Reading is a vital skill for functioning in society. People need to read road signs, prescription labels, restaurant menus, and job applications just to make it through everyday life. Unfortunately, approximately 20% of the population (Washburn, & Joshi, & Binks-Cantrell, 2011) are said to be dyslexic which means they will struggle…

Data based instruction has received much attention in educational literature. It relates well to measurement driven teaching and learning. Data may come from several sources including mandated tests, district wide testing, formative and summative evaluations, as well as teacher written tests. Objective information is intended for use in data based…

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…

Discusses the potential consequences of conducting research in which the sample truly represents only a fragment of some theoretical population. Argues that most field-based reading research violates the assumption of representativeness and that this violation can result in severe misrepresentations of research results. (FL)

Indicates that for the most part, the vocabulary in workbook exercises at the third through sixth grade levels lacks adequate control and questions the practice of allowing students to complete the exercises independently of teacher assistance. (FL)

Shows that of self-concept, birth order, intelligence, sex, position in family, family size, age, and socioeconomic status, only intelligence was significantly related to reading achievement. (FL)

For the past one hundred years, the American public has been entertained by the daily and the Sunday newspaper comic strips. The comics are now recognized as a legitimate and unique pop art form that chronicles the American culture. Research concerning reading interests and preferences provide evidence that the comics have a particular attraction…

Research indicates that repeated reading improves students' reading fluency. Although found to be effective, the underlying reading processes impacted by the intervention remains unclear. Two theoretical rationales, automatic word processing and the contextual linguistic effect, explaining repeated reading's effectiveness have been advanced in the…

Finds no significant differences between the prime frequency of words when comparing the Thorndike/Lorge and Carroll word lists. (RB)

No significant correlations were found between arithmetic computational ability and reading ability for students with normal intelligence who have difficulty in reading. (RB)

Suggests that, unlike classical experiments, which should be carried to conclusion without change, evaluation of ongoing educational programs, such as the "Let's Be Amigos" program, must adapt to program changes. (RB)

Discusses a study which focused on how well elementary children supply appropriate intonation to written sentences and which found that many intonation patterns predictable by syntax had not been mastered even by children who were reading on fourth and fifth grade levels. (JM)