presents a literature review of selected characteristics of learning disabled children and the relationship between these characteristics and reading. Thirty-three characteristics are discussed, divided into three categories: selected cognitive abilities, speech and language development, and selected behavioral and emotional-social…

A study of the effects of pictures and context cues in teaching sight word vocabulary used six high ability and six low ability first grade students for each of four experimental conditions: word alone, picture, sentence with no picture (context), and sentence plus picture. The procedures included acquisition and test trials, a retention test…

This project investigated the quality of the planetarium as a teaching device by contrasting the performance of students taught in the planetarium with the performance of those taught in regular classrooms. Data for the study derived from official records of Cerritos and El Camino community college students enrolled in introductory astronomy for…

The mathematics achievement of 60 third-grade nonreaders was examined in order to determine whether reading achievement is a necessary prerequisite for mathematics achievement. Pupils were randomly assigned to either a control group which received mathematics instruction in regular classes or an experimental group which received instruction in…

It was hypothesized that middle-grade elementary school students' cognitive development, as defined by Jean Piaget, is positively related to reading ability, when the effects of sex, age, grade level, and language ability are held constant. A stratified, random sample of 138 sixth and seventh graders was administered a test based on Piagetian…

This action research project report summarizes the methods used to reduce boredom and frustration and increase students' academic motivation in three mixed-ability classrooms. This action research project included 21 third grade students, 23 fifth grade students, and 28 eighth grade students (n=72) during the dates of September 10, 2007, through…

This study examined a program to improve the academic success and retention of student athletes at a target community college in central Illinois. The problem of academic success and retention was identified through use of document analysis, surveys, and interviews. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that varied perceptions of student…

Random polygons were used as stimuli in a two-choice multiple discrimination learning paradigm designed to test individual learning ability. A nonverbal test was developed in order to avoid the cultural and racial bias which, according to the author, is inherent in verbal tests. Information processing rate (IPR) was used as the measure of learning…

This paper presents the findings of a study that investigated whether members of culturally diverse populations could be more adequately represented in elementary gifted and talented programs through the use of a non-traditional assessment method. Teachers nominated students for gifted programs from multiple assessments and observations. The…

This study investigated the relation between field independence/field dependence (FI/FD) and reading success. One hundred kindergarten children from a predominantly white, middle-class community were administered a Portable Rod and Frame Test as a measure of cognitive style. The upper and lower 27% were identified and designated Field Dependent…

The purpose of this study was to determine if parental involvement had effects on student reading achievement. The parents of students in kindergarten through grade two were given a questionnaire to complete. The teachers in these grades were given a data form and a short questionnaire to complete on parental involvement and the levels of reading…

This study investigated parents' perceptions of their child's reading abilities. Parents of 92 fourth grade students completed questionnaires to measure the perception parents held of their child's reading ability in relation to the ability of their child based on standardized test scores. Correlations between the Terra Nova Standardized Test and…