This paper describes the instructional design and development of a college critical reading course based on a prescriptive and systematic five-step design model derived from instructional psychology. Emphasis is on the first three steps of instructional design: instructional problem analysis, determination of instructional objectives, and…

Language samples were collected from 12 randomly selected black first graders of average intelligence, from low socioeconomic families in a New York City suburb. The language samples were analyzed for black English syntactic features and language structural patterns. Three basal reader passages were then selected and repatterned for each pupil, to…

Writing samples representing argumentation, exposition, narration, and description were gathered from 52 fourth-grade pupils. Significant differences were found among the four modes of writing and among high, medium, and low ability groups, for T-unit length and clauses per T-unit; lesser differences also were found for clause length.…

The most significant findings and recommendations of the 1975 Oregon Statewide Reading Assessment are highlighted in this summary intended for a nontechnical audience. A criterion-referenced test was developed to test the reading achievement of fourth graders in the areas of word attack skills, comprehension skills, study skills and vocabulary…

The purposes of this dissertation were to study the relationship between the use of performance objectives and the importance of reading comprehension; to ascertain the relationship between the use of performance objectives and the learning of textbook material; and to determine if, by providing training in the use of performance objectives, the…

This book describes the cloze test, an instructional tool that has been used in the United States for the past 15 years but has not yet been extensively researched in francophone countries. The first section presents a synthesis of the most important American studies and outlines a theoretical framework for researchers and teachers of French who…

While most foreign language programs list communicative language use as a primary goal, classroom tests seldom reflect this objective but rather focus on discrete-point linguistic competence. The authors present a model of the communication process and point to the main task in constructing tests of communicative competence: devising simulated…

This study investigated whether the teaching of a classification system of context clues will help children to better use context clues and improve their comprehension. One hundred twenty-seven students selected from grades 3-5 in two schools served as subjects. One school was designated as the experimental school, and subjects were taught cause…

This program, included in "Effective Reading Programs...," serves 115 disadvantaged children in first through third grade and includes black, Filipino, white, and Spanish-surname students. Begun in 1965, Total Reading is a complete language arts program for the primary grades which integrates the teaching of reading, writing, spelling,…

A study was undertaken to determine if differences existed between Chicano and non-Chicano students enrolled in the college reading improvement program and if Chicano students evidenced any comprehension characteristics unique to them as a group which would justify special instructional programing. Of the 184 subjects selected for the study, 69…

This study involved the development of exercises for teaching the use of context clues in word recognition. Although authorities believe that context clues are best used in combination with other methods of word identification, such as phonetic analysis and word form, no hierarchy of difficulty among the many exercises for teaching context clues…

Studies in two areas of college reading research and their implications for secondary reading teachers are discussed: (1) the effectiveness of reading machines and (2) the effectiveness of techniques recommended for student use. Several studies evaluating the effectiveness of reading machines are reviewed, and weaknesses of research in this area…

The focus of this paper is on three questions: (1) What reading skills are important to social studies achievement? (2) How can these skills be operationally defined for research and practice? and (3) How can the application of such research findings be effected? Several sources of research and discussions on reading and its relation to content…

One purpose of the International Reading Association (IRA)--to improve the quality of reading instruction at all levels--was discussed. The topic was divided into three parts: Developmental Reading, The International Challenge, and The Role of IRA. The substance of the first part was based on the theoretical model of reading described by Gray in…

This paper focuses on four studies of pupils' reading comprehension completed at the University of Alberta. A number of investigators have described the acquisition and use of connectives by pupils and have indicated the importance of connectives in the development of abstract logical thinking. (Teachers often consider these words too simple to…