Reports a study of the teaching of basic reading skills in secondary schools. Through systematic observations of classrooms, several key variables were identified which related to reading gains measured by the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills. Several administrative practices important to successful remedial reading programs are also delineated.…

Compares the effects of explicit instruction of the Preread-Read-Organize-Review (PROR) textbook reading strategy in a course-based context (where students apply reading strategies to their own college textbooks) versus a content-based context (where students apply reading strategies only to texts provided in the reading class). Draws no…

In an effort to help basic skills students learn the skills they need to survive in college-level studies and remediate critical areas as quickly as possible, many community colleges have overlooked the value of other studies and the more general literacy that is essential to any education. By rushing to comply with students' utilitarian goals,…

A perennial challenge for developmental educators is to upgrade students' skills over many years without losing their own sense of professional dedication and momentum. Two instructional techniques that can be of use to developmental educators in meeting this challenge are interactive errands and dialogue journals. These activities enable students…

This guide presents lesson plans for remedial writing classes for students who have failed the New York Regents Competency or Preliminary Competency Test in Writing. The guide consists of four units that cover: (1) organizing and reporting skills; (2) more advanced report writing skills; (3) persuasion; and (4) the persuasive essay based upon…

A study skills program is proposed to help students in developmental programs acquire the real learning process required for success in an academic setting. Based on a developmental, personalized theory of instruction, the program has a general planning and instruction procedure that contains the following three steps: (1) The study skills task is…

A successful remedial reading program in a three-year high school in Las Vegas consists of small, separate, elective reading classes for which students receive credit and in which students are taught by a qualified reading specialist aided by trained assistants. This program uses placement tests and diagnostic tests to prescribe specific…

This handbook includes assorted checklists, calendars, guides, and forms to help in managing a high school reading laboratory. The program is based on a diagnostic-prescriptive, skill-centered approach to the teaching of reading. Procedures related to the philosophy of the program, organization and storage of materials, record keeping, and testing…

Robert Nash responds to questions concerning his personal and professional background, the Simultaneous Multisensory Instructional Procedure for Teaching the Complete Sound Structure of the Language, problems associated with dyslexia, the social/emotional impact of learning disabilities, and the University of Wisconsin's Project Success for…

This report describes the developmental education program at Jefferson Davis Community College (JDCC) (Alabama). Approximately 59% of JDCC's student population must take pre-college, or developmental, courses in math, reading, English, and study skills. JDCC's developmental program includes computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in reading, math, and…

Describes the Experiment in Reading for Mexican American Students (ERMAS) a Title III, ESEA program in Spanish that is taught in a manner consistent with the program to be used for reading in English. While learning to read in Spanish, the child simultaneously learns to speak English through an aural-oral approach. (JF)