For decades there has been a divide between educational research and practice. Sometimes the blame is placed on teachers for not following research-based strategies or not being trained well enough to read the literature. Just as frequently the blame is placed on researchers for not (a) studying topics important to teachers, (b) writing them so…

Experts agree that reading is the most important skill children must acquire. However, as the popular press often chides, there are millions of U.S. students who struggle to read and comprehend adequately. As a result, these students risk both school and workplace failure. Research confirms that good readers actively comprehend and simultaneously…

A fourteen-item test designed to measure knowledge of the meanings of words used in directions for non-prescription medication was constructed to illustrate the use of criterion-referenced measurement in reading. (TO)

Reports that of nine skills generally considered prerequisites for independence in comprehending written messages, one skill was found to be a false prerequisite, three were identified as possibly necessary but not sufficient for success, and five were associated with competency in the comprehending task. (FL)

Examines the effectiveness of the SQ3R study technique in enhancing comprehension of material in an introductory psychology textbook. Finds significantly better performance on tests of recall or conceptual items for students using SQ3R than for those using individual study methods. (RS)

Measures reading rate and comprehension of 39 managers. Shows that both increased after a one-week training program to improve reading speed. (SR)

Indicates that the assessment of reading comprehension should be evaluated in the light of potentially differential benefits resulting from the test form and its interactive effects on children with particular trait dispositions. (Author)

Comments on the nature of taxonomies in education generally and in reading specifically. Examines alternatives to taxonomies as they are traditionally used in reading instruction, and proposes a number of comprehension strategies to use in conjunction with the Thomas Barrett Taxonomy of Reading. (FL)

Investigates how metaphor influences a reader's ability to recall information about new concepts, assimilate new concepts into existing conceptual structures, and accommodate new concepts by creating new conceptual structures. Offers support for metaphor as an instructional device for formal reasoners. Suggests that metaphor may interfere with…

Concludes that teachers need to be aware of the side effects before administering cloze test procedures to college students. (RB)

Reports study which found that some high school students were far from any reasonable level of mastery of the ability to comprehend directions on potentially hazardous household products. (JM)

Discusses a learning strategy, employing imaginal processes and verbal mediations procedures, designed to improve reading comprehension in 24 learning disabled students. Indicates significant gains and improvement in reading comprehension over a 15 week treatment period. (MM)

Finds no difference in test scores of students who underlined a passage and students who did not underline; for those students who followed their normal study patterns, the scores of underliners were significantly lower; and increased retention of underlined material was more than offset by decreased retention of nonunderlined material. (RS)

Examines whether intermediate level severely and profoundly hearing-impaired children can internalize story structure through nonexplicit instruction and then use this knowledge to understand narrative text. Finds that the instructional intervention is effective in providing these children with a conceptual framework for understanding the content…