Describes 12 successful practices for literature programs which evolved as students and teachers talked about books. Finds that these practices minimize the basalization of literature and maximize the analysis of and dialogue about literature. (MG)

Determines the incidence, distribution, and relationships of various error types when disabled readers responded to inference questions based on narrative and expository selections. Finds greater proportions of errors in three of the seven categories: integration of text and prior information, ability to write intended responses, and recall of…

Analyzes whether comprehensible input via captioned television influences acquisition of science vocabulary and concepts using 129 bilingual seventh and eighth graders. Finds that comprehensible input is a key ingredient in language acquisition and reading development. (MG)

The effect of graphic organizers on 14 learning-disabled students' (grades 5 and 6) recall of science content was compared with that of students taught identical content without the graphic organizer condition. Evaluation two weeks later found no statistically significant differences between the groups on production or choice response tasks. (DB)

Reviews current developments in second-language reading research and its implications for the classroom, particularly the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom. It is argued that the last 10 years have yielded insights that challenge previous views of first- and second-language reading and imply future avenues of research. (67 references) (VWL)

Forty-five average and 45 poor readers (grades 5-6) received either didactic teaching or self-instruction of the "3H" mnemonic reading comprehension strategy relating to text explicitness, text implicitness, or script implicitness, or received no training. Self-instructional training was more effective in enhancing and maintaining…

This article suggests ways that teachers can use videotape recordings to improve listening skills and enhance text structure instruction in the intermediate grades. Students develop story maps for narrative videos and texts and create organizational pattern guides for expository videos and texts. Lists of suggested videos and children's books are…

Four language classroom activities are described, including an exercise using maps and new vocabulary to discuss geographic location; an adaptation of a common board game that encourages classroom communication; an activity to enrich vocabulary and understanding of the historical relationships between words; and a comprehension exercise using a…

Measures of reading fluency were investigated as predictors of reading comprehension for 77 third graders and 65 fifth graders. Several of the eight measures investigated were found to be good predictors of comprehension with the potential for use by teachers. Results show that reading fluency is a multidimensional reading construct. (SLD)

Twenty-seven boys (ages 8-11) with hyperactive disorder and 28 boys with hyperactive-aggressive disorder were administered methylphenidate. No significant results were found for the hyperactive disorder group in either reading recognition or comprehension. The hyperactive-aggressive group improved in reading comprehension, with no effect resulting…

Researchers examined cognitive processes used to construct meaning from narrative text in successful and less successful ninth grade readers. A coding system analyzed think-aloud protocols students recorded while reading two stories. Students were primarily story-driven readers. Differences between stories rarely affected their responses.…

The first year (1986-87) of a measurement-driven and feedback-driven instruction project being conducted in Israel was evaluated. Criterion-referenced tests developed for the evaluation were administered to students in grades 3, 4, and 5 in 26 schools. Positive effects were found on achievement in reading comprehension and arithmetic. (SLD)

Describes how two metacognitive/study strategies (SQ3R and What I Know Sheets) are combined to produce one effective, efficient strategy to enhance reading comprehension. (SR)

Reviews research demonstrating a relationship between the use of comprehension monitoring strategies and improved reader proficiency; investigating the characteristics of unskilled college students; and supporting direct, explicit instruction in reading strategies and comprehension monitoring. Summarizes studies of the most effective methods of…

Observation and comparison of native speaking and English-as-a-Second-Language students' reading patterns, overall reading comprehension, and comprehension of coreferential pronouns revealed that misunderstanding of coreferential ties reflected a misunderstanding of the descriptive phrases to which the pronouns referred. (22 references) (Author/CB)