This study presents the results of the 1970-71 National Assessment of Reading regarding "Understanding Words and Word Relationships." Subjects at four age levels--nine, thirteen, seventeen, and young adult (26-35)--were tested on eight aspects, or themes, of reading: (1) understanding words and word relationships, (2) graphic materials,…

A selection of papers presented at the Second World Congress on Reading held in Copenhagen in August, 1968, reflects the views of educators from 25 countries on facets of reading instruction. Central to the Congress was its stress on education as a human right. The raising of literacy goals and the roles played by various agencies in accomplishing…

Reading comprehension questions selected from readers, teacher manuals, and workbooks of three current, widely used and representative basal reading series were analyzed according to the Barrett Taxonomy to determine cognitive objectives. The taxonomy has five major divisions and thirty-three levels within, claimed to be cumulative and sequenced…

This longitudinal study compared the longterm effects of beginning reading instruction in traditional orthography (TO) and the initial teaching alphabet (i.t.a.) on two pupil populations comparable in intelligence, socioeconomic status, and preschool experience. Teacher and school factors were rigorously controlled. A continuous comparison of…

It was hypothesized that a positive relationship exists between a reader's interest in a passage and his level of comprehension of it. The subjects, 90 sixth grade boys of at least average ability, read a pre-test passage and indicated their interest and comprehension by writing in the deletions for the previously read passage as it appeared in…

This appraisal of the readability of materials used by Adult Basic Education (ABE) teachers determines readability by using the Dale-Chall Readability Formula, the Fry Readability Graph, and the Gunning Fog Readability Formula. An introductory chapter states the problem, defines terms, and presents the importance, hypotheses, design, limitations,…

The problem of this study was concerned with instruction in reading rate acceleration and the effects upon comprehension. Correlates of reading achievement, sex, IQ, age, and interest were also considered. A six-week reading rate training program was completed by the three experimental classes randomly selected in each of grades two, four, and six…

This report describes an experiment which tests the effectiveness of a multimedia, continuous learning program in comparison with that obtained in a traditional Spanish language course. Results of the Modern Language Tests for Spanish 1 indicate that experimental and control groups were equal at the conclusion of one year of study in both the…

A skills development course for secondary grades is outlined which is designed to improve skills in reading for understanding via the identification of main and subordinate ideas, reading and listening for directions and purposes, and reading and listening for information. It is aimed to assist both students with satisfactory performance and…

This review of psychometric research in reading analyzes the factors which seem related to reading comprehension skills. Experimental analysis of reading comprehension by L. E. Thorndike revealed two major components: knowledge of word meanings and verbal reasoning abilities. Subsequent analysis of experimental studies of reading comprehension…

Starting with the second semester of the 1971-72 school year, the Phoenix Union High School System accepted a performance contract with Educators Service Incorporated of Edina, Minnesota. The contract enabled the district to implement a one-semester program, which was a multimedia course consisting of 36 thirty-minute videotaped sessions which…

This report describes the development of a Literacy Assessment Battery (LAB) for determining the relative efficiency with which adults can comprehend language by reading or listening. Development of the LAB included: the tryout with adults of two listening and reading tests designed for children; experimental studies of a decoding task involving…

Thirty fifth-grade children participated in a study of regressions in oral reading of narrative and expository material. A cloze test, a retelling task, and a comprehending task were administered to each student. Analysis of regressions in reading indicated nine categories of cause of regression: correction, anticipatory problems, intonation…

This paper discusses two methods used for investigating how students can acquire greater skill in reading for learning. The first study, carried out at Loughborough College of Education, involved students in a pre-packaged sequence of learning experiences. The content of the packages or modules and the sequence in which they were offered embodied…

Fifty-six third graders were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, in a study of the relationship between clause structure and the readability of written texts. The treatment groups read sets of passages which were identical except for certain word-order modifications. The dependent variables were silent- and oral-reading comprehension, rate…