The reading wars were fought over the importance of sentence- versus word-level information to students' reading. As the field considers new debates on the science of reading, we argue here that sustained empirical inquiry into the role of sentence-level information in students' reading skill is needed. These investigations could be particularly…

Can the science of reading contribute to improving educational practices, allowing more students to become skilled readers? Much has been learned about the behavioral and brain bases of reading, how students learn to read, and factors that contribute to low literacy. The potential to use research findings to improve literacy outcomes is…

Shares authors' perspectives on the ways feminist theories are influencing their work as literacy researchers. Discusses complexities of taking up gender as a category of analysis; ways of addressing gender within sociocultural work on literacy; nonexistence of boundaries separating literacy research, feminism, and technology; and pervasive…

Responds to an article in the same issue of the journal presenting a meta-analysis of reading research. Suggests that the metastudy is well conceived, yet its disembodied perspective, devoid of any mention of an actual teacher, student, or school, is emblematic of how far the frames, questions, and methods deemed important have taken reading…

Responds to an article in the same issue of the journal presenting a meta-analysis of reading research. Expresses concern that the authors' conclusions will promote a slavish adherence to a methodology and a rigidity of thought that reading researchers can ill afford. (RS)

Responds to an article in the same issue of the journal presenting a meta-analysis of reading research. Discusses limitations of meta-analysis; changing views of research; influential instructional research; and changing standards, changing possibilities. (RS)

Offers and applies a set of design criteria to characterize ten alternative models of reading or understanding. (MKM)

Describes two research frames, functionalist research and critical analyses, focusing on the different questions they raise about a study published in an earlier issue of this journal that investigated whether minimally-trained college students can effectively tutor children in reading. Suggests reading researchers must extend their tendency to…

Defines comprehension monitoring as a metacognitive process that is affected by person, strategy, and task variables. Reviews research in the area and draws conclusions based on that research. (FL)

Summarizes research in teacher preparation. Argues that a great deal is known about the training of teachers but much less about the teaching of teachers. Reviews research in areas of training and teaching of teachers and points toward promising practices in the area of teaching teachers. Concludes with recommendations for a research agenda in…

Identifies, organizes, and discusses research suggestions from "Literature Search in Reading" on such topics as language development, learning to read, and the reading process. (RB)

Suggests that the emphasis on basic reading research in the decade of the 1970s has devalued the importance of reading instruction research and has ignored the needs of the reading educator. (AEA)

Discusses frequently overlooked faults in the research methodology used to investigate dyslexia and suggests alternative methods for future work. (AA)

Extends and comments upon Valtin's criticisms and suggestions concerning methodological problems in research on dyslexia. (AA)

Describes needed research and ongoing federal projects designed to provide information about alternatives for improving reading instruction for compensatory education students. (AA)