This paper contributes to a research program within extensive reading (ER) and "Reading in a Foreign Language" using corpora to simulate ER input to develop vocabulary through incidental learning to 9,000 words. This helps researchers/teachers evaluate ER. If corpora indicate no 'pathway' from smaller to larger vocabulary sizes through…

There are three purposes of this paper, the first of which is to elucidate the theory and principles underlying extensive reading. Long-held principles will be discussed in light of practical classroom and contextual considerations. Secondly, a critical summary of current research on extensive reading that has been conducted in English as a Second…

In many U.S. states, legislation seeks to define effective instruction for beginning readers, creating an urgent need to turn to scholars who are knowledgeable about ongoing reading research. This mixed-methods study considers the extent to which recognized literacy experts agreed with recommendations about instruction that were included on a…

Texts are a central part of reading. Yet our understandings of appropriate text features and distributions of text diets at different points in students' reading development are limited. The thesis of the essay is that, if the trajectory of struggling readers is to change, attention is needed to the features of texts and students' text diets,…

"Reading Mastery," one of several curriculum components that constitute the "Direct Instruction" curriculum from SRA/McGraw-Hill, is designed to provide systematic instruction in reading to students in grades K-6. "Reading Mastery," which can be used as an intervention program for struggling readers, as a supplement…

The Curriculum and Instructional Projects Team at the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) developed "Guidelines for Reviewing a Reading Program" ("Guidelines") to assist reviewers in determining if a program is consistent with the scientific research on reading. Based on that work, the Center on Instruction Reading Strand developed this…

In this practitioners' guide, a recognized reading expert explains how educators, parents, and concerned citizens can spot ineffective reading programs that may hide under the "scientifically-based" banner. Although the term "whole language" is not commonly used today, programs based on its premises remain popular. These…

Language features which occur for the first time ("new" words and structures) in each story of Blocks 1 and 2 of the Southwest Regional Laboratory (SWRL) Reading Program are identified and discussed. The features were drawn from those defined and presented in Fiege-Kollmann's (1972) analysis of Blocks 1 and 2 stories. The new words and structures…

Vocabulary and text comprehension strategies are acknowledged as critical components of any comprehensive reading program. This article highlights the scientifically-based research on effective reading instruction related to vocabulary and comprehension development. Specifically, the article provides explicit formats integrating these important…

THE RESULTS OF STANDARDIZED TESTS IN LANGUAGE ARTS COVERING 10 YEARS FOR GRADES NINE THROUGH 12 IN GARY, INDIANA, REVEALED THE NEED FOR A DIRECTED PROGRAM IN VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION. A 2-YEAR PILOT STUDY ON VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT USING THE DIRECT APPROACH WAS CONDUCTED AMONG 5,000 NINTH-GRADE STUDENTS. A PRETEST WAS FOLLOWED BY 20 WEEKLY LESSONS,…

Previous work has led to identification of an extensive lexicon on which the Southwest Regional Laboratory (SWRL) 1970 primary-grade reading program will be based, as well as to the development of a considerable number of sound-symbol correspondence rules (see Berdiansky, Cronnell, and Koehler, 1969). The present document describes the initial…

Reports on a study of the curriculum in six paired elementary schools in Los Angeles. Concludes that, if a school has low scores on inferential, interpretive reading, the cure is probably not to give students more of the basics but to develop their vocabularies and general knowledge by providing broad instruction in the content areas. (FL)

The purpose of this study was to study recreational reading in third, fourth, and fifth grade urban students in a school district in Southeastern Virginia. The widely-used Accelerated Reader (AR) was the tool examined in the promotion of recreational reading. The major research questions determined if recreational reading, using Accelerated…

Recommends a program of reading aloud to children to provide motivation and oral language experiences and shows statistically significant evidence of its success with 285 disadvantaged first graders. (MD)

An investigation was conducted to determine whether differing schedules of reading practice had a significant effect on the reading achievement of male college students enrolled in a developmental reading course. Subjects were 80 male students at Central State College, Edmond, Oklahoma. Pretest and post-test results were compared. The Nelson-Denny…