A group test and individual interviews were used to investigate quantitative and qualitative aspects of students' vocabularies. Subjects for the group test were 144 high-, middle-, and low-ability fourth and sixth graders. Subjects for the interviews were eight high- and low-ability third and fifth graders. The group test consisted of two forms of…

Two studies investigated the use of graphic and contextual information in word recognition, and the extent to which good and poor fourth grade readers were flexible in their ability to trade off one type of information for another as situations warranted. The subjects orally read stories containing ten altered words, with a single letter…

This study investigated the effects of instruction and practice in test-taking techniques upon the standardized reading scores of 7 remedial, 19 developmental, and 9 advanced reading students in the sixth grade. "The Nelson Reading Test (Revised Edition), Form A" served as a pretest. Both constructed and commercial materials were used to instruct…

In a pilot study conducted at a correctional training center, it was determined that a score of 70% or better on an informal reading inventory, based on the textbook used in a vocational shop program, was an accurate predictor of an applicant's success in the program. On the basis of the pilot study, inventories were administered to applicants for…

This report represents Phase Three of the "Continuing Plan for Education in Mississippi," which sought to develop a catalog of the precise reading competencies that students in Mississippi's public elementary and secondary schools would be expected to achieve by the time they reached particular grade levels. Chapter One is an introduction to the…

TESTIMONY WAS PRESENTED BEFORE THE U.S. SUPREME COURT WHICH INDICATED THAT RACIAL SEGREGATION AND DISCRIMINATION DAMAGE THE PERSONALITIES OF ALL CHILDREN. ALTHOUGH THIS TESTIMONY WAS PRESENTED IN REFERENCE TO DE JURE SCHOOL SEGREGATION, IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT THE SAME KIND OF DAMAGE IS DONE TO THOSE CHILDREN WHO ATTEND DE FACTO SCHOOLS,…

Those psychological principles which might aid the teacher in the selection of instructional materials are examined. Since learning is a process which builds sequentially on past learning, beginning reading materials should include words that have personal relevance for the individual child. Meaningful material is learned more quickly than…

This report describes the rationale and procedures for a series of studies related to reading tasks and reading texts. Children's reading tasks are examined in five strands of investigation: ability to read for meaning, ability to read for doing, ability to read for remembering, comprehension difficulties in skilled readers, and classroom…

Some practical ways to improve reading skills in social studies classes without sacrificing content objectives and goals are presented. It is emphasized that social studies teachers are best suited to teach reading skills in their own subject field. Social studies teachers need to focus on three reading skills: vocabulary development and word…

It is difficult to account for the real and easily measured differences in verbal competence. Differential psychologists investigate basic traits from which observed behavior is thought to be generated, but if thinking is viewed as a problem in information handling, research will more profitably focus on the relationship between behavior in…

To assess the effect of summer vacation on the overall reading ability of first through fifth graders, as measured by norm-referenced and criterion-referenced reading tests, a study was conducted involving 84 children. In the spring testing, the researcher administered the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test, Form 1, and the Wisconsin Tests of Reading…

To determine if there are qualitative as well as quantitative differences in the syntactic errors committed by good and poor readers, two studies were conducted. In the first, 31 third graders, grouped as either good or poor readers according to reading grade equivalent scores, completed a 300 word cloze passage. The results suggested that poor…

This report evaluated the Child Centered Reading Program which was designed to develop and improve reading ability, behavioral attitudes, and self image of the 2000 inner city elementary students participating in the program. The program was administered by a coordinator, four reading teachers and two educational assistants. The activities…

This study examined the ability of junior high school students to use advance information when making semantic category decisions. The subjects, eight good readers and eight poor readers, identified paired words as "same" or "different" in category, with some words more highly associated with the category than others--in the "fruit" category, for…

These short summaries of the reports from the National Institute of Education's Conference on Studies in Reading are intended to reflect accurately the general areas of research recommended by each of the 10 panels taking part in the conference. Each panel focused on a particular problem in reading, identifying general approaches, suggesting…